Digestion is an absolute mystery for many of us. Our bodies are at their own free will to do anything, without any unmistakable rhythm or reason. But, you would not believe your ears if you come to know that you have the freedom to regulate your bowel movements in a manner more than what you might have expected. 

Ways To Revitalize Your Bowel Health

Follow these simple steps, and your bathroom trips may bring you a merrier experience than you might have expected.

1. Keeping Yourself Hydrated ​

Stepping into the bathroom within minutes of your waking up does not necessarily mean that you will have a robust bowel movement. You may feel that bringing your faeces in an optimal condition is ideal for an easy discharge. But the baby step towards having a superior bowel movement is to ensure you are drinking water profusely.

It is advisable for men to drink around 3 litres and for women to drink 2.2 litres of water every day, respectively.

Each cell in our body requires water to perform its functions. The food we eat and the liquids we drink serve as a staple source of water in our bodies. Our body absorbs this water from our stomachs.

Water has a pivotal role to play with bowel movements. If we do not consume enough water, our bodies resort to the large intestine for hydrating their cells. Consequently, the stool is deprived of water, which can lead to stiff and more rigid stools.

2. Tweak Your Diet Chart A Bit!

If you want to come out of your bathroom feeling ‘Not bad!’ you have to ensure you follow the proper diet chart. Don’t forget to gobble up lots of fresh leafy vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and lean protein. Nibbling at these foods regularly works wonders for your overall health and partakes in running your digestive system quite flexibly. 

3. Try Dietary Fibre

Smooth bowel movements sync very well with fibre. Fibre is that part of any plant which we can’t digest. Thus, it makes way for the stool that we dispose of during bowel movements.

Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains comprise soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre melts in water, turning into a kind of gel-like substance that imparts a soft foundation to the stool. On the other hand, insoluble fibre provides volume to the stool and keeps it moist. Both types of fibre are equally crucial for a standard, well-formed stool. 

4. Gut Bacteria

Eating nutritious foods is pivotal to the health of your gut bacteria, besides fibre. Nourishment of your gut bacteria adds to the ease of your bowel movements. Your gut bacteria speed up the functions of your large intestines. 

Hence, disruption of balance in your gut bacteria can impact bowel mobility adversely. Swift mobility can cause diarrhoea, whereas slow mobility can result in constipation.

Fast foods, especially oily and greasy, upset your gut bacteria and results in severe gut contractions that can cause diarrhoea. Choosing a healthy food plan for your diet is, therefore, vital. So, you may miss a lot if you are not visiting Casa de Sante for the amazing gut-friendly foody deals that will refresh your tummy like magic!

You can have a teaspoon of olive oil in the morning before eating anything else, as doing so helps pick up your bowel movement. This forces stool to pass through the gut smoothly. The oil plays the role of a lubricant in the digestive tracts, which makes it easier for the stool to slide through easily. It also softens up the faeces, facilitating them an easier passage.

Recent research has shown that a low-FODMAP diet can boost gut bacteria to cope with bowel anomalies. Studies suggest 50% to 86% of patients have responded positively to the low-FODMAP diet. 

So, why not try out the instant continental pot recipes from Casa de Sante to spice up your FODMAP diet? Casa de Sante is a storehouse of mouthwatering low-FODMAP diet recipes customized specially for you. 

5. Stimulating Bowels

You cannot expect to control your bowel movements. Your body will have a bowel movement only if it wants to. However, you can try a bit to make the whole process a bit less random in the following some basic tenets -

• Have a heavy meal that constitutes some healthy fat. Dietary fats and large meals can brace up the gastrocolic reflex of your body. It is a reflex in which your eating habits stimulate movement within your digestive setup.
• Drinking some warm liquid boosts your gastrocolic reflex and helps your gut get back to normal. Warm fluids have a diuretic effect. Diuretics increase urine production; that is, you need to visit the loo more frequently. You need to keep in mind that drinking beverages can facilitate movement as well. 

Beverages like coffee and tea work similarly to hot water as the heat helps disintegrate solids. For low-FODMAP beverages, drop by Casa de Sante to sip their choicest collection of tea and other beverages.

• Doing situps or merely walking forces squeezes and stretches the intestines to promote motility of the bowels.

6. Toilet Do’s And Dont’s

Do not strain yourself much to force your stool out because hard stools can cause hemorrhoids. Unwanted intra-abdominal pressure promotes the swelling of rectal veins, which can be detrimental to your bowels' smooth functioning. 

Conclusion

Maintaining a robust bowel movement is easy. Above all, it should be your top priority because it helps you avoid possible health issues related to your brain, heart, liver, kidneys, hair, skin and promotes your holistic well-being. Keeping your bowels in good health is a must for all bodily functions – even those that do not directly concern bowel movements. 

Medically reviewed by Onikepe Adegbola, MD PhD