Constipation, or changes to your bottom's usual motions, is common after weight loss surgery. Staying regular not only makes us feel lighter, but it's also the sign of a healthy gut.
Here are 10 ways to help get things moving again:
- Drink hot water first thing in the morning. It's one of the simplest ways to flush out the digestive tract. If hot water on its own doesn't work, try adding a touch of fresh ginger, which is an anti-inflammatory.
- Eat fruits and vegetables that are high in fibre. Berries, apples, pears, dates, figs, artichokes, beans, prunes, chickpeas, pumpkin and peas are a great place to start. If you'd rather eat your fibre than think about it, our air fryer zucchini corn fritters get 9g into a serve.
- Exercise. The more we move our muscles, the more it helps our colons move waste. Even everyday movement counts, as NEAT explains.
- Squat for the win. Our digestive system contains a series of sphincters, which are essentially rings of muscles. Squatting makes space for the sphincter to expand and keep that waste moving.
- Close the kitchen earlier. Most foods take several hours to digest, so the closer we eat to bedtime means undigested foods spend longer in our colons. Try implementing a cut off after dinner to give your digestive tract time to do its thing.
- Lubricate with liquids. Keep it fluid by incorporating enough liquids in your diet. Smoothies with leafy greens for an extra hit of fibre, or bone broths chock full of vitamins and minerals, are excellent options, but soups and stews are a super choice too. Hydration is half the battle here.
- Take a swig of apple cider vinegar. Research is limited, but it is thought to increase stomach acid and pepsin (the enzyme that breaks down protein), while also proven to kill harmful bacteria to support a healthy gut.
- Pull out the big guns with psyllium husks. If you're really stuck, this prebiotic creates bulk in the digestive system, soaks up extra water and moves things along. Read the label carefully and follow directions precisely to avoid unpleasant side effects.
- Caffeinate to stimulate. A little coffee goes a long way to get your colon moving, but be sure to hydrate to replace the lost liquid!
- Take Multi 2.0. It contains magnesium, which is best known to help with sleep but can also relax your bowels and soften stool. Giddy up!
A protein-heavy diet with not much fibre is often the culprit, so it is worth reading the fibre and fluids section of all your protein Qs too.
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