How do you keep yourself regular ?.

[GezFox]

I have always had irregular bowel movements I.e. Every three days is quite normal for me. I try to drink 1.5 litres of water a day and run three times a week. Every once in a while I will go through A period of a week when I don't go properly at all . I am thinking of taking some sort of laxative / stool softener to get things moving . What would you recommend ? am gong on holiday in 5 days and want to try and resolve before I go. Thanks ,

[KoalaDownUnder]

What's your diet like? All the water and running won't help if you're eating too many refined carbs and not enough naturals fibre (fruit & veg).

[Shop]

I have similar and senokot works fine

[NormaSmuff]

try brown rice, and fruit?
dried apricots/prunes are excellent
oth if you always go every 3 days that is your normal

[StrawberryJelly00]

Weetabix or Shreddies every morning without fail

[Member652554]

I second the weatabix every morning or every other morning. I also have baked beans regularly which I find helps . Dates, raisins, fresh fruit and veg also help. But yes warm milk with dates or weatbix is great. For when things are really bad. Try a few days off lactulose. I find that much better than sennacot, glycerine etc it is quite gentle so won't give you the awful cramps and gass. Good luck

[LexieSinclair]

Fybogel is very good. I have one drink of it per night when I start to feel bunged up and it always sorts me out.

[sadie9]

Pears and mandarin oranges.

[PollyPerky]

How much fibre a day...see examples here.

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-your-diet.aspx

If you are getting at least 5-6 fruit/ veg a day plus some wholewheat cereals bread, rice, pasta), you should be ok.

[Thattwatoverthere]

I second pears. One a day helps me lots

[GezFox]

Hi
Thanks so much for all your responses .

I rarely eat refined foods and never eat ready meals but I am now questioning whether I am getting enough fibre. cereals , Bread , rice and pasta don't really feature much in my diet and nor do potatoes or dried fruit or pears !

Typical diet is as follows:

breakfast
Scrambled / poached eggs with German rye bread , kale and baby plum tomatoes
Or
Porridge with blueberries and linseeds and chopped dates (twice a week)

Lunch
Salad containing spinach, toms, cucumber celery with either tuna or turkey plus seeds ( pumpkin and sunflower )
Greek yogurt with blueberries


Snack
Almonds
Dark chocolate 85%

Dinner
Salmon / chicken / cod with broccoli and green beans

[PollyPerky]

Are you trying to lose weight?

That's a really healthy looking diet but it's quite low on carbs- all you are having is the porridge and the rye bread.

I think everyone is different. I eat a bit like you but if I really did eat all that fruit and veg as in your example, I'd be going 3x a day. Twice a day is normal for me, and sometimes 3 x. (But I think I have a touch of IBS.)

A lot depends on the amount of all the stuff you are eating.

eg- baby tomatoes- is that 6 or 1?
kale- how much? A teaspoon or a fistful?
blueberries- a few or a good handful?
broccoli- one floret or half a head?

There is nothing wrong with only having a poo once every few days. But if it's a struggle to 'go' then you are maybe not drink enough.

[TheMerryWidow1]

big bowl of all bran!!

[Heirhelp]

You may need more fat in your diet. Wheetabix causes constipation in me.

Try some bran cereal and dried fruit.

[GezFox]

Hi
It is low carb but to maintain rather than to liose weight and the quantities are on the larger end of scale i.e. Half head of broccoli and 6 baby plum tomatoes ! Also on Fridays and Saturdays add wine !
My regular is really every 3 days ( apart from when I have my period when I go every day ! ) so just need to figure out how to get out of longer periods of not going .

I think I need to be more conscious of fibre as I think my current diet is def not high fibre so will make sure I get some more .
Unfortunately I can't stand weetabix / shreddies/ allbran but love baked beans and pears !

[Neverjoketodogs]

I swear by a glass of prune juice every morning and a daily kiwi.

I also try and drink 2L per day and I think this makes a difference. Your urine should be pale yellow if you are properly hydrated so if it's darker than this you may want to increase your fluids too.

I would suggest senna or ducolax for when you want to get things moving.

[DevelopingDetritus]

All Bran, yogurt and grapes.

Your diet is excellent by the looks of it. Must be so annoying.

[DevelopingDetritus]

*I always soak the All Bran in the milk for about half an hour first, I really enjoy it with the grapes (or any other fruit) and yogurt.

[PollyPerky]

I'd increase the fruit and veg- a single apple has quite a lot of fibre. You could have fruit after your dinner each evening. Or have a piece of fruit instead of the chocolate some days.
And monitor your fluid intake. You may think you are getting 1.5 ltrs but it may not be quite that. ( 6-8 x 250mls cups/ glasses a day?)

[BlueChairs]

Half a glass of prune juice on a morning

[GezFox]

Hi where do you buy prune juice ? Is it awful ?!!!!!

[GezFox]

When I feel like fruit I tend to go for blueberries , melon, pineapple , mango . But will get some apples and pears in the house and see if that helps

[Gwenhwyfar]

Eggs are binding and it looks like you're having some every day so I'd stop that.

Personally, I take magnesium supplements, but not sure how good it is to do that all the time.

I would definitely avoid any aggressive laxatives like senna or the stuff you get in laxative herbal tea. I second the person above who mentioned Fybogel though I use magnesium myself.

[SingaSong12]

Try the suggestions. Maybe keeps food diary, might need to be for a while and see if there is a change in activities, food, stress levels that make you less regular.

[hollyisalovelyname]

Milled chia seeds.

[PollyPerky]

eggs are binding
No they aren't. It's an old wives tale :)

Hens become 'egg bound' but not humans.

I used to believe in the constipating values of an egg but read stuff which showed it's bollocks.