Does your digestive system just pack up in your mid-40s or what?

[teawamutu]

I spent a year losing nearly 3 stone, and kept it off without effort all last year.

Over indulged over Christmas and put 5lbs back on. Despite doing My fitness Pal and exercise just as I did before, the weight's not shifting.

And neither is anything else (I promise I'm not a poo troll). I feel full and bloated all the time.

Is chronic constipation an occupational hazard of being 47? Any tips that don't involve bloody useless Senokot?

Get some probiotic capsules, and eat a heaped teaspoon of Golden Linseeds each day.

NannyOggsWhiskyStash it was a tough job but basically cheese sarnie = good, cheese on toast = bad. Baked camembert = good, brie baguette = bad. Mac cheese = avoid at all costs. Cheddar is worse than soft cheeses, and cooked/melted is worse than uncooked. There's a gluten thing in there as well with adds an element of random excitement.

62 here and no issues - but I eat a bowl of dal (lentils) every day for brunch, and that seems to keep things regular. It's also delicious!

Been experiencing this too!

49 now but since mid- 40s I have had issues and it has taken a while to work it out!

Bloating and wind

Dried fruit [apricots/prunes/dates]

Plenty of veggies

Water (2l)

Try to walk a bit every day

Peri menopause making it worse

Not much bread sadly I can get away with the odd slice but I have to be careful

Also really dull

I'm now wondering if I've accidentally cut down on my lentil consumption since starting to go back into the office.

No leftovers for lunch, DH doesn't use them in cooking as much as I do. Hmm. Time to start batch cooking dal for lunches, I think.

God I love lentils and dhal but they bag me up something rotten! Honestly, when i eat crap I have less issues than when I'm Fibrewoman tbh.

Exercise. If I run regularly, everything moves beautifully. A few days of inactivity and it all slows down. I'm 52

I've always had a slow digestive system but it's definitely got worse now I'm in my 40s.,

I have cut out 90% of gluten and it helps. Dull but true.

One coffee every morning, linseeds, a probiotic and I have to try not to eat too much sugar. If I eat rubbish then I can feel it. It's not very glamorous getting older...

Definitely agree about the difference exercise makes, but that's one habit I know hasn't changed - I run 3x per week, do yoga on the days I don't run and walk minimum 30 mins a day.

And I drink lots of coffee (and water).

So diet-related is the problem, I suspect. More lentils, more fruit, less bread and I'll try linseeds too.

TBH dont find that I can tolerate much fibre. I only eat a it of fruit and veg, I would be more inclined to eat more if it didn't upset my stomach. I'm also 47 and perimenopausal, but this isn't a new thing.

Dont those of you who eat lentils etc at work worry about getting a bad stomach at work and having to go to the toilet etc.

If you’re constantly bloated and full you need to go to the doctors. This is a symptom of ovarian problems. Needs to be ruled out.

Welcome to peri-menopause.

I've used inulin powder (soluble fibre) one teaspoon a day in my coffee for the past 6 months and it seems to keep things moving. I do think as you get older, you become less able to tolerate things, particularly highly processed food.
Apparently soluble fibre is very good for your gut bugs according to Tim Spector.

I have tried a few things over the last eighteen months and have noticed that cutting out bread and processed food really helps

I cannot tolerate linseeds at all, although I appreciate they work for some

Plenty of vegetables and fruit, including some dried prunes/apricots with my breakfast

I found too much fibre, in the form of bran had the opposite effect so it is all about balance and working out what suits your digestive system

Could I ask if anyone has an idea how to deal with the opposite?!
Sporadic runs (sorry tmi) can’t link it to any kind of food/drink but possibly stress? Driving me insane and literally comes out of no where and floors me for a day at a time 😔

Again. See a doctor. This can be a sign of bowel cancer. Likely not but needs to be checked

Been meaning to come back and update this with my findings.

I did go to the doctor and got some Laxido, which helped a bit.

Also kept in my three 5k runs per week, but swapped out yoga for HIIT (20 minutes, Lucy Wyndham-Reed free workouts on YouTube).

Lost 6lbs and feel a ton better, so I think I did just need a shake up.

This is expensive but I found it really good, tho I didn’t have many issues-

www.symprove.com/

Might be worth a try. Or eat sauerkraut/ Kim chi (at home as it’s very smelly !)

Did you make the changes in your diet?

I’ve eaten lentils, beans and pulses my whole life (lifelong veggie) and they’ve never made me fart or given me a dodgy tummy. I just don’t recognise this phenomenon when people say it.

Gluten on the other hand, stopped being able to eat that in my late 30s (sob)… makes my joints ache & my thyroid swell up!

If your thyroid is starting to struggle then so will your digestive tract slow down, so maybe get some thyroid labs done.

Magnesium citrate is excellent for 'shifting things' if you get my drift!

I'm 66 and my digestive system is much the same as it ever was - always tending towards slowness, but then I do have hypothyroidism and have had for quite some time.

Not wholesale - I did make a point of choosing veggie more, and upped my water intake but I think for me the activity levels were more important.