Eat Well, Feel Good – Top Tips for a Healthy Digestive System

It’s not a fun condition to talk about, but it happens to us all! New research has served to highlight that today’s lifestyles are having a significant impact on body balance and the incidence rates of diarrhoea. Nearly six out of ten people (58%) who participated in nationwide research for Imodium experienced bouts of diarrhoea in the past three months. Most of these respondents in the survey cited stress or anxiety (44%) as one of the top three causes while almost one third (32%) linked their overactive bowel to a sensitive gut. The bouts of diarrhoea are having a major knock-on effect on people’s daily lives.  Over half (55%) those surveyed agreed that they are left weak and lacking in energy as a consequence. Almost four in ten (38%) said they prevent them from doing a fair amount of their normal daily life. Commenting on the survey results, nutritionist and dietician, Aveen Bannon, said that a few simple changes to our daily routines could help people achieve a better body balance. “Hectic lifestyles and stress can affect our gut as well as our diet. We need to take time out to eat regularly and take time over our meals. The Imodium survey highlights that almost five in ten (45%) of us are spending only 15 minutes or less eating our main meal of the day. The golden rule is at least 20 minutes otherwise you can increase the risk of wind, bloating and discomfort. Six in ten (60 per cent) people are spending less than 90 minutes every day relaxing yet stress looms large as one of the main causes of diarrhoea.” She added: “I am not surprised by the attitude to treating an overactive bowel that was revealed in the survey results. It seems that we are more likely to treat a headache or a cold, even though people rate them as less severe than having a bout of diarrhoea. This is because people feel embarrassed or self-conscious discussing bowel health despite the fact that it’s a regular problem for a significant number of people. One third (33%) of those interviewed describe themselves as either having an overactive or a slow bowel.  Simple lifestyle and dietary changes can make a big difference to people’s digestive health and those suffering should seek help.” Following the results of the survey, Bannon suggested nine top tips for maintaining a healthy digestive system:     Eat Fibre Aim for 24g per day with a balance of insoluble or ‘roughage’ and soluble fibre. Keep hydrated Aim to drink 1.5 – 2L of fluid daily especially water or other caffeine-free drinks. Get moving Aim for 30 -60 minutes of exercise each day. Eat regularly Try to eat small regular meals and aim to spend at least 20 minutes eating each meal. Keep a food diary It might help you notice anything that upsets you. Reduce stress Try to identify and avoid stress that can make your symptoms worse and make time to relax. Probiotics Available in supplements and functional foods, try taking them at the dose recommended for at least four weeks while monitoring the effect. Eat ginger:                This popular spice may help digestion. Avoid sorbitol:         Too much sorbitol in the diet has been linked to diarrhoea.