7 foods to keep yourself regular

There are days when we feel bloated, backed up, and need help to move things along. Ideally, a healthy bowel movement is going once a day. But there are times when life changes, such as changes in our diets, changing shifts and work schedules, skipping workouts, work stress, and being on certain meds can cause us to be constipated.

Constipation can also cause a hormonal imbalance causing excess hormones to be reabsorbed by the body.

Adding fibre to your diet

Before resorting to pill popping, why not take a look at your diet and see if there are any changes you can make to help things along. The first step is to make sure you are getting enough fibre. The current RDA is 25 to 30 grams of fibre a day. This should be from food, not supplements. A good balance of soluble and insoluble fibre is what you should be after. Insoluble fibre will bulk up your stool and help it pass through your digestive system. Soluble fibre will attract water to help you process that fibre without difficulty. Make sure to stay hydrated - the many amazing benefits of water is another topic altogether.

Here are 7 foods to eat to keep yourself regular:

Berries:

Berries are the bomb when it comes to health food. They are low in calories and are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and a good amount of fibre. They’re great as a snack on their own but also go well with yoghurt, tossed into oatmeal or thrown into smoothies for a power packed meal.

Beans and legumes:

Beans are great fibre boost. A cup of beans and lentils have 2x the amount of fibre found in a cup of veggies. Be careful though as they can cause bloating if you eat too many.

Avocados:

Most people when they think of avocados think of fats. Good fats I hope. But did you know they are also high in fibre? In fact per half an avocado there is 6.7 grams of fibre, so add these to your morning smoothie or lunchtime salads.

Broccoli:

Veggies are packed with fibre but we’re singling out broccoli. Gram for gram, broccoli is one of the most fibre packed vegetables out there.

Nuts:

Not only are nuts high in fibre, they are also high in magnesium that can help you feel less constipated.

Apples and Pears:

These fruits are very high in dietary fibre and much of their fibre content can be found on their edible skins.

Popcorn:

Here’s something fun to add to your list. Popcorn is high in fibre and is a healthy low calorie snack - as long as you don’t drown it in butter and salt. Go for the air popped ones.

Superfoods to improve gut health

I highly recommend getting your fibre from your foods and drinking lots of water, which is what I do everyday, plus I add Berry Cleanse & Fruitful Digest into my daily diet. Berry Cleanse helps to move things along and removes toxins from your colon, whilst Fruitful Digest helps to reduce bloating and gas whilst improving digestion.