Bowel Health

Nobody wants to discuss this, which is why so many people put up with it for years. A comfortable, regular digestive day is one of the larger contributors to simply feeling well, and it is usually fixable.

The three things

Fibre, from vegetables, fruit, whole grains and pulses. Most people eat roughly half of what they need. Water, because fibre without water makes constipation worse rather than better - this is the single most common mistake. Movement, because the gut is muscle and responds to the rest of the body being in motion.

Practical adjustments

Increase fibre gradually over a couple of weeks; a sudden jump produces bloating and puts people off for good. Curd and other fermented foods support the gut bacteria that do the final stage of the work. And do not routinely ignore the urge - a habit of postponing is a common cause of long-term constipation.

Regularity means whatever is normal for you. Three times a day and three times a week are both within range.

Do not wait on these

Blood in the stool. A persistent change in bowel habit lasting more than two or three weeks. Unexplained weight loss. Pain that wakes you at night. These are not fibre problems and they need a doctor promptly - the outcomes for bowel disease depend heavily on how early it is caught.