People who have a normal transit have a bowel movement almost every day. Having a bowel movement less than 3 times a week is a sign of constipation. Foods for having a bowel movement, best position in the toilet, advice…
On average, an individual has a bowel movement almost every day. The transit is said to be normal when the person has a bowel movement more than 3 times a week. When it is less, the person is constipated. Constipation is a common digestive disorder since it affects 20% of the French population. When it is not caused by a medical pathology, it is generally due to bad eating habits. Here is the list of good foods that promote good transitadvice and the best positions when having a bowel movement.
What does it mean to have a bowel movement?
“To have a bowel movement” simply means “to defecate” or “to poop”. It is the action of evacuating feces. The word “saddle” comes from the Latin “sella” which means “chair” or “seat”. This refers to the commodes that wealthy people of the 14th century used to relieve themselves, in other words, the ancestor of the toilet.
List of foods for bowel movement
To have a natural bowel movement, you should eat more foods with a high fiber content, which helps fight constipation by increasing the number of stools and improving their consistency. Gastroenterologists recommend increasing gradually to 15 to 40 grams of fiber per day to limit the occurrence of flatulence and bloating. The choice is wide:
- Dried fruits: prunes, dried apricots, figs, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds
- Legumes: lentils, white beans, split peas, chickpeas, broad beans…
- Vegetables : beets, spinach, peas, celery, fennel, endive
- Whole grains : wheat and oat bran
- Fresh fruits : plums, passion fruit, kiwi, raspberry, blackberry, currant, guava, grapes, fresh walnuts and hazelnuts, orange (in yoghurt, in juice)
To improve transit, it is important to eat calmly, without stress, calmly and diversifying your diet.
How much water to drink per day to have a natural bowel movement?
Good hydration of the intestinal contents is essential to promote transit. Drink between 1.5 and 2 liters of water per day (6 to 8 glasses of water between meals) but also fruit juices, soups and herbal teas help defecation. Regular consumption of water rich in minerals, especially magnesium, has a significant laxative effect on constipation. Eating enough fruits and vegetables each day helps supplement fluid intake.
Do not wait before having a bowel movement and take your time. Feeling comfortable defecating on the toilet improves bowel movement. Stress and lack of time are factors favoring constipation. Having a bowel movement as soon as the need arises is a natural reflex to gently evacuate faeces. Otherwise, this evacuation may be more difficult.
How often should you have a bowel movement?
Constipation is defined by less than 3 bowel movements per weekmostly from a hard consistency, with a feeling of incomplete evacuation and excessive effort. Ideally, one to two stools per day, well molded and whose evacuation is done easily are the witnesses of a normal transit. Eating at regular times allows the intestine to get used to regular times for bowel movements and therefore to go more often. If constipation persists beyond 3 months, a consultation with a gastroenterologist is necessary to carry out additional examinations such as blood test or colonoscopy. Certain medications can also be involved, such as morphine-based painkillers or antihypertensives.
What is the correct position in the toilet?
Improving the position of defecation in the toilet would help the transit in case of constipation. The ideal is to adopt a 35° angle between the legs and the trunk to free the rectum and thus facilitate evacuation. This corresponds in practice to putting a stool for example under the feet to raise them as in a squat position, or to squat in the Turkish toilet.