A healthy lifestyle to prevent constipation: well-being, food, physical exercise

Functional constipation (without an underlying disease) affects many men and women in many countries. If you are one of these people, you can restore your digestive well-being through a healthier lifestyle. Tips about stress management, diet, hydration, positions to adopt in the bathroom... Read about the basics on how to prevent constipation.

Relieve stress to prevent constipation

Stress leads to poor eating habits, which in turn result in digestive disorders. There are many relaxing activities to choose from, such as yoga, meditation, or soothing massages. Unless otherwise advised by a doctor, regular physical exercise and sports are also strongly recommended. Doing sports not only helps deal with stress, but also improves intestinal transit.

Prevent constipation: Make sure you sleep well at night

Tiredness and bowel movements do not go well together. As it happens, tiredness is often linked to poor-quality sleep. Here are some things to consider to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep every night:

• Lower the temperature in your bedroom to 18-19°C;

• Change your bedding if your mattress is too hard or too soft;

• Avoid caffeine in the hours before bedtime.

What positions help prevent constipation?

Some positions help pass stool while others make it more difficult. Ideally, to limit the risks of constipation, you should adopt a crouching position. This is not an easy task when using Western toilets, however... Still, you can lift your legs (your knees should be higher than your hips) by resting them on a low stool or, when sitting down, lean forward.

Eating habits to prevent constipation

To fight against constipation on a daily basis, it is recommended that you stay well hydrated. You should drink at least 1.3-1.5 litres of water every day. You should also avoid drastic weight-loss diets. Low in calories and fibre (nutrients that largely contribute to the quality of your intestinal transit), such diets lead to “fake constipation”. This is when you don’t actually have any trouble passing stool, but its volume is so small that you mistakenly believe that you are constipated... It’s better to eat a diet that is balanced, varied and sufficiently high in fibre if you want to stay slim AND prevent constipation. Fibre is mainly found in fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and legumes (e.g. lentils).

OptiFibre^® can help you supplement your diet in fibre. This tasteless and odourless powder easily mixes into yoghurt, soups and beverages and supplements your fibre intake.