Healthy habits to improve your gut health
Good bowel habits include healthy bowel movements. Millions of people face digestive issues, with constipation ranking number one. According to the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, chronic constipation affects 15-30% of Canadians.1 Healthy bowel movements are essential for overall good health.
Several things can lead to constipation:2
- Poor eating habits
- Lack of exercise
- Medications
- Change in routine (e.g., travel)
- Aging
- Pregnancy
- Not taking the time to have a bowel movement
- Poor positioning on the toilet
Here are some tips to help you avoid constipation:
- Incorporate plenty of high-fibre foods into your diet, including beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Fibre increases stool bulk and speeds up intestinal transit.3
- Include more fermented foods containing probiotics, such as kimchi, kombucha, kefir, tempeh, and sauerkraut, which contain beneficial bacteria.
- Eat fewer processed and refined foods, which tend to lack fibre and nutrients.
- Drink plenty of filtered water to keep the colon hydrated.
- Exercise to move food through the colon more quickly. Aerobic exercises, such as brisk walking, help stimulate natural muscle contractions in the intestines.4
- Manage stress as best as possible (meditation, yoga, breathing exercises).
- Ensure you have enough time and privacy for comfortable bowel movements. Being too busy and ignoring urges can reduce these impulses and make them less frequent.
- Create proper elimination positioning. The natural and anatomically correct position for elimination is more of a "squatting" position where your knees are above your waist. Use a stool or phone book to rest your feet on so you can position yourself correctly when going to the toilet.5
- Establish a routine. Consistent eating and sleeping habits can help regulate bowel function.6
When you have difficulty incorporating enough fibre and probiotics from your diet, Renew Life® can help.
FibreSMART® is a flax-based fibre supplement formulated to help support daily intestinal health. It contains both soluble and insoluble fibre and additional ingredients for the intestinal tract, including marshmallow root and slippery elm bark. It's a balanced, easy-to-incorporate fibre that can be used in smoothies, soups, yogurts, applesauce, or sprinkled on cereals or salads. It is free of nuts, gluten, dairy, and soy.
Studies show that probiotics can improve whole bowel transit time, stool frequency, and consistency.7 Ultimate Flora Extra Care Probiotic is a daily multi-strain probiotic blend that provides 100 billion live bacterial cultures in a convenient once-daily capsule. The product contains 10 different strains of live bacteria to help support intestinal and gastrointestinal health and may promote a favourable gut flora. It is contained in specialized acid-resistant vegetarian capsules to help protect live bacteria from harsh stomach acids.
Super Critical Omega is a source of omega-3 fatty acids for the maintenance of good health. This super-concentrated, maximum-strength fish oil supplement contains 790 mg of EPA, 140 mg of DHA, and 1,000 IU of vitamin D in each fish gelatin capsule. Added lipase helps the body utilize oils more effectively, and IFOS and Friend of the Sea® certification ensure purity, potency, and sustainability.
Don't let constipation become a problem in your life. You can make trips to the bathroom quick and easy with appropriate diet and lifestyle changes and supplementation.