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Foods For Smooth Bowel Movements

Do you know what we fear even more than Monday mornings? It is the mornings on which your bowel movements are not clear. If you are constipated, you feel gassy all day and your appetite also suffers. If your diet lack these foods, you might suffer from constipation. That is why, it is suggested to eat foods for smooth bowel movements.

The foods for smooth bowel movements help to avoid constipation because of their richness in dietary fibres. For your bowels to be clear, you need to have lots of roughage in your food. Roughage is basically the fibrous mass of food that is left after all the nutrients have been removed from them. This mass of dietary fibres helps the faeces move through the large intestines smoothly.

Apart from dietary fibres, foods for smooth bowel movement also need to have fluids. Water helps to avoid constipation and flush out the toxins from your system. Here are some of the best foods for smooth bowel movements.

Beans

Beans

Beans are legumes, and they have very large portion of fibres in them. Try to have string beans and kidney beans because they are best for your bowels.

Green Leafy Vegetables

Green Leafy Vegetables

Green leafy vegetables are rich in dietary fibres. Apart from giving you lots of nutrients like Vitamin K and C, they also help to keep your bowel movements regular.

Citrus Fruits

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are generally rich in fibre. Be it oranges or sweet lemon, citrus fruits are fibrous. But avoid having citrus fruit juices because they cut out on the fibre content, have them raw instead.

Barley

Barley

Barley is a whole grain that helps your bowels move smoothly. It is not as starcy as rice but has plenty of roughage in it along with Vitamin B 12.

Water

Water

Drinking water and fluids is the most important factor in keeping your bowels regular. Water is essential to keep the stool soft so that it can move easily. You need to drink 4 to 6 litres of water everyday.

Papaya

Papaya

Ripe papaya is actually a natural cure for constipation. Papaya has the capacity to digest all your food and also to keep your faeces in an easy moving texture.

Maize

Maize

Maize is usually given to pregnant women who are prone to constipation. Maize is a whole grain that does not have too many calories but it has enough dietary fibres to clear your bowels regularly.

Dried Fruits

Dried Fruits

Dry fruits are very effective in preventing constipation because they are rich in fibres. The best in this regard is prunes but even the commonly available raisins are not far behind.

Water-Rich Fruits

Water-Rich Fruits

Fruits that have more water content can help to keep your large intestines functioning properly. Fruits like watermelon, musk melon etc have a very large fluid content.

Dals

Dals

Dals or pulses are rich in fibrous content. Pulses are not binders unlike starch. These protein-rich foods help to form the bulk of faeces.

Millet

Millet

Millet is a whole grain that is one of the healthiest in the world. It is the only cereal that contains proteins too. Having millet instead of rice or wheat can help to prevent constipation.

Banana

Banana

Ripe banana is great for relieving constipation because it has lots of fibre. Apart from giving you instant energy, it keeps your bowel movements regular.

Berries

Berries

Berries are citrus fruits that are rich in antioxidants. But apart from that, they also contain a wealth of dietary fibres that helps in having clear stomach every morning.

Story first published: Wednesday, May 8, 2013, 19:16 [IST]
Read more about: food nutrition health