A top condition for your intestines

Everyone has it once: a bloated feeling, flatulence, what stomach ache or maybe even constipation or diarrhea. This all has to do with how our intestines.

Our guts are important. They ensure that your food is digested, that nutrients are absorbed and that residues such as stool leave your body again. But also most of our resistance and immune system is in the gut. It is therefore very important to keep your intestines healthy! And luckily you can do a lot about that yourself, such as high fiber eat, drink and drink a lot to move.

High fiber food
Dietary fiber is found in plant products and is not digested. This way they end up unchanged in the large intestine. But…, one fiber is not the other.

Fibers from whole-grain products such as brown bread or muesli mainly absorb a lot of moisture and act as a kind of sponge. This increases the volume of the stool and makes the stool softer.

Fibers off vegetables, fruits and legumes are processed in the large intestine by good bacteria in the gut. These fibers are, as it were, “food” for the bacteria. They stimulate the bowel function and therefore the stool remains flexible. But not only that. These fibers allow the good intestinal bacteria to grow and that is beneficial. Because the good bacteria ensure that harmful bacteria do not get a chance and therefore have a positive effect on your resistance.

Moisture for fiber
Fibers need a lot of moisture, because they retain moisture. This is important to get a smooth stool. If not, it will have the opposite effect and the stool will actually become harder. You need at least 1.5 to 2 liters of drinking fluid per day. A lot of? That’s not too bad, because you can count everything: tea, coffee, milk, fruit juice, soup or water.

From effort to relaxation
Exercise is good for your health. And not only that, exercise also improves the functioning of the intestines. Aim for half an hour of exercise every day. To walk, bicycles, swimming it’s all good. And very relaxing too! We all know that stress affects the gut. Exercise can help you blow off steam.

Can it be a billion more?
Sometimes the bacterial balance (ratio of good and bad bacteria) disturbed in your intestines, for example due to an unhealthy diet, too little exercise, after illness, drug use or just by getting older. To restore this balance, you can replenish the good bacteria. Today there are many dairy products available with billions of good bacteria. We call these bacteria probiotics. Dairy products with probiotics help balance your gut flora. A good intestinal flora has a positive effect on bowel movements and our resistance.

How much dietary fiber is enough?
On average, you need about 30 to 40 grams of fiber per day. What does that mean in practice?

• Start the day with a hearty breakfast with 2 slices Whole grain bread or tasty whole breakfast cereals with milk or yogurt and of course a piece fruit or a fresh juice.
• Also at lunch 4-5 delicious brown sandwiches and preferably some raw vegetables such as a tomato or a piece of cucumber.
• Plenty of vegetables with the hot meal (at least 2 ounces a day) interspersed with legumes such as kidney beans or capuchins. Preferably some extra raw vegetables every day. Forget the potatoes or brown rice not.
• One piece of fruit two to three times a day. And a whole-wheat cookie or a muesli bar provides some extra fiber.

Rich in dietary fiber are:

• wholemeal bread, rye bread, muesli bread and brown bread
• whole grain breakfast products such as oatmeal or muesli
• whole-wheat biscuits, whole-wheat rusk and gingerbread
• potatoes, brown rice and whole wheat pastas
• legumes such as kidney beans, white beans and capuchins
• all kinds of vegetables and raw vegetables
• all kinds of fresh fruit
• dried and soaked dried fruits such as plums, apricots, currants, raisins and tutti-frutti
• nuts, peanuts

Banned bananas?
‘Bananas stop working’ is often said. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. bananas are, like all other fruits, high in fiber. A banana contains even more fiber than an apple.

Breakfast cake for a good bowel movement?
No, gingerbread actually contains very little fiber. Strange, because you might benefit from a slice of gingerbread for breakfast? True, but that is not in the gingerbread but in the breakfast. Eating breakfast is very important to get your bowels going.

It takes some getting used to…
If you start eating more fiber from one day to the next, your intestines will have to get used to it first. Bloating, some rumbling and flatulence are normal. Over time, these symptoms disappear on their own.

Elly Kaldenberg is a dietician and expert in the field of nutrition and lifestyle. She knows better than anyone how important fiber is for your gut health!