Sluggish Digestive System? I'd like to need the restroom more!

This is sort of a silly problem, but if there's any place to ask about pooping more, its here.

Lately I've been trying to up the amount of fiber Im eating a day, and honestly I think I'm eating enough, and at least enough food to say the least to have a regular bowel movement.. but I never really feel like I need to.. usually if I go at all I have to sort of coax things along so to speak.

Are the foods I'm eating just too dense? Or could the fact that I eat few large meals a day instead of multiple small meals have anything to do with it?

Dietarily am I missing something that is easily overlooked? My diet is pretty balanced, and I eat whole grain breads/etc whenever I can.

Is there a fiber suppliment I should consider? Or certain vegetables/foods I should make a mental note to eat?

Healthily I know I should be going at least once a day, and poddy 3 times a day, I drink PLENTY of water too and I barely pull that off.

Advice?

My doctor told me to drink two large glasses of lukewarm water every morning (or whenever I wake up) and that should help "regulate" things.

The other thing she mentioned was Metamucil in powder form.

I haven't tried either....

If you run out of options you could ask your doctor about Metamucil and see what he/she says? Whatever you do, DON'T take a laxative. I've made that mistake once...I saw spots and thought I was going to pass out and die. Good times.

yeah I don't like laxitives and wouldn't use them, so no worries there. I drink 2-3 large glasses of water mixed with oj/cranberry every morning which is mostly just water. Does it have to be lukewarm though?

ALL BRAN BUDS!!!! 1/3 cup = 44% of fibre...and is 80 calories...spinkle it on anything!

i have them every morning......

by the way...not super healthy but coffee is a stimulant that helps move along the digestive system....

RAISIN BRAN cereal! I have used it for years to keep me regular....it's never failed me...and i LOVE it too =)

Original Post by questobefit:

Is there a fiber suppliment I should consider? Or certain vegetables/foods I should make a mental note to eat?

The best "fiber supplement" you can use is a non-chemical one.  Go with a good high fiber cereal - All Bran, Fiber One, Kashi, etc.  Heck, the most economical one is plain ole' steel cut oats, sprinkle with some wheat bran and/or ground flax seed.  Great fiber!

Other foods that help:  broccoli, prunes and prune juice, beans, lentils, raspberries

And I'll second the coffee (as long as it's not loaded with a bunch of sugar and cream).

Something else that has helped me is yoga.  There are certain poses and flows that are really good at "waking up" the digestive system.

Are you drinking enough water along with the added fiber?  That was the first thing that came to my mind. 

High fiber foods are whole grains, beans and legumes, and most vegetables and fruits.  Make sure you get all your servings of these foods in, along with your reccomended servings of protein and fats. 

Here's a guide for you, based on the Food Pyramid.  It does work.

A Simple Diet Plan

sometimes too much fiber can cause a problem.

make sure you're drinking enough.

make sure your fats are high enough

I've tried the Metamucil pills (I don't like powders and chewable things, etc.) and they work fine. If you take 2-3 of them you should start going to the bathroom more often! That's how I started upping my fiber while I figured out how to incorporate more fiber through food into my diet. I buy lots of fiberone products (the new shredded wheat cereal is really delicious), they also have like breakfast bars, "poptarts" and i think oatmeal, but not positive on that one. Also, there are high fiber english muffins, bagels, breads, and oatmeal. Thomas makes some "light multigrain" english muffins that have like 33% of your daily fiber in them, and i love quaker's high fiber maple & brown sugar oatmeal, I eat it every day for breakfast...

Hope all of that helps! 

I have the same problem sometimes. I think the fiberchoice chewable tablets are delicious and they work! I'd reccommend trying them if you can't find a "natural way" to handle the problem. I agree, coffee usually helps too.

I personally use Metamucil three times a day (I also use it to regulate and lower my cholesterol as a supplement...ask your doc before you choose that option regularly).  While I don't find that it makes me go more often, and I have had a difficult time my entire life, it does help my bowel movements to be more productive and effective.  Tastes fine, quick and easy, and I have it before my meal.  It also doubles as a 'pre-filler' for me, because fiber expands in your stomach and prevents me from overeating.  Just a little FYI.

I would definitely up your water intake, and yoga and aerobic exercise (walking, jogging) can really get things moving along. 

Hope this helps!

God, I have to use this alllllll the time when I can't go! haha. what sucks is when you are so clogged that even the COFFEE won't work. :P

but yeah, I definitely have that problem as well. I go like 2 or 3 times a week.

I get those "digestive" yogurts  - you know, the yo-plus and activia, and so on. They work pretty well. The other option is to use a gentle laxative like prescription miralax. My doc prescribes it for me, and it comes in a ginormous bottle of water-soluble powder. It doesn't work violently/painfully like some laxatives; it takes a day or two. The way it works is by drawing more water to the bowels, making it easier to "go." I hope this helps!

If I skip a day, I will drink some weak senna leaf tea before bed.  It has a laxative effect, but it doesn't interrupt my life in any freaky way. I would say, however, that if you aren't typically going once a day, you should see your doctor.

try washing down a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in the morning with a glass of water before you eat breakfast...its a near guarantee.

I make sure I stretch every morning whilst i'm still lying down in bed, like...a full body arms above the head, pointing toes, stretching out my torso type move. I find it helps 'wake up' my digestive system and if I don't do it I often don't feel the urge to go in the morning.

I agree about all the other posters that you should make sure you drink enough water.

I'd always suggest eating more fruit/vegetables/cereals/flax seeds and healthy fats etc. before turning to fibre products or supplements. I think your body will thank you for it in the long run, and will receive all the benefits of vitamins/minerals/antioxidants etc. in the process