Poo corner
Most people prefer not to discuss their bathroom habits, but stools, poo or number twos say a lot about your health, so it's important to know what's healthy.
Although there's no such thing as a perfect-shaped or coloured poo, it should not a) be small, hard and dry like animal droppings; b) be large, greasy, floating and difficult to flush away; c) be really stinky; d) leave skid marks down the toilet; e) loose and runny.
Make a conscious effort to look before you flush next time you go to the toilet. If your stools are like of those mentioned above, you're most likely not consuming enough fibre or drinking enough water. These both help your bowels to move properly.
It's normal to poo every day or even twice a day. But if you can't go for several days, or have to strain to go, that means you're constipated. If you don't go regularly, you will suffer from cramping tummy pains.
To prevent and treat constipation
Drink more fluids. Drinking enough water helps to keep your stools soft so they can move more easily through the gut. If you don't drink enough, the stools can get hard, dry and painful to pass.
Eat more fibre-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes and wholegrains. Fibre can't be digested, so it acts as a broom, sweeping out the bowels to clean the gut.
Make sure you get enough exercise. Physical activity helps move food through your gut and stimulates the bowels.
Eat regularly. Eating stimulates the bowels and helps develop a regular bowel habit.
Don't ignore the urge to go. Some people find it hard to go at school or in a public bathroom. Get into the habit of going before school or before bed, half an hour or so after eating.
Get enough fibre every day
Breakfast: Choose a high-fibre cereal e.g. bran flakes, Weetabix, oatmeal or muesli and add some chopped fruit. Make toast with wholegrain, rye or pumpernickel bread and have a glass of vegetable, fruit or prune juice.
Lunch: Make sandwiches with wholegrain bread and add salad leaves, avocado, tomato and/or cucumber to your favourite filling. If you eat rice, choose mixed grain, red or brown rice, add a vegetable side dish and follow your lunch with a piece of fruit and a large glass of water.
Dinner: Choose wholewheat pasta, buckwheat noodles, brown rice or couscous as your starchy carbohydrate. Include a couple of servings of brightly coloured veggies, e.g. choi sum and butternut squash, or add a vegetable or bean soup and a salad on the side.
Snacks: Chomp on veggies or fruit. If you don't like raw veggies, try dipping them into a spicy salsa or yummy hummus. Add nuts, seeds and dried fruit to yoghurt. Remember to increase the amount of fluids you drink to deal with the higher intake.
Fibre tips
If you're not used to eating much fibre, start slowly otherwise you may feel bloated or get diarrhoea. Start off by mixing a quarter of your normal white rice with brown rice or oats, or replace one slice of white bread with one slice of wholegrain in your sandwich. If you're shopping for food, look at the food labels and choose those that contain at least 3 grams of fibre or more per serving. Teens should aim for at least 25 grams of fibre a day.
