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Happy Tummy Expert

2 weeks ago

Dear Sanchitha’s, Thank you for the question      

As per some experts, it can be considered healthy to have a bowel movement ranging from 3 times a day to 3 times a week.

However, passing stools immediately after meals may be a sign of Dumping syndrome which can happen after a variety of gastric procedures and occurs due to the rapid movement of hyperosmolar chyme from the stomach into the small intestine. 

Symptoms of early dumping occur within 10 to 30 minutes after a meal. Late dumping can present 1 to 3 hours after a high-carbohydrate meal.

Here are few tips to manage Dumping syndrome

• Do not skip your meals, have 6 small frequent meals at regular intervals.
• Have a gap of minimum 2-3 hours between bedtime and your last meal
• Liquids should be consumed 30 minutes after the meal.
• Limit intake of Simple sugars or simple carbohydrates and consume complex carbohydrates
• Milk products should be avoided
• Include adequate amount of fiber to your daily balanced diet. Some of the good sources of fiber include Whole grains, multigrain, millets, Psyllium, fruits such as apples, banana, citrus fruits, vegetables like green beans, peas, potato, cauliflower, nuts and soybean etc.

We recommend you to consult a specialized health professional such as a gastroenterologist for further diagnosis and management.

It is necessary to improve your overall digestive system which involves a healthy lifestyle management including a good balanced diet, adequate hydration, regular physical activity and hygiene & stress management is key to maintain a good digestive health. It is also important to ensure adequate fiber intake which is essential for a healthy gut and overall digestive health.

Gut microbiota includes a diverse community of bacteria in human gut, they carry out various functions that influences our overall health. The functions include, nutrient metabolism, natural defense against infections and regulation of immune system.

For managing a healthy gut it is important to consume a diversified balanced diet at regular intervals, maintain hydration and include dietary fibre in your daily diet. It is also important to engage in regular physical activity and include prebiotic and probiotics in your daily diet Prebiotics are food components that confer benefits to the host by selectively stimulating the growth of beneficial gut microbiota whereas Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that incur positive effects on human health. They are present in the human gut and are also taken through food products such as yogurt, fermented foods, dietary supplements etc.

Prebiotics naturally exist in different foods including, asparagus, garlic, chicory, onion, honey, banana, barley, tomato, rye, soybean, human’s and cow’s milk, peas, beans, etc.

The common sources of probiotics are yogurt, cultured buttermilk and cheese. The other foods that are produced by bacterial fermentation are, tempeh, sauerkraut, sour dough, bread etc.  Look for food products labelled ‘Probiotic’, ‘Probiotic food’, ‘Contains Probiotics’, ‘with Probiotics’ etc.

However here are a few guidelines for general digestive health to be considered:

• Do not skip your meals, have small frequent meals at regular intervals.
• Eat a well-balanced diet including minimum 5 serving of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit in a day as they are good sources of fiber and essential nutrients such as vitamin A, Vitamin B, iron, zinc etc.
• Include prebiotics such as banana, soyabean, garlic etc., good sources of probiotics like yogurt, buttermilk etc., to maintain a healthy gut.
• Try to include whole grains like wheat, multigrain and millets in your daily diet as they are a good source of fiber and other nutrients. Ensure not to consume excess amounts of fiber rich foods for management of ulcerative colitis.
• Avoid large, heavy meals, and practice portion guidance.
• Deep fried foods to be restricted. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.
• Food should be eaten slowly and chewed well as fast eating provokes gastric feeding reflex.
• Avoid lying down immediately after your meal consumption
• Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day
• Have a gap of minimum 2-3 hours between bedtime and your last meal
• Engage in physical activity for a minimum of 30-45 minutes for at least 5 days a week.
• Try to follow a good sleep regimen in terms of both quantity and quality.

Lactose intolerance is a condition in which there is a deficiency or absence of the enzyme ‘lactase’ which helps breakdown lactose present in milk. It is often seen in infants and children but may also be prevalent in adults.  The most common symptoms of lactose intolerance include Nausea, Abdominal cramps, Flatulence, Diarrhea, Bloating, Urgency with bowel moments etc. Lactose intolerance can also be known as inability to digest milk protein.

For a customised and personalised meal plan for specific conditions, please contact your Health care professional.

Hope we have answered your query.

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