Holiday tips for a happy bum: these 20 foods will help you poop properly

Cleanliness, peace and regularity: those are the conditions for a long and happy life – and for healthy bowel movements, if you ask the experts. A clean toilet, no one bothering you for a moment and going to the bathroom at roughly the same time every day: then everything runs smoothly. Unfortunately, a weekend away at a design hotel or a week at the campsite can throw the whole thing into disarray. What can you eat when you absolutely can’t poop?

Warning: it is extremely unhealthy not to go to the bathroom when you need to. So even in a campsite bathroom building with saloon doors, a bathroom where your new lover wants to brush their teeth in a minute, or one of those horrific squat toilets at a French gas station: when you gotta go, you gotta go.

Pooping: this is how you can do it

If you really can’t, eating one of these twenty foods will help get things moving.

Prunes

A classic: eat dried prunes and you’ll go like a heron. It’s because of the fiber in prunes, and apparently they also contain sorbitol (yes, just like chewing gum), which is stimulating too.

Coffee

A strong cup of black coffee and then heading to the bathroom with the newspaper under your arm: cliché but true. Caffeine stimulates bowel movements and ensures that your digestion already makes room for everything you’re going to eat after your coffee.

Oat bran

It looks like a bag full of sawdust, but oat bran is very effective at helping the intestines retain more moisture. And a little moisture lubricates things from the inside, so to speak: ergo, it all slips right out.

Beans

Everyone recognizes that rumbling in the stomach after a bowl of bean soup. How does that happen? Beans contain plenty of fiber and also contain a substance that speeds up the pace of bowel movements. Arriba!

Yogurt

Known from the commercial where people with heavenly smiles hold a small cup of yogurt in front of their belly buttons. For good reason: according to scientific research, the probiotics in yogurt mean that people poop an average of 1.3 times more per week. Impressive.

Apples

Fiber, again. What’s more, the pectin in apples gives your intestines a nudge in the right direction.

Green vegetables

Spinach, Swiss chard, kale: all vegetables your intestines will welcome with applause. That’s because of the fiber (there it is again), but minerals such as magnesium and potassium also have a beneficial effect.

Oatmeal

Instead of a camping croissant, go back to your oatmeal breakfast from home. Fiber, baby!

Popcorn

Didn’t see that one coming. Also because of the fiber in popcorn. The fact that it contains very few calories is a nice bonus for some holidaymakers when it comes to their bikini body.

Kiwi

Kiwis are also packed with fiber. One kiwi already provides 2.3 grams of fiber, so one green rocket is enough to help you along. If you really want to notice an effect, eat them with the skin on.

Pears

Similar to prunes: they’re full of fiber and contain sorbitol, so that’s a double win on the toilet.

Dried figs

Not only do they contain a ridiculous amount of fiber, but they also contain an enzyme considered a natural laxative. So take it easy with those figs, because you don’t want to spend your entire holiday unwillingly hanging around near the bathroom.

Oranges

Let’s get technical for a moment: if you haven’t pooped for too long, your stool dries out. Ouch. Oranges contain lots of vitamin C, which does something mysterious to your intestines, resulting in more moisture in your stool. Oranges also contain naringenin, a substance that can have a laxative effect.

Chicory

A pretty blue flower that might even grow along the roadside on holiday, but what good is it if you’re walking around with stomach pain and cramps? The root is roasted and processed into coffee substitute – check the alternative health store at your holiday destination – and chicory is good for a type of bacteria that makes your intestines happy. And happy intestines…

Artichoke

A very refined way to stimulate your bowel movements: artichokes. Packed with fiber, and even delicious at the campsite with a little mayo for dipping.

Sweet potato

Three benefits in one: fiber to soften your poop, plus pectin and cellulose to stimulate bowel movements. So order those sweet potato fries – or make them yourself in your holiday home. Even easier, you can find them in many ready-made meals.

Chia seeds

Portion control is important. Chia has a very stimulating effect on your bowel movements, so add no more than a spoonful to your yogurt to get things moving. Have too much and you’ll soon have no clean underwear left in your suitcase.

Flaxseed

Bird food, you might think. But what are birds very good at? Exactly. Again, it’s because of those little fibers. Add a spoonful to your yogurt, along with the bran.

Broccoli

Not only fiber, but also a source of sulforaphane, just like Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. This substance helps maintain a healthy intestinal tract. Even better: broccoli sprouts, those bean-sprout-like shoots from broccoli seeds. Broccoli is a true miracle food – it also contains plenty of vitamin C.

Almonds

A handful of almonds provides plenty of fiber, and the magnesium in the nuts also helps with heartburn. And did you know that eating almonds helps reduce calories? What a top snack!

Also read:

• This man found caterpillars in his broccoli and raised them into butterflies
• Raw vegetables? Maybe skip this one if you want to stay somewhat healthy
• Peas with cauliflower, almonds and lemon