Dinner choices for smoother mornings: What to eat and avoid

A balanced, diverse diet is a natural way to support the work of our intestines. It should be rich in fiber and products that contain strains of beneficial bacteria, among other things, to keep bowel movements regular. Proper hydration is also crucial for maintaining proper intestinal peristalsis. So, what should you eat in the evening to avoid bowel movement issues in the morning?

Dinner should be a light meal with a low-calorie supply and should provide high-quality protein, unsaturated fats, and complex carbohydrates. It's worth including these products in your evening menu to avoid problems with morning bowel movements.

Include protein in your evening menu. It provides a longer feeling of fullness and is found in cottage cheese, fish, meat, or eggs. It's better not to reach for fatty meats for dinner, as they linger in the intestines for a long time.

In your diet, it's worth including products with fiber content, which effectively stimulates intestinal peristalsis, facilitates regular bowel movements, and reduces the problem of constipation. Particularly noteworthy are dried plums. They also contain sorbitol, which helps digest foods. Flax seeds and chia seeds will also improve intestinal peristalsis. The soluble fiber in these products (which absorbs water, creating a gel) softens the stool, facilitating its passage through the colon.

Sweet potatoes will also streamline the process of defecation due to their high insoluble fiber content. The presence of spices that support digestion, such as tarragon (counteracts flatulence), rosemary (stimulates the secretion of bile necessary for digesting fats), or sage (stimulates the production of stomach acid), may prove helpful. Fermented products are also essential, in small amounts: yogurt, kefir, but also sauerkraut juice.

In our digestive system, fats linger the longest. Their breakdown begins only in the intestines after the duodenum initiates bile production. The hardest to digest are products with a high content of animal fats. Aside from lard, this also includes heavy cream and cream-based (ingredients for cakes and desserts). Our body digests these types of products over about 7-8 hours. Next on the list are meats and meat dishes, which are digested over a period of 5-6 hours. Then, legumes and fish are digested over 4-5 hours, and mushrooms are digested over a similar period.

However, there are also products that, due to their specific preparation process, are digested for an exceptionally long time. Examples here can include fast foods, as well as highly processed food, e.g., instant-ready meals. Such products can be digested by our body even over an entire day.