Copyright huffingtonpost
If you count yourself among the one in seven UK adults dealing with constipation at the moment, I’m willing to bet the advice you’ve heard so far includes the following: fibre, exercise, and water. That’s because, well, those three really do help to get things moving. But there are some lesser-known remedies, too, like chewing gum and “mooing” on the toilet. And in a recent TikTok, GI surgeon and author Dr Karan Rajan explained that a simple eating change may lead to elite number twos. Eating with your hands may help you poop better “If you want to poop better and have better digestion, you need to start doing this,” the doctor began his video, with his hands pinching the contents of a bowl of food. It’s not that your fingertips “send magic signals” to your digestive system to get moving, Dr Rajan added. But there’s “some real science” as to why the practice helps. Firstly, the technique means you “naturally slow down”. This can prevent gas and bloating and may even help you to recognise feelings of fullness faster. And touching your food “makes you chew more,” which means “more saliva, enzymes, and stomach acids are released, all priming your gut for digestion,” the doctor continued. Even the flavour of your food might benefit from “tactile input”, or touch, Dr Rajan added. That’s because “the more senses you involve... the more your brain registers satisfaction”. As if that wasn’t enough, “eating with clean hands can expose you to harmless microbes from your food, your fingers, and even your environment – tiny exposures like this may help to train your immune system to tell the difference between harmful and harmless bacteria,” he noted. Any other benefits? Yes – lastly, Dr Rajan stated that the sensitive heat receptors in your fingertips can prevent you from placing burning-hot food in your mouth, reducing the risk of injury. “Your fingers are basically digestion joysticks,” he ended. He has just one rule, “wash your hands”, before using them to pick up your dinner.
