New Improved" All Bran issue

I agree with Wyllow, it’s worth looking at the low FODMAP diet if you struggle with constipation. Some of the foods that are supposed to help with constipation, like wheat bran and pulses, can actually slow down the gut in some people. You may not have to do the full diet but try cutting out or reducing foods listed as being high in fructans or GOS. It was a game changer for me.

Not keen on bran. Or cereals in any form. They bloat me out, so I don't bother. I read somewhere online, that they are re thinking that too much fibre is not as good for us as they thought. So maybe every other day instead , or give it a break for a while and see howyou feel

Yes! agree, lots of water, its easy to get dehydrated especially on meds that dry you out/constipated

Crossstitchfan

Despair in a bowl! 😂 Love it!
Seriously, Allbran is, and always has been , the most disgusting food ever. They boast that eating it will help you ‘go’. The only ‘go’ I get from it is the urge to go and tip it on the recycling. It is vile! Like eating bits of hard cardboard, and I can’t understand why people still buy it! If you need a laxative, fruit helps and tastes so much nicer.
I loathe it!

Fruit may help some people but not those with chronic constipation. I take a drug that has constipation as a side effect and I eat so much fruit and veg that would give anyone else diarrhoea. I also eat chia seeds, psyllium husk, kiwis and all the other suggestions. Prune juice ( not just prunes) helps but I need all bran as well.
The alternative is to take regular laxatives but I prefer to do it via diet.
Not forgetting lots of water, much more than you might think.

loopylindy

We include pulses in our diet. A big bowl of lentil and ham soup is very effective. People do say they cause wind but that's because your gut bacteria are not used to them. Give it time! Lettuce is good too, though not so appealing in the winter.

Many pulses are very bad if you have IBS or other stomach conditions and eat a lot of pulses: this may be good advice in general, but isn't good advice if you suffer from one of these conditions. Levels of bloating and the constant looking pregnant and feeling great discomfort in clothes have taught me that:

This is generally good advice, try and go low FODMAP:

just have a read of this page, and try it out is my advice

www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=which+pulses+are+low+fodmap&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

PS Just noted some good soul has sorted the typo. Thank you.... It was "marring my happiness" as my Gran used to say....

Crumbs, I'll need to save all these great ideas, shared comparable experiences and views of All Bran in general. Meant to respond yesterday but was overwhelmed by the Christmas preparation backlog caused by my All Bran backlogs and general resulting incapacity. I intend to write to the www.food.gov.uk/contact/consumers/report-a-food-problem because my experience was so horrific I am concerned anyone even more frail than I and/or living alone could expire as a result. In the process, I have discovered that my Lidl's 'Muesli' does the trick all by itself - but I have to pick out the bits of banana as I broke a tooth on one a while ago! My husband has been suggesting Grape Nuts, an old favourite of mine, and he makes sure we have plenty of veg, fruit, fish and other good things - no meat anymore - in our diet. (One of the many reasons I married him was that he could cook). Thanks again for all the comments - and apologies for the typo but I was suffering at the time and struggling with my ancient mobile which kept showing only part of my heading so that I had a bit of a struggle editing it to fit... Merry Christmas to you all!

We include pulses in our diet. A big bowl of lentil and ham soup is very effective. People do say they cause wind but that's because your gut bacteria are not used to them. Give it time! Lettuce is good too, though not so appealing in the winter.

Psyllium. I buy it in Asian stores where it is sometimes called isabgol or isabgul & is cheaper generally. Also linseeds/flax (alsi) are cheaper too. Senna pods are good as laxatives too.

A cup of coffee often gets me running to the loo in the morning. I only have one cup with caffeine and switch to decaff afterwards.

PS - Movicol is very expensive off-prescription, its the go to tablet prescribed for elderly people who dont move around a lot, but Senna tablets are not, go to Amazon for example. Try 1 or 2, even sometimes tablets, because its natural , it doesn't sort of scrape you out...

Of course, one of the ways to loosen the bowels is simply a longish walk, but we cant all do that. (my Sis is a gastroenterologist)

A really natural way is to take Senna tablets at night (well, any time, but I prefer bedtime for the morning.)

Because my meds block me up, I also take a lot of bisocodyl, (Dulcolax) but dont advise a lot of use of it, its sealer on the packet its for occasional use.

The best go-to powdered laxative is Movicol in my opinion, gentler than Laxido.

I also eat lots of raw food - chopped salady stuff, all year round, that helps but you have to enjoy it like me. And yes to kiwis fruit which is a "goodie" all round as its low FODMAP for those who benefit from Low FODMAP diets. Prunes are NOT low FODMAP, but limited amounts of dates are.

Why and what is a Low FODMAP diet? It works for me, and I dont bother with a dietician, just follow the basics

my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22466-low-fodmap-diet

What about Grape Nuts….I used to love them, crunchy and malty. Are they any good? Very expensive though.

Despair in a bowl! 😂 Love it!
Seriously, Allbran is, and always has been , the most disgusting food ever. They boast that eating it will help you ‘go’. The only ‘go’ I get from it is the urge to go and tip it on the recycling. It is vile! Like eating bits of hard cardboard, and I can’t understand why people still buy it! If you need a laxative, fruit helps and tastes so much nicer.
I loathe it!

Thank you Snapdragon for this post. So many excellent, and varied suggestions. I will write them down and try each in turn until I have the 'result' I am searching for.

Flax seeds and chia seeds, soaked overnight and cooked in porridge. Add dried apricots for the extreme option!

Grapenuts and eight prunes for breakfast every other day works wonders for me 😀

I always preferred the supermarket own brands of "All Bran" as they tend not to go soggy as quickly but many of them have stopped doing them now :-(

Porridge with Chia seeds.

PattyFingers

Try eating beetroot as a cooked vegetable (not pickled) every now and again, it is tasty and so good for the digestion.

My favourite food is freshly cooked beetroot. Better still if sliced into granary bread spread with salad cream.

I take various drugs with a side effect of constipation.
My diet contains so much fruit, fibre and fluid that a normal person would have diarrhoea.
I have, over the years, tried all the above from chia to prunes. While some help a bit none of them work as easily and comfortabley as all bran. There are own brand alternatives but none are quite as effective so I'm sticking with the horrible rebrand.

Thanks for all the responses. Will respond d properly tomorrow. Off to be now!

Could you not just add prunes, figs or dates to your breakfast menu? Or consider whether other foodstuffs (potatoes or milk for instance) where having a costive effect?

Or perhaps drink more water in the course of the day?

All Bran is awful and very overpriced. Always has been.

Ditch it.

And work your way through all the seeds and dried fruit.

Mango is lovely.

Jojo1950

Me too.

And me.