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612

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12

Health to office workers are very important, often people are lacking of excises, as programmers or developers, we sit in front of the computers for long hours, there are few reasons we could work without computers. As a result, I found myself have problem with my digestive system, in other words, the food I had could not be digested in a timely fashion. I should go to toilet more often than what I have now.

Have you ever had the similar problem like me? Did you get a good solution?

+1  A: 

NaHCO3

But don't get addicted to it. I take a teaspoon every now and then, when I suffer from acid indigestion. (Coffee + coffee + coffee is usually the cause.) If yours is a chronic problem, consider consulting a gastroenterologist.

Federico Ramponi
Not to be confused with nachos. :(
eyelidlessness
with spicy sauce! aaaahhh
Federico Ramponi
+3  A: 

Lots of water may help you. Take care.

codemeit
+2  A: 

I have similar symptoms and I find eating lighter meals helps tremendously. It's also good to get light exercise, like walking.

Jake
+10  A: 

Yes, I've encountered the same problem some time ago. Now I'm just cooking all of my food myself, so I can hold on to proper diet. And also this makes me spend at least two hours a day more on my feet away from a computer.

akalenuk
Excellent point.
eyelidlessness
+3  A: 

Eat better food. Eat the right amount of it, at the right times. This isn't really something that can be answered, specifically, it's something you need to figure out yourself. When you eat X, how does it make you feel after 15 minutes? After an hour? After four hours? After a day? Keep answering those questions until you are only eating the foods that make you feel good at all of those points.

I'll give you a hint, and someone already posted it: water. Lots of it.

Also, don't lack exercise. You don't have to. There are lots of ways to stay active, even while you're working.

And don't work so much that you have to do these things while you work. There is lots of evidence that you are not being more productive by working these many more hours, and that kind of stress is far outside a healthy range, which can cause all manner of digestion problems.

In short, eat healthy food food, full of nutrients, which make you feel good for a significant period of time. Drink water. Do physical things. Work sane hours.

Oh, and sleep. Between seven and nine hours a day, every day, more or less around the same time each day.

eyelidlessness
+14  A: 

Contrary to popular belief, programmers are in fact human beings :-) Thus, the classic advice for people to maintain a healthy digestion also applies to programmers.

Personally, I have found the following to help:

  1. Drink water. 2 litres a day will help your digestion. Helps your brain too. Don't drink all at once, spread it out during the day.
  2. Fibres. I eat 6 pcs of fruit every day. I also eat a big salad.
  3. Hold the coffee. Coffee is great, but too much coffee is bad for you. Swap some cups to other beverages, like tea, water (see above), cocoa. Not cola - the caffeine influences your digestion, and cola contains caffeine.
  4. Exercise. I run in my spare time. I also refrain from filling a tea pot or coffee pot to have at my table, which means that every cup requires me to take a walk. I only keep water in a big can at my table, since I can't motivate myself to go for water - it has to be in reach. I also frequently make hard copies, giving me an extra walk to the printer. Don't always call, IM or email, go visit your co-worker to talk about the project or whatever.
  5. Height adjustable table. Try to stand up some time while working - takes pressure of you bowels, helping the flow.

I had an irritated digestion even before I became a programmer. Now, doing the 5 things above, I find myself wondering where my digestion trouble went, and being happy that digestion problems don't drain my physical or mental resources any more.

But implementing these things isn't easy, "just like that". Requires some work and a little strength of will, but it really pays off.

Good luck with it!

Martin Bøgelund
Well, tea contains *lots* of caffeine. Wikipedia states that caffeine, guaranine, theine and mateine are all synonyms for the same chemical compound. Hmmm, I didn't know it
Federico Ramponi
Bonus points for the opener :)
OregonGhost
@Federico Ramponi: That applies to black and green tea. Where I live, Rooibos tea is popular, which is available with thousands of flavours and does not contain any caffeine and only a small amount of tannins. My non-coffee co-workers mostly drink that instead of coffee.
OregonGhost
Almost ever herbal tea is caffeine-free. And the most caffeinated teas only contain half as much caffeine as coffee.
eyelidlessness
@oregonGhost: i keep a pack of rooibos tea in my desk at work :) much better than the muck the company provides...
Pondidum
A: 

Drink more, try to eat more fruit and vegetable...

starec
A: 

Don't drink milk
Have plenty of fiber
Eat some vegetables every day.
stay away from greasy stuff

shoosh
A: 

Foods suggestion are good, and exercises more, but try to do that, for example try to go to work by bicycle, and do not take elevator (if there are less than or equal 5 floors) but walk the stairs, try to find ways to do exercises in your everyday routine, to keep your body safe. And by the way exercises will let your body release endorphines will make you feel better

luiss
A: 

Lots of water and peppermint tea.

Rob Wells
A: 

Take a load of laxatives a bring your laptop with you on the can =D

Jonas Kölker
A: 

Like everyone said Drink lots of water, though it is a myth

Also, i must say, the sure shot solution of your digestion problem is pranayam. You just have to invest 10 minutes daily, and you can see the result in one week.