Material in food that we don't digest at all: it's called fibre, or roughage. Fibers are important for healthy eating.

In the 1970s researchers noticed that in regions where the diet contained a lot of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain cereals lower rates of certain diseases were diagnosed. This was the time when fibre was realised as an important health supporting part of our food.

Dietary fibre includes both, indigestible parts and substances that are fermented by our gut bacteria. Hence, to keep your colon active and healthy it is important to eat enough fibres.

As a result of the modern Western lifestyle we don't get enough physical exercise. We spend too much time sitting, not enough time walking, and many of us don't have to do any hard physical work. However, if we don't move our bodies actively, our insides also slow down.

To complete the negative spiral, we tend to drop our regular sport or fitness activities when we are under pressure, which is counter-productive as stress hormones slow down our digestion, too. So, when we are under stress we need exercise most – because it reduces our levels of stress hormones.

The result: getting regular exercise is one key to keeping our gut healthy.