Twelve to twenty four hours is the optimal time it should take for ingested food to be fully absorbed and its waste eliminated from your body.  If it is taking your body less than the twelve hours, it is possible your body is not absorbing all of the nutrients it should be from your food.  More than twenty four hours indicates that wastes are residing in your bowels for too long; resulting in an increased risk of colon disease.

So, how can you know for sure how long your body is taking to digest your food?  There are two foods that can help you answer this question; the first being beets.  Three or four beets will turn your stool a bright red.  Another option is sweet corn; you will be able to recognize corn kernels in your stool.  If after experimenting with these foods, you find that your digestion time is too slow or too fast, consider the following:

• Consume more dietary fiber by upping the amount of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. When taken with proper amounts of fluid, soluble fiber produces larger, softer stools that are passed by your digestive system quite easily and quickly.  The walls of the colon work much more effectively when larger stools pass through.
• Although it may appear counter-intuitive, the same fiber we've seen to relieve constipation can slow down a fast moving system and hinder diarrhea.  The fiber in the colon helps by absorbing excess water commonly found in loose stools.
• Increasing your water intake is critical as the effectiveness of fiber works only when you are properly hydrated.  And if you are experiencing diarrhea it is always important to replace the water that is lost.
• There are certain foods that react negatively in the gut and hinder healthy digestion times.  These foods include sugar, high-fat foods, and alcohol.  Additionally, foods made up of white, processed flour can also slow everything down.
• Your digestive system, specifically your bowels are made up of close to 500 different types of bacteria; some good and some bad.  The beneficial bacteria are called probiotics and are a vital part of your immune and digestive systems.  They work to prevent tumors and diseases and help our bodies digest and take advantage of the nutritional value in plant-based foods.  To get more of these desirable bacteria into your system, eat more cultured foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, and cottage cheese.

Following these guidelines should be of tremendous help in getting your system to digest your food in the perfect amount of time.  Your wastes will be eliminated in a timely manner but not before your system has absorbed all of the nutritional value available.