Factors which delay recovery following uncomplicated abdominal surgery include uncontrolled pain, intolerance of diet and poor mobility. Enhanced recovery after Surgery (ERAS) programmes are perioperative care pathways that address systematically these issues (i.e. improved dynamic pain relief, optimised nutritional care and enforced mobilisation) to promote a faster recovery and a shorter stay. The key treatments that improve outcome within an ERAS programme are not known. Moreover there are few acceptable, objective endpoints to assess key outcome variables such as return of GI function. This randomised trial will assess the potential synergy between early recovery of GI function (laxation) and early postoperative oral nutritional support(with associated preoperative preconditioning using carbohydrate/fluid loading). The main overall outcome targets being improved recovery of gastrointestinal function, postoperative nutritional status and physical function. It will validate the use of a novel, objective technique to measure gastric motility (surrogate for GI function). Such refinement of ERAS should result in shorter hospital stay and better use of limited health care resource.