There are those among us who like to pretend they never, ahem, go #2. This is just not a thing in their life. Then there are those of us who are rather candid about the whole thing, because, can we just say it? Everybody poops. (And if you like winning, like I do. Have I mentioned this? Some of us are bound and determined to be awesome at it. Yes, you can be so competitive that you even make pooping a contest. I should get a hobby…)
But here’s the deal, folks. Pooping is SUPER IMPORTANT and a very good indicator of your general health and wellness. If you are not pooping well, you want to get this fixed asap because odds are good there are other problems festering under the surface that, left unchecked, are going to disrupt your life far more than gas or constipation or other pooping problems!
So, what is “good pooping?” Let me give you all the delightful little details…
- Daily pooping…at least once, but even two to three times per day is fine if that’s normal for you.
- 12-18 inches of poop. I am not kidding. And yes, it is entirely possible. (Even my 2 year old goes about 12 inches a day.)
- A 4 or 5 on the Bristol Stool Chart–relatively smooth and banana shaped.
- No straining or sitting for long periods. (Just sit down and go!)
- Not overly smelly. (An indication that stool is sitting in the gut too long.)
- Lack of bloating, gas, diarrhea, and/or constipation. (These symptoms are common, but they are NOT normal!)
Well, that is all just great, but, really, why do we care? Let me give you a couple of reasons…
- If you are not fully eliminating on a daily basis, you’ve got a bunch of waste and toxins backing up in your system. Put your science books aside for a second, and just think about that. That can’t be good for you. Plain and simple. Unless you’re on a diet of breast milk (and if you can read this, odds are good that you aren’t), then your body just isn’t able to actually use every bit of food that enters your mouth (okay, even on breast milk there’s often time waste, but I digress…). Even the best foods are not completely useable. (Ever try to digest a whole flax seed? Yeah, not happening.) Hence, we have waste. Now, the longer it gets to sit in your gut after all the useable portions have been sorted out and sent through your bloodstream, the longer it has to putrify, stick to your intestinal walls, or even make its way through the tiny holes in your gut lining (if you have leaky gut like me) which proceed to make their way back into your blood stream. You cannot tell me that has a positive effect on your health–or even a neutral effect! It is no good. Your body only has a few ways to get rid of waste, and pooping is the main game. (Another reason why I also think it’s important to sweat just about every day, and I don’t mean that you have to workout everyday. Just sweat. Get rid of waste!)
- “All disease begins in the gut.” Good ol’ Hippocrates for you. I really do think he was on to something here, and really we could say it the other way, “All health begins in the gut.” So, for kind of the same reasons just stated above, it’s really, really important that you keep things moving through your gut. You do not need additional toxins backing up and further contributing to problems. For someone like me who deals with an autoimmune condition, it is absolutely imperative that things are moving properly. (Constipation is actually a symptom of Hashimoto’s…funny, isn’t it?) Your gut health is crucial to hormonal balance, energy, and a strong immune system (your immune system is housed in your gut, after all). Why would it not be the first part of your body where you focus attention and extra care?
So how do I improve my pooping?
- Figure out what causes trouble for you (food intolerances, etc.) that lead to gas, bloating, constipation, fatigue, and skin conditions. It’s amazing to me how many people don’t recognize the connection between food and the effects it has on their guts and their skin. For me, if I eat gluten and/or dairy, I can be almost guaranteed not to poop the next day. (My son will have the opposite response, as dairy will give him diarrhea even though gluten will also cause constipation for him. It’s important to note that everybody’s body can have different reactions to the same things.) In addition to the effects foods can have on my digestion, I’m also looking at how foods are affecting my skin. (Remember, if waste and toxins can’t leave your body through your gut, they’re going to have to find another way. Your skin is that next way.) For example, prolonged dairy intake will give my son eczema, and even a bit of dairy will cause me to breakout as well. I see dairy intolerances every single time I have to change a baby’s diaper in the church nursery! It seems they all have diaper rash. This is not normal!) Common food intolerances include gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, nuts, sugar, and corn. If you don’t know what gives you trouble (maybe it feels like everything does!), you may need to completely remove them for 1-2 months (It really can take that long for it to leave your system!) and then try reintroducing them to see if anything causes a response. That’s a pain and not fun, but it would be absolutely worth it, especially if you’re intolerant to more than one thing.
- Gradually up the good stuff (probiotic foods, vegetables, water, etc.) Drinking more water is obvious. (Remember that first glass of water, first thing in the morning? Yeah, that’s a great way to get things moving!) And we all know that fruits and vegetables are great for us and help us go…particularly greens! However, most Westerners ignore probiotic foods that are just so dang good for us! (I blame refrigerators for the lack of fermented foods in the Western diet.) Get some sauerkraut (if you’re PA Dutch like me!), or kimchi, or other probiotic, fermented foods into your diet, and you’ll be sure to see some improvements in your elimination as you repopulate your gut with healthy, good bacteria! However, do this slowly. Too much, too soon if you’ve been eating a Standard American Diet, and you may experience more bloat, gas, etc. for a little while. Never fun.
- Arrange your schedule to facilitate your pooping time. (I know.) Seriously, we need to schedule it? But, in reality, many Americans just hit the ground running in the mornings (the time when most of our bodies really want to “go”), and the stress of busyness means our bodies turn off the ability to eliminate. If at all possible, ease into your day with a glass of water with lemon or apple cider vinegar and some quiet (like Bible reading and prayer!) before things get crazy (and caffeinated). If you need coffee to “go,” try to retrain your body to go after lemon water, as this is more effective at detoxing the liver than a “coffee poop.” (I’m guilty as charged, you guys, but I can honestly say that a ACV poop is better than a coffee poop!)
- Get a Squatty Potty! Ready to take your pooping to the next level? Get one of these things. They are not that pricey (As much as I wanted the pretty bamboo variety, I opted for the plain and simple white one, and it was $25.) Western toilets are just not great for pooping, actually. Essentially, when you sit to poop, the sphincter that allows you to eliminate gets pinched at a bit of an angle. Obviously, pooping can still happen, but it’s just not as good as when you’re squatting. (Ever have to “go” out in Mother Nature and find yourself rather surprised at how much comes out? Yep, that’s the good ol’ squat for you.) So, the Squatty Potty gets your knees up above you hips and into a squat position all while relaxing on the Loo! Think I’m crazy? Well, try putting your feet up on a stack of magazines or the bathroom trash can or something, and see what you think. The Squatty Potty is nice because you can stow it away underneath the toilet when you’re not using it (or even in a closet if you’re just not ready to go there with dinner guests that may need to use your toilet or something), and then you don’t have anything to set up when you’ve gotta go. I have no idea why it took me years to finally get one of these things. Such a simple thing that really makes a big difference. Need more info? Watch their ridiculously funny, viral video here:
So what do you think? Or, what do you have to add to my list of perfect pooping steps? What improvements to you health have you seen since improving your elimination? Comment below!
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