7.18.20 Poop- North To South Process

The poo conversation will cover how often you go, if there is undigested food in it, what Bristol number it is, and the quantity. Some people go every morning once a day. Some people go 3 times a day 30 minutes after a meal like clock work. Some people don’t have any issues and don’t feel like they have any problems. Some people have constant diarrhea, or bouts of it out of the blue. Others get blocked up and can’t go for days or even weeks. Maybe you have a BM but it doesn’t feel like enough came out, incomplete evacuation.

If you are going #2 regularly, feel like you’re getting cleaned out, and it is a nice Bristol 3 or 4, congratulations! But sometimes this goes haywire. For some of us more often than not perhaps.

Most common foods for helping diarrhea are bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast (known as the BRAT diet). The one change I’d like to make is the toast and going with a gluten free grain instead, like oats. Also, this can be a very bio-individual thing. Apples give me gas, bloating, and on the toilet in 30 minutes! Be sure to drink water, broth, and electrolytes as diarrhea can cause dehydration. I used to be more of an expert on dealing with diarrhea, but once I figured out my food sensitivities I only experience loose stool when I eat too much sugar, diary, apples, grapes, or gluten.

Lately I unfortunately feel more of an expert on constipation! Low thyroid, low fiber foods, dehydration, low estrogen or progesterone, stress, lack of exercise, and drugs can all lead to constipation. Prevention includes eating plenty of veggies, seeds like flax, chia, and sesame, whole grains (GF please), legumes and lentils. Along with this we MUST be drinking enough water - about ½ your body weight in ounces! Walking, rebounding, and other movements are helpful in moving our digestion along as well. Taking supplemental magnesium in the form of magnesium citrate is often recommended if things get backed up. Also, herbal teas can be gentle but powerful. And of course there are prunes and prune juice!

The important thing to remember is getting to the root of your poop problem and that can be looking north in the process. Is your food not digesting well? Do your intestines move the food along with peristalsis? Are you liver and pancreas producing the enzymes needed to break down food molecules? Is there an obstruction? Is there inflammation caused by food sensitivities or stress? Are your hormones out of whack?

The more we can improve our digestion, the more vitality and resilience we will have! So next time you squat, take a look before hitting the flush!