More Poop!

So, with all the poop we talked about yesterday, you might be wondering about your own poop.  For example, we talked about it taking 12 to 18 hours for food to go all the way through your system.  How do you know how long it takes YOUR digestive tract to process food?  Here is a simple self-test:  Eat beets and watch for when the red stain shows up in the toilet!

What should your poop look like?  You know you want to know, but you’re too embarrassed to ask!  So I’ll tell ya.

* About 10 inches long

* 1-1/2 inches in diameter (the size of a clean, healthy colon)

* forms one long continuous coil (no blockage interruptions)

* consistency similar to toothpaste (almost spongy looking)

* floats mid-way in the toilet bowel (sinkers may be due to too little fiber, floaters may be due to too much undigested fat)

* be golden brown in color (depending upon dietary choices)

* has no foul odor

* requires no straining or strenuous pushing

* doesn’t require any toilet paper (healthy animals don’t need/use any)

* should only take a minute or two of sitting “on the throne”

* should eliminate about 2 pounds of stool each day (depending on intake)

What is your poop made of?

* about 65% water

* about 27% bacteria

* about 8% food residue, cellulose (fiber), indigestible materials and dead cells discarded by the body

     Think about it.  Have you ever watched your dog?  They eat a meal and you know you have to get them outside because they “gotta go”.  One meal in and one meal out.  Hamsters and rabbits nibble all day and poop all day.  What makes us think we are any different from the rest of the animal kingdom?

If you don’t have perfect poop, you’re not alone.  Most people who eat a typical American diet do not have great bowel health.  You need a natural, wholesome diet, lots of pure water, exercise, and a lot less stress than we typically have.  But, it can be done.  The situation is not hopeless.  With education and perseverance, bowel health can be attained and with it, improved energy and overall health (and your headaches, skin conditions and weight may improve too).

What can help?

* Improved eating habits

* Healthier food choices

* Lots of fresh, raw fruits and veggies daily

* Decrease processed, refined, packaged foods

* Increase essential fatty acid intake

* An exercise routine

* Adequate pure water intake (6-8 cups daily)

* Stress management

* Listen to your body signals

* Avoid commercial laxatives

* Increase fiber intake through dietary choices

* Herbal supplements that promote bowel health

* Digestive enzymes that help break down food

* Rebalancing the “good” and “bad” bacteria in the intestinal tract

* Support the liver/gallbladder with herbal products, cleanses

* Try fresh juicing

* A fast may be of benefit

* A colon cleanse

* Colonics/enemas

There, now you know all the basics about poop – and probably more than you wanted to know!

Tomorrow we will talk about microflora and Candida.

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