Naturopaths love talking about your poo!
To feel well, vital and happy your bowel health may require attention. Bowel dis-eases are very common in our society today. Bowel elimination; frequency, type, size, timing, colour, odour and characteristics are questions that will be asked in a Naturopathic consultation. Your stools are like x-rays, they provide an enormous amount of information as to both your digestive health and your overall wellness status. I here you saying; “but I don’t like to look, it’s disgusting”, with practice it will get easier hopefully inspiring you to take some healthful action. You will learn how certain foods, fluids or emotional situations can trigger different bowel movements. The most common symptoms of bowel dis-ease are diarrhea, constipation, overgrowth of bacteria or parasites, bloating, gas and belching.
A healthy bowel system will be able to absorb and deliver nutrients effectively throughout the body to all the cells. Both the liver and bowel detoxifies any unwanted debri from your body. If your bowel is not working properly toxic overload can lead to headaches, acne, sinus, asthma, eczema or bad breath. Leaky gut, diverticulitis, Crohns and IBS are also dis-eases of the bowel. Allergies or intolerances to foods, medications or environmental toxins can also trigger unwanted bowel symptoms. Becoming a detective, taking notice of both how you feel and what your stools look like will help in your own personal discovery of what diet suits you specifically, we are all biochemically unique.
The perfect poo
A healthy individual with a healthy bowel should produce a DAILY stool that is typically a medium brown colour, approximately 30cm long, 2 to 5cm in diameter, well formed (type 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart) almost odourless that passes through the anal passage without any straining. Anything vastly different to the above requires attention. In Chinese Medicine the best time for bowel elimination is between 5-7am when the chi energy is at its strongest within the large intestine.
Fibre – Fluids – Oils – Exercise
Bowels require wholesome fibrous foods. Some examples of quality fibrous foods are; Psyllium husks, Oats, Legumes, Fruits, Vegetables, Wheatbran, Wholegrains and Slippery Elm (herb). Hydration is essential to aid stool motility, eg filtered water with lemon juice freshly squeezed or herbal teas are great choices. Too much coffee, alcohol and soft drinks are well known for causing dehydration and constipation. Ensure adequate oils are in your diet they act as a demulcent (emulsify) the stools, eg Avocado, Coconut, Almond, Olive or Flaxseed oils will aid elimination without the straining. Lastly, exercise, try walking, swimming, surfing, yoga or gardening, it doesn’t matter what type of exercise you choose as long as you put some active movement into your daily routine. Exercise enables the lymphatic system to do is job, to move the debri and toxins from around the body, back into the bowels for elimination.
The good news, a healthy bowel will lower cholesterol, reduce risk of; diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, improve mental alertness and increase energy. If you require some investigation into your bowel health, I’m available for Naturopathy consultations via email or in person.
