All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 – 1860)
Over the last week, I have heard several people make the comment, “I am having a crappy day.” My usual reply is, “Like gas this too will pass.” But upon further discussion, there was an underlying complaint…a poop problem.
Prior Proper Pooping is a Prerequisite in Preventing a Pooping Problem. Say that three times with a straight face…can’t say it without smiling correct…unless you are having a crappy day.
Stress and anxiety are also common causes of poop problems such as diarrhea, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. A good healthy bowel movement works wonders for the attitude and helps prevent having a crappy day.
Let me tell you a nasty little secret…Elimination is a vital part of the body function. Everyone on Earth does it in the same manner and every digestive system works in the same way. As much as I would like to think that I am special and my poop doesn’t stink…I came to Earth with the same system that you did. How well it functions now depends on what I put into the system.
When my daughter was between two and three years old, we had a poop issue. A daycare worker told my daughter that she should stop doing a bad job in her diaper because it was dirty and nasty. Being eager to please and not wanting to be nasty, my daughter stopped pooping completely. When she became extremely physically ill, I did not realize that she was physically reacting to a perceived mental message. At the time I worked at a hospital and our pediatrician was on speed-dial for the twins.
The words that we use around elimination are often unpleasant with poop and crap being the mildest. When I am being mentally unkind to myself, I have often mentally labeled others as having “constipation of the brain and diarrhea of the mouth.”
What is normal elimination…look at a newborn baby which is usually twenty minutes to an hour after consuming a meal. Yes that would be inconvenient for adults…therefore the body adapts well to a scheduled time of elimination. Rather than waiting for the urge to hit at an inconvenient time take personal responsibility for your crap.
Just as we have schedules for work and mealtime…it is important to set an appointment at the same time daily to allow 15 minutes in the morning to go poop. Once in the bathroom, the trick is to relax. Read a book, paper or magazine to take your mind off what you are doing and sit for 10 minutes regardless of what happens. Within a few days, your colon will adapt to the habit.
Constipation is a symptom, not a disease and a poor diet typically is the cause. With constipation stools are usually hard, dry, small in size, and difficult to eliminate. Some people who are constipated find it painful to have a bowel movement and often experience straining, bloating, and the sensation of a full bowel.
More than 5 million Americans have frequent constipation, accounting for 2.5 million physician visits a year. Around $725 million is spent on laxative products each year with self-treatment with over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives.
The top five causes of constipation are:
Dehydration
Not enough fiber in the diet
Lack of physical activity
Medications
Milk
Water adds fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, making bowel movements softer and easier to pass. Everyone should drink water every day. However, liquids that contain caffeine, such as coffee and cola drinks will worsen one’s symptoms by causing dehydration. Alcohol is another beverage that causes dehydration. It is important to drink large amounts of room temperature water to hydrate the body, especially when consuming caffeine containing drinks or alcoholic beverages.
People who eat a high-fiber diet are less likely to become constipated and have over-all better health. Americans eat an average of 5 to 14 grams of fiber daily,* which is short of the 35 grams required for proper bowel function. People who eat a high-fiber diet are less likely to become constipated.
What does 38 grams of fiber look like…one half cup of 100% Bran cereal, two slices of whole grain bread, one cup of steamed spinach, one apple and one banana along with the other foods eaten that day. When shopping for fiber foods go for 100% Bran cereals, baked beans, apples, broccoli, spinach, blackberries, almonds, kidney beans, cabbage, salads, whole grain, and peas. Dried fruits are an excellent source of fiber but they should always be eaten either with water or stewed.
The most common causes of constipation are a diet low in fiber or a diet high in fats, such as cheese, eggs, and meats which contain no fiber. Both children and adults often eat too many refined and processed foods from which the natural fiber has been removed.
A low-fiber diet is common when people choose foods that are quick to make or buy, such as fast foods, or prepared foods, both of which are usually low in fiber. Cornflakes and similar commercial cereals are totally useless, having been almost completely stripped of all nutritional value and natural fiber which is replaced with sugar and artificial chemicals.
A lack of physical activity can lead to constipation. As food moves through the colon, the colon absorbs water from the food while it forms waste products, or stool. Muscle contractions in the colon then push the stool toward the rectum. Activities that move the stomach and back muscles such as walking, dancing and yoga stimulate these colon muscle contractions. This type of activity is called core body movement.
A common side effect of both prescription and OTC medications is constipation. The medical condition known as “cathartic colon” is caused by the chronic use of stimulant laxatives. With this condition the colon becomes so irritated that it appears to be grossly ulcerated and even cancerous.
There are many reasons why laxatives should be abandoned in favor of natural therapies. Laxatives are habit-forming. When we become laxative dependent, our body becomes unable to induce a normal response to colon distension and requires higher doses to correct the condition, thus forming a vicious cycle.
Milk allergies and the inability to digest lactose is a major source of colon issues. In children, the most common cause of chronic constipation is probably excessive milk drinking and dehydration from lack of water. As a general rule, this type constipation can be relieved with replacing milk with water for a few days and assuring the appetite is filled with fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
Diarrhea is a symptom of an underlying condition and it is vitally important to what is causing the poop problem. Aside from being an indicator of an underlying problem, diarrhea can become a major problem in itself when large amounts of fluid are lost and a dangerous state of dehydration can develop in a matter of hours.
Antibiotics often result in diarrhea because the normal bacteria in the gut have been killed off by medications. Food poisoning, which is much more frequent than most of us imagine, is another common cause of sudden but short-lived diarrhea and serves the purpose of ridding the body of toxic bacteria as rapidly as possible.
More than you ever wanted to know about Living Well with Poop?
Simplify you life with a Living Well Support Group.
Support is the main reason that most people are not successful in making wellness changes in their lifestyle. Just as Support Groups have been proven to be the most effective means of making lifestyle changes with addictions, everyone needs the love and compassion of a Support Group in making Wellness Lifestyle changes.
What if…every Church and community had a Living Well Support Group which was open to everyone on a love offering basis? Each week, there would be a different practical instructive program on wellness through environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment. Wellness is a learned skill that must be practiced daily and what better place to learn this skill than a loving support group.
Love, Light & Lots of Laughter…Joa
joa@joacarter.com
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