Here are some helpful tips from my Guide to Healthy Poop blog. I know this can be a tricky topic to talk about, but its so important to our health! How to be a gold-star pooper (Get the full scoop here: bit.ly/PHcJGY) The “Four F’s” are a general rule of thumb for happy bowel movements: Fiber, Fluids, Flora and Fitness! Fiber: Dietary fiber rules. As you learned in my guide to fabulous fiber, it comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Lack of either creates pooper pandamonium. Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel in your intestines, which bulks up your poop and makes it smooth enough to keep the trains moving. Soluble fiber also helps regulate blood sugar and can lower cholesterol levels. Add these foods to increase soluble fiber: oatmeal, apples, oranges, pears, berries, flax, beans, peas, lentils and psyllium husk. Insoluble fiber does not absorb water, so it acts like the bristles in a broom to sweep poop along. It also has a mild laxative effect, which helps with healthy elimination. Add these foods to increase insoluble fiber: whole grains, nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens, celery, broccoli, cabbage, onions, dried fruit and root vegetable skins. Fluids: When you increase fiber, you also need to increase your fluid intake. Remember, soluble fiber absorbs water, which means you’ll need more H2O to stay hydrated and prevent constipation. There are two easy ways to estimate how much water you need each day: Divide your body weight by 2. This gives you the approximate amount of water in ounces that you need to drink per day. For example, a 140-pound woman should drink about 70 ounces. Look at your pee — it should be a light straw color. The darker your pee gets, the more concentrated it has become, which indicates that you need to drink more fluids. Flora: Your intestines are home to over 100 trillion bacteria and a great deal of this bacteria (good guys and bad guys) end up in your poop. Good bacteria (also known as probiotics) are very important to help keep us regular. We need probiotics to work alongside our digestive enzymes and help break down food to release the nutrients our bodies need. In return, probiotics survive and multiply in our gut when they dine on the leftover fiber from our digested food. To increase good bacteria in your gut: - Eat fermented foods like tempeh, miso, kombucha and sauerkraut. - Eat high-fiber foods (prebiotics). - Take a high-quality probiotic supplement. For more on building strong belly bacteria, check out my blog on gut health: bit.ly/PHrvxA Fitness: If you want your poop to move, YOU need to move too! Exercise helps stimulate the natural contractions of your intestines. It also tones the muscles in your core that help create healthy elimination. Gentle activities such as taking a walk or yoga can help ease constipation, but moderate aerobic activity on a regular basis is a more effective way to keep constipation at bay in the long run. Score! A couple more tips: Making sure you go … on the go! While traveling, I take Magnesium Citrate to prevent constipation. It might do the trick for you too. (As always, check with your doc before adding a new supplement to your life.) Primo poo-sition. While sitting on the porcelain throne, rest your feet on a short stool (or the edge of the bathtub). This simple adjustment puts your body in a good position for easy-breezy elimination. Try it! Got tips or questions? Add them in the comments! xo, Kris Carr
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 21:21:19 +0000