Talking Poop

This month: well . . . it’s poop

Am I really going to talk about poop? Indeed I am.

I know its not a pleasant topic. Yet it’s an issue that comes up a lot in my practice. For me poop is an indicator of a person’s health and it’s an important focus of our counseling while we restore the body to balance. The kids giggle. The adults may try to hide their unease. But we get over it. And eventually we talk details without discomfort.

The digestive system starts with the thought of food before its even consumed. It ends with the elimination of waste. As I prepare to co-teach Retreat: An Autumn Cleanse, I’m acutely focused on the role of the large intestine and the evidence of the state of my own health that I leave in the toilet. I’ve developed a new diagnostic appreciation of my poop which I’ll share with you below.

The large intestine, or colon, is not only one of your major channels of removal and detoxification, but it’s one of the key organs associated with this season. It makes sense. The trees are releasing their leaves. The days are moving to darkness. And we can sink into the bowels, so to speak.

The colon has a significant role in digestion and in your overall ability to thrive. Its essential function is often overlooked. From the perspective of digestion, the colon is the last place for your body to absorb water and vital minerals and vitamins. A healthy intestine is well-populated with friendly bacteria that act as gatekeepers. They allow those important nutrients to pass into your bloodstream while ushering the toxins and other unneeded rubbish toward excretion. An unhealthy colon is not so well equipped to do this careful weeding out.

While I tend to focus more keenly on what I put into my body rather than what comes out of it, the elimination of undigested particles and other elements that we take in through our food, water, and environment is just as important as the digestion and assimilation of our meals. Failure to excavate toxic wastes causes some obvious health challenges as well as some that you might not otherwise connect to the health of your colon.

What are the obvious signs of a colon in need of repair?

• constipation
• diarrhea
• diverticular diseases
• irritable bowel syndrome
• Chrohn’s disease
• ulcerative colitis
• hemorrhoids
• colon polyps
• colon cancer

Less than obvious symptoms of colon imbalances are indicated by anything from eczema to sinus headaches to kidney and adrenal challenges.

Constipation and diarrhea are a cry for help from your colon.

Eater’s Digest Homework:

What’s a Healthy Bowel Movement?

My clients often ask me this. Here’s the list of what I’ve been looking for in the toilet this week.

• Stools should be relatively soft and easy to pass.
• Bowel movements should occur from one to three times a day.
• Gas, bloating and skin eruptions are indicators that the colon needs some support.
• Poop should be brown or golden brown
  (and sometimes green or red if you’ve eaten certain foods).
• Eliminations should be sausage-shaped, with a smooth nut butter-like consistency ~ there should not be visible food particles mixed in (especially if you’ve chewed your food well).

Can you heal your colon and see the results in your elimination?

Absolutely.

In Retreat: An Autumn Cleanse, starting this weekend, we’ll show you how. And take a deep breadth. I promise we’ll be talking about a lot more than poop!

In the News

Listen here for a short interview with me by Stephani of Nourishing Journey as part of herReal Moms, Real Life interview series.