Poop 101: Do you have healthy bowel movements?

This is a topic that I find many of my clients snickering at. Who talks about poop?

In the Naturopathy field we recognize the importance of having healthy bowel movements. But, what is healthy, really?

The first question I usually ask my clients is if they have 'healthy' bowel movements. Most say yes to start. However, the surprising fact is that most of these people only have 1-3 bowel movements PER WEEK and consider this to be 'normal'. Yes, this might be normal for some, but it is not healthy.

Each time we eat, we should be poopin' out the previous meals we consumed. We should be pooping 3 times per day, and if we are not we probably have fecal matter that is 'stuck in our gut' and feeding back toxins to our system that we should be eliminating. I once heard that the average person has almost 20 pounds of impacted fecal matter in their gut. Elvis Presley? Well folks, his autopsy revealed he had 50 pounds of impacted fecal matter. Can you see the importance now of eliminating your wastes properly?

If you are constipated, then you have this problem too. Your body is not letting go of the 'crap' that is stuck in your intestinal tract. This can cause a whole host of problems, including: headaches, nausea, bad breath, skin eruptions, and other more chronic illnesses. 

There are many causes of constipation, and each person's treatment plan is different. I have listed below some guidelines to follow when observing your poop.

How frequent are they?

It is healthy to have at least 2 to 3 bowel movements per day. What goes in should come out. If you are not eliminating this much, then you probably have a backup of fecal matter that is allowing your body to reabsorb the toxins that it is trying to eliminate. This is one of the major causes for blood that has become unhealthy and toxic. Like I said above, the cause of constipation is different for each person. One thing you could focus on for this section is your intake of dietary fiber. Fiber is like the broom and mop for the intestinal tract and is a necessary substance for removal and elimination. Fruits and vegetables contain fiber, and are, in fact, the best way to get fiber into your diet. You should be getting at least 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. You could also try Psyllium as a good source of fiber. Are you considering taking a fiber supplement? Make sure you are getting enough water throughout the day since fiber grabs onto liquid and creates bulky stools.


What do they smell like?

Do your bowel movements stink? I have heard many people say "it smells like something is rotting inside of me!" (GROSS, I KNOW!) However, this is true. If you aren't eliminating as much matter as what you are ingesting, then you do have 'something rotting inside of you'. Bowel movements do not have to smell, and if you are eating a healthy diet and eliminating properly, then they probably won't smell (that bad). Animal proteins in the diet can also cause your bowel movements to smell since it takes the body a long time to digest. Another cause? A lack of friendly bacteria in your gut! Since we are a society that takes antibiotics each time we feel ill, we can safely assume that most of the population does not have a good supply of healthy bacteria. Each time you take an antibiotic it affects your healthy gut flora for 2 years! Other drugs also kill your friendly bacteria, including: steroids, birth control pills, and other drugs and chemicals that are part of the modern American lifestyle. If your poop smells bad, then consider looking at your diet, and the possibility of taking a probiotic supplement. This will add healthy flora to your gut and get you back on a track to health! Aside from smell, healthy flora is so important for many other things! Healthy and balanced gut flora plays a very significant role in fighting off pathogenic bacteria, toxins, allergens, chemicals and pollutants.Yogurt isn't enough to give you this healthy flora if your gut flora has been damaged, so you will need to buy a good probiotic supplement.

What do they look like?

How well formed are your bowel movements? Many natural health practitioners believe that a perfectly healthy bowel movement is one to two feet long. Doesn't it feel good to turn around and see a well formed and super-long bowel movement?! When we see this some of us think "SUCCESS!" In order to get your bowel movements well formed, beneficial bacteria and fiber are so important. If your bowel movements are poorly formed then your food is not being digested efficiently. And, if you are not digesting your food properly, then you aren't getting the important vitamins and minerals from your food. If your body cannot digest, then it cannot break down your food. Hydrochloric acid helps your body to break down food substances, especially protein. If you have low stomach acid, a whole host of problems can arise, including: bloating and belching after meals, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, food allergies, nausea, iron deficiency, asthma, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, eczema, gallbladder disease, psoriasis, osteoporosis and much more. A common supplement in the typical American medicine chest is an Antacid product. This does the opposite of what I am telling you... it eliminates stomach acid so you don't feel indigestion. Most of us need MORE stomach acid, NOT LESS! If you find yourself popping antacids throughout the day, I urge you to look at your diet and consider consulting a natural health practitioner. You are seriously depleting yourself of the very important substance needed for proper digestion! So, for most of us who are low in stomach acid - juice 1/2 of a lemon in the morning before you eat anything and drink with water. This will help your body digest food throughout the day and with an adequate amount of stomach acid!

Do you ever see whole pieces of food come out the other end? This is another sign that you are not digesting your food properly. This is also a sign that you need to learn how to chew your food properly! Chewing is so important and is the first step of digestion!

Do they float?

This is NOT something that we learn when we are growing up. A perfect and healthy bowel movement should be on that does not smell, is well (and loosely) formed, and floats at first (and then sink as they absorb water)! If yours are sinkers, then you must realize that there is something missing in your diet. Fiber is so important, and if you are eating mostly raw fruits and vegetables, then your poop will float. However, if it is not, consider your diet once again as the culprit. Again, fiber is important here. Essential fatty acids are also vital to each of us, since most people are deficient in healthy fats. Part of this stems from the very popular belief that fats are bad. Fats are certainly not bad, but instead, so essential to build many substances in your body. Ground up flax seeds are a great addition to your daily diet and are tasty in soups, smoothies, salads, yogurts, and more. They will also help your poop float for a healthy and perfect bowel movement!

I have also heard some people say that they have never turned around to evaluate their poop. Please, for the sake of your health, turn around and observe what is coming out! This will only help you to assess your health and determine the next step for healing!

Update: You can view my most commonly asked questions with answers about poop here.

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Svea is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here. Her Montreal Natural Fertility site can be found here. 

Bee Pollen: Nature's Superfood!

In my studies I have been totally impressed with the lives of bees. I love eating raw honey because of all the wonderful benefits that it provides. Another Superfood that I discovered in the last year comes from bees too... BEE POLLEN!

We constantly hear the term "Busy as a Bee." This term is 'oh so true' for the life of a bee. Bees work double duty all the time: collecting pollen from flowers to feed its hive while also pollinating more than 80% of all plants and flowers.

Bee pollen is the male reproductive part of a flower that the worker bees collect. These bees pack the microscopically fine powder into granules by adding some nectar or honey from their honey sacs. They then take this back to the hive where they then add a special enzyme to prevent germination. It is used as the food for the young bee, and provides every nutrient needed for proper growth and development. Without this bee pollen a hive of bees would die.

Bee pollen contains nearly every nutrient required by humans, making it one of "nature's complete foods." The free amino acids found in bee pollen (as well as many other nutrients) are so readily used by the body that this food is phenomenal for people with protein deficiencies.

In the past, scientists have realized the amazing nutrient content of this food. They replicated Bee Pollen in a lab--every nutrient, amino acid, and fat molecule. Essentially, they thought they created the perfect supplement, however, when they fed this to a hive of bees, the bees all died! This just shows that we cannot artificially replicate this food, and that, in fact the bee adds a "magic element." To this day, the mystery remains unknown--there are still elements present in bee pollen that science cannot identify.

For many centuries, Bee Pollen has been considered to be a superfood amongst different cultures. Chinese medicine has regarded pollen to be a nutritive and energy tonic. Other cultures have used it for a surprising number of applications, including: increased endurance and vitality, aiding recovery from many chronic illnesses, cleansing and building the blood, extending longevity, preventing cold and flu, decreasing allergies, and so much more.

I have been taking Bee Pollen now for a few months, but haven't really stopped to marvel at the incredible nature of how it is "made", as well as the long list of benefits that it provides. Every day I grow to appreciate this beautiful nature food much more than the previous.

Take this into consideration:
A bee that works 8 hours per day, for one month, will gather only 1 teaspoon of bee pollen. One pellet of Bee Pollen contains over 2 million flower pollen grains, while 1 teaspoon contains more than 2.5 billion flower pollen grains. WOW!

I suggest that you add this to your diet EVERYDAY. Start small. Take 1/2 teaspoon per day for a couple of days, then boost up to 1 teaspoon. If possible, buy local. Bee pollen that is local will help with seasonal allergies, and can be guaranteed fresh and pure. The results are endless with this superfood. In my own practice I have seen Bee pollen help with muscle atrophy, unnecessary weight loss, allergies, digestive disturbances and much more.




**Be very careful if you have severe allergies. In rare occasions, bee pollen can cause a severe allergic reaction. Consult your natural health practitioner if in question.**

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Svea is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here.