Poop talk 💩

Day 5… This is the halfway day, yay!

I thought Saturday morning might be a good time to have an important conversation… How’s it going with poop? For many people, switching up the diet like this will quickly improvement the quality and regularity of their bowel movements. But this time of year, even with good food, some of us suffer from a sluggish gut and sticky poo.

What is a healthy BM? For most people that’s waking up and having a complete evacuation right off the bat. A nice formed log that comes out easily and doesn’t leave much for the toilet paper to clean up. Minimum once a day.

If you’re having a less than perfect poop, the first step is to up your water intake. I am a big fan of drinking warm water all the time during the cool months. I crave this.

Next, give the bowels some direct attention. 

If you’re noticing constipation while eating the cleansing diet, chia seeds are a gentle way to get things moving. Just soak a heaping tablespoon or two of chia seeds in a pint of water and let soak for about an hour, then drink. Chia pudding also has the same effect and I bet one of you has great cleanse-friendly recipe!

If you are on a fast or the chia isn’t quite doing the trick, a laxative tea can also be helpful. I like Swiss Kriss, which comes as a loose tea or capsules with gentle herbs to get things moving. I have found this at Health and Nutrition in New Paltz in the past, and it’s likely at many natural food stores. Smooth Move by Traditional Medicinals also works well and is very easy to find. In either case it’s usually recommended to take at night, then start your day right ;)

Another great option is doing a water enema. This uses body temperature drinking water to flush and clean the colon. Usually three quick rounds of water flushing is enough to relieve a detox headache, which is pretty miraculous. It might sound a little daunting, but be adventurous! You’ll feel great. Please reach out if you’d like more information on this technique. 

Even  people with very regular bowel movements may need to try one of these options during a fast. There simply isn’t food in the belly pushing things through. You need to move those bowels for toxins to be eliminated which allows you to avoid reabsorption and detox symptoms. 

Is your daily BM is on the other side of the spectrum— loose, very frequent and perhaps with bits of undigested food? This can be a sign of weak digestion, undiagnosed food allergies or other chronic conditions. For many people, the cleanse helps move things in a firm direction (hehe). If this is you, pay attention after the cleanse to see if reintroducing certain foods (we’re looking at you, dairy and wheat!), causes loose stools to return. Eating warm, well-cooked foods, staying away from icy cold drinks and drinking ginger tea can be helpful.

If either constipation or loose stools become a chronic pattern, please reach out to your holistic practitioner for a deeper evaluation.

Wasn’t that fun?

As always, feel free to leave any questions or comments below.