Health Pit-stop: Number Two!

A while ago I was out for dinner with some friends. Somehow, we ended up having a conversation about number two (i.e. poop). The two of them claimed that they did number two only once or twice a week. A WEEK guys! At this point, I became quite concerned because I go for number two twice a day. Once in the morning before my bath and once again before my evening bath. If I don’t follow this schedule, I am likely to spend a very uncomfortable day with a bloated and very upset tummy. I just couldn’t fathom how someone could then only go for number two once or twice a WEEK? The two of them however insisted this was the norm for them and they were perfectly fine. Still concerned, I decided to do a little bit of research on this errrrm interesting topic.

Types of number two

There is a chart called the Bristol Stool Chart which basically summarizes the types of poop one can come across. The chart will also help you to identify if your poop is considered normal or not and what you need to do. There are so many Bristol Charts floating around on the internet but my favourite one is the one below. It’s a bit funny and hopefully the silly names will help you to remember the types of poop and keep you on the healthy poop track!

Know your poop!

Colours of number two

I tell you, this poop topic is quite interesting. Who knew?! I then came across some information on the different poop colours and what they mean. Again, I will just post a chart with a short summary for your information. It is very important for us to know this basic information about our bodies and what comes out of them. As such I hope we all take a peek after we’re done so that we can immediately tell if something is amiss. We don’t need doctor-level knowledge but just general knowledge will help us with keeping our health in check.

Note this chart is for adult poop. Baby poop is completely different. If you have a baby ,you can research more on baby poop.

How to improve your number two quality

So, how do I make sure I have some good healthy poop you may be wondering? Let me tell you what works for me:

• Water. Lots of water. When your are properly hydrated, less water will be withdrawn from the colon. This will help keep your poop nice and soft and will help prevent constipation.
• Reduce processed foods. Eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies (and as much raw veggies as you can).
• Exercise. This generally gets everything in one’s body moving. Your colon is no exception  😉 
• Less stress. Stress wreaks all sorts of havoc on the human body it’s unbelievable. In fact, I’ll do a post on stress and what it does to us later on. When I am stressed, I know I will either have a hard time pooping or will have non-stop diarrhea. 

Why do we poop anyway?

http://www.unitypoint.org states that we poop to eliminate fecal material, which consists of undigested food, the lining of our GI, or gastrointestinal tract (which sheds its surface layer every few days), plus bacteria. Basically, the nutrients and micro-nutrients that keep us alive, like protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, minerals, etc., are absorbed into our bloodstream from the foods we eat, leaving behind the insoluble and non-digested ‘stuff’ that doesn’t get absorbed. That ‘stuff’ has to be eliminated.

In addition to being a natural process, pooping and your bowel movement habits reflect overall health. It is, however, important to remember everyone’s “normal” bowel habit patterns are different.

There is no standard when it comes to pooping. Everyone’s system is different, so if you’re concerned about how many times a day you should poop, it really depends on your body. Some people poop three to four times per day, others poop once a week – and they’re fine. 

Well. There we have it then. My two friends were right. Once a week is good for them and it’s absolutely normal! There is SO much info out there on number two and how it relates to our overall health. I found this site quite interesting. Head on over there for some informative reading.

I hope you enjoyed our very first health pit-stop! More are on the way!

Happy pooping!