Is Pooping Position and Gut Health are Interrelated?
Is Pooping Position and Gut Health are Interrelated?
From my clients list, despite 38% of people currently or previously experiencing persistent gut issues, nearly one in four haven’t seen their General Practitioners about the symptoms. A key reason? Embarrassment.
Similar to the one going on in the current era, when someone coughs or sneezes, the first thing we say is it’s just a common flu and NOT COVID.
I totally get it; we have been raised in a society where talking about our pooping habits was discouraged. The result? Not only are too many people suffering in silence, but we are losing so many lives to gut diseases.
So, time to get comfortable with talking about your pooping habits and get rid of the taboo!
As Newton said, what goes in must go out the backdoor
We don’t have sandwiches in our lungs (probably), so the food we eat must be going somewhere! Where it goes is to our digestive system, which takes all the nutrients from the food we eat and absorbs them into our body. Anything leftover? Those undigested carbs, fibers, proteins and fats are bacterial biomass. They’ve gotta go out the backdoor. The backdoor in this analogy is our anus.
Our poo also contains water and bile, which both help along the digestive process. And, strangely, it includes cells from our gastrointestinal lining that shed themselves every couple days. Yes, our body is an amazing miracle.
Bottom line, pooping is the final step of a healthy digestive process.
Take a look at the difference between the colons in the two different pooping positions (In the image)
- When we sit at 90 degrees angle, there is an obstruction at the entrance to the rectum, which can cause blockages and requires extra strain.
- Squatting on the other hand relaxes the puborectalis muscle, which straightens the bowel, allowing for a quick and complete elimination. Sitting with our knees raised and our legs slightly spread, may indeed be the most natural and most effective way to empty our bowels.
Let us connect to our ancestors and liberate our bowels with an elimination squat.
If you have frequent constipation, it’s probably worth your while to try a new pooping position to see if it helps. If it feels uncomfortable at first, stick with it for at least a week before you decide if it makes a difference or not.
Occasional constipation is normal, but pain every time you go isn’t. Speak to your doctor if you’re concerned about ongoing constipation.
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