LET’S TALK POOP

Let’s talk poop 

In my Macrobiotic training, we have 3 classes (nine hours) dedicated to the subject of poop/potty/kaka, as Indians call it. Most of us confuse quality with quantity. A ‘big dump’ always makes people happy. Many people I know walk out after a ‘big’ dump and think they have conquered the world. But that’s not right. In the words of my teacher John Kozinski – 

• It should be long, like a banana (long sausage), S shaped
• Not smelly
• Medium to brown colour
• Not like pebbles, but smooth
• Slide out gently
• Not fall like a big stone
• Not stick to the toilet bowl (indicative of mucous)
• You shouldn’t push or strain and it should be done with quickly (you can’t be singing songs and reading the paper on the throne; that’s not what kings or queens do) 

Making good poop is critical for digestive health and preventing you from a leaky gut. 

How to poop: the ‘makeover’ 

• Our Indian -style toilets and squatting (crouching on the commode) was or is (for those that do it, the best way to poop). When sitting with your knees at right angle (anorectal angle), pooping engages the puborectalis muscle, the muscle responsible for continence, which releases partially only in this position, creating upward pressure on the rectum and making it harder to eliminate. However, when squatting the puborectalis muscle releases completely, corrects the anorectal angle and the pelvic floor relaxes. In an upright position, there is a bend in our digestive tracts between the rectum and anus, that stops us from pooping (think of a hose pipe and a bend same analogy) that’s why the pushing for poop to get out. The squatting position opens us up completely.
• I use a stool for years, it mimics a squat coming and coming from a weak digestive history in my childhood (constipation), and it’s been a game changer for me.

5 steps to better poo habits

1. Eat more fiber from foods (whole grain, legumes, vegetables)
2. Make the time in the mornings to sit on the throne
3. Put a stool under the pot to rest your feet 90 degrees in line with your hips
4. Add at least one fermented food with your meals
5. Lie with legs up the wall (Viparita Karani) for 10 minutes before.

Think about you poop!