What's your POOH say about you?

Often the most important subjects needing to be discussed are those that might induce some blushing or awkward giggles. Therefore it makes such beneficial knowledge not so easy to access. Although the topic of bowel movements may not come up during a dinner party or night out with “the guys”, it’s on the minds of many. With the majority of Americans grazing on the Standard American Diet (SAD) -- ever so sad – many are struggling with potty issues ranging from going too much or too little and usually with painful eliminations and cramping.

It’s interesting how new parents keep up with diaper changes by asking each other, “Did she pooh or just pee?” It seems at some point there is a connection being made to the health and comfort of a child in relation to regularity. Bringing that awareness into adulthood can also present some tell-tale insight.

The integrity of the gastro-intestinal tract (and the quality and quantity of its elimination) should be considered as a barometer of health (or lack of) for the body. “The GI tract is a processing unit that metabolizes all of the nutrients you take in and eliminates all of the body’s waste,” explains Dr. Amy Foxx-Orenstein, president of the American College of Gastroenterology. “What comes through it is reflective of how well or how ill the body is.”

The health of the digestive tract can be revealed by bowel movements. Poor digestion and elimination may lead to numerous, serious diseases, such as colon cancer. Abnormal bowel movements are not a disease, but rather to be thought of as a red flag of imbalance in the body.

The general public considers themselves to be “normal” or “regular” but the individuals’ descriptions of normalcy greatly varies from person to person. Proper digestion is a very important aspect of healthy living. Those that are not digesting efficiently and effectively cannot absorb nutrients or rid the body of waste to its full potential. If your bowel is not healthy, neither will you be.

A healthy or normal bowel movement is reported to be: one solid long curved piece, medium brown color, no food particles, no mucous, no blood, easy to eliminate without pushing or straining, drops once it hits the water, and occurring at least once daily.

It might be worth investing a moment to turn around and take a gander every now and then for those that usually “flush and go”. Every individual should know their own “normal” stool. Many answers are often unknowingly flushed right down the toilet. Bright red blood in the stool is usually associated with problems lower down like hemorrhoids or anal tears but dark red blood or black can originates in the stomach or small intestines. Pencil thin or ribbon like waste can be a sign that there is a blockage. These findings can help medical doctors fully understand the full picture of what could be going wrong.