Six must-know tips for an easy bowel movement every time

It’s never a pleasant topic but let’s face it: everyone poos. And when something doesn’t seem right, we often feel alarmed or want an easy way out of the discomfort.

But the best way to stop being constipated is to get to the source of the issue.

These are the must-know tips to avoid constipation and get your bowel movements back on track!

Know what the perfect poo looks like

The perfect poo is about the size and shape of a banana, and is not too hard nor too soft. There’s no magic number for the amount of poos to do a day to be considered regular, but it’s regarded as unusual if you don’t go every couple of days.

Poo changes its appearance changes from day to day and these variations are nothing to be worried about, unless they are frequent.

So, next time you are about to flush, take a look. Look for blood and any changes and see your doctor if you have any concerns.

Squat

If you’ve ever been to Indonesia, or even India, you’ll remember those infamous squat toilets. We thought they were absurd but the position you are in on a squat toilet is optimal for defecating.

In our Western countries with knee-high toilets, it seems that these are not allowing our bowels to straighten. Our bodies are designed so that when we stand or sit down, our lower gut kinks and stops us from pooing without warning, sort of like a gate. But we’ve become accustomed to sitting down and going to the toilet, which is counterintuitive – our body is defying its natural instinct to hold it in when we sit.

According to scientists, nature has enabled us to easily poo when we squat, and doing it any other way is damaging our bodies.

““1.2 billion people around the world who squat have almost no incidence of diverticulosis and fewer problems with piles. We in the west, on the other hand, squeeze our gut tissue until it comes out of our bottoms”, Giulia Enders, writer of ‘Darm mit charme’ (Charming Bowels in German), told The Guardian. 

But all of this isn’t new – a 2003 study found that squatting to do a number two was the most satisfactory way to do it, compared to sitting. Apparently, sitting requires excessive effort whereas squatting is quite easy and requires little pushing.

Eat more fibre

If you have constipation more than once every few weeks or have severe pain or bleeding, it’s important to get this checked out by your doctor. With that said, in most cases constipation is just a sign that your diet needs more fibre.

Here’s 9 foods that will help you get more fibre:

1. Popcorn
2. Beans
3. Dried fruit
4. Broccoli
5. Pears
6. Peaches
7. Pineapple Juice
8. Figs
9. Whole Grains

Drink this cleansing juice

Both ginger and psyllium husk are great for your gut and help to flush out toxins. Give your body a boost with this cleaning juice.

Take it easy

We all lead such busy lives so it can be hard to find an uninterrupted few moments to really be relaxed and do a number two.

It’s recommended to set aside about 15 minutes every morning or night, roughly around the same time to get yourself in a rhythm.

Increase your water intake

We know we harp on about it a lot but drinking enough water is so important as it supports your digestive system and loosens up hardened stools. Water helps to bulk up fibre and helps move waste out of the body.

Do you have any other tips to share?