Healthy Home, Wellness

What’s The Scoop on Your Poop?

| July 3, 2015
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Post by: Tracy Piper, LMT, L.AC. C.H colon hydrotherapist & founder of The Piper Center

Ah, the topic no one wants to talk about, but should, let’s talk about poop. Know that your poop can tell you so much about your internal fitness. So, what is it? Poop is the remainder of the food we ate, that the body cannot use, mixed with other unwanted byproducts. These unwanted byproducts are old and dead cells, bacteria, bile pigment and other waste the body has to remove, in order to function optimally.

When we eat the protein is broken down to manufacture, rebuild and maintain cells in the body to make tissues, muscles etc. Fats are broken down to help make neurotransmitters, assimilate vitamins and to be stored as the energy source for longevity. To help with digestion and keeping the bowels happy we should eat food high in enzymes and fiber by adding some raw fruits and vegetables in our diet as well as juices and smoothies. Fiber balances sugar levels, aids in the removal of cholesterol through the bowels.If you add probiotics into your diet, you’ll strengthen your immune system, maintain healthy levels of vitamins and boost your mood.

So how is poop formed? Once food passes though the stomach, nutrients are absorbed in the small intestines. The liquid chyme, semi-digested matter, enters the colon or large intestines. The beginning of the colon, the cecum and ascending colon, is where the “food” is still in liquid form, with some more absorption going on. As the liquid moves across the transverse colon the body starts absorbing some of the water from the fluid making the stool form. As the stool continues its journey to the descending colon, where more water is reabsorbed, the stool is stored until the “urge to go” comes. Sometimes having a bowel movement may be a bit inconvenient for us whether we are at work, commuting, or in a business meeting. Whatever the reason, our decision to hold it is when we start creating bad habits and we eventually lose the urge to go when it calls or we learn to ignore the urge and suffer the pain.

What happens when the poop stays in your body for too long? When your poop takes  residence in your body, you re-absorb the toxic materials into your bloodstream. These toxins can travel to various parts of your body. In some cases through your skin and appear as acne, to your brain and manifest as a headache or foggy thinking, come out of your kidneys as malodorous urine or your mouth as halitosis. This takes a heavy toll on your internal fitness, making you look and feel sluggish.

What’s constitutes a good poop? It’s about shape, color, consistency.

  • A good bowel movement should be made up of 75% water and 25% solid matter
  • Color should be medium brown
  • Be 2 inches in diameter
  • Be long and smooth
  • Should pass out easily without straining
  • Leave no wiping mess

For a simple guide, check out the Bristol Stool Chart online

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Tracy Piper, LMT, L.AC. C.H is the founder and owner of The Piper Center for Internal Wellness, an integrated holistic health care facility in New York City. Tracy is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Licensed Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbologist and a Certified Colon Hydrotherapist. With over 22 years of extensive training in Eastern and Western health practices including physical therapy, Oriental medicine, detoxification, applied iridology, and nutrition, Tracy integrates functional and alternative healing modalities to meet her client’s individual needs. She is the author of The Piper Protocol.

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