Blog
7 Home Remedies for Colon Cleansing
Do you regularly suffer from constipation or irregular bowel movements? You're not alone. Research suggests that 15% of Americans are victims of chronic constipation, which can be a dangerous affliction. Such digestive diseases lead to the build-up of waste on the walls of the colon. The colon performs many essential functions— not only does it aid in the elimination of stool, but it also extracts salt and water from waste, maintains pH, and fights against harmful bacteria. The malfunctioning of the colon can cause serious health implications such as skin allergies, gallbladder stones, heart diseases, etc. Luckily, there are things you can do to improve your colon health. Eating healthy foods, exercising, and using a toilet stool have been proven to help you enjoy more satisfying poops and alleviate gastrointestinal problems. Shop Stools Easy and Quick Home Remedies for ConstipationMany have found that performing a colon cleanse is an easy preventative to avoid colon problems in the future. Green Vegetables Leafy greens are nutrient powerhouses; spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, asparagus, collard greens, leeks, and peas are all rich in Chlorophyll which helps cleanse the intestinal tract and, as a result, soothes the colon. They also help detoxify the liver and protect the body from environmental toxins. You can boil or steam the veggies, add them in soups or sauté them with a bit of butter or olive oil. Eating green veggies and implementing a Squatty Potty into your toilet routine can lead to smoother, healthier movements. Not sure which toilet stool is right for you? Use our guide to find the stool that best suits you. Choosing The Right Squatty Potty For You Ginger Ginger has antiseptic properties and is beneficial as it stimulates digestion. It can be added to any juice or eaten directly. Add one teaspoon of ginger juice and honey, and mix it in one cup of warm water. You can consume this mixture twice a day. You can also make a smoothie using: 1 tablespoon of ginger (peeled) 1 apple (sliced) A cup of spinach 1 carrot (sliced) Blend all these ingredients with 1 cup of water, and your smoothie is ready. Drink it once a day to ensure proper functioning of the intestinal tract. Juices made by using apple and lemon Apples and lemons are rich in nutrients that improve the digestive action, such as vitamins C & A, antioxidants, and fiber. You can make delicious juices from these fruits: Take ½ cup of apple juice, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and a teaspoon of ginger juice. Mix it in ½ cup of warm water. You can drink this mixture once a day to help detoxify the colon and encourage proper digestion. Apple Cider Vinegar Unfiltered apple cider vinegar helps flush out waste from our bodies while retaining the beneficial bacteria. Drinking apple cider vinegar with honey cleans the colon and restores the digestive system. Consuming this mix and utilizing a Squatty Potty to ease constraints on your digestive tract will help your poo slide right out of you. Mix raw apple cider vinegar and honey in equal quantities (2 tablespoons) Mix it in one cup of water and drink it once daily. It will not only remove the toxins but includes tons of other benefits such as preventing diabetes and lowering bad cholesterol. Eating Fiber-Rich Foods Fiber is excellent for keeping your bowels healthy and cleansing the colon by eliminating waste from your body. Eating grains that are high in fiber, such as beans, lentils, quinoa, oatmeal, and vegetables like peas, artichoke, and brussels sprouts, will help make your gut health even healthier. Raspberries, mango, figs, and coconut also help nourish the colon. Adding fiber-rich foods and propping your legs up on a bathroom stool will allow your colon to straighten and your waste to come out cleaner. Most people don’t realize, but pooping with your feet on the ground can cause a kink in your tunnel, which can lead to major blockage. Squatty Potty undoes this kink so you can do your business quickly and cleanly. Sea Salt and Water Water plays a significant role in detoxifying our bodies. When the colon is dehydrated, it is easier for the toxins to stick inside and form a build-up. You must consume at least 2-2.5 liters of water daily to ensure optimum colon functioning. Add one teaspoon of sea salt to half a liter of water and drink it before breakfast (before eating anything else). Drinking the mixture encourages bowel movement and improves digestive health. Chia and Flax Seeds Both these seeds are superfoods that are high in fiber. They also contain Omega 3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation in the colon and remove the built-up toxins. You can add a teaspoon of the seeds in water, drink the mixture, make a pudding, or sprinkle them over salads. Soak a tablespoon of chia seeds in one cup of water for 5 to 10 minutes so the fiber can perform its optimum function by absorbing water Mix the seeds in about 1 cup of yogurt Consume this mixture 4 times a day for about 4 weeks to cleanse the intestinal tract. There are different over-the-counter colon cleansing supplements also available in the market. Performing a colon cleanse is vital because it doesn't only eliminate bacteria and improves digestion but also promotes weight loss and prevents various diseases. The Final TurdImplementing these quick and easy home remedies can help you avoid irregular bowel movements and prolonged constipation problems. In addition to consuming healthy foods and drinks, regular exercise, and assuming a squatting position with a toilet stool, can help unclog your pipes when you unload the goods. While we can’t help you stick to your diet, our Squatty Potties can help you have healthier, more satisfying bathroom experiences. Shop Stools Disclaimer: The words and other content provided in this post, including linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If you or any other person has a medical concern, consult with an appropriately licensed physician or other health care professional immediately. Do not rely on the information presented in this post. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in this blog post or any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Learn more
Coffee and Pooping…What You Should Know
Coffee and Healthy Pooping Caffeine is a mixed bag when it comes to you and your poop. If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome or colitis, caffeine can cause flare-ups, according to this study by alternate beverage company Teecino. Coffee can also worsen acid reflux, a condition which affects around 20% of the Western world according to BMC Gastroenterology. Coffee as a laxative However, it can’t be denied that, for healthy adults, a morning cup of coffee can help… get things moving. Yep, coffee makes you poop. Whilst some of this can be attributed to caffeine’s laxative effect, there are many chemicals in coffee and scientists aren’t quite sure which one is doing what. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, which is the brain and spinal cord. The vagus nerve links the central nervous system to the digestive tract. So stimulation to the central nervous will also affect digestion. In addition, coffee contains colon stimulating agents theophylline and xanthine which get that colon moving faster than it would otherwise. The dangers of coffee Whilst it can be tempting to use coffee to save money on laxatives, this approach has it’s dangers. The Mayo clinic recommends drinking less than 400mg of caffeine a day. That’s about as much as four cups of coffee, though obviously it depends on what kind of coffee you are drinking. If you go above this amount you will likely experience loose stools as well as putting yourself at risk of more alarming symptoms such as muscle tremors and heart palpitations. Be careful as well with other drinks that contain caffeine such as tea and soda; it all adds up. Remember, the best way to promote healthy pooping is to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fibre. Be sure to get plenty of fluids and move around regularly as well. Healthier alternatives If you’re finding it hard to cut back on your coffee habit you could try some healthier alternatives. Switching to low acidity coffee helps digestion in people prone to acid reflux by eliminating the chief trigger. Low acidity or acid free coffee also reduces the risk of ulcers, which are more common in people in people who consume a lot of acidic food and drinks. This for especially beneficial in seniors, for whom conditions such as ulcers and acid reflux are more dangerous.You could also try decaffeinated coffee, though interestingly scientists have found that even decaf has laxative effects. Whilst there is nothing wrong with a morning poop after your daily cup of coffee, be mindful of the health effects too much coffee can have. Caffeine is a drug like any other, and if you have a health condition like acid reflux, consult your doctor before drinking any caffeinated beverage.
Learn more
Back to School Pooping Tips
America’s kids are heading back to school. Yay!!!! Summertime often means going to bed late, sleeping in late, eating junk food, drinking sweet drinks, traveling to fun places and all-in-all messing with healthy diets and bathroom habits. Therefore, lots of kids and adults for that matter, need to hit the reset button once school starts. Time to get back into a routine which means reestablishing good eating, sleeping and a healthy bathroom ritual. Our body does better with a good night’s sleep, eating a healthy breakfast and attempting to go poop before we are off to school and work. In fact, our brain sends a signal to our gut to poop shortly after we eat breakfast. This is called the Gastrocolic reflex. If we establish the routine of listening to our bodies, we will feel lighter during the day and our brains and bodies will function better. This routine also helps us avoid a very common and consequential issue amongst many school age kids where instead of listening to their bodies urge to go, they hold their poop inside. The result, over time this can stretch the colon and interrupt the body’s natural propulsion or movement of poop out of the body which can then lead to constipation. The longer the stool is held in the colon the more it dries out, which makes the problem even bigger. This typically will lead to frequent stomachaches even to the point where some kids and adults end up in the emergency room. They often think they have appendicitis when, in fact, their “pipes” are clogged, stretched and need to be cleaned out. I like to analogize your intestinal tract to your sink’s pipes as I do in my book. Both can become clogged and both can require a clean-out to resume proper flow. Therefore, much like the kitchen sink, if you put the right stuff down your “drain” making sure to keep a steady flow by listening to your body and using the Squatty Potty for the final push out, you won’t have stretched out clogged pipes. So, what is a good, healthy breakfast comprised of and how do we know our diet is healthy overall? Well, most of the time our body directs us to these answers by what our poop behaves like. I highlight these characteristics in my book discussing what I call the 5 S’s. I tell my patients all the time that they must be good poop detectives making sure that they pay attention to the 5 S’s and telling their parents if they have poop problems. The 5 S’s Their clues: Shape, Soft, Sink, Shape and Shoot Shape – logs, hot dogs, snakes – NOT tiny meatballs, rabbit poop, baseballs, footballs Soft– not hard Sink– it should mostly sink Shade– brown-not black, not red Shoot– you should sit on the toilet, and with Squatty Potty’s help, it should “shoot” out. No straining, no pain, no need to push for several minutes. If you or your child’s poop isn’t behaving like the 5’s, you might have a problem. The root of the cause most often is DIET. So, back to a “healthy” breakfast. Drink water first, during and after meals. No animal milks. The only animal milk that is good for us comes from humans, not other animals. Cow’s milk makes our guts unhappy, unhealthy and constipates us. The good bacteria in our guts hate it. It causes a war in there! Really, dairy (cow’s milk, goat’s, yogurt, cheese, ice cream) in general should be limited or not consumed at all. Don’t worry. Your bones won’t crumble without them. You will get plenty of calcium if your gut is healthy because a happy gut absorbs nutrients better and can even make vitamins and minerals. A healthy gut comprised of a healthy balance of bacteria (microbiome), is directly influenced by our diet. Cow’s milk does not make it happy/balanced. It angers and inflames it! Drink water, not juice! Eat foods from Mother Nature, not from plastic wraps or bags. Chew fresh fruits rather than drink them. Vegetables, eggs, lean meats, legumes, etc. If you need sweet, steel-cut oatmeal with cinnamon and a little real maple syrup or honey with tons of fresh fruit would be a good healthful choice. Avoid the processed food choices: cereal bars, granola bars, pizza, lunch meat, “itos”-Doritos, Fritos and Cheetos, and no “ades”-Gatorade, Powerade, Koolade, no juice, no soda. WATER!! Make sure your kids can bring their water into the cafeteria at lunch. If not, they will be given choices like juice or cow’s milk – white, strawberry, or chocolate. Drinking water and listening to your body’s cues to poop will prevent constipation. Adding the Squatty Potty toilet stool, will likely assure you and your family will be expert poopers and live happier and healthier lives! Be poop detectives, eat and drink healthy and use the Squatty Potty to eliminate your perfect poop!!!
Learn more
Pooping While Pregnant
This is a post about how the Squatty Potty changed my life. I don’t know how or why I didn’t let this beautiful stool into my life sooner. I had many opportunities, as I owned one for a few years before I actually tried it. Maybe I was playing hard to get? I regret the time we lost, but I can for sure say it’s the real deal now. True love. I hate to admit it, but I was desperate the first time I used the Squatty Potty. We have a strong relationship now, but our love blossomed out of a last resort situation. I have IBS that comes and goes with constipation. Sometimes I’m ok to eat that grilled cheese sandwich and sometimes it clogs me up for days. No one likes a stomach full of poo. In fact, it’s on my list of top 5 least favorite things. And then I became pregnant. Yikes. My nurses, as well as all my pregnancy apps warned me of possible bowel complications that come with hosting another human being inside of you. There is only so much room to get things moving, if you know what I mean? I think I was just so happy to be pregnant, and I’ve already dealt with poo troubles from my IBS, so it really can’t be THAT bad, right? Oh, and my anti-nausea medication causes MORE bowel issues? It’ll be ok, I’m having a baby and it’s all going to be awesome! Wrong. Ok ok, the having the baby part is still awesome. The difficulty pooping? Not so much. I started taking stool softeners which helped about half the time. I was struggling. My husband suggested I finally try the Squatty Potty. Me, being hormonal, thought this was a dumb idea and nothing could save me from the poo plugged abyss. But remember, I was desperate. For goodness sake, I was practically getting a hernia! I pulled out the Squatty Potty from under my toilet and sat for a moment. Never rush a poo. Little by little my bowels were relieved from pregnancy poo’s evil grasp. It was a miracle! I no longer had to strain to poop! As our love grew and grew, I realized I had to take a trip out of town and couldn’t bear the thought of leaving my Squatty Potty behind. This was really the only way to poop easily and effectively for me, especially in my pregnancy! Guess what? The Porta-Squatty exits just for this purpose. I never knew I had this much love in my heart for a poop stool. I had to tell all of my friends and family what they were missing out on. I could not keep this love for myself! A lot of them are pregnant as well and they have all found such sweet, sweet relief from using the Squatty Potty.
Learn more
