I feel as though we have reached a point in our relationship where I can talk more openly with you. Today’s topic: poop. I know some of you are about to turn away, but I promise this is of crucial importance kiddies! Think of it this way (especially for those of you concerned with weight loss), you’re putting stuff in, but how much of it is coming back out? Let me illustrate my point this way. In chemistry, there is a fundamental concept called the law of conservation of mass, which states that the mass of substances produced (products) by a chemical reaction is always equal to the mass of the reacting substances (reactants). For the purposes of our discussion today: digestion, very simply put, is a chemical reaction that takes food, extracts energy and nutrients from it and forms fertilizer to be eliminated as it’s byproduct. If most of it (60-70%) is not coming back out the other end it is ending up on your thighs, your butt, your belly. Let that sink in for a minute. So how often to you have a BM? If you don’t have one every day, we’ve got some problems. If you are regular enough to go twice a day you are doing a great job! Congratulations!

When you are suffering from inconsistent elimination, there are a few things to look into:

Firstly, do you have proper acid levels in your stomach – Low hydrochloric acid can commonly lead to gas and bloating after meals, food coming out partially digested – which could also be because of improper chewing, inadequate enzyme release which will impede food breakdown function, and symptoms of heartburn (we’ll talk more in depth about this quandary soon) just to name a few.

Secondly, the types and quantities of food you’re eating – too much meat, inadequate fiber, lots of white foods (we’re racists here at Healthy Heidi and hate white starches, sugars, and grains) can all lead to improper digestion and elimintion. Meat is harder to digest than plant foods, taking on average 4-6 hours to be absorbed in the intestines versus 2-3 hours for grains and vegetables. While there, it putrifies which produces toxins and amines that accumulate in the liver, kidneys and large intestine, which destroys bacterial cultures, especially those that synthesize the vitamin B complexes, and causes degeneration of the villi (the lining) of the small intestine which is where metabolized foodstuffs are absorbed into the bloodstream. Inadequate fiber – should be a no-brainer – it helps clean out your intestines, helping to flush you out. Pun intended. The dirty white foods, especially over time without enough of the good stuff (greens, whole grains, healthy fats/proteins) to help balance you out, is a leading cause of impaired digestive function on all fronts.

Lastly, there is a huge emotional connection to your gut. This one can be more difficult to pin down but in many hard to cure cases, those of us who bottle our emotions can find relief through pinpointing the psychological factors at hand. After all, a good poop is all about letting go!

So, what should you take away from today’s lesson? One, it is great to poop. Everyday, twice if you can manage it. Two, if you are not pooping everyday you are storing that somewhere in your body, so if you do want to lose weight and detoxify, a visit to the throne once every 2-3 days just isn’t going to cut it. Three, if you’re eating too much meat or non-foods, cut it out and start balancing your diet and including extra roughage. I can’t stress that enough. Until next time, stay regular!