Your toilet habits say a lot about your health as a whole. The duration that you are on the toilet, the consistency of your poo, whether you strain to let it all out, or it’s too runny, any accompanying pain, bloating and gas… They all say whether you may have a functional gut disorder or not. As your body’s way of flushing out the rubbish from within your body, it is crucial that your digestive health is kept in tip top shape.

Your health depends on it!

The frequency of your bowel movement indicates how well your gut is doing its job. The ideal bowel motion is once daily. Doing “#2” three times or less in a week would be considered clinical constipation, and frequent, loose stools would be a sign of diarrhea. Other symptoms such as aching, bloating, flatulence, presence of undigested food, blood or mucus in the stool, straining, and the sense of not being able to let it all out are indications that you may have a functional gut disorder. And this should be dealt with ASAP.

Gut Trouble Factors

Your diet, lifestyle, stress levels, and health history combined affects your gut functions. The microbiota is the bacteria and other microorganisms that live within your gut. When it is imbalanced, it leads to irritation and inflammation. Your immune triggers may cause increased permeability of the gut lining leading to a leaky gut, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), or SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). It is crucial that the triggers are identified in order to start healing.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

Certain probiotic strains and prebiotic fibre assists in keeping the gut microbiota healthy and getting rid of functional gut problems. It’s always best to get the right practitioner help and support, especially with therapeutic dosages of helpful strains. Imagine fermented food as a garden with vegetables growing, wildly. On the otherhand, imagine a garden bed that is carefully weeded and specific seeds planted in mass – this is a natural treatment plan with targeted probiotics.

Lactobacillus plantarum and partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG) both help in eliminating constipation, bloating, pain and excess gas. They have been shown to help with motility, making it a lot easier to poo.

Easy Hacks To Improve Poo

• Help your digestive system to get back on track with the following:
• Make sure to include two servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables in your daily meal. Add whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. These food are good sources of fibre that feed the gut bacteria, thereby making your bowel movements regular.
• Stay hydrated by drinking at least 2 litres of water everyday. When constipated, it helps by moistening the stool. When suffering from diarrhea, it helps by replacing the fluids that have been lost after frequent passing of stool.
• Fermented foods such as yoghurt, kimchi, kombucha and sauerkraut are known to provide additional good bacteria.
• Exercise regularly. Physical activities help improve the circulation within your digestive tract, helping keep the bowel function healthy and keeping your poo regular.

Want to get some digestive testing or natural therapy support? Talk to a practitioner if you are struggling with the mentioned digestion problems.