There are several key measures or values that indicate things about your health and whether there may be an issue brewing. 

Anytime you step into a doctor’s office you will see this in action. You will likely have your heart rate and blood pressure measured, your temperature taken, and the most dreaded one of all—stepping on the scale to get your weight. 

But there is another measure that 99.9 percent of doctors do not even think of, but it is arguably just as important as the other items I mentioned above!  

I am talking about your “bowel transit time.” 

Let us take a close look at your BMs and see why your bowel transit time is pretty darn important. 

Better ingredients, better feces

About two-thirds of your feces is water, undigested fiber and food residue, and the rest is living and dead bacteria.  

It also contains wastes like medication residue, toxins, old hormones, and worn-out cholesterol.   

Knowing everything that is in your excrement gives you an idea why it is so important to have healthy, regular BMs!  

For example, harmful bacteria are eliminated with your BMs. So, if you are not “going” like you should, these bacteria can be reabsorbed into circulation through your gut wall and trigger illnesses.    

Same goes for dangerous toxins from food or the environment. Your intestinal tract is the exit route for these toxins and if your body is not getting rid of them like it should, they could make you very sick. This especially applies to heavy metals like lead, aluminum, or mercury.  

Also, hormones that your body's trying to eliminate can get reabsorbed and increase your risk of hormone-dependent cancers like breast cancer. 

Plus getting rid of old worn-out cholesterol is crucial because if it gets back into your bloodstream, it can cause unhealthy cholesterol levels. 

How often do you receive the call? 

Nature should call you at least once a day, and maybe even two or three times a day.  

Now you may be thinking, "But I don’t go every day!  Every couple of days is normal for me." 

Well, that might be "normal" for you, but as you can see from the dangers I described above, it is not healthy. 

Size matters 

Research has shown that most people eating a typical low-fiber diet produce about 5 ounces (about 141.75 g) of stool each day. 

But African cultures eating their traditional healthy, fiber-rich diet produce at least 16 ounces (one pound) of feces per day--over three times as much! 

It is also worthy to note that they do not have the chronic disease rates we have, either, and that is not a coincidence.  

Timing is everything 

The amount of time it takes your food to go through the 26 or so feet of your GI tract from your mouth to your anus (known as your bowel transit time) is particularly important. 

If your food rockets through you in less than 12 hours and diarrhea pays a visit frequently, you may not be absorbing nutrients like you should. This can open you up to deficiencies and disease, plus it can also lead to overweight and obesity, since your body's hunger signal is triggered by a need for nutrients.   

If you are on the slower side (more than 24 hours) constipation is likely your BFF.  In that case you are opening yourself up to the reabsorption issues I talked about above. 

The ideal transit time is between 12-24 hours—and you can tell if you are hitting the mark by… 

Looking in the toilet bowl 

According to “The Bristol Stool Scale” (yes, this is real), the 7 stool categories are: 

• Category 1: Separate hard lumps, like nuts (hard to pass)  
• Category 2: Sausage-shaped, but lumpy 
• Category 3: Like a sausage but with cracks on its surface 
• Category 4: Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft 
• Category 5: Soft blobs with clear cut edges (passed easily) 
• Category 6: Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool 
• Category 7: Watery, no solid pieces, entirely liquid 

Rating scale: 

• Categories 1 and 2 suggest constipation and transit time over 24 hours 
• Categories 3 through 5 are considered normal BMs with a 12-24-hour transit time 
• Categories 6 and 7 indicate diarrhea and a transit time of less than 12 hours 

 

How to build the perfect BM 

Now that you know the importance of healthy, regular bowel movements, it is time to start making sure yours measure up! 

First, if you suspect a health problem, see your doctor.   

But if there are no underlying conditions, it is time to look at where you stand and do all you can to help your body construct perfect BMs!  

Here are some strategies that can make a dramatic difference: 

Make its job easier 

When you make your GI tract’s job easier, you are paving the way for super-efficient digestion and healthy BMs! 

This involves having a diet of fiber-rich real foods and pairing the right foods together to pave the way for smoother digestion.   

I can help you accomplish both of those important goals with the Great Taste No Pain system. 

In Great Taste No Pain, I show you which foods to pair together (and which combinations to avoid at all costs!) to help encourage comfortable, easy digestion, less gas, bloating and heartburn, and regular BMs! 

Support your microbiome 

Your beneficial gut bacteria help break down starches and fiber, so having a strong population of them is crucial for thorough digestion and regular, healthy BMs.  

Unfortunately, factors like stress, refined carbs, medications, and constipation can throw your flora balance off, creating an environment that favors harmful bacteria and impairing your digestion.   

But supplementation with a top-notch probiotic like Super Shield can help bring your gut microbiome back into a healthier balance, which in turn will support proper digestion as well as strong immune function. 

Super Shield’s full-spectrum blend of 13 potent, well-studied probiotic strains can work to repopulate the helpful microbes in your intestinal tract, helping to support a strong gut wall, enhance nutrient absorption and of course, pave the way for comfortable, regular BMs! 

Get an enzyme boost if needed 

Many people are on the verge of digestive enzyme deficiency and do not even know it. 

This is especially true of the elderly, people who have had gastric or gallbladder surgery, people who use acid reducers or people who have had a longstanding diet of processed or fast foods.  

If you suspect enzyme challenges may be an issue for you, a complete enzyme supplement like Digestizol Max can pinch-hit where your body needs help and encourage more complete, thorough digestion.   

Digestizol Max’s blend of 15 effective plant-derived enzymes can help your body break down literally whatever you eat, and pave the way for comfort (not gas, burping and pain) after you eat! 

Drink enough water 

If the only time you drink water is to take pills, it’s time to up your intake. 

Ideally, you should be drinking at least eight 8-oz. glasses of filtered water per day.  

Note that water means WATER and not coffee, sweetened drinks, juices, or energy drinks.  

One of the This may be the most overlooked measure of health   best ways to get healthy and stay healthy is having regular BMs, and now you know how to make that happen! 

To your health, 

Sherry Brescia