I love my client services staff and the excellent job they do.

They are extremely knowledgeable and friendly, caring people.  After all, they are not taking orders for T-shirts or coffee mugs here—they regularly talk to people about things like gas, heartburn and the #1 most popular subject—BOWEL MOVEMENTS!

Let’s face it, we all (hopefully!) go number 2, and people want to know if theirs measures up!

Well, in case you’re wondering where you stand, I’ve gone through several questions we’ve received over the years and put together this little “poop course” for you!

Bowel Movements 101

Welcome to Bowel Movements 101.  This is your basic education in your products of excrement, starting with…

The ingredients

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’s in your poop gives you an idea why it's so important to have healthy, regular BMs!

For example, harmful bacteria are eliminated with your BMs.  So if you're 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 isn't 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 does Nature call you?

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 few days is normal for me."

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

It’s a matter of volume too

Research has shown that most people eating a typical low-fiber diet eliminate about 5 ounces 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’s also important to note that they don’t have the chronic disease rates we have, either, and that’s 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 transit time) is also important.

If your foods rocket through you in less than 12 hours and diarrhea is a close friend, 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’re on the slower side (more than 24 hours) constipation is likely your frequent companion.  In that case you’re opening yourself up to the reabsorption issues I described above.

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

Taking a look

According to “The Bristol Stool Scale” (yes, somebody actually poked around a bunch of turds and put this together), 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

How you measure up:

• 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 construct the perfect BM

Now that you know the importance of healthy, regular bowel movements, it's time to start making sure yours are what they should be!

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

But as long as there are no underlying conditions, it’s 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 huge 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 cost!) to help encourage comfortable, easy digestion, less gas, bloating and heartburn, and regular BMs!

Plus Great Taste No Pain includes a collection of my luscious easy recipes featuring nutritious wholesome foods.  You’ll be shocked at how delicious eating healthy foods can be!

Support your intestinal flora

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 both your small and large intestines, helping to support a strong gut wall, enhance nutrient absorption and of course, pave the way for regular calls from Nature!

Get an enzyme boost if needed

Many people are on the verge of digestive enzyme deficiency and don’t 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!

One of the best ways to get healthy and stay healthy is having regular BMs, and now you are an expert in making that happen!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia