Bowel Movement
Are you sitting comfortably? Many people are not – and there are some who insist the way we’ve been going to the toilet is all wrong - Alex Blasdel
image by: Alyx Dee
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Bowel movement: the push to change the way you poo
The popularity of the Squatty Potty, and the existence of its many rivals and imitators, is one of the clearest signs of an anxiety that’s been growing in the west for the past decade: that we have been “pooping all wrong”. In recent years, some version of that phrase has headlined articles from outlets as diverse as Men’s Health, Jezebel, the Cleveland Clinic medical centre and even Bon Appétit. By giving up the natural squatting posture bequeathed to us by evolution and taking up our berths on the porcelain throne, the proposition goes, we have summoned a plague of bowel trouble. Untold millions suffer from haemorrhoids – in the US alone, some estimates run to 125 million – and millions…
Resources
Don’t Just Sit There!
How bathroom posture affects your health.
Health Check: should we aim for daily bowel movements?
There is no pressing health need to aim for once-daily bowel motions for its own sake, if that isn’t “normal” for the individual. That being said, there are unambiguous health benefits from having sufficient fibre and water in the diet, and being physically active.
Here’s Why ‘Period Poop’ Is the Worst and How to Deal With It
Certain aspects of having a period are talked about more frequently than others, like dealing with menstural cramps, sore boobs, and bloating. But there’s one common symptom that, for whatever reason, gets less buzz: period poop.
How Bad Is It to Hold in Your Poop?
Look, no one wants to take a dump at work or in a public bathroom, but if you hold in your poop out of shyness, you could be doing some damage.
How Often Should You Poop?
Since you’re probably not comparing notes with your friends, we went ahead and found out what’s normal—and what’s not.
One weird trick that might help you poop better
You probably don't give much thought to the position you strike while sitting on your toilet seat for a poop. But according to the medical blog Evidently Cochrane, how you sit really matters for your bowel health.
Physics of poo: Why it takes you and an elephant the same amount of time
The ancient Chinese practiced copromancy, the diagnosis of health based on the shape, size and texture of feces. So did the Egyptians, the Greeks and nearly every ancient culture. Even today, your doctor may ask when you last had a bowel movement and to describe it in exquisite detail.
Poop Wars
Our obsession with digestion—how long it takes, how smoothly it happens, how its byproducts look—is big business.
Straining to Poop? Here’s What That Can Do to Your Butt
Not only is straining to poop super uncomfortable on its own, but it can cause a number of health issues that can make you feel worse. Here are some common problems that may arise if you’re frequently having a hard time going...
The Science Behind Vacation Constipation
Among the various other things influenced by these gut bacteria—such as eating habits, for example—they also help control how much, or how little, a person poops. For many travelers, “how little” is the operative phrase: By one estimate, as many as 40 percent of people experience constipation while they’re away from home, partially because their gut bacteria’s reaction to the change of setting.
The truth about poo: we’re doing it wrong
Who knew sitting on the toilet was bad for you? In her best-selling book Charming Bowels, microbiologist Giulia Enders explains how to go to the loo.
This Is Why You Always Have to Go Around the Same Time
Some people may poop at the same time every morning, and have another BM around the same time in the afternoon, while others just typically tend to go around the same time every day or every other day. It’s not that your body suddenly develops poop, Staller explains, it’s just that your colon decides it’s the right time to push it out.
What to do when you’re trying not to poop
Don’t hold your poop. But if you must, here’s how to go about it.
Why Does Coffee Make Me Poop?
It’s not clear why coffee can stimulate a bowel movement, but the speed of this effect suggests it’s mediated by the brain.
Bowel movement: the push to change the way you poo
Are you sitting comfortably? Many people are not – and there are some who insist the way we’ve been going to the toilet is all wrong
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