Knowing your Poop
How well do you know your poop? It might seem bizarre to suggest that a better relationship with elimination would enhance your self love but it just might. I’m a long time teacher and practitioner of yoga, meditation, pranayama, rituals and ceremonies, and working with many different expressions of energy in our lives. I like supporting people in whatever way I can and I’m pretty sure I’ve learned at least as much as anyone else in those experiences. What is made clear over and over is that keeping it simple and living the teachings makes a big difference. Not much excites me as much as becoming more aware of my existence and the endless potentials for anything and everything. I need a good adventure every now and then. I know I’m not alone there. I love the life I’m living and know it is designed to bring my soul exactly what it needs to grow and evolve. I have extensive experience cleansing, detoxing and using the information my body is sharing with me to create more balance and harmony. So let’s get started.
Elimination. Poop. Doo doo. Number 2. Whatever you want to call it. Regularly checking in with yours is a good idea. I know, it’s a weird topic but based on how many people suffer from some sort of digestive disturbance, it’s time to start talking about it a little more openly. We all poop right? I’m amazed at how many women especially, don’t poop every day. I mean you eat every day right? If the body is holding on to the waste that is created by the food you eat, this is not a healthy pattern and not addressing it allows it to get established and become chronic. It doesn’t happen overnight, it always develops over a period of time, sometimes years. You may say well I’ve never been regular with my poo. It’s just how I am. I don’t agree. Your body is giving you solid feedback that something is out of balance. The same holds true for loose and/or frequent stools. The thinking in ayurveda is that you should poop one to two times daily. Ayurveda views elimination as an important indicator of overall health because healthy elimination generally points to strong angi or digestive fire. Strong digestive fire is thought to be the cornerstone of well being and longevity. Sounds good to me, I want both of those. But when I ask clients about their stool most can’t tell me very much. Even after they understand that there is valuable information there they don’t do a very good job of checking out what’s in the toilet. Ayurveda says balanced stools are well formed, kind of like a ripe banana and they maintain their shape after being eliminated. They are a light brownish yellow color and float. There is only a mild odor and the stool doesn’t stick to the toilet even though it is slightly oily.
That’s a lot to ask from a poop right? If yours is falling short of this it’s really not that surprising given our fast paced stressful lives eating processed food, multitasking and eating on the run all take a toll on the digestive system.
Certainly as we talked about yesterday hydration is very important. A daily routine is also very helpful. Our bodies like routines. Think about it, regularity in our schedules would support regularity in our bowels. It makes perfect sense. Getting up and going to bed at about the same time and consistent times for meals can make a big difference for our nervous system. If you don’t eliminate regularly, choosing a regular time to sit on the toilet just quietly breathing into the belly is a good way to send the signal; to your body that this is a good time to clear the bowels.
Another thing that really makes a difference is exercising 3-4 times a week to fire up your metabolism and support regular elimination. This can be as simple as a 20 minute brisk walk.
Appetite is an important indicator of the need for nourishment. When our stomach is growling, the body is letting us know it wants to eat so it’s best to eat when you are truly hungry. But for many of us figuring out if we are really hungry or if we are operating from a more emotional desire for food can be tricky. If you’ve eaten a substantial meal within the last 3-4 hours it is possible that you’re having more of an emotional craving.
The size of the meal is an important factor in Ayurveda. It is suggested that we eat no more than we can hold in two cupped hands. Or ⅓ water ⅓ food and ⅓ empty for optimal digestion. Any water that is consumed should be room temperature or warm never iced.
Allowing adequate time between meals is something else it’s a good idea to think about. Our body’s ability to metabolize our food is best when it has completely digested the previous meal. This is usually at least 3-4 hours or more.
Proper elimination and improved overall health is always well supported by a cleanse or detox program. Our bodies are inherently intelligent and if we give our bodies a break from some of our more dubious choices, then they will immediately allocate the extra energy to cleaning house. Cleanses clear out toxins, balance the vata, pitta and kapha forces, and support a stronger digestive fire. They can also help balance the cycles of elimination. This could be as simple and a half or full day fast or a mono diet like kitchari. This is what my clients are eating that are on the cleanse I was talking about the other day. There are many different versions of this particular dish. I vary the ingredients depending on the client’s needs with split mung beans and vegetables being staples. It is served with a yummy raisin chutney and whole milk yogurt. It is said to be the perfect meal because it contains all 6 tastes. I’ve been eating a lot of kitchari the last almost 3 weeks! But it is so nourishing and easy to digest and tasty that it’s hard not to! And honestly, it’s the best I have nourished myself since my boyfriend Mark died so that’s a good thing. He was an incredible cook and I was spoiled by his delicious food. My son is very good in the kitchen and I taught him to make the kitchari to help me out and I must say that he makes it very well. I told him the other day that he had made what I thought was my favorite version of all time so we aren’t going hungry over here. I hope you picked up a tip or two that supports you in enhancing your overall health and wellness.