Pooping is a big deal, but do you know how to poop healthily?

Pooping is a big deal, but do you know how to poop healthily? Source: Family Doctor Daily GreetingsAs the saying goes, "Five things in life, eating, drinking, pooping, peeing, and sleeping", the order of which illustrates that pooping is a big deal in life, second only to eating and drinking! And "pooping well" is a crucial indicator of good health. Do you think pooping once a day is healthy? The reality is not that simple!Many people believe that "going to the bathroom once a day" is a golden indicator of a healthy gut

Pooping is a big deal, but do you know how to poop healthily?

Source: Family Doctor Daily Greetings

As the saying goes, "Five things in life, eating, drinking, pooping, peeing, and sleeping", the order of which illustrates that pooping is a big deal in life, second only to eating and drinking! And "pooping well" is a crucial indicator of good health.

Do you think pooping once a day is healthy? The reality is not that simple!

Many people believe that "going to the bathroom once a day" is a golden indicator of a healthy gut. If they haven't pooped in a day or two, they will complain about constipation; if they go to the bathroom several times a day, they will suspect they have eaten something bad. However, this "once a day" seems simple, but it's not easy to achieve.

Why? Because everyone's body is different!

Even with three meals a day, some people go twice or three times a day, while others go once every two or three days. This mainly depends on how fast food is digested in the body, and factors such as individual age, physique, dietary habits, and lifestyle.

Food goes through a series of "trials" from entering the mouth to being expelled as poop:

• Mouth: Teeth chew and grind, turning food into a state that is easier to digest.

• Esophagus: Transports food to the stomach.

• Stomach: Gastric juice and gastric motility break down and digest food, and the mixed food stays in the stomach for about 4-6 hours.

• Duodenum and Small Intestine: Further absorb nutrients, with the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas also participating.

• Large Intestine: Leftover food residue enters the large intestine and is "saved" as poop.

After poop forms, the intestines will push it to the sigmoid colon at a speed of 2-3 times a day, 1-2 cm per minute each time. Finally, it will be expelled from the body through the rectum and anus.

It usually takes 1-2 days from eating to defecation. Therefore, pooping 3 times a week to 3 times a day (a total of 21 times a week) is considered normal and healthy.

More than 3 times, beware of intestinal problems!

• If you go more than 3 times a day, be wary of intestinal infections, inflammation, functional disorders, etc.

Less than 3 times, beware of more serious problems!

• If you go less than 3 times a week, beware of intestinal obstruction, intestinal inflammation, digestive tract tumors, etc.

Regularity of bowel movements is more important than the number of times you go!

The intestines are the largest immune organ in the human body and also the "second brain" of the human body, closely related to our mental health. If you want to live long, you need to have a "long-lasting gut"!

There are two "golden times" for pooping every day. Missing them will make you miserable for the whole day!

• After waking up: The "getting up reflex" that your body generates when you transition from lying down to sitting to standing can stimulate the colon to move.

• After meals: After eating, the gastric antrum expands and food enters the intestines, which can induce the "gastrocolic reflex" and promote colon peristalsis.

Therefore, try to poop within 2 hours after waking up and after meals. Your success rate will be relatively higher, and it will also help cultivate the "defecation reflex."

Those who have difficulty pooping or have irregular bowel movements can squat on the toilet during these two time periods. Even if there is no urge to poop at the time, the body will gradually cooperate.

Once you develop a stable habit, a fixed time for pooping will form a conditioned reflex. You will also be able to detect abnormalities in time when changes occur in frequency, shape, and color.

Of course, this doesn't mean you have to poop at these two times. As long as you have the urge to poop and have a certain regularity, that is the best time to go.

There are 2 habits that are equal to "looking for trouble" when using the toilet!

1. Straining too hard

When you poop, you usually take actions like holding your breath and straining your abdomen.

• Inhaling will expand your lungs, forcing the diaphragm to compress the abdominal cavity, and then using the strength of your abdominal muscles to transfer the pressure to the pelvic cavity, which helps the rectal muscles move and makes it easier to excrete feces.

• If you can't poop, we subconsciously try harder and harder. The abdominal wall muscles and the diaphragm strongly contract, the pressure in the abdominal cavity increases sharply, and once the anus can't withstand the pressure, it will inevitably be torn!

• Increasing abdominal pressure will also hinder the return of venous blood, making the anus congested and swollen, inducing hemorrhoids.

• Straining too hard will also greatly increase the burden on the heart and blood vessels. Especially for people with cardiovascular disease, many patients will suddenly become ill in the toilet because they strain too hard when pooping, causing their blood vessels to burst.

2. Using your phone

Phones are many people's "poop companions", but they also bring a problem - people spend more and more time in the toilet.

• The urge to poop is fleeting, usually lasting only 1-3 minutes. When using your phone in the toilet, because your attention is focused on the phone, the brain's instructions to the defecation conduction nerve will also be interfered with, thereby inhibiting the awareness of defecation. Once the urge disappears, poop won't come out, will be repeatedly "squeezed dry" in the intestines, becoming gradually drier and harder, making it even harder to poop. If this continues for a long time, it may lead to chronic constipation.

• When you squat on a toilet for a long time, blood oxygen will concentrate in the lower body, and your brain may also experience insufficient blood supply and oxygenation. When you stand up, you may experience postural hypotension, transient cerebral ischemia, which may cause temporary darkness before the eyes, dizziness, or even fainting and falling. Especially for patients who have been sick for a long time, people with weak physiques, and older people, the risk of accidents is higher. Minor injuries like fractures or severe cases can even be fatal.

Each time you use the toilet, try to control it within 10 minutes. If you haven't pooped after 10 minutes, don't force it. Try again next time!

Summary:

"Pooping" is something that seems simple but is actually important for health. Understanding healthy pooping habits and detecting abnormalities in time are important steps in maintaining gut health.

Pooping once a day isn't necessarily healthy. Regularity is more important than the number of times you go.

Pay attention to how you strain and how long you spend when using the toilet. Avoid straining too hard, reduce phone use, and maintain good pooping habits to achieve "good pooping, good health!"

Finally, I hope this article can help you better understand pooping health and develop good pooping habits!

Here are some additional tips to help you improve your pooping habits:

• Drink plenty of water: Water is crucial for promoting bowel movements. Make sure to drink enough water every day.

• Eat plenty of fiber-rich foods: Such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc. They can promote intestinal peristalsis and help with bowel movements.

• Maintain a regular schedule: Maintaining a regular sleep schedule can help establish a normal intestinal rhythm.

• Exercise regularly: Exercise can promote intestinal peristalsis and help with bowel movements.

• Don't suppress defecation: When you feel the urge to poop, don't hold it in. Poop right away.

• Stay happy: Tension and anxiety can affect intestinal function. Maintaining a happy mood can help improve bowel movements.

• Consult a doctor: If you have chronic constipation or changes in your pooping habits, consult a doctor to rule out other medical conditions.

Hope this information can help you, and I wish you smooth bowel movements!

Disclaimer: The content of this article is sourced from the internet. The copyright of the text, images, and other materials belongs to the original author. The platform reprints the materials for the purpose of conveying more information. The content of the article is for reference and learning only, and should not be used for commercial purposes. If it infringes on your legitimate rights and interests, please contact us promptly and we will handle it as soon as possible! We respect copyright and are committed to protecting it. Thank you for sharing.(Email:[email protected])