{"id":1140,"date":"2012-05-02T19:23:44","date_gmt":"2012-05-02T23:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/doubleeaglefitness.wordpress.com\/?p=1140"},"modified":"2013-05-16T13:28:22","modified_gmt":"2013-05-16T20:28:22","slug":"weight-loss-wednesday-poop-there-it-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doubleeaglefitness.com\/index.php\/weight-loss-wednesday-poop-there-it-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Weight Loss Wednesday: POOP! There it is!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let’s face it: poop is gross. But regular healthy poop is a critical indication of your\u00a0<\/em>health. Before you run away screaming chew on this<\/em>:<\/p>\n

A 125 pound female who doesn’t poop regularly can store up to 10 pounds<\/strong> of clogged fecal matter in her system. An obese\u00a0person can store as much as 30 pounds<\/strong> of waste. During Elvis Presley’s autopsy, a whopping 50 pounds<\/strong> of impacted poop remained in his abdomen. Repulsed? You should be. \u00a0This mass of food matter builds up along the intestinal walls and colon until it ferments. The fermentation causes a putrid odor to emanate from the mouth and skin. Constipation also causes headaches, fatigue, and mood swings.<\/p>\n

Overhauling your nutrition should be a priority anyway to protect your heart, stave off type II diabetes, and lower blood pressure. If you want to lose weight, getting your bowels to move everyday is a fantastic place to start. Why are healthy bowel movements so complicated?<\/p>\n

From infant to toddler age, we aren’t exposed to large amounts of processed foods, junk foods, and high glycemic carbohydrates so we poop regularly and effortlessly. What enters<\/em> the digestive system also exits<\/em> in a timely manner everyday<\/em>. Despite a lot of the frank-n’-foods children often eat, they still usually poop consistently because their hormones haven’t kicked in yet and their enzyme production is still sky-high. Post-adolescence through adulthood, our digestive systems react to the quality of the foods we eat. Elimination is a direct reflection of nutrition.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So what makes for a good poo? It’s no surprise that the top five elements of a great daily poop also jive with the top five tips for efficient weight loss:<\/p>\n

1) Hydration<\/strong>: drink 80-90 ounces of water a day. Drinking a large glass of water first thing in the morning can help get the bowels going.<\/p>\n

2) Fiber:<\/strong> Getting 25-30 grams of fiber everyday. Vegetables! Not just salad veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Eat fiber powerhouse veggies like artichokes, cauliflower, cabbage, and\u00a0Brussels\u00a0sprouts. Aim for nine servings a day. Whole grains like quinoa, bulgur, and brown rice. Beans, figs, prunes, and almonds.<\/p>\n

3) Exercise:<\/strong> Moving the body everyday decreases food travel time through the large intestine and stimulates intestinal muscle contractions.<\/p>\n

4) Stress:<\/strong> The colon is sensitive to stress and easily agitated when stress flares up hormones–especially cortisol and corticosteroids. Unmanaged stress can restrict waste movement through the colon and <\/em>cause increased appetite and weight gain.<\/p>\n

5) Friendly Bacteria: <\/strong>You have heard of probiotics? The microorganisms such as bifidobacteria<\/em> usually\u00a0consumed as part of fermented foods or yogurt infused with live cultures.<\/em>\u00a0These promote optimal digestion to prevent a build-up of toxic waste materials. Friendly bacteria also\u00a0prevent infection by harmful bacteria, fungi, and parasites.<\/p>\n

What should an ideal poo resemble? Medium brown, exiting the body easily with no straining or discomfort with the consistency of toothpaste, and approximately 4 to 8 inches long. Stool should enter the water smoothly with little gas and strong odor. And healthy people poop 7-13 times per week in case you thought it was normal to poop every three days!<\/p>\n

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