Today is Tuesday, January 14th
The topic or question of the day is:
House Cleaning: The Bathroom
Sinkers, floaters or pellets are the big question every morning for many people. I have noticed, “potty talk” usually makes kids giggle, men uncomfortable, and women curious, but it is a serious issue for many people. Most everyone knows that “floaters” mean adequate fiber, “sinkers” mean a lack of fiber and “pellets” are nerve-racking. Stools should be soft, formed, free from odor and easily and quickly evacuated. After a good elimination, one feels great and ready to rock and roll. If constipation occurs, common remedies include increased fluids, adequate fiber, and exercise.
An interesting remedy I learned from a retired pediatrician was to gently message your colon in the direction of elimination (starting on your right side, straight up and to the left across the bottom of your rib cage, and down your left side), preferably after a warm bath. Colons will start peristalsis when touched I was told by a colon surgeon and that she would often order gentle massages in the hospital for her patients.
During my years of counseling people with bowel issues, I have noticed a couple of things I would like to mention in regard to constipation. First, the average healthy man does not seem to have many issues with constipation compared to women, mainly because most men eat and drink a lot of food. Post-menopausal women appear to have the most problems and this leads me to think that constipation could be more hormonal than we realize. Secondly, women often self treat their constipation by trying too many “remedies” and many times damaging their bowel muscles and mucous production. For people without gastrointestinal diseases or being treated for serious problems, I suggest a high-quality diet free from processed foods. Be sure your intake of the B vitamins is adequate and ingested from whole foods. Calcium/magnesium in the form of Greek yogurt is also ideal to get along without any artificial help containing natural probiotics. Calcium intake is important for muscle contraction and the B’s important for nerve function and metabolism. For proper elimination, the muscles and nerves in your large intestine/rectum must function well. Foods that can ensure adequate intake of all of these are Greek yogurt, blackstrap molasses, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, soluble fiber, fluids and flax.
Tip or quote of the day:
Pears and apples with skin, beans (kidney, pinto, black, navy, lima), oats and barley are high in soluble fiber that will form a jelly type stool due to the natural pectin content.
Take action today:
‘Try The Energy B Bomb and Breakfast bowl of B’s from my January 9th blog
Try a couple bites of Greek yogurt mixed with blackstrap molasses.
Add flax seed to your cereal or oatmeal.
Try Chewy sauce
Suz’s Chewy Sauce
In a baking dish, cut 3-4 pears in pieces leaving the skin on the pears. Add a little bit of water and bake on 350 for 35 minutes until soft. Chill.
In a small bowl combine ½ cup cooked pears, ¼ cup raw oatmeal and 1-2 T chopped nuts of choice. Add cinnamon to taste.
The Food Thinkery 