Is it possible that the key to healing may lay in something as simple as keeping my colon clean and making sure that I have regular bowel movements?

How often should I have a bowel movement?

Some people  think if they go every couple of days they are having a good week.  That is crazy.  You need to be going every day, and depending on how much you eat, you may need to have bowel movement two or three times a day with volume.  By volume I don’t mean a few pebbles, I mean a good healthy one.

If you are only going once every couple of days, then stuff is backing up.  It is like the toilet is clogged in your house and every time you flush, things back up onto the bathroom floor.  If that happened in your house, wouldn’t you clean it up or maybe even try to disinfect the bathroom.

If you are not going to the bathroom regularly, you are sitting in waste and that is not good for your health.  In the other extreme, going to the bathroom four or more times a day could indicate a condition like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or some other inflammatory condition.

An overactive bowel condition could benefit form a gentle non-abrasive colon cleanse.  Too much fiber, bulk laxative or laxative herbs will only irritate the intestinal lining and cause further problems. Fiber sources such as soft fruit and blended or lightly steamed vegetable will also be helpful for this condition.

What should a bowel movement look like?

I know a lot people don’t like to admit that they look at their bowel movements.  There is nothing wrong with looking at it. It is a normal bodily function. Turn around and look at it every time.  It will give you an indication of what is going on internally with your diet and your health.

It should come out in a smooth long flow.  The consistency should be like soft-serve frozen yogurt.  If it is just a few hard pebbles or long and hard like a baseball bat, that could indicate that you are constipated.   Eating more fiber and drinking more water should start the process of regaining proper bowel function.

When you are generally eating a wide spectrum of food, the color of your bowel movement should be a brownish caramel color. Now of course this can vary.  If all you eat are green vegetables, then the bowel movement will be green.  If you drank a lot of carrot juice, it will be a little orange and if you ate a bunch of beets, it will have a red tinge.

What should it smell like?

When I was growing up, my dad would have a couple cups of coffee every morning to get his bowels going.  He would take the morning newspaper or a business magazine into the downstairs bathroom and disappear for 15 or 20 minutes.  When he came out later, no one could use that bathroom for the rest of the morning until the odor reluctantly evaporated.

Bowel movements do smell.  The smell depends to a large degree on your diet. However, if your bowel movements cause people to evacuate the building, then this is a good indication that you are not going to the bathroom frequently enough and that feces are backed up and putrefying in your colon.

How should it feel when it comes out?

If you watch a non-domesticated animal go to the bathroom, you will notice the ease with which they pass their feces.  A cow will walk around feeding while their bowel movements casually fall to the ground behind them.  When passing a bowel movement, there should be very little grimacing, pushing and straining.  The bowel movement should slide out effortlessly.  A high-fiber diet can greatly ease the passage of waste.

How long should it take to have a bowel movement?

For many people the bathroom has become a reading room.  I keep magazines in my bathroom but I never get to read more than a paragraph or two before I have completed my task.  If you are reading books on the toilet, there is a problem. The feces should come out in a flow within a couple of minutes.

How about the clean up?

A wipe or two should clean it up fine. When you wipe, you should not need half a roll of toilet paper. A sloppy clean-up would indicate some changes are in order.

What foods should I eat to maintain good colon health heath?

Your food choice will greatly affect the quality and frequency of your bowel movements and the health of your bowels.  Here are some simple tips to help with your food choices.  These foods are good not only for keeping your digestion moving, they are also good for increasing your overall level of health.

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