“How are your bowel movements?”
The conversation makes young patients giggle, and those of all ages blush, but naturopathic doctors often have long conversations about a patient’s poop. The line of questioning is about more than screening for a bit of digestive upset, its about assessing the function of a body system fundamental to overall health.
It is never surprising to read of another study linking digestive function to a seemingly unrelated health issue. Recently, the gut-brain connection has garnered some media attention, but we’ve long known about the close relationship between digestion and a wide range of body systems. Skin health, allergies, chronic fatigue, mental health, menstrual irregularity – all can be closely linked to an individual’s digestive function. These relationships are by no means one-sided, and we see digestive dysfunction caused by mental health issues, hormonal irregularity, and immune reactions.
So what does a “good” digestive system look like? Individuals should have at least one (preferably more than one), formed bowel movement per day. Colour of stool can indicate a few issues – talk to your medical professional if you notice black-tarry or yellowish stools. Time on the toilet should be a minimum, with no straining. Beyond the BMs, other common digestive symptoms, including chronic indigestion, acid reflux (heartburn/GERD), and fecal urgency can all be related to suboptimal digestive function.
Feeling like your bowel movements and digestive function aren’t making the grade? Here are a few simple tips to improve your function from lips to colon.
1. Hydration. The most common cause, and easiest fix for constipation is hydration. While the old “8 glasses of water a day” recommendation may not hold water (pun intended), adequate hydration is crucial for healthy digestion. A simple strategy for improving hydration is to consume a full glass of water upon waking. Throughout the day make a point of “drinking to thirst”. Listen to your body and don’t allow yourself to be thirsty!
2. Good Bacteria. Antibiotic use, high carbohydrate intake, and North American style diets disrupt the balance of healthy bacteria in digestion systems. Dysbiosis – an inappropriate balance of good versus bad bacteria in the gut, has been linked to obesity, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, allergies, and a number of other chronic health condtions. You can foster a healthy gut microbiome by consuming fermented foods like keifur, yogurt, and sauerkraut. Probiotics are a helpful option, but need to be selected with care as products are of varying dose, quality, and are formulated with strain specific bacteria to address specific health concerns.
3. Adequate Fiber. It is no surprise that North American diets are fiber deficient. Low levels of fiber can lead to elevated cholesterol levels, hormonal imbalance, and stool irregularities. Think beyond the bran muffin, and increase fruit and vegetable intake to up fiber content. The addition of a fiber supplement, like psyllium or ground flax, is a quick and easy way to increase fiber intake. When increasing fiber content, and especially when using supplementation, it is important to increase slowly to allow the digestive system to adjust accordingly.
4. Eliminate Food Sensitivities. Food sensitivities, as opposed to food allergies, do not produce red flag-type symptoms. Rather than lead to swollen lips and restricted airways, food sensitivities are insidious – they produce a myriad of symptoms up to 96 hours after ingestion of the offending food. Individuals who suspect they have food sensitivity can identify the issue in one of two ways. The traditional route, an elimination or hypoallergenic diet, involves eliminating all foods that commonly cause sensitivity for a designated period of time, and slowly re-introducing to discover which foods produce symptoms. More recently, blood tests measuring immune reactions to specific foods have been developed and have shown in studies to be effective at identifying foods that when eliminated, decrease symptoms of conditions including irritable bowel syndrome and migraine headaches.
A few small changes to optimize digestive function can be the difference between ongoing chronic impairment and realizing your health potential. Listen to your body, move more, eat well, stay hydrated and enjoy your health!
