Functional Health: A Little Respect, Please

Erin Vanderkooy

50plus Magazine

 

The first time I was referred to as “The Poop Lady” I was giving a talk at a high school about bowel movements being incredible windows into overall health. There was fierce competition from visiting baby goats in the gym that day, but the few students who attended were very engaged! I can only imagine how my life would have benefitted from knowing this vital information at their age. The truth is, it’s never too late to tap into the power of digestion and

bowel movements.

 

Over the next two articles, we’ll dive into the digestive system and how to course-correct it to support regular, comfortable bowel movements. There is nothing quite like a good poop!

 

Digestion begins with our senses. The minute we see and smell food our body starts producing enzymes to help break down the nutrients so we can utilize them effectively. Don’t we all want to best utilize the food we eat?

 

While the process happens naturally while cooking, it can also be accomplished when not preparing your own meals by simply taking a pause before eating. This allows your senses to perceive the food for a moment and get those enzymes going. For best results, pause frequently between bites at every meal.

 

The second part of the digestion process begins when chewing our food. Some recommend chewing every bite 40-50 times, which I find tiresome. I say chew intentionally. Imagine how the act of chewing is helping your body absorb nutrients so you can do all the amazing things that you do. And, yes, you can even chew oatmeal and smoothies!

 

Once eaten, food makes its way into our digestive tract, where enzymes and stomach acid help break it down further. You can support this by increasing your stomach acid — just by starting your day with a cup of hot water and lemon. Or take 1 tsp. of ACV (apple cider vinegar with “the mother” in it) before meals. Check in with your body after a week to see if you notice any changes.

 

Since that long ago day at the high school, I’ve come to terms with being The Poop Lady. I love helping destigmatize talk on the subject. Isn’t it funny that most people are fine talking poop when it relates to pets or babies, but grownups — oh, no!

 

A little respect, please!

 

I look forward to providing tips next time about supporting normal, healthy bowel movements. Until then I’d love to hear your thoughts and/or questions on the subject, and if there are topics you’d like to see covered in the future. Email me at erin@erinvanderkooy.com.

 

Erin is a certified health and wellness coach with training in herbal remedies.