Doo & you, 2 home tests to determine what type of eliminator you are

Have you ever wondered how many times a day you should have a bowel movement? Everyone should have at least one bowel movement daily but ideally one bowel movement per meal. Bowel movements should feel complete, not like you’ve got any stool left inside.

Our bowels are our most effective and efficient mode of transporting toxins made or processed in our body out of us. If stool sits too long in our bowels it becomes dehydrated and more difficult to pass and this can allow for toxins (cholesterol, hormones and other waste products) to be reabsorbed into our bloodstream, and it can cause gas by allowing the bacteria to ferment and putrefy the contents as well as contribute to a host of health issues.

The Beet Test

Optimal bowel time is 12 to 24 hours transit time (from mouth to the exit out of sphincter). One of the ways you can determine your transit time is by taking the beet test. Eat approximately 3 medium sized red beets – they can be peeled and steamed until tender and added to a salad or eaten on their own – the colour should be completely gone from your stool within 24 hours. The red colour of beets comes from the betalain pigments this turns our urine red (called beeturia) and also causes our stool to turn red. Urine will change before the stool changes.

The other way to assess the health of your bowel activity is by using the Bristol stool chart.

How to Analyze your Stool using the Bristol stool chart:

• Type 1: Stools appear in separate, hard lumps, similar to nuts. Type 1 stools remain in the colon the longest amount of time; a sure sign you are constipated and need magnesium.
• Type 2: Stools are sausage-like in appearance but lumpy. This indicates toxic constipation and need for intestinal cleansing.
• Type 3: Normal Stools come out similar to a sausage with cracks on the surface. They are formed and the length of your wrist to elbow.
• Type 4: Normal Stools are smooth and soft in the form of a sausage or snake.
• Type 5: Stools form soft blobs with clear-cut edges, and easily pass through digestive system.
• Type 6: Stools have fluffy pieces with ragged edges. Considered mushy stools, they indicate diarrhea. Inflammation and may indicate a possible risk of bowel disease.
• Type 7: Stool is mostly liquid with no solid pieces. Passed quickly through colon; is indicative of inflammation with severe diarrhea, possibly as a result of a viral or bacterial infection. See a doctor as soon as possible.

If you are not familiar with how you eliminate do spend more time getting to know your doo, for what goes in, must come out!