You are full of crap

What do I mean by that?  And, how dare I say it?

The fact is most people, quite literally, are full of crap (feces, waste matter, poop, cawcaw … whatever you call it).  Your intestinal tract is sluggish, full of gas pockets, it may be twisted, not lubricated properly, not functioning efficiently and is likely reintroducing toxins to your system.

If this is not you – you deserve a medal. It would be rare indeed for your system to be functioning at peak efficiency.  And, since you’re doing so fabulously, you are most welcome to skip this blog entirely.

But, before you decide to skip it, may I respectfully request that you at least skim through?

You may find one nugget of information that is useful to you. Then, you will have already attained one goal for today on the road to success in life – learn something new every day.

Figuratively – I personally don’t know you well enough to answer this one.  You, however, do know the answer at some level and you choose what you want to do, or not do, about it.  I am not here to judge. I am here to gently remind, poke, prod, and initiate conversation / thought as well as to offer suggestions.

To understand why you may have problems with eliminating waste regularly and easily, we need to understand the basics of human anatomy and physiology (what are the parts and how do they work).  Do not panic – we are not going to take a college course here.  This is simply an introduction.  I do not know how much you know.  Therefore, I need to start at the beginning.

The digestive system is composed of organs that break down food into protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fats which the body absorbs and uses for energy, growth and repair.  Any leftover undigested waste is eliminated.  After food is chewed and swallowed it travels down the pharynx and esophagus through a process called peristalsis and enters the stomach.  Here it is further broken down by powerful stomach acids.  From the stomach, the processed food enters the small intestine a little at a time through a valve.  In the small intestine, food is broken into various nutrients which can then enter the bloodstream through very tiny hair-like projections.  Gradually, it gets to the large intestine where any last bits of moisture and nutrients are absorbed and the final waste is eliminated.

Hopefully you are at a point of ‘preventative maintenance’ and have not graduated to digestive problems. How do we achieve preventative maintenance in ‘baby steps’?  Simple.  We start with what is going in your mouth. Then we add in some other factors that will contribute to overall health. Following are five healthy lifestyle tips that you can easily incorporate into your daily lifestyle.

1)         Increase your water intake by ¼ to ½ cup a day for a week; then increase the same amount again the next week; continue until you reach the suggested daily intake for your body type and weight.  Click here for more information on suggested water intake.

2)         Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet – they contain a higher percentage of water and are more easily absorbed.  Try adding one different fruit or vegetable each week.

3)         Make an effort to each one fruit or vegetable of each colour each day.  This will increase your chances of receiving a wider variety of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that your body can utilize.

4)         Rub your abdomen in a clockwise motion (if you are looking down at your hand); apply more and less pressure on a random basis.  Do this whenever you think of it, but especially before you go to bed at night.

5)         Walk more.  Start with 5 minutes a day for a week.  The next week, raise it another 5 to 10 minutes a day. After a month, you’ll be up to 20 minutes a day … a reasonable achievement.

Coming up … looking at digestive issues from other ways of thinking.

This blog is an excerpt from a healthy lifestyle e-book that I am working on – let me know what you think.

To less crap in your life….

Sue Crutcher, Complementary Care Practitioner

Life Empowerment Mentor, Success Coach