Taking a poop has long been a sensitive subject for people given its personal and embarrassing nature. Not many people feel comfortable enough discussing their bodily functions with another person, so most people choose to just live with constipation, IBS and other digestive issues.
In fact, more than 4 million Americans have recurring constipation. So it's no wonder why so many people are on the search for how to make yourself poop.
If you regularly sit on the toilet for 10+ minutes in order to have a bowel movement, have to "force" the poop out or notice your stool is hard (mushy/soft), then this guide is for you.
We're breaking down everything you need to know about how to make yourself poop, in non-medical jargon, so going to the bathroom can be a smooth and relieving process.
Before you dive into the guide, check out our video walking you through some of the top tips on how to make yourself poop!
Chapter 1
What Makes You Poop?
Before we go into great detail regarding what makes you poop, it's important to understand how your digestive system works. In this section, we'll show you the process of pooping so you can have a better understanding of why you might be struggling to have bowel movements.
Here's a look at what the process looks like from the moment food enters your mouth to when it leaves your body. We'll try not to get too scientific/medical here.
- 1The moment you place food in your mouth, the digestion process immediately begins. In your saliva, there are enzymes that aid in digesting food. In fact, more than 30% of starch digestion occurs in your mouth.
- 2Thanks to enzymes such as amylase, your mouth has the tools to effectively break down starch into simpler sugars for your small intestine to absorb. Your saliva has other enzymes that play their role in digestion.
- 3Once you swallow the thoroughly chewed down food, it’ll then go down your esophagus to then reach your stomach. Your stomach will then churn the food to break it down further as well as expose the food to acids and enzymes to hurry along the digestion.
- 4When the food is leaving the stomach, it'll first be hit with a splash of bile. Bile is known to be a digestive fluid that the liver produces, the gallbladder stores, yet the duodenum discharges. Since it is highly acidic, bile's main role is to give a helping hand when your body is trying to digest fat.
- 5When food is ingested into the body, it moves down the GI tract. As food goes through the gastrointestinal tract, nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream via the thin walls that line your intestines.
Eating food is the number one way to absorb nutrients into the body and is on the front lines of your body's health.
All of the excess food matter is sent to the colon after the nutrients have been extracted. This excess material waste is then expelled from the body in the form of "poop."
A variety of factors can determine what makes you poop. Consuming food is the number one way to begin the pooping process.
Eating Habits & Pooping
Eating is an obvious factor, but how you consume food will directly affect your body.
How much a person eats can translate into a wide array of results in fecal form.
If you overeat, you are sending an unnatural amount of food for the body to process. This can cause stomach aches, poor digestion, and constipation, so it is not recommended that you do so.
When the body is presented with more food than it can digest in its natural allotted time, it often sends the food directly to the colon without fully digesting and breaking down the food.
This results in irregular and more smelly fecal matter due to the fermentation of food and sugars near the colon without having been properly broken down.
The type of food that you eat can also have a direct effect on defecation. Greasier and oilier foods tend to upset the stomach more because the oils and fat are harder for the body to break down.
Now that you know what makes you poop, we will answer the next logical question which would be, “Why can’t I poop?”
CHAPTER 2
Why Can't I Poop?
There's a wide variety of reasons why you might night be able to poop or have irregular bowel movements. In this section we'll show you some of the most common reasons people have difficulty pooping.
Some of the most common causes of constipation include:
Before you start worrying about having severe medical issues, it's important to note that most cases of constipation are completely treatable.
Below are four of the most common reasons for irregular bowel movements:
Form & Position
The form and position you're in when taking a poop are the most overlooked aspects of the defecating process.
People do not realize that the toilet is a more modern invention in the development of the civilized world. People have been squatting and defecating in the open or places of privacy without the aid of a seated position since the beginning of humankind.
Toilets were conceptualized by John Harrington in 1596 but were not in widespread use until the 1800's in England. Toilets were a luxury afforded by the upper class, so everyone else was left up to their own devices until their widespread use eventually evolved.
And while most people couldn't imagine life without a modern-day toilet, the reality is the design of toilets might be the reason you're struggling to poop.
To help you understand how your food travels through the digestive tract, we will use the example that many doctors offer their patients.
The intestinal tract is aptly illustrated as a sock that is hung over the back of a chair by Dr. William Bulsiewicz, a board-certified gastroenterologist.
"Imagine trying to pass a golf ball through a tube sock that is lying over the back of a chair. The angle formed by the chair impairs the golf ball enough to prevent it from passing through. When we squat, the puborectalis muscle relaxes and allows the rectum to straighten out."
Taking a closer look
One study performed by the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine dealt with how your body position could influence your stool. Only 25 volunteers were participating in this study, and the scientists were testing out two main positions: lying and sitting.
The test subjects were split into two groups, those who were to have empty rectums and those who were going to have water balloons inserted into their rectums.
When the empty rectum group was set to poop in the lying position, about one-third had severe muscle strain which is otherwise known as dyssynergia. Also, 50% of the people lying down couldn’t expel the water balloon in their rectum.
On the other hand, the test subjects who had to poop in the sitting position were much better off than the ones who had to lie down. In fact, many depicted normal stool movements as well as no straining to expel poop while sitting down.
The purpose of the study was to figure out if body position affects bowel movements, and it does.
Diet
If you're trying to learn how to make yourself poop, take a look at what you're eating.
Your diet greatly affects your ability to take a poop. The United States is notorious for having a food culture that's centered around unhealthy eating habits. With those unhealthy diets come a slew of related health problems and diseases.
For instance, we eat a lot of meat—red meat in particular. Burgers, steaks and bacon have been staples in the American diet for decades.
In fact, the average American will eat over 220 pounds of red meat in 2018, which is more than any other country in the world.
When you add on our addiction to sugar and high dairy consumption, it's not too difficult to understand why so many of us are constipated.
The human body has a more difficult time breaking down meats and sugars due to the fat and oil content of the meats and the overloading of sugar in the gastrointestinal system.
How does it affect your ability to poop?
Often the unbroken down proteins end up not being properly digested which causes an unnecessary and unhealthy build up of food in the intestinal tract. This food has to make multiple turns and directional changes before reaching the colon for defecation.
The excess food can sometimes become trapped or is too large to pass comfortably.
This is why health professionals stress to us the importance of a healthy and balanced diet. Too much of something can overload and confuse the body’s digestion process which causes discomfort and adverse health results.
Incorporating fibrous foods into your diet can help remove excess waste from the body. Eating nuts, vegetables, and fruit give the body an edge in expelling one’s waste.
Also maintaining healthy bacteria in the digestive tract is another benefit in choosing a healthier diet by allowing the body to break down foods more efficiently.
We'll go more in-depth about dietary changes that will help make you poop.
Constipation
Being constipated means that your body cannot process food as efficiently or as often as you would like. This can cause extreme discomfort and stress while you're doing a number two.
Constipation is not always necessarily a serious symptom to deal with but can prove to inhibit your lifestyle.
How many bowel movements should you have per day?
As a general rule of thumb, you shouldn’t have fewer than three bowel movements a week. If you can’t go to the bathroom without the help of medication, then you know you’re dealing with serious constipation. For more information, read our article on how many times a day you should poop or watch our video below.
If you strain 25% of the time you go to the bathroom as well as produce lumpy and hard stools, you're not operating at a healthy level digestively speaking.
Although you may not be at an extreme health risk by going longer than two or more days without taking a poop, it simply does not get any easier to have a bowel movement from then on.
The stool in your intestines starts to harden, and this can make it impossible to pass through your intestines without pharmaceutical aid or physical assistance via an enema.
Suppositories and enemas work by inserting either medication or enema inside of the anus to help loosen up the stool trapped inside. The feeling of constipation is very uncomfortable and discouraging to some people.
Constipation is not limited to just not being able to go number two. If you expel only a portion of your entire amount of processed stool you're still considered constipated.
If you feel bloated after using the bathroom, there's a good chance you're dealing with some constipation and didn't fully relieve yourself. After a bowel movement you should relaxed and relieved, not bloated and heavy.
What else causes constipation?
There are many medications out there that also contribute to constipation. Pain medications are one of the leading causes of constipation.
The pain medication inhibits the intestine's ability to participate in peristalsis, which is the small muscle movements in the throat and intestines that push food through the digestive system.
In peristalsis, the muscles above the food tighten to push the food down while the muscles below the food relax and open up to allow the food to pass through more fluidly.
Constipation is a nuisance but can be treated and avoided with proper diet and if necessary, medication.
Lifestyle
The lifestyle you lead has a direct correlation with the quality and consistency of your bowel movements.
The modern world in which we live in today is full of nonstop action. Between our jobs and personal lives, everyone is on the go these days making it difficult to lead the healthiest of lifestyles.
However busy your life may be, you should never sacrifice your health. There is a multitude of different things you can do to improve your overall bowel health and increase regularity. Some of the simplest of things you can do are to drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables.
How much fiber should you consume each day?
Men are recommended to ingest 38 grams of fiber a day to aid in digestion while women are recommended to ingest 24 grams daily. You can increase your fiber intake by taking fiber supplements as well. But try to get as much fiber as you can from whole, natural foods.
Enjoying a regular exercise regiment will promote health and regularity in your bowel movements. Walking, jogging or running are excellent ways to loosen up fecal matter and send it towards the sphincter.
The combination of both drinking water regularly and exercising help to move fecal matter and keep it from becoming too solid and lodging itself in the intestinal tract.
Stress & eating disorders
Stress will also contribute to having a constipated stomach. It is easy to throw off your body’s natural rhythm with everyday stress factors like anxiety.
Eating disorders are a prime example of mental and physical stress that would have an adverse effect on your digestive system. It is never good to hold in your stool. This puts pressure on the muscles in the anus and could lead to more severe problems in the future.
Now that you know the causes, here's how to make yourself poop:
CHAPTER 3
What to Eat & Drink to Poop
Your diet is one of the first places to look when trying to figure out how to make yourself poop. In this section, we'll go over some of the best foods and drinks to make yourself poop.
There are many methods to safely and effectively induce a bowel movement. Drinking an abundance of liquids can help loosen up the stool make it easier to go number two. You can also eat foods that are high in fiber and natural sugars such as dried fruits and grains.
Certain spices and other cooking ingredients, as well as certain additives and ingredients in beverages like caffeine, can cause the stomach to become irritated and evacuate the bowels as well. Although you are able to go, it can also cause discomfort.
Keep reading for an in-depth look as to what your diet should consist of so you could easily go to the bathroom.
What Foods Make You Poop?
There are tons of foods that will aid in digestion and assist you in having that elusive poop.
Fruits that make you poop
Apples are especially great for passing stool because of their skin. The skin sticks to the walls of your intestines and pulls food out along with it. Incorporating one apple a day into your daily routine is a useful and effective preventative health measure that is cheap and good for you.
Pears are very similar in effect to apples with their rich antioxidant filled skin and fruit. The skin also contains a good amount of fiber. One medium to large pear a day is a great source of vitamins and is a great snack in the early fall months.
Dates and other dried fruits like dried cranberries, raisins, plums, and even cherries are not only healthy snacks to keep you fueled up throughout your day they are also rich in fiber. The natural sugars aid in digestion with their laxative like effect. Eating about one half of a cup or six grams is the recommended serving size.
Berries are another great source of healthy vitamins that aid in digestion. They are superfood s that are jam-packed with antioxidants and minerals. No pun intended. You can add them to yogurt or cereal in the morning, or even in salads in meals throughout the day.
Foods that make you poop quickly
Seeds like chia or flax are also great food alternatives for passing stool. The chia seeds are one of the easiest to incorporate into a daily diet. Just one tablespoon added to your smoothie in the morning gives you all the fiber you need for a healthy bowel movement.
Nuts such as cashews, almonds, pistachios, and peanuts give you a healthy dose of antioxidants and amino acids that line and lubricate the intestinal tract. The Omega-3 fatty acids are great for a daily diet giving you sustained energy for all of your daily activities.
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, or collards will greatly improve your digestive properties. The fiber in the greens helps the stool move efficiently through the digestive tract. Broccoli can also be a great source of fiber as well as cauliflower.
Legumes or beans as most people call them are another way to induce a fulfilling poop. They along with all the other items on this list contain fiber. Beans can be added to a lot of meals as well.
Benefits of Eating Right
Foods that are high in fiber content are a great way to get your digestive tract moving. Whole grain oats like oatmeal and granola help move the fecal matter along and also clump together and grab stool particles that can get clogged up and cause constipation.
Eating healthy has many incredible side effects. When eating healthy, you experience boosts in the immune system with elevated energy levels, leaving an all-around improved quality of life.
It helps maintain consistency in your diet and keeps the proper vitamin levels for a prolonged and healthy existence. In all actuality, a healthy and balanced diet shows clear and indicative signs that it is the best way of conducting regular and healthy bowel movements.
Drinks That Make You Poop
Along with maintaining a healthy and balanced diet by consuming recommended daily amounts of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, you can also get constipation relief in the form of beverages.
Drinking plenty of liquids help keep solids from compacting and lodging themselves in the intestinal tract. Some of these drinks are also healthy and packed full of nutrients that also help sustain healthy and active lifestyles.
Here are some of the best drinks that make you poop:
Coffee
Possibly everyone’s favorite method regarding how to make yourself poop is the ever popular cup of coffee. The caffeine stimulates the bowels and the heat of the coffee also aids in muscle relaxation. Coffee is a natural laxative with all of the compounds that make up the coffee bean.
In fact, 30% of people have the urge to use the bathroom the moment they drink their first cup of coffee of the day.
If you feel as if you belong in this category, you’re probably wondering, “Why is that happening?”
Scientists have performed countless studies trying to pinpoint the answer to that question. For instance, there are a variety of chemicals present in a cup of coffee that could be responsible for inducing poop in about 30% of the population.
A majority of researchers concur on one fact, which is that the acidity of the coffee plays a huge role in causing your digestive system to operate at high levels.
Chlorogenic acid is a compound that is present in coffee. When it comes into contact with your stomach, it causes high stomach acid levels to occur. It also produces a high level of gastric acid as well.
Since there is so much acid buildup, your stomach ends up dumping out all its contents at a faster rate than usual.
Another reason why coffee may trigger bowel movement is that there is a particular compound in coffee that causes certain hormones to release, which plays a role in the overall digestive process.
Coffee can be consumed up to four cups a day; decaffeinated coffee is a great alternative for people who have an aversion to the side effects of caffeine. Having a cup of coffee is an excellent way to jump-start your day with a burst of energy and a lovely poop.
Peppermint Tea & Oil
Humans have been using peppermint tea and peppermint oil for thousands of years for medicinal uses. Healers would rely on peppermint tea to help soothe pains related to digestive and gastrointestinal conditions.
There have been archaeological finds that prove to be evidence for humans using peppermint tea and oil as a supplement ten thousand years ago. It shouldn't surprise you when drinking a cup of peppermint tea a day can positively impact your digestive system.
Peppermint tea is an often sought after holistic method to help prevent irritable bowel syndrome. It is all natural and contains lots of antioxidants and tastes delightful. Having a glass helps to soothe the stomach after a meal and can help you go number two.
If you tend to have a lot of gas build-up in your large intestine, you should consider drinking peppermint tea. One glass of peppermint tea will help move the gas in your body that is causing you cramping, bloating, and maybe even stomach issues.
The tea will also stimulate the bile flow to your duodenum, which will quicken the movements of your stomach. Your body ends up relieving itself a lot sooner than you would think. However, don’t assume that since your body is working faster that it is going under more strain.
Peppermint tea is classified as being analgesic, which works hand in hand with your digestive system. Any inflammation that might be present in your colon or stomach will be set at ease with peppermint tea.
This tea will calm down your intestines along with the smooth muscles present on your gastrointestinal walls. Most of the inflammation in the digestive system predominantly affects your small and large intestine.
Peppermint oil isn't consumed the same way as peppermint tea, and the effects it'll have on you might differ from how the tea form affects you. If you find an organic peppermint essential oil, you can utilize it for aromatherapy, which is beneficial for your overall well-being.
You could also take peppermint oil capsules, which get broken down in your stomach, or as a liquid solution. These options are highly effective when it comes to taking care of your digestive system.
Aloe Vera
For hundreds of years, aloe vera has been an integral part of the medicine in Eastern cultures. For instance, you’ll notice that aloe vera pops up in both Chinese and traditional Indian medicine for different purposes.
Indians preferred to use aloe vera for constipation and skin diseases while the Chinese used aloe vera to treat fungal diseases. However, in the Western world, aloe vera is predominantly found in beauty products as well as food.
Aloe vera has more than 70 nutrients to offer. All of these nutrients come together to enhance your body's digestive system as well as increase the number of nutrients your body normally absorbs.
Nutrients in Aloe Vera
A lot of the food we eat nowadays does not have the proper vitamins and minerals because the soil has been sucked dry of any. This is why humans have to go out of their way to ensure they ingest the proper nutrients, so they don't have to deal with issues regarding pooping.
Aloe vera can help since it comes with eight essential enzymes. Some of these help your body with digestion such as amylase and lipase. Amylase deals with sugars and starches while lipase helps break down fat.
Your gut will be in top shape when you regularly consume aloe vera since it supports the existing probiotic colonies in that region. In your gut, there are living organisms called probiotics that need prebiotics to thrive. Aloe vera has a ton of prebiotics, which aids in sustaining a healthy gut.
The aloe vera has a gelatinous pulp that helps line and coat the digestive tract, lubricating fecal matter and also loosening stool from the intestinal walls.
Anyone feeling constipated will be glad to hear that they can eat or drink some aloe vera and within minutes be rushing to the bathroom.
Juices
You can also drink fruit and vegetable juices in the form of smoothies, or you can simply juice them.
Prune juice is the most popular juice for laxative purposes. They contain dietary fiber and natural sugars that prevent the chance of developing hemorrhoids which is a side effect of constipation.
All you need to do is drink a half cup of prune juice in the morning, and you’ll be detoxifying your body in no time.
Make sure not to drink more than the recommended amount because these fruit juices do have a high amount of sugar. You only should consume a maximum of 25 to 38 grams of sugar a day.
Apple and pear juice are also a great juice for dietary health and digestion. They are packed with vitamin A as well as fiber.
Citrus juices such as orange and lemon juice contain vitamin A and are also natural laxatives with fiber and added health benefits. You can sweeten lemon juice with honey which is an antibacterial agent that is good for the gut.
These type of fruits also have anti-inflammatory properties, which means that it’ll coat your gastrointestinal tract.
Cumin is a great additive for juice drinks or smoothies since it is excellent for digestion and promotes good gut health as well as adds taste and flavor to the drink.
Does Drinking Water Help You Poop?
Drinking water is the easiest way to avoid constipation. Water is an essential element to living a healthy lifestyle and having regular bowel movements. Dehydration is terrible for the human body, and one of the adverse symptoms of dehydration is in fact constipation.
If you're the type of person who forgets to drink water throughout the day, it's a smart idea to start keeping a water bottle with you at all times. By carrying it, you'll remind yourself that you need to consume more water. Try drinking one glass of water an hour and a half before you eat a meal.
After you drink a single glass of water, it'll automatically pass into your intestines, which is where it predominantly gets absorbed. Half an hour after you drink water, there will be enough surrounding the inner coating of your stomach, which means it'll prepared for digesting food.
Having this layer of water in your stomach prior to eating your meal is essential because it’ll dictate whether or not you’ll be able to have a healthy poop.
When you forget to drink water every couple of hours, you force your body to conserve water from whatever it can find inside you. As a result, your body ends up extracting water from food that is partially digested.
The stool that’s lodged in your large intestine doesn’t have enough water to move along and the incorrect pH level, which isn’t good news for your intestines. The stool will be dry to the point that it will cause constipation.
Drinking enough water every day will prevent that from ever occurring. You should keep in mind that your diet also plays a role in how your stool looks like.
When your digestive system lacks water, it can cause heartburn, constipation, fatigue, ulcers, and many issues with organ function. Water essentially helps loosen up fecal matter and prevents back ups in the colon and intestines.
You should drink at least eight, eight ounce glasses of water every day.
A spin on the run of the mill glass of water is a glass of warm water with lemon. The warmth of the water relaxes and loosens up the muscles in the stomach allowing for an easier flow. The citrus juice also helps stir up the stomach and prompt bowel movement.
You could also drink cold water throughout the day that has been infused with a variety of fruits. Organic smoothies are also a great way of staying hydrated and consuming a meal or snack at the same time.
It's amazing how much of a difference your diet can make when you're having a difficult time pooping. So next time you're wondering how to make yourself poop, think about the foods you've eaten over the past couple weeks.
CHAPTER 4
How to Poop When You're Constipated
Millions of Americans are constipated. But constipation is absolutely treatable, oftentimes without even needing to visit a doctor. In this section we'll go over how to poop when you're constipated.
There are so many different ways to unclog your bowels and enjoy the long-awaited release of your constipated stool. There are many factors to consider when deciding on which method best suits you.
If you suffer from chronic constipation, you might want to consider a more natural or even a holistic approach.
The chronic nature of your constipation can most likely be the cause of an unhealthy and unbalanced diet. This natural approach is the most health-conscious and widely recommended among doctors as it promotes a healthier and longer life in the process.
Read this article for tips on how to poop when you're constipated.
Laxatives
If you need immediate relief, then a more expedited approach may be your best bet. Taking a laxative or drinking a beverage that has strong laxative-like properties is the best way to relieve yourself.
This method is probably the most common method employed, but it can also cause some adverse side effects. Coffee can often leave you jittery and even anxious, so it is best to use caution if you are a new coffee drinker.
Laxatives are medication, and almost all pharmaceutical drugs contain elements that affect the body in different ways, and everyone has a unique reaction. Caution is to be used when using any form of medication.
We suggest using a natural laxative. We recommend Dr. Schulze's Intestinal Formula #1. It's a natural, herbal option that's not packed with a bunch of additives and toxins that could potentially cause long-term issues.
CHAPTER 5
How to Poop Properly
Most people don't poop with the proper form. But it's not your fault. In this section, you'll learn the correct way to sit when you poop, and how to perfect your form.
There are many theories on how we as humans are intended to take a poop. There are those who believe we just need to sit down on the toilet and let it rip.
There are also those who use elevation to assist in opening up intestinal passageways and those who do it the old-fashioned way and squat without any assistance or support.
Gastroenterologists have done extensive studies into the inner workings of the intestinal tract and all of its functions. The intestines wind and turn through the abdominal cavity leaving the passing of food up to the muscles that line them.
It has been found that elevating the feet while pooping allows the sphincter and intestines to properly align, allowing for the optimal flow of fecal matter.
Recommended: Squatty Potty
Perfecting your pooping form can be difficult, but the Squatty Potty can make your life a lot easier. The Squatty Potty is essentially a stool that elevates your legs while sitting on a toilet to open up the intestinal tract and allowing you to defecate with less bodily interference.
This has been proven as a method to ease the stress of expelling bodily waste. The Squatty Potty helps get you in the perfect position to make pooping easier and a much smoother process.
CHAPTER 6
Lifestyle Changes to Help You Poop Regularly
Most of us live sedentary lifestyles where we spend most of the day sitting, don't make time for physical activity and don't help our digestive systems process food. In this section, we'll go over the lifestyle changes you can make help you poop regularly.
Positively changing your lifestyle is guaranteed to help you live a better life with more regularity and comfort. It is by far the most difficult way to improve your gastrointestinal health, but it is the most beneficial over the course of your life.
You can do a number of things to improve your lifestyle, whether it be exercise, diet, or even a change in your daily routine.
Exercise
Exercise is a challenging routine to maintain. It requires both mental and physical determination that is sometimes daunting and seemingly impossible to keep up.
Although it is hard to get started, engaging in any simple physical activity such as walking, helps improve the flow of stool in the intestinal tract.
Once you have been walking a while and have built up stamina, you can then start to run. When you run, you engage a lot of movement in your muscles, and the activity helps promote and improve your body's functions even on a cellular level.
You boost your immune system, and your body starts to repair and heal itself faster. Running or walking is a great way to improve digestive health and live a long and healthy life.
Stop Sitting All Day
If you have an office job or have to drive around a lot, your body’s position is effectively cinching off and preventing flow through the lower intestine.
You should try taking a break or walking around your office every hour or so to help restore blood flow to the stomach and help increase the flow of stool.
If you have the funds, you can even buy a smart desk that allows you to stand up while in front of your computer and change up your posture.
Study Your Poop
This may sound strange, but if you are having problems going number two, then you should do some investigative work. That means you need to inspect your poop and see if everything looks normal.
A person can take a visual look of their poop to tell if they are, in fact, healthy or not. If the stool is brown or light green it means that your stool is "normal".
Bristol Stool Chart
The first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with the Bristol Stool Chart because it is the guide for letting you know whether or not your poop is healthy.
Before you observe the color of your stool, you should make a note as to what type it is. Anything close to Type 1 means that you are constipated. On the opposite end of the spectrum is type 7, which means that you are dealing with serious diarrhea.
Most people have specific times of the day in which they relieve themselves via number two. Usually, the poop consistency stays the same and doesn’t change unless you dramatically altered something in your diet.
By observing your poop, every time you eat something new, you’ll know whether or not your body can readily digest it. For instance, some people are lactose intolerant and aren’t aware of this whatsoever.
About 70% of the world's population cannot digest lactose. You can find out if you fall under this category when you make a note of your poop after you eat food containing dairy. If your stool is runny and you go to the bathroom within an hour of eating the dairy, there's a chance you might be lactose intolerant.
You should always seek the advice of a medical professional after you deduce this yourself. More often than not, people find out that they have other digestive problems other than being lactose intolerant.
Once you observe the shape and consistency of your poop, you can continue to look at the color of it.
Poop Color
Brown is the desired color when inspecting one's poo. Light green means that your body rapidly digested the food content and retained some of the colors. This is not necessarily an indicator of poor health.
If you see blood in your stool or find that your stool is black, that could be an indicator that it has sat in the intestine for an extended amount of time. It could also mean that there is internal bleeding in your stomach. Stomach ulcers are the most common cause for abdominal bleeding.
It may not be the most pleasant of tasks but this will help lend you insight as to the inner workings of your body and let you know where you stand in terms of gastrointestinal health.
CHAPTER 7
Medicine That Makes You Poop
Sometimes changing your lifestyle and diet aren't enough to make you poop. In those scenarios, there are several over-the-counter medications that can help you poop. In this section, we'll give our recommendations for the best laxatives and medicine to make you poop.
Laxatives are a great way to get over the counter relief for constipation.
There are many types of laxatives that you can take that work through different methods of attacking the trapped fecal matter.
Bulk-forming laxatives help grab on to poop stuck the intestinal walls and flush out the waste.
Lubricant laxatives employ mineral oil to help do as their name suggests and lubricate the walls of the intestinal tract.
Saline laxatives are a prevalent form of laxative that has less adverse side effects on the gut by using milk of magnesia and magnesium citrate.
Stimulant laxatives are probably the most common form of laxative. They are the most fast-acting and are widely used for immediate relief.
Aloe and castor oil are some of the main ingredients, and even though they are natural, it is still not recommended for use on children or infants.
As we mentioned earlier, our recommended option is Intestinal Formula #1, but there are a ton of great options out there. Just stick to the natural products though.
Also keep in mind that you shouldn't be dependent on laxatives to poop. If you can't have a bowel movement without taking a laxative, it could be a sign of a more serious issue.
CHAPTER 8
Some More Things to Help you Poop
In addition to the methods above, then there are a few more options you might want to try out to make yourself poop. Some of these methods are holistic and very simple.
Massage
If medicines and fruit elixirs don't help you poop, you can always give yourself a massage. Gently rub your stomach and try to work some of the stool around. Deep tissue massages from professional massage therapists are an even better way to loosen yourself up.
They masseur often uses candles and essential oils that relax the body and loosen up the bowels. It is often an unintended by-product, but if you are constipated, it could be a great way to make yourself poop.
The next method is one that has been put to use for thousands of years and is considered to be one of the holistic variety. The use of this particular item is used in a variety of different ailments and is considered to be a magic cure-all for so many cultures throughout history.
Garlic
That magical plant is garlic. Garlic has many oils and vitamins that help line the intestinal tract and lubricate the path for stool to flow. Garlic is incorporated into many dishes but often not in a significant enough amount.
For garlic to work, you need to eat a whole bulb. That's right, a whole bulb of garlic!
It may sound difficult to do, but the tastiest way is to roast it in the oven for a few hours with a bit of olive oil and eat it with bread.
Switch Up Your Body Position
Another way to help your body induce a much needed poop is to change up your body’s posture and take a very long squat. You probably would be served best not to attempt this in a public space, say a park, at work, or subway.
Methods such as these are best employed in the confines and privacy of one's home. This may sound funny, but you want to position your feet about shoulder width apart and bend over bringing your knees to your chest.
After you have positioned yourself with your knees to your chest, you wrap your arms around your legs and let your muscles just relax.
Try closing your eyes and slow down your breathing. Maintain this position for as long as you need to and be sure to stand up and stretch your legs periodically to avoid cramps.
Wake Up Early
Getting up earlier is another way to help your digestive functions. When you get up earlier, you have more time to take care of your essential tasks, eat breakfast, and prepare yourself for your day ahead.
Doing this allows you more time to do your business before you are off to work and can improve the rest of your day.
Visualize Your Poop
This is probably one you are shaking your head at, but it works!
People have been practicing meditation and manifestation techniques for centuries. When you sit down, relax, and start to meditate your body naturally loses the tension that can sometimes cause constipation.
Steady breathing techniques stabilize the body and help the mind focus. When you have found your focus start to visualize yourself releasing all of the built-up fecal matter that has been resting uncomfortably in your colon.
As you visualize this, you will start to feel a sense of ease, and slowly but surely you will feel your body respond to your minds request to part ways with the stinky and foul accumulation of poo that has staked claim to your small intestine.
Conclusion
Pooping shouldn't be a taboo topic since it's something that dictates how healthy you truly are. You could be sick and not showing any symptoms. The first symptom to look out for would be in your toilet bowl because your poop will not look as it normally would.
Hopefully, the guide above has equipped you with all the information you need, so now you can readily answer the question, "How to make yourself poop?"
