The women’s locker room at my gym can be a very educational and funny place. Case in point: Just the other day, a group of women were complimenting one lady on her workout leggings and wanted to know where she bought them. She couldn’t quite remember where and while saying so she bent over a little with her hand on her tummy. That’s when another woman asked if she was OK, to which the woman in leggings replied, “Stomach just hurts a little.” Turns out the woman in leggings had been having bouts of constipation for the past 2 weeks and as soon as she confessed her dilemma, a few other women chimed in with bowel frustration stories of their own. Not too long after that, things had erupted into a full on bowel bonanza, ripe with discussions on colon cleansing and healthy bowel tips. And as I continued to listen in on the convo I just had to smile a little because I must say, there’s nothing more inspiring than watching a group of women huddled up and cheering on their fellow gym buddy to regular bowel movements. Now that’s what I call sisterly love.
Which brings me to today’s topic of discussion- healthy bowels. But before I get to that, let’s start off by clearing up one of the biggest bowels myths- namely that you have to go No. 2 like two to three times a day to be considered “regular.” Fact is, everybody poops – but not with the same frequency. So if you don’t go every day, don’t sweat it. But if you’re having any of the symptoms below, it might be an indication that your bowels movements are irregular and in need of a kick start.
Signs of an unhealthy bowel:
- Constipation
- Hard, pebble-like stools
- Bloating and gas
- Dull skin and breakouts
- Fatigue
Alright, so now that we’ve reviewed the signs of an unhealthy bowel, the most obvious next question is “Well, how do I whip my bowels back into shape?” Fortunately, the answer to that question is very simple: We whip our bowels back into shape by making No. 2 our No. 1 priority.
3 Easy Steps to a Healthy Bowel
- 1. Eat high fiber foods
The first step to healthy bowels is to eat plenty of fiber. Think of fiber as drain cleaner for your colon. Fiber can’t be broken down by our digestive system, so when we eat fiber, it will form a solid mass as it moves through our colon. It’s this mass of fiber that helps keep us regular by trucking along and pushing out any sludge and waste that’s sitting our bowel.
Here are a few examples of fiber rich foods you may want to incorporate into your diet: whole grains (steel cut oats and quinoa), green leafy veggies (spinach and kale), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli and cabbage), legumes (lentils and lima beans), and berries (blueberries and blackberries)
Tip: If you’re having issues with constipation, try a daily almond milk, banana, spinach and blueberry smoothie. 2 cups almond milk, 1 banana, 1 1/2 cup spinach, 1/2 cup blueberries. Drink this every morning and I guarantee you’ll ease on down the road in no time.
- 2. Drink plenty of water
Water is important because it helps cleanse your system and soften your stools. Women are notorious for slacking on water, so if you’re forgetful about drinking water during the day, just start carrying around a refillable water bottle. I carry a 20 oz. water bottle that easily fits in my purse and gym bag. As far as how much water you should drink, most of us have heard of the 8 glasses of water a day rule. Interestingly enough, there’s actually no scientific or medical basis to support this amount. But either way, 8 glasses of water a day is a decent place to start, and overall 8 glasses a day is still better than little to no water at all.
- 3. Exercise daily
Last but not least, one of the most important tips for healthy bowels is to exercise! Fact is, exercise isn’t just good for your heart and other muscles, it’s also good for keeping you regular. How so? Well it’s exercise that helps to stimulate the natural contraction of your intestinal muscles, which in turn helps your colon to move stools out quickly. So all that said you should aim for at least 30 minutes of daily exercise by doing a bit of brisk walking, ab crunches, or a full-blown cardio workout like running, cycling or even yoga. Remember, every bit of activity will help to stimulate those intestinal contractions. And by exercising on a daily basis you’ll give your colon the workout it needs to keep you getting up and going.
What do you think are the best remedies to whip a sluggish bowel into shape? Share you healthy bowel tips in the comments below – Doc
GM Dr. Phoenix, In response to your article for a regular bowel movement for me is that I eat fresh pineapple for it helps me ease on down the road *winking*. I also use a raw large aloe vera root and I cut the skin off and use the slimy gel part of it just a “small medium cut” of it to add to my orange juice or apple juice. I’m a fan of your page and I have purchased your hair book long ago and it was excellent! I’m happy to see just what your doing now with the excercise and it looks like I will be purchasing your new book as well, I’m not what one would consider fat BUT I need to tighten up and stay toned. Thanks for being a light in our culture and unto the world.
Hello Joy, thanks for sharing your healthy bowel remedies! Glad you enjoyed my haircare book- did you leave an Amazon review? If you haven’t, please do. I’d really appreciate it, and so would potential readers who are interested in learning more about my book. Also I def look forward to reading your thoughts on my fitness book. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it and learn a lot of info to help you achieve your fitness goals!
A cup of hot water with lemon followed by a prune or two a day, has plenty of antioxidants and gets you moving in no time.
I make homemade flax granola which changed what I had known as MY regular routine.It’s filling and yummy with blueberries and coconut milk!
Great piece. You don’t see this discussed so openly-kudos!!! When I’m eating right and drinking plenty of water I am fine, but if my system needs a little “inspiration” I have a mug of coffee with cream or milk. I’ve seen this effective for people who don’t drink coffee everyday.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your tip! As you’ve noticed with yourself, it is all about eating right and staying hydrated. Do that and you’re golden. That said, coffee (or rather caffeine) is a well known diuretic and bowel stimulant. But too much caffeine can actually cause constipation. So it’s not uncommon for folks that don’t really do the coffee thing to notice that bit of “inspiration” when they do drink coffee.
I thought i was a little off bc i dont do #2 daily my sister and mom thought something was wrong with me but im normal. I have taken on the steps to keep my system together(fiber, water, exercise). thanks for the info.
Hey there! Yeah, you don’t have to do #2 everyday to be considered regular. Everyone’s different. Just keep up the water, fiber and exercise. As long as you feel healthy and aren’t experiencing signs of constipation, it’s all good.
This is great information!
Thanks Jacquin! Glad you enjoyed the read.
I drink Aloe Vera Juice and it definitely helps me to be regular. lol. I add it in my smoothies also.
Hey Whitney! Thanks for stopping in and commenting. I’m not the biggest fan of aloe vera juice because I still get flashbacks of my mom forcing me to drink it as a kid whenever she was on one of her healthy cleanse kicks. LOL. But you’re right, it sure does keep you regular 🙂 I’m curious, what brand of aloe vera juice do you drink?
LOL. Not the flashbacks! It definitely not the tastiest drink lol.
But I use the Lily of the Dessert brand whole leaf. I usually mix it with my smoothies or orange juice becasue the flavor isnt the best lol. I use it as a mouth wash after brushing my teeth also. 🙂
OK, thanks for sharing. Lily of the Desert is a very popular brand and I see it all the time in health food stores. Never heard of using it as a mouthwash though. Will have to look into that. Interesting…
when all else fails, running – seems to shake up the bowels and makes everything flow!
Hey there, thanks for dropping in! And yes, running is def a nice way to keep a colon happy and moving 🙂