Your daily poop routine (habits for better bowel movements)

When I recently wrote about the viral 7-second poop routine, it made me think about how the best routine for healthy bowel movements is not a quick exercise that you do once in the morning and then forget.

Digesty is a complex process that has interaction with the other systems and processes in your body throughout the day. If it works well, you have a better chance of healthy, normal pooping. So the best “poop routine” is really more like a daily way of life that supports an optimal digestive function.

This does not mean that you have to think about your bowel movements all day. But when you support an overall healthy intestinal and digestive system, you encourage a better poop. With that in mind I wanted to go through how you can create your own complete daily routine for better digestive health (and bowel movements). Let’s look.

Morning routine: Set the tone

Your morning routine can make a huge difference when it comes to digestion. I also think the more I follow my healthy habits in the morning, the more I can keep that momentum all day long.

Hydrate

Drinking a full glass of water in the morning helps you to rehydrate both after a night drying out and stimulate your digestive system to wake up. I recommend hot or room temperature filtered water, and if desired, you can add a dash of lemon or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to further encourage your digestive system to move.

Make sure you also drink a lot of water and stay hydrated all day! Dehydration is more common than most people realize and is one of the simplest and most common causes of constipation.

Move your body

Getting your body moving in the morning also helps to get your intestines moving (it also helps Reduce stress and inflammationAnd set a positive tone for the coming day). (1) You do not necessarily have to do your most intense physical activity or training in the morning – work this in your day where it feels best for you. But it is great to stretch yoga or practice yoga in the morning to stimulate motility.

To breathe

Start your day consciously with a few rounds of deep breathing. This can help to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (your rest and digest mode) for better digestive function, vagus nerve function and less stress during the day. And as the day progresses, you can come back to your breath – even for a minute or two – to maintain the tone of mindfulness and calmness.

Drink coffee (consciously)

Coffee has always been controversial in the health space. At the end of the day it really comes down to the individual. There are potential health benefits to drinking coffee, but for some people and sometimes it can cause or worsen digestive problems. It’s all about listening to your body.

If you tolerate caffeine, a cup of black coffee can help stimulate your intestines after your full glass of water. If your digestive system is a bit more sensitive, but you still tolerate caffeine, it is best to consume it with or after food.

Meal routine: Find a rhythm

From a truly holistic perspective, it is important not only to consider what you eat, but when and how you eat. Here are a few considerations for your meal routines.

Breath

To properly digest our food, the nervous system in its parasympathetic or “rest and digest” must be mode. But when we are stressed, rushed or eat on the road, the nervous system is often in a sympathetic (“fight or flight”) mode – which closes digestion and other functions to concentrate on protecting us against danger. Take the time Terty and breath Before you start eating, you can help to switch your nervous system to the parasympathetic mode, which reduces the digestive function. (2)

Stay with a rhythm

Your intestines have its own Circadian RhythmOr 24-hour clock, and it thrives when you stick to a regular routine. (3) Eating on spread or irregular times can confuse the digestive system and disrupt the intestinal microbioma. Of course it may not always be possible to eat at exactly the same times every day, but the more you can stick to a general rhythm, the better.

Give priority to fiber and healthy fats

To fill your stools and by keeping your digestive tract, it is important to eat insoluble fibers (fibers that do not dissolve in water). A few large fiber -rich foods include almonds, chia seeds, broccoli, artichokes and avocado. Healthy fats combined with sufficient fiber also help to support the digestive function. I recommend a high fat, high fiber meal in the afternoon.

Adding prebiotic foods, including bananas, plantins and beans or legumes If you tolerate them, also helps to nourish health -promoting intestinal bacteria (keep in mind that your unique triggers).

Read more: The best prebiotic foods for your intestinal health Dr. Will Cole

Chew

This goes hand in hand with a few deep breaths before your meal. If you eat more slowly, you better absorb your nutrients and digestive enzymes have the easier time to process your food. In addition to improving intestinal motility and reducing stress, slow food can also help prevent much food by giving your body the chance to recognize when you are full.

Routine for intestinal movement: the art of the action

If you follow your routines for better digestion during the day, you ideally do not have to go through a ritual with multiple steps every time you want a bowel movement. However, there are a few simple things you can do when you go to the bathroom to help the stools

On this comment you want to focus on at least one, but preferably 2-3 bowel movements per day (one after each meal), to detox and eliminate excess hormones and chemicals.

Read more: How to reach the perfect poop: Gut Health Secrets for better digestion

Position

The best poop position according to science is squat. (4) This position helps to relax your muscles, to align your rectum and get things moving. To achieve the ideal squatted position, you start to sit comfortably on the toilet, with your feet on a stool or something similar. The goal is to get your knees above your hips. Then you can lean a little forward and let your elbows rest on your thighs.

Breath (again)

Breathing helps you here again. For a good intestinal movement you want your pelvic floor muscles to be relaxed. One of the best ways to achieve this is to just take a few deep breath. I recommend starting here instead of being too difficult or pushing too hard if you have trouble having a bowel movement.

Evening routine: Wind down

In the evening you want to support your digestive system with the transition to a state of rest and repair. Here are a few tips for your nocturnal routine.

Eat light and early

If you had a high fat, high fiber meal in the afternoon, you can choose a lighter dinner, eat early, to give your digestive system the time to rest for sleep. When you go to sleep, your body can concentrate on rest and repair instead of being too busy digesting what you just ate.

Go move gently

Soft movement after dinner can help to support digestive function and to balance blood sugar levels. A quick walk of 10-15 minutes, or a relaxing yoga or stretch order, are a few great examples.

Optimize your routine before bedtime

Sleep is one of the most underestimated and essential aids for the intestine health. As you sleep, your body works on repairing the intestinal wall, reducing inflammation and resetting the natural rhythm of your microbiome. The better your sleep, the better this digestive process is likely to be.

To help you close your body, limit the use of screens and bright lights a few hours before sleep and practice everything you help to close, whether this is about meditation, journaling, aromatherapy, yoga or something else that calms you down.

Read more: How to cultivate a routine every night before bedtime for a relaxing sleep

Support digestion all day long

Digesty does not have to think about you 24/7. Actually, by introducing supporting practices for better intestinal health in your daily routine, you can notice that you ultimately think of your digestion fewer– Because things work more smoothly. And remember that better intestinal health means better overall health.

If you experience digestive problems, including constipation, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, IBS (irritable intestinal syndrome), Sibo, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease or other symptoms or medical conditions, you may need a more specific, adapted plan to optimize the health of the digestive.

For more extensive support in optimizing your digestive function, you can book a consultation with our TeleHealth Functional Medicine Practice. We would like to work with you.

As one of the first telehealth clinics for functional medicine in the world, we offer webcam Health consultation For people around the world.