Perfect Poops and How to Get Them
My husband is mortified that I’m writing about this. At least he would be if he knew. He already knows about my perfect poops (let’s call them P2s, ok?). I haven’t made him look, but he gets to hear me go, “Wow. That. Is. Bee-YOU-ti-full!” Then I gush about it off and on all day. The topic gives him a pained expression although he does listen patiently. What can I say, I married well.P2s are an unexpected bonus of my endless search for gut health, which is a result of my endless search to heal my voice — ruined by a combination of LPR/GERD and the damned respirator — so I can sing again. Oh, and vibrant health. Right, I want that, too, yes. But, honestly? If I could already sing again, I probably wouldn’t be on this journey. Guess I should be grateful. Harrumph.
When I started down the gut health path, I wasn’t looking for P2s. Heck, I thought I already had them. Man, I couldn’t have been more wrong!
You are probably thinking, “Why doesn’t she just do the GAPS diet to heal her gut?” I thought about it, I read the book, listened to the podcasts, swarmed the internets. I know it works because it has for thousands of people, miraculously transforming their lives. It’s just that, well, it’s a really, really hard diet to do, especially if you are doing it by yourself in a house full of big delicious-non-GAPS-food eaters (she whined)… Look, I would do it if my life depended on it. But it doesn’t yet, so I’m bio-hacking and forging a new path. It’s my way.
What is a Perfect Poop?
According to the Bristol Stool Scale, it’s a #4. I hate to brag, but, well… add this to my list of perfections.
How Do You Get Perfect Poop?
I’m so glad you asked! You will be, too, I promise. The trick is fiber, good old fashioned fiber. Somewhere along the way, fiber got a bad rap: “Oooh, don’t eat too much fiber, it’ll wash away your nutrients.” First of all, what nutrients? Heh. For P2s, I’ll risk it. Besides, I take a boatload of vitamins everyday. Covering my bases.
A few months ago, it struck me that I’m actually old enough for Metamucil. Finally, right? This would do the trick except it’s got some icky stuff in it. No, thank you.
Its main ingredient, however, is psyllium husk powder, which is exactly what I use, except mine is organic psyllium husk powder. You can buy it everywhere: Amazon, iHerb, Azure. Dr. Vita has it on sale! If you want P2s, this is the stuff.
And not just P2s! Take a look at the other benefits of psyllium husk powder:
- Supports proper elimination and healthy bowel movements
- Lowers cholesterol
- Supports healthy blood sugar levels
- Can reduce high blood pressure
- Treatment of hemorrhoids
In at least 8oz of liquid, otherwise you run the risk of choking. It says so right on the label. I think that warning’s a little far-fetched but I guess it happened at least once. I searched “death by psyllium husk powder” and got no hits so I don’t know exactly how that warning came about. But if you stir a tablespoon of powder into a glass of water and wait a minute or two, you can see how it might be problematic if you didn’t wash it all down right away.
You can put it in juice or in yogurt, kefir, whatever really. My mom puts hers in Virgil’s Root Beer. (Hey, it’s better than coke and that’s what she used to drink). Mine goes in a smoothie concocted by one of my new heroes, Richard Nikolay of FreeTheAnimal.com. Which brings us to…
How I Came to Fiber
Like I say, I was looking for gut health when I stumbled on Nikolay, the resistant starch experiment and his smoothie with fiber, awakening me to the thrill of P2s. At first, I was just taking RS — Bob’s Red Mill (non-GMO) Potato Starch, to be exact — every night in a glass of water when I discovered the smoothie with psyllium husk powder. Once I started drinking the smoothie, well, you know what happened. It will happen for you, too.
Next blog is on RS and the smoothie: what it is, why would you drink THAT and why the smoothie has all that other stuff in it. In the meantime, start with a little psyllium husk powder, like a teaspoon to a tablespoon, in some water or mix in yogurt… really, any way you can get it down, it’s all good
Related Info:
Who says that the Bristol Stool scale is an accurate model of what a poop should be? In my opinion if you have to add things like Psyllium to your diet, then aren't you just studying and being taught to the test rather than living life carefree?
ReplyDeleteMine are 5s, but after many years of serious constipation this is a miracle, and I'll take it. I drink Dr. BG's protocol every morn: cold water, a few tablespoons of PS, psyllium, green powder, SBO probiotics - and I add some Vitamin C powder - that's my personal touch. I've also been eating a lot of komucha squash and sweet potato, and I'm really not sure if that's an essential ingredient to this #5 world I'm now in, which is so wonderful....
ReplyDeleteJust noticed that Metamucil is "re-fashioning" it's position in the market place from a product designed to ease constipation, to one that supports appetite suppression. Anyone else see this? thoughts/
ReplyDeleteNo! I have not noticed. Sounds like they want to push 'bulking agents.'
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