4 Tips To Healthy Bowel Movements That Will Optimize Your Daily Activity

Your bowel movements are excellent indicators of your overall health. Since food provides the fuel for energy production, it follows that a fully functional gastrointestinal tract is crucial. Your stomach, bowel and liver need to be in tiptop working order in order to do their job, which is extracting, processing and absorbing nutrients from your meals.

The process
Food as it is consumed is not in a state to provide energy to the body. First it must be broken down into particles small enough to cross the plasma membrane of your cells. Enzymes manufactured in the small intestine, combined with pancreatic enzymes and bile from the liver, aid in digesting proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The mix is absorbed through the intestinal wall and transported to the liver, where it is further metabolized and made available as an energy source.

The large intestine
The large intestine, which processes the residue from this procedure, is host to “good” intestinal flora such as acidophilus which help to move everything along to the rectum, stimulating defecation.

The importance of regular bowel movements
A complete and satisfying morning bowel movement is essential for optimum energy levels. A sluggish bowel creates a sluggish body, while optimal colon function prevents toxic buildup and ensures energy and vitality.

The DIGESTIVE SYSTEM uses 60-80% of the body’s energy
Consider this: 60-80% of the body’s energy is used on digestion. The remaining systems in your body, immune, respiratory, reproductive, cardiovascular, nervous, and muscular systems share only 20-40% of your total energy. So guess what happens when one or more of these systems are challenged? Your body “robs” energy from the digestive system.
This is why a digestive challenge is often the first clue that there may be a problem in another system.
Indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux, gas, food cravings, bloating and other digestive problems can indicate that the culprit is somewhere else entirely.
When the body “steals” energy from the digestive system, it can’t balance the stomach acid or produce enough enzymes for a smooth operation. Many people are unaware of this connection between the digestive system and the systems of the body.

Shape and size
As we mentioned earlier, your bowel movements are excellent indicators of your overall health.. If you have small, marble-sized movements, for example, that could mean you are dehydrated. Bowel movements need sufficient water, oil and. Sufficient water and roughage produce soft but formed bowel movements, about the size and shape of small bananas. Oil (olive oil is ideal because it helps the body in other ways, too) aids with frequency and helps prevent constipation.

4 Tips to Healthy Bowel Movements That Will Optimize Your Daily Activity
While it is beyond the scope of this article to go into specific foods that are good to eat for optimal bowel function, here are three items you should consume every day to ensure normal movements.

1 Water – eight to ten glasses a day
2 Fiber – bran cereals, whole grain products
3 Oil – olive oil on salads
4 Morning bowel movement