What a fun title that is, right? Talking about poop? I have joked with my husband that I didn't know that once I became a parent I was going to care or talk about bowel movements so much, especially another persons. One of the perks of being a mother, I suppose, caring about my baby's digestive habits!
It also comes up regularly with clients too. How your digestive system is functioning is an indicator of how your body overall is functioning. Ideally we would have 1 to 3 bowel movements per day. Yes, that many per DAY! Constipation is a sign that your intestines are not functioning properly. Not only do we care how frequently, but we also should care about the consistency. (I hope I haven't lost you with the grossness here, ha!) But just because you're going that many times a day can also mean that if it is a very loose consistency your body is losing necessary water and minerals that it should have been absorbing in your large intestine.
What impacts your digestion? The biggest factor here is your diet. Certain foods can be triggers for either end of the poop spectrum. Something might fly through you (hello, Taco Bell) and some things may bind you up (hello, gluten). I have no problem with indulging in foods we love, but if you know something is going to cause digestive issues, then perhaps it is in your best interest to limit how frequently that food appears in your diet.
Our bodies are extremely intelligent and communicate through symptoms. If you are getting stomach pain, bloating, and inconsistent or irregular bowel movements, then maybe the deliciousness of the food in the moment isn't worth the pain that follows. For another thing, we really are what we eat. We may be eating foods that our digestive system doesn't agree with, meaning there is inflammation in your body, but you will still need to utilize whatever nutrients might be in the food as building blocks for the cells in the tissues of your body. When you consider health and longevity, it matters what your body is made up of. If you want to live a healthy, active life well into your later decades, then maybe make some changes now. Listen to what your body is telling you and act accordingly.
The other piece of the digestive puzzle is your nervous system. If there is a disconnect of some kind between your brain and your digestive system, this can also lead to irritation in the digestive process. Your stomach, intestines, and supporting organs function based on nerve information sent from the brain. If there is nerve interference due to tension in your spine, this can impact how your body functions, and therefore how your digestive organs function.
Everyone can benefit from chiropractic care and nutrition changes. If a baby is struggling with constipation, if a child is struggling with stomach pain, if a teenager is struggling with bloating, if an adult is struggling with inconsistent bowel movements - every single person can benefit from nervous system based chiropractic care as well as taking a look at their diet to see what triggers might be present. It isn't necessarily easy to make healthy changes, but it always pays off in the long run! And that truly is what health is, a game of longevity.
If you are interested in chiropractic care, but aren't local to the Flathead Valley, I highly recommend looking on either icpa4kids.org or on Dr. Courtney Kahla's Nervous System Chiropractor directory.