Sinkers are Stinkers
28 Apr 2010 2 Comments
in GRAVITY Experiment Tags: fiber, malabsorption, plumbing, poop, pooper scoop, stool
GRAVITY Experiment Day #17
Today’s weight: 147.0 (and holding;-)
Pounds lost / pounds to go: 3.5 / 11.5
Exercise: 30 minutes interval training on treadmill (4.2 mph for 2 min at 0% grade alternating with 4.2 mph for 2.0 min at 11% grade) – I was able to add a jog at 5.0 mph for ~30 seconds during my hill recovery time; jogged for 9 min at 6.0 mph with a 1 min “sprint” at 7.0 mph
WARNING – DO NOT READ BEFORE OR DURING A MEAL
For those of you who know me, you knew there was going to be at least one post on bodily fluids or poop. I teach people how to poo for a living so this is where my mind wanders – okay, not really but I do think about it occasionally.
I was at a women’s health lecture a few weeks back where the speaker stated, “Sinkers are stinkers.” She was expressing her belief that your diet needs some tweaking if your poo sinks. I’m not one to just accept what someone says without doing a little research of my own.
In a nutshell, my research uncovered that nobody knows the answer for sure. Evidently this has been a controversial question for decades. Some experts say poo floats if it is high in fiber, low in fat, and “full of air” (i.e. gassier). Others say consistent floaters are a sign that your body may have malabsorption issues.
I did chuckle when I found that there was a website with the address www.poopreport.com and a nurse with the screen name Poonurse. I’ve always told people that I was a therapist of orifices but PooPT is kind of catchy;-)
One of my favorite sources said that you should be concerned about the color, texture, and frequency of your bowel movements in addition to whether they sink or swim. It’s kind of like an emissions test – what comes out the exhaust pipe lets you know if the car is being properly maintained or if the control systems are malfunctioning.
I’m more about easy passage and less straining for my patients than I am about density so I prefer poo with the “ideal shape.” May sound weird but there are actually stool charts (I’ve inserted links below for both the adult and kiddo charts). Adults should strive for stool Types 3 & 4. These charts rock when you have a little one struggling with constipation or illness – they understand the references which can then help you with dietary or medication changes.
Bristol Stool Form Scale for Children – Choose Your Poo!
So here’s the pooper scoop – you may drive yourself nuts changing this and that in your quest for the perfect poo. Floaters are best but sinkers happen. You’ll give yourself an ulcer if you are analyzing every bowel movement in-depth.
Oh yeah, stress can adversely affect your plumbing, too.
Chicory Root Can Make You Toot?
16 Apr 2010 2 Comments
in GRAVITY Experiment Tags: chicory root, fiber, Fiber One, Fiber Plus, Google, inulin, Kellogg's, thin, toot
GRAVITY Experiment Day #5
Today’s weight: 150.0 (it’s okay to fluctuate, it’s okay to fluctuate, it’s okay to fluctuate)
Pounds to go: 14.5
Exercise: Repeat of Wednesday but I’m feeling good so I added 30 seconds at 4.5 mph while I was at 0% grade and ~10 minutes of random core exercises at the end of the workout.
Okay, we must not ignore what we put in our mouths. I was so freakin’ hungry last night that I did break down and have pretzels as a snack. After writing about the dog eating the linoleum because he was bored, though, I did do a mental inventory of why I was eating at 9:30. Stomach growling. Not stressed. Perfectly happy working on some stuff for work. Good dinner and workout. Yep, it’s justified.
I did read the package though and filled my dish with the allotted amount (as opposed to as many as I could jam in it without spilling). I used to be a great label reader – but somewhere after marriage, children, work, and life I just stopped. So this led me to read the ingredients of my Fiber Plus bar I had as a snack this morning.
This thing is super-healthy according to the box – it has antioxidants, Vitamin E, zinc, and 35% of your daily fiber. Kellogg’s even proclaims it “Tastes Better than Fiber One!” When I dive into the ingredients, the first thing listed is chicory root fiber. That sounds very “tree hugger” to me so I Googled it.
Here’s what I found – it’s a good thing (I think). A lot of the info is in the form of ads but for the most part chicory root and the fiber it contains (called inulin) are becoming a common choice in many foods . One registered dietitian stated that inulin promotes healthy gut bacteria, improves digestive function, may help manage diabetes (because it’s not digested and doesn’t affect glucose levels), and it may improve bone health by helping with calcium absorption. When manufacturers choose to add fiber, they have several forms to choose from and this happens to be one of them. Inulin can also be found naturally in bananas, asparagus, onions, artichokes, and garlic.
One problem I did discover from my Google search (not personal experience of course) is that chicory root can make you toot. I’m a women’s health physical therapist – gassiness is a great way to teach patients how to contract their pelvic floor muscles. So from now on, when I have a patient who just can’t understand how to do a Kegel contraction, I’m going to tell them to eat a Fiber Plus bar.
I’m pretty sure my patients will be opposed to the fragrant side effects. Wonder if they’d go for ”Inulin Will Make You Thin!” instead?
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