I’ve been working with people's bowels and intestinal tracts for a long time. In fact it’s commonly the first port-of-call in the detoxification process. Why? Because if you’re going to stimulate, cleanse, release or purge toxins, microbes, parasites, compounds or hormones from the body you’ll need to ride the grand-channel (colon) outta there. Any conditions such as constipation, inflammation or dysbiosis can greatly impact the delicate balance of healthy bacteria in your GUT and affect your digestive function as a whole.
In fact many inflammatory diseases have their humble beginnings in the bowel. It's known that more than 70% of our immune system is located in and around the gastrointestinal tract, and possibly why food sensitivities, auto-immune diseases and increased intestinal permeability are common-place now. Could *Hippocrates have been right when he said: “All disease begins in the Gut”
We should be thinking about our poop. We should consider the uniqueness of our bowel habits because disruptions in our Colon is a red flag that so,ething is not right. It’s not just about the colour, texture and odour but the subtle or obvious changes that occur in your toileting habits and what they say about your digestion and gut health - or lack thereof.
Your (large) Colon is a whopping 1.5 metres of dense muscular ingenuity; the primary site of hormone excretion, Vitamin K production, crucial to immune activation and development, and contains small brain proteins called neuropeptides necessary for the regulation of emotions and mood. It’s no surprise the the GUT is called the 2nd brain - it contains approx 100 million neurons. That’s more than the spinal cord!
Which is fascinating right? This is not exclusive to the Colon either, the entire intestinal tract is innervated by this intricate and intelligent neuronal system. Ever heard of the phrase Food = Mood?
The bowel is muscular and moves debris (poop) by a motion called peristalsis which is triggered by a highly tuned signalling system from the brain to colon receptors. Couch surfing, chair sitting, netflix binging, office working lifestyles greatly impact the tone of the colon. Fundamentally, we weren't designed for such a sedentary lifestyle. Regular movement and exercise can be a powerful and inexpensive way to improve the tone and function of your bowel by supporting peristalsis.
The way we live, eat, feel, medicate, drink and stress affects the delicate balance of bacteria in our bowel. There’s no escaping it. Life is hectic and mass food consumerism is like an atomic bomb in our GUT. It’s not a one-off event, it’s a slow corrosive silent gradient. It’s all the years and drinks in between. "Psychosocial factors influence the actual physiology of the gut, as well as symptoms. In other words, stress (or depression or other psychological factors) can affect movement and contractions of the GI tract, make inflammation worse, or perhaps make you more susceptible to infection” — Anthony L. Komaroff; Editor in Chief, Harvard Health.
We know that neuropeptide production in the GUT directly influences neurotransmitters in the brain. Have you ever been constipated? Holy get-out-of-my-face-stipation. And what about hormone health in females? Teenagers and their skin afflictions?
Follow me here:
Liver = Oestrogen Metabolism
Bowel = Oestrogen Elimination
The liver sorts the rubbish and the bowel removes the waste. If it can, but if it cannot? Our hepatic vein sends it straight back to Liver for recycling till the Bowel gets it’s sh#t together. But if it cannot, symptoms of PMS, Menopause, Hormonal dis-regulation, bloating and weight-gain may result.
Imagine no regular Waste Collection? Imagine the bacteria, maggots, pollution that would collect around your kitchen. Your home would become a cesspit of debris, mess and vile. Everyone would be in a funk. And that is a perfect analogy for your rear-end. To improve the health and function of the bowel first act upon:
Water Intake Essential Fatty Acids - regular intake of fresh oily fish, avocado, oilve oil Soluble and Insoluble fibre from a variety of wholefoods Regular movement and exercise Stress Management
The fact is that your entire GUT is vastly important. The human species has evolved to THRIVE from optimal gut function - society, anti-biotic overuse, junk food and un-favourable genetics kinda got in the way.
I urge you to think about the big push. The big picture. Your rear-end. Before you reach for another useless multivitamin and double shot espresso consider how you're managing your gut / bowel health? How is your energy and your anxiety? Could you feel better? Can you do better?
Don’t fall into the trap of swallowing a capsule of *Good Bacteria into the boggy war zone thinking it’s a guaranteed solution. Those little bacteria are like the Anzacs on the beach at Gallipoli - they have little hope of surviving the warfare.
*probiotics so named to appeal to your burning desire for ‘Inner Health’….
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Melanie Lock ND BHSc Naturopath ND BHSc, Herbalist, Nutritional & Emotional Counselling, Habitual Herbal Tea, Writer, Speaker, Mother.
