When we all poop we feel so much better. Like a lighter version of yourself. Then you turn around and look in the bathroom. The gift is so big that you worry that it will not go away when you flush the tank.
Having large bowel movements can be really embarrassing for people, especially if it happens when they are in a restaurant or at someone else's home. A bowel movement that clogs the toilet can occur for a number of reasons. Either it's your diet, the fact that you haven't been there in a while or you're not taking everything out when you go to the toilet.
Why do you have stools that can clog your toilet?
Your diet (and it could be super healthy)
You have probably been told at one point or another to eat more fiber. In fact, when it comes to fiber recommendations, experts recommend consuming between 25 and 34 grams a day if you are under 50 years old , or 22 to 28 grams if you are over 50 years old.
Since fiber is considered one of the nutrient-deficient, which means that most of us aren't getting enough of it, it's probably safe to say that you should eat more than you are eating right now. And if you're making an effort to include more high-fiber foods (broccoli, green leafy vegetables, beans, whole grains), it's a boon for your overall and gastrointestinal health, but the switch may have some unexpected side effects.
Fiber helps to bulk up stool , while water also gets into stool. So sometimes if you have consumed a lot of fiber and fluid, you will produce a large amount of stool.
This is certainly not a call to eat less fiber or become dehydrated; in fact, both help promote regularity and healthy, flexible bowel movements. But if you've really been consuming fiber, that could be why your poop is different.
You haven't been to the toilet for a long time
You don't have to go every day to have a healthy gastrointestinal system. Constipation is having fewer than three bowel movements a week, hard, dry stools, or stools that are difficult to pass.
Basically everyone is going to have their own unique rhythm that dictates what is normal for them. But if it's been a while for you, things may be building up or drying out, making it harder to get through. To avoid this problem in the future, you'll want to make sure you're eating the recommended amount of fiber for you. And focus on physical activity.
Exercise will increase stool production because it moves things. You do this by changing the hormones in your gut and also impacting the way the muscles move in your gastrointestinal system.
What also helps is to evacuate when you feel the need to. When you hold it and lose the urge, the stool just stays there.
Taking time in the morning to go or have a coffee can encourage things to get moving when you are in a convenient and comfortable place (your house) rather than when you are away.
You don't get all your stool when you go
First, here's a little anatomy lesson (completely for beginners): Once stool travels through your digestive tract and reaches your rectum and fills up, it sends a signal that the contents should disappear. Then the pelvic floor relaxes the rectal muscles and the anal sphincter opens.
For some people, this process doesn't work very well. Straining to go actually works against you because you hold onto the toilet while pushing too hard.
The best practice is to elevate the feet , which will straighten the angle towards the anus so that you can defecate completely.
That said, kicking up your feet may not be the answer for everyone. You may need to have an evaluation for pelvic floor disorders. In that case, you should ask pelvic floor physical therapists who can teach you how to use everyday tools like breathing exercises to relax and have a full bowel movement.
