Everyone poops and that’s a fact. Talking about bowels is far from sexy, but as beauty girls, we’re always game to learn more about the body processes that ultimately affect our outer appearance.
Besides knowing the ins and outs of healthy stool, we’re utilizing products that make our trips to the bathroom a little more bearable. For the ESSENCE Beauty Box beauty team, putting Poo-pourri in our May “Baecation” box was a no-brainer.
The dependable before-you-go spray literally wraps odor inside the toilet so that you don’t have to worry about stinking up the place.
And if the pristine packaging doesn’t win you over, the hilarious “Girls Don’t Poop” commercial will. After you’re done watching, read on for 13 fast facts about the dreaded p-word.
1. Your bowels are made of 75% water. The rest is a mix of bacteria, mucus and fiber. Ensure your digestive tract is clear by adding fiber-heavy foods to your diet. Some of our favorites are oats, almonds and sweet potatoes.
2. Holding your bowels in is never a good thing. When you do this, the rectum and anus become disoriented and forget how to react once your bowels actually reach them. Holding in your poo also gives the colon ample opportunity to absorb its water, making it harder to push out later. So, don’t be afraid to let it out; especially if you have a bottle of Poo-pourri handy!
3. Look back at it because color matters! Healthy bowels are brown, but other shades could indicate a related health issue. Hemorrhoids can make your stool red while dried blood inside the intestine can turn it black. To the contrary, certain foods can also affect stool color, so always be aware of your body’s overall health.
4. The shape of your poo is also important. If it’s not log-like, but resembles tiny pebbles, it could indicate low levels of fiber. Fiber is what holds bodily waste together before it hits the toilet; so make sure it’s in your diet.
5. Mind your caffeine intake. Since it’s a natural laxative, your bowels may become overly frequent after two or three cups of joe.
6. As we all know, bowels never smell nice, but an extra pungent trip to the bathroom could be a sign of infection. Smelly bowels are also a part of flare ups for those with a lactose intolerance or Crohn’s disease.
7. There’s no such thing as normal when it comes to frequency. It all depends on a number of factors; level of stress, overall health and lifestyle to name a few. However, if you find that you’ve moved away from your version of normal, consult with a physician.
8. Your poo should always sink to the bottom of the toilet. If it doesn’t, that could mean you’re eating foods that are insoluble or high in fat content. Those with a lactose intolerance are most likely to see this happen.
9. Humans produce about two pounds of poo a day. That’s the equivalent of two cans of Goya beans.
10. According to a study done by the School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University in London, one in six cell phones are contaminated with fecal matter. As it turns out, a lot of us still haven’t learned to wash our hands after using the bathroom.
11. Stool transplants are the real deal. If you suffer from debilitating diarrhea or other bowel irregularity, doctors can take healthy stool from a donor and place it in your colon.
12. It takes 1-3 days for food to pass through your digestive tract. Diarrhea is the result of food passing through too quickly. This is typically caused by intolerances or food illness.
13. Poo-pourri won’t cure you of any stool irregularities, but it makes using the bathroom way more comfortable. Buy your very own here!
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