How to improve your bowel movements!

In this article we explain what "normal" bowel movements should be, and how you can help to improve them.

Bowel movements in general just aren't talked about very much (perhaps for obvious reasons!). And what constitutes a normal bowel movement, and the connection with your stomach acid, is not well understood. 

In general, a bowel movement is considered normal if the bowel is emptied every 8 to 72 hours. This very large range means that having a bowel movement anywhere between three times a day to three times a week is considered "normal".

The additional challenge here is that bowel regularity is very unique to an individual. And if you're used to going to the toilet every morning but suddenly miss a day (or two!) it will quickly start to bother you far more than someone who is used to going every 72 hours.

Even though three times a week might still be considered medically "normal," it still could be the sign of an underlying issue for many people. A more typical bowel movement for a healthy, active, adult with a good diet is at least once a day. In the elderly, up to 80% experience constipation because three factors often combine:

• Lack of fibre in their diet
• Insufficient water intake
• Lack of physical activity

Why is this important?

Stool is something the body needs to get rid of for good reason. It's important that it doesn't linger in the intestines any longer than necessary.

Whilst mild constipation is not particularly harmful to health, it can cause fatigue, "fogginess", irritability and other symptoms. However, prolonged constipation can cause inflammation in the intestines and damage the intestinal wall, causing more major issues such as diverticulitis.

What to do to promote health bowel movements 

1. Drink more water
   The colon's task is to absorb water from the stool back into the body. If you suffer from dehydration, the body "steals" the water it needs from the colon, leaving the contents too dry. By drinking more water, the contents of the intestines also get hydrated.

2. Exercise
   Do something that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat. A brisk walk is good, but more intense exercises that wake up the whole body really help to stimulate the intestines.

3. Increase fibre intake
   Try to eat more fruit and vegetables. The insoluble fibre in vegetables gives the stool structure, which makes it easier to pass through. You could also consider supplementing your fibre with Daily Healthy Fibre.

4. Try Move
   If you do find yourself with constipation then Move can be a great short-term solution. Move is a natural and gentle way to enhance bowel movements and a highly effective solution for constipation. The combination of various forms of magnesium and rhubarb extract works by softening the contents of the intestine and simultaneously stimulating bowel movement.
   
   You can start with 2 capsules in the evening before going to bed. If you don't feel better the next morning, take 3-4 capsules the next evening. Continue this for a couple of evenings or until you feel that the situation has been resolved.

5. Try taking Triple HCL with meals.
   Triple HCL is a gastric acid supplement that increases the acidity of the stomach contents and the secretion of bile acid. It improves the digestion of proteins and fats in food, and supports the function of the pancreas.
   
   This article, citing the Mayo Clinic's finding, mentions how they used a bile acid-increasing medication to effectively treat constipation.
   
   Triple HCL is a more natural way to stimulate the secretion of bile acid, and many customers have provided feedback on improved bowel function while using it.
   
   Stronger stomach acid also has a number of other health benefits which we outlined further in this article.