How slow is your digestion?
Digestion is so important! And so is poop! Poop can tell you a lot about your digestion and how it is working.
A lot of people think that their digestion is working optimally, "I go to the bathroom at least once a day, I am not constipated." But did you know even though some people’s bowels seem “regular” they are not moving their bowels at the proper rate. You could be going to the bathroom once or twice a day but that could be poop from last week? How gross is that....
That means you're constipated and something else is going on; lack of fiber, poor MMC function, food sensitivities, inflammation etc... and could lead to other issues.
The goal is to move your bowels within 12-24 hours of eating the food. Most people today have reduced transit times, and not enough fiber in their diets.
Some effects of slow transit times and constipation:
- Toxins that should be leaving your body are re-absorbing into your body.
- Inflammation
- Stress on your body
- Hormones recirculate
- Bloating, gas, discomfort
- Hemorrhoids
One of the best ways to find out your transit time is the beet test. (You can also use corn if you're one of those people who cannot digest it and always see it in your stool).
For the beet test you want to consume minimum half a raw beet (it has to be raw, as the jarred beets or boiled beets, or over processed beets don’t have the rich red pigment that will stand out like raw beets will) or more, and write down the time you consumed the beet.
Every time you go to the bathroom for a bowel movement, glance in the toilet each time until you see a red hue in your bowels. Write the time down that you first see it and then the time you stop seeing it in your bowel movements.
This time is your transit time.
The ideal time should be within 12-24 hours. Over 24 hours, and you have got a slow transit time. If you are seeing the beets prior to the 12-hour mark, you are not absorbing all the nutrients from your food.
In both cases, you will want to work a bit on your digestion.
What is your transit time?
#beettest #thewellnessequation #transittime #healthydigestion #nutritionist #healthyliving #liveyourbestlife