WHAT YOUR Poop Is Saying! AN AYURVEDIC TAKE ON HEALTHY ELIMINATION

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According to Ayurveda, the fundamental cause of all disease is faulty digestion. However, you may be wondering, “How do I know if I’m not digesting foods properly?” Bloating, flatulence (gas), constipation, hyperacidity, indigestion, feeling sluggish after eating, and/or nausea are common symptoms of a digestive disturbance, but did you know that the consistency of your bowel movements (BMs) and stool (poop) quality can also provide insight into your current state of digestion? Although it is an uncomfortable and taboo subject to discuss, keeping track of your waste and evacuation patterns is essential for maintaining digestive health. According to Ayurveda, everyone should have at least one BM daily for appropriate purification of the body. If you aren’t, your body is telling you that it is constipated and that it needs hydration and vata dosha equilibrium restored. 

The Ayurvedic technique to examining your waste is discussed in today’s blog. You’ll discover how to tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy poop, how each dosha affects BMs and stool quality, and what you can do to attain ideal daily elimination patterns that promote healthy alignment in the body and mind.

Everything about vata poop

People who are predominant in vata dosha or who are experiencing an imbalance in vata dosha are prone to dryness in the colon and, as a result, suffer from constipation more frequently than pitta and kapha doshas. Due to the dryness in the colon, Vata types may also experience bloating, non-smelly gas, and mild pain during elimination.

When vata is out of balance and in excess in the body, the stool will resemble Type 1 on the Bristol Stool Chart, which consists of hard, tiny, dry pellets that are difficult to pass (like rabbit feces). When attempting to have a BM, gas will be present, and elimination will feel incomplete. Type 2 feces also have a vata imbalance, as the lumpiness indicates a lack of moisture and hydration in the body’s tissues.

When a vata type has healthy feces, it will be dark to medium brown in color, pass without gas or pain, have no bloating, and occur once everyday in the morning. In the Bristol Stool Chart, the sort of stool to aim for is sort 3 or Type 4, with a floating Type 4 being the ideal target.

Vata Poop Balance

• Scrape your tongue first thing in the morning to stimulate digestion (by stimulating the taste buds) and promote evacuation.
• Drink warm lemon water after tongue scraping to encourage the downward discharge of waste (feces) from the body.
• Even if you don’t have the urge to “go,” sit on the toilet every morning and gently massage your tummy in a circular and downward manner, picturing a healthy BM.
• Invest in a squatty potty to straighten out the colon during BMs and replicate a squatting position, allowing you to defecate as nature intended.
• In the evening, consume a Triphala churna to help control evacuation and stimulate daily BM.
• Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day to stay hydrated.
• Eat vata-balancing meals such as root vegetables and healthy fats. Check out our list of Vata-Balancing Foods!
• Add healthful, vata-balancing oils to your diet.
• Incorporate vata-calming digestive spices like as ginger, cumin, and cinnamon, which may be found in our Vata Spice Blend.
• 30 minutes before each meal, take a vata digestive churna. Discover more about digestive churnas.
• Drink our Hydrate Blend Tea, which is hydrating, grounding, and nourishing.
• Make an effort to eat at the same times every day.
• Eat while sitting.
• Eat mindfully, away from modern devices and distractions.
• Chew your meal slowly.
• Take three deep breaths at the start and finish of each meal. Learn more about Ayurvedic eating rules.
• Self-abhyanga should be done with an emphasis on apana vayu (downward energy) and abdominal massage.
• In your yoga practice, focus on seated and standing twists to help move feces through the large intestine. Postures like Ardha Matsyendrasana (half lord of the fishes) and Parivrtta Trikonasana (revolved triangle) can help.
• Vata balance pranayama (breathing exercises) can help to calm the nervous system and relieve tension.

Everything about pitta poop

Pitta dosha, which is predominantly fire and some water, causes excess heat in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which shows in a variety of ways, including eliminating twice or more per day, feeling an urgent need “to go,” hyperacidity, inflammation, and stinky gas.

Because pitta dosha in the digestive tract pushes feces through the intestines more quickly when pitta is imbalanced and in excess in the body, the stool will look like Type 5, 6, or 7 on the Bristol feces Chart. The stool can look like soft serve ice cream (we know, gross! ), soft lumps, fluffy chunks, or even a watery and/or greasy liquid. Additionally, due to the food moving too quickly through an overheated digestive track, fragments of undigested food may be present. Burning after expulsion, unpleasant gas, and a strong odor are additional symptoms of pitta type feces. Rather than constipation, pitta types or those with a pitta imbalance are more likely to have diarrhea and elimination numerous times per day.

When a person has healthy elimination, they poop 2-3 times each day, usually in the morning and after lunch. It will be yellowish brown and slightly odorous. Type 4 (floating) stools are ideal since they are well shaped and easily pass.

Pitta Poop Stabilization

• Tongue scrape first thing in the morning to cleanse the palate and stimulate the digestive system by activating the taste senses.
• Drink a cup of warm water after tongue scraping to assist remove extra heat from the digestive system.
• In the evening, consume a Triphala churna to help reduce GI inflammation and increase vitamin, mineral, and nutrient absorption.
• Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day to stay hydrated.
• Consume cold, sweet, and hefty pitta-calming meals. Check out our list of Pitta Balancing Foods!
• Include pitta-calming digestive spices like coriander, fennel, and cumin from our Pitta Spice Blend.
• 30 minutes before each meal, take a pitta digestive churna. Discover more about digestive churnas.
• Drink a cooling, digestive tea, such as our Cool & Calm Blend Tea.
• Before meals, say grace.
• Midday is the best time to eat the most.
• Eat mindfully, away from modern devices and distractions.
• Eat in a quiet setting. Learn more about Ayurvedic eating rules.
• Concentrate on soothing yoga, such as restorative and yin.
• Through pitta balancing pranayama, you can reduce intensity and hot emotions.

Everything about kapha poop

People who are predominant in kapha dosha or are experiencing a kapha imbalance are prone to sluggish digestion, nausea, and/or weariness after eating, and can have constipation due to low peristaltic movement.

When kapha is out of balance and in excess in the body, it will appear on the Bristol Stool Chart as Type 4; nevertheless, it will not pass easily. Instead, it will be thick, sticky, and sluggish. The sticky texture of kapha poop is caused by a buildup of ama (toxins) in the body, and there may also be mucus in the stool.

A healthy kapha type poop is pale brown and passed once in the morning. It’s well-formed and easy to travel through the colon. In short, ideal kapha stools are like Type 4, floating and free of any stickiness or congested mucous. Finally, the odor of this feces can be sweet or non-odorous.

Kapha Poop Balance

• Scrape the tongue first thing in the morning to promote agni (digestion) and remove excess ama.
• Drink warm lemon water after scraping your tongue to cleanse and remove ama.
• Even if you don’t have the urge to “go,” sit on the toilet every morning and gently massage your tummy in clockwise and downward motions, picturing a good BM.
• Invest in a squatty potty to increase peristaltic motion and release the puborectalis muscle.
• In the evening, consume a Triphala churna to cleanse and tone the intestines.
• Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day to stay hydrated.
• Consume hot, light, and dry kapha-balancing foods. Check out our list of Kapha Balancing Foods!
• Enjoy kapha-calming digestive spices like pippali, ginger, and cinnamon from our Kapha Spice Blend.
• 30 minutes before each meal, consume a kapha digestive churna. Discover more about digestive churnas.
• Drink a spicy and light tea, such as our Rooibos Chai Blend Tea.
• Midday is the best time to eat the most.
• If as all possible, avoid snacking. Allow at least 3-4 hours between meals.
• Chew your meal slowly.
• Eat until you’re 75% full. Learn more about Ayurvedic eating rules.
• Self-abhyanga should be done with an emphasis on apana vayu (downward energy) and abdominal massage.
• Sun salutations, vinyasa, and power yoga should be used to ignite Agni. Remember to integrate yoga bends into your routine to promote peristaltic action!
• With kapha balancing pranayama, you may warm, lighten, uplift, and purify your senses.

ALWAYS OBSERVE AND ANALYZE YOUR STOOL.

As you can see, your poop can reveal a lot about who you are. It is a visible indicator of what is going on inside your body and is worth checking on a daily basis. Take note of when you eliminate, how frequently you go, and which qualities appear to predominate in your stool. You can also keep an elimination journal to keep track of your defecation patterns, any indigestion you may be having, and what foods you are eating so that you can better understand what is going on in your digestive system and which, if any, doshas need to be balanced.

Stool analysis is not frowned upon in the Ayurvedic community and is one of the many methods Ayurvedic doctors and practitioners can gain a comprehensive grasp of their customers’ particular blend of doshas and present state of balance. We welcome you to visit with our Clinical Ayurvedic Specialists at EliteAyurveda, for a more specific assessment of your Prakruthi and doshas

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