Special Podcast Episode: The Zen of Taking A Good Poop

In lieu of Ben's recent Thailand Poomergencies, which you'll learn all about in an upcoming post this Friday - and the fact that Ben is currently presenting LIVE at CreativeLIVE (click here to tune in now for free) we bring to you one of our most popular pooping episodes from the podcast archives. Enjoy!

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I have a confession: I poop once per day. One smooth, silky, glorious morning movement, and then I'm done. And I don't really think about number 2 at all until the next day. It's quite convenient, actually - especially compared to my old days of hitting the head a handful of times during the day, occasionally straining, always feeling like I had something "still inside", and having to deal with a bit of bloating to boot. Not anymore, baby.

One key to this pooping revolution is revealed in a popular article I wrote last year called "How I Ate A High Fat Diet, Pooped 8 Pounds, And Then Won A Sprint Triathlon".

In that article, I tell you about the shocking results of my switch to proper pooping mechanics (squatting to poop instead of sitting to poop), using something called a "Squatty Potty". As a matter of fact, one of these Squatty Potty devices now resides in every bathroom in my house - I own a white wooden model, a white plastic model and a quite fashionable bamboo model. The gist of that whole squatting discussion was that your body is meant to be in a squatting position to properly eliminate stuff from your colon, and when you’re sitting (as most Westerners mistakenly do), you put upward pressure on your rectum, creating a "kink" that keeps much of your poop inside (or at least makes you strain a lot harder as you try to push it out).

But when it comes to learning how to poop the right way, there are some tricks that go way above and beyond simply squatting to poop. So today, in my discussion with certified health nut and former male model Troy Casey, you're going to learn exactly what those tricks are, and ensure smooth bowel movements and banished constipation forever (and I have a hilarious video for you at the end of this post)... During my discussion with Troy (pictured right), I ask him:

-What is the best way to take a poop?

-How do minerals and hydration play a role in healthy pooping action?

-What are some ways to get you pooping if you're constipated?

-How do you "clean the poop shoot"?

-Are colonics good?

-How does what you eat affect your poop?

-What does a healthy poop look like?

-How does an impacted colon affect the whole system?

-Why is pooping properly so important for overall performance?

-Why is pooping properly so important for overall health?

It turns out even though we both squat to poop, and we both avoid intestinal irritants like wheat, soy and commercial dairy, it turns out that Troy and I actually have two different approaches when it comes to supplements or herbs for taking a good poop.Here's a synopsis of our two different approaches:

Troy's Better Pooping Regimen

1. Dr. Schultz's Intestinal Formula - Troy refers to this as "drain-o for your digestive tract". It apparently stimulates and strengthens the muscular movement of the colon. The ingredients include aloe, senna and cascara sagrada. I've personally never used it.

2. Clay - yes, literally edible earth. It is supposed to have a detoxifying effect, and is also a rich sources of minerals. And you just eat the stuff. Once again, something I haven't personally used, but Troy swears by it.