A healthy bowel movement should be soft, formed and easily passed, according to Dr. Warren Enker, Director of the Gastrointestinal Institute for Cancer and Continuum Cancer Centers of New York. It is normal to have one to two bowel movements a...
New parents may have a hard time knowing what is normal in terms of their baby's weight gain, and how to know what is normal in terms of bowel movements. There is no special trick to helping your baby gain the weight she needs to develop and grow....
Once food has passed through your digestive system, where your body removes the nutrients it needs, a bowel movement removes the waste from your body. Your bowels are the large intestine, or colon, located in your lower digestive tract. A bowel...
An exact number of times you should have a bowel movement each day does not exist. In fact, some people don't normally have them every day. It is common for one person to have one or more a day while someone else might have one every two to three...
Regular bowel movements and colon health have been an indicator of health by physicians for centuries. An individual suffering from constipation complains of a lack of normal bowel activity and symptoms such as pain and discomfort. In most cases,...
Laxatives can play a role in combating occasional constipation. A plethora of laxatives are available over-the-counter in a variety of forms, ranging from powders to pills and gum. Dietary fiber found in highly concentrated fiber bars often serves...
More than 50 percent of Americans over the age of 60 have diverticulosis, or abnormal protruding pouches on the inner lining of the intestines. But only a small percentage of those with diverticulosis develop diverticulitis, or an inflammation of...
Stool softeners such as Colace or mineral oil are easy to come by and work well to ease an occasional bout of constipation. Laxatives such as Correctol and Ex-Lax are quite a bit rougher on the body's systems. Doctors don't recommend using...
"The Master Cleanse" is a book written by Peter Glickman in which he shares his secrets for weight loss and detoxification through a strict elimination program. It is a liquid diet, meaning you only drink certain ingredients for the entire 10-day...
Diets for chemotherapy patients are different from diets for healthy people. Diets for healthy people often emphasize losing or maintaining your weight. However, unintentional weight loss can be a problem for cancer patients. If you're nauseated...
Research has shown that regular exercise can help prevent problems with the colon, including colon cancer--the most common form of bowel cancer. Because exercise gets your body moving, this also gets the waste in your body moving, ensuring healthy...
Purge toxins from your body through exercise. Begin by understanding the body systems that collect and eject toxins. Then understand the form of exercise that assists that purging system and choose which ones work for you and your lifestyle. Your...
Your digestive system is made up of the digestive tract, which begins at the mouth, extends to the stomach, through the intestines and out the rectum. The nutrients your body needs are absorbed in the 20 feet of small intestine. Contractions, or...
Your colon and digestive system are designed to naturally expel waste and bacteria from your body, but some alternative health0-care practitioners advocate periodic colon cleansing as a means of enhancing this process. According to the Mayo...
The Atkins Diet is also referred to as the Atkins Nutritional Approach. The diet focuses on restricting some carbohydrates and replacing it with lean protein that is low in carbohydrate count. Switching the body into a state of ketosis or using...
Flaxseeds come from the linseed plant, an herb that was used by the ancient Egyptians for health and to make products such as cloth. Flaxseeds are a common homeopathic remedy for irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, constipation and skin...
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS for short, is a condition that affects the large intestine and results in gas, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation. Symptoms can be severe and make it difficult participate in everyday activities. The cause...
A fever is often an indication that your body is trying to fight off illness or an underlying medical condition. One thing to be conscious of when you have a high fever is making sure you have enough fluids in your body. In addition to drinking...
Bowel movements are your body's way of expelling waste products after your intestines remove water and nutrients from digested food. Both the color and consistency of your feces can provide information about your health and the foods you ate that...
The quality and frequency of your bowel movements can provide significant information about your overall health. Certain abnormalities, including diarrhea and constipation, may signal a problem with your digestive system. Healthy stool is soft and...
Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate found in all plant foods including grains, vegetables, legumes, fruit, nuts and seeds. Some foods contain primarily soluble fiber, while others contain mostly insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water...
The abundance of misinformation on the Internet may have you wondering if you need a colon cleanse to prevent diseases such as Alzheimer's, diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis. Colon cleansing techniques such as colonics and enemas,...
The Fiber 35 Diet claims to be nature's weight loss secret by including 35 grams of fiber in your diet per day. The concept is that eating less calories and natural foods will promote optimum health through weight loss and disease prevention.
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a probiotic, or beneficial bacteria, that is naturally occuring in both the human intestines and vagina. It is especially "friendly" due to its production of vitamin K, lactaste and antimicrobial compounds like...
You probably won't hear random discussions about anal fissures at your local coffee shop. Yet, this intimate condition is very common. In a 1994 Nelson survey of 102 random participants, 29 percent claimed they had in the past, or were currently...
Though there are several ways of classifying the types of fiber in foods, fiber is often divided into two primary categories: soluble and insoluble. These categories refer to whether or not the fiber dissolves in water. Fiber cannot, however, be...
Many natural health practitioners believe regular colon cleansing removes toxins from the intestines and promotes overall health. Colon cleansing drinks treat constipation by generating movement in the bowels. While many health food stores sell...
Popular detoxification methods advocate unhealthy eating habits, restrictive diets and herbal concoctions that can be detrimental to the detox process. Toxins accumulate within the digestive tract as a result of improper digestion and unhealthy...
Diverticulosis describes the existence of pocket-like sacs called diverticuli in the lining of your colon. About half of all Americans over 60 have diverticulosis, according to National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. When food...
Diverticular disease is a small, bulging pouch in the digestive tract. It is common in people over 40 and can be found in the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Learn about the different causes of, symptoms of, and treatments for...
Hemorrhoids are swollen, inflamed veins in your anus and rectum which are quite common but also sometimes embarrassing. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments of hemorrhoids in this video.
