Gastroenterologist Tricia Pasricha identifies three mistakes ruining your bowel health: sitting at 90 degrees kinks your colon (fix: a footstool to squat), chronic stress blocks digestion through the gut-brain axis, and ignoring the urge to go disrupts your rhythm. A footstool and less stress can get you to what Pasricha calls poopphoria.
Millions of people are pooping wrong, and it's quietly wrecking their gut health. In fact, about 40% of Americans say their daily lives are disrupted by bowel issues, yet almost nobody talks about it. So, a gastroenterologist named Tricia Pasricha wrote a book about it. She says most of us are making the same 3 mistakes. First, your posture. Humans evolved to poop in a squat, not sitting at a 90-degree angle. So, when you sit upright on a modern toilet, you actually kink part of your colon. The simple fix? Put your feet on a small stool so your knees rise above your hips. Your body can finally do what it was designed to do. Second, your brain affects your gut. Your digestive system and your brain are connected through something called the gut-brain axis. Chronic stress can literally constipate you. Third, your daily habits. Ignoring the urge to go, sitting all day, low fiber, dehydration, all of that disrupts your body's natural rhythm. Your gut likes routine. Tricia has a word for what happens when everything works right: poopphoria. All of which leads to the dream: better pooping.
