Space Diapers, A City Bus and...
Does Four Finger Magic work?
F.ascinating Facts
How did the Apollo Astronauts Poop in Space?
Even Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong had to contend with the call of nature.
During the flight to the moon, the astronauts had to resort to a rather unpleasant method of bowel movements. Once on the moon, they relied on what NASA termed a "maximum absorbency garment" for "fecal containment." Let's just say it — it was basically a diaper.
It sounds very cumbersome and it was. The astronauts attached a bag with a ring and adhesive to their heinies and handled their business. Microgravity posed many challenges because the lack of gravitational force meant the waste did not automatically separate from the body. Assuming everything was solid, they then had to insert their finger into a covered hole to break off the waste.
To assist with the process, each bag came with a "finger cot" to manually move things along. But the ordeal didn’t end there. The astronauts had to add a germicide fluid to the bag to kill the bacteria, seal it up, and knead the contents to thoroughly mix everything. This was necessary to prevent the waste bacteria from thriving and causing the bag to explode! 😱
This entire process could take a staggering 45 minutes to an hour to complete within the confines of the Apollo spacecraft. In an effort to minimize bowel movements, astronauts followed a high-protein, low-residue diet—think foods like steak and eggs that produce minimal waste after being absorbed by the body.
It certainly makes one appreciate the convenience of having toilets here on Earth!
L.oo’s Daily Constitutional
Putt-y Training Anyone?
Ever wished you could make better use of your bathroom time? This may be something to consider: the Potty Putter Toilet Time Golf Game. Their product description states they “Help even the crappiest golfer improve their putting game while pulling double duty and answering nature's call.”
It comes with a putting green, a cup with a pin flag, 2 golf balls, a mini putter, and a "Do Not Disturb" door hanger.
Now you can practice your putting skills right from the comfort of your bathroom.
Who knows, with enough practice, you might become the next Tiger Woods of the toilet. It's a quirky idea that might just add a touch of amusement to your daily routine.
U.seful Information
Is Four Finger Magic the solution to get things moving in the bathroom?
I've got something interesting to share with you that might change your morning routine. You know that feeling when you're struggling to get things moving down there? Well, I recently stumbled upon a little morning trick that seems to do wonders. I’m sure this “trick” has been around for centuries, and I honestly can't believe I didn't discover it sooner!
One morning, lying in bed on my LEFT side (more on that below), I found myself absentmindedly rubbing my stomach. Then it hit me — I remembered learning about the natural flow of digestion back in high school biology. So, I decided to give my stomach a gentle clockwise massage using the tips of my fingers. I kept at it for a few minutes, and voila! Things got stirred up and soon after I was on the commode handling my business.
I couldn't help but wonder, "Why haven't I been doing this all along?" Intrigued, I did some digging and found some fascinating information that could benefit you too.
LEFT Side Benefits
Turns out, lying on your left side has all sorts of positive effects on your body. According to Eightsleep.com, sleeping on your left side can alleviate acid reflux, boost digestion, help your lymph nodes detoxify, improve circulation, and even aid your brain in filtering out waste. Holy schmos! But that’s not all…
In my research, I came across an article on Ecosa.com: “Sleeping on your left side can promote better coordination between your digestive system and GRAVITY.” Nice! The waste in our digestive system is naturally transported by the small intestine to the right side, gradually reaching the large intestine and finally settling in the lower colon on the left side. By simply snoozing on your left side, you automatically increase the chances of kick-starting your morning with a satisfying trip to the bathroom. Pretty cool, huh?
I believe the "Four Finger Magic” can help ignite your bowel movements in the morning. It's a self-massage technique that works wonders for constipation. Just follow these three simple steps:
Step 1: Using all four fingers together, lightly press on the lower right side of your abdomen. Start moving your fingers in small circular motions.
Step 2: Keep this circular motion going as you make your way to the upper right quadrant of your stomach, then over to the left upper quadrant, and then down to the lower left quadrant. Essentially, you're massaging in the shape of your large colon.
Step 3: Once you reach the lower left quadrant, gently return to the lower right quadrant and keep going until you feel some stimulation. Repeat the process...
Sometimes, it only takes a minute or two for me, but there are times when I keep at it for 5 or even 10 minutes. I've noticed some fantastic benefits from lying on my left side and giving my peristalsis a little nudge. It seems to work much better than jolting out of bed at the sound of the alarm, never giving your bowels a chance to wake up.
Try using the Four Finger Magic technique for better digestion and bowel movements. It's helped me and could be worth adding to your morning routine.
S.ay WHAT???
More poop than a city bus?
The amount of poop a person produces daily doesn’t really add up; however, after decades it most definitely adds up!
According to LiveScience.com, on average, a healthy person poops out about 14 ounces per day. Now here’s where things get interesting. That innocent 14 ounces per day doesn’t seem like much, but it actually equates to 312 pounds per year! That is like carrying around a small refrigerator made entirely of….well, you know!
But that’s not even the crazy part. By the time a person reaches the age of 65, they've managed to crap out over 20,000 pounds! That is almost as much weight as a city bus! Pretty mind-boggling to think about!
H.ealthy Habits
Chewing Food Thoroughly = Better Bowel Movements?
Yes indeed. Most people aren’t aware that thoroughly chewing is the most important first step in the digestion process. Let’s break it down...
When you smell, see or even think about food, the brain 🧠 sends signals to your glands to produce saliva. So right off the bat, your saliva is being produced before your fork hits your mouth! And once the food hits your mouth, even more saliva is produced and this is where digestion begins.
Your saliva has enzymes to help break down the food. And the act of chewing your food increases saliva production. If your food is not thoroughly chewed, it can leave larger food particles going down into your digestive tract. This can promote bad bacterial overgrowth and fermentation, which leads to issues such as constipation, bloating, and gas. So it is important to break down your food with your chewing from the jump!
Another benefit to thoroughly chewing your food is it triggers the production of hydrochloric acid in your stomach. Hydrochloric acid further breaks down your food when it enters the stomach and prepares it for absorption into your intestines. So the smaller you can make your food particles by chewing, the greater chance your body has to absorb the nutrients from the food. Better absorption = better bowel movements.
The slower you eat, the less you overeat.
Another benefit to chewing your food thoroughly is it can indirectly help with portion control. If you take more time to chew your food, obviously it will take longer to finish your meal.
This is helpful because it usually takes about 20 minutes for your brain to send the signal to your stomach that it is full and to stop eating. If you scarf down food too fast, you may overeat before your brain has a chance to send the signal to your stomach that it is full.
How much chewin’ should I be doin’?
A good rule of thumb would be to chew the food until it has lost its texture and doesn’t need a sip of a drink to wash it down.
I guess the old adage “Never bite off more than you can chew” is a good rule of thumb for digestion also!
