Poop Talk: Size and Shape of your Stool

 Some rights reserved by origami_potato

Let's talk a little bit about poop, shall we? It's a normal part of our lives, and oftentimes, it's used as a subject to test how healthy we are. So, yup, it's OK to talk about it and be informed about it.

Personally, I used to think I am healthy even though I was often constipated. There are times that I am unable to move for 5 days. It was the worst! And pooping was always a struggle, and literally, a pain in the ass!

I've tried pretty much everything from pitchers of water, probiotics to yogurt, but nothing worked to help me with my constipation. Until I discovered that a hot cup of coffee in the morning makes it easier for me to move my bowel. I was OK with it aside from the fact that my pee smells like coffee, which I find odd. But that's just normal, doctors say. Anyway, nothing much has changed, except that it allows me to poop whenever I needed to.

Then, I decided to limit my coffee intake. I just had to find another way, a healthier way. Thank God, I did! And it changed my life since then!

Good news is, I only drink coffee whenever I like to, like once in a while. But I regularly do my morning ritual now with ease before taking a shower. Bye bye pain! And even the shape of my poop has changed! That's when I knew I'm not constipated anymore.

You can refer to the Bristol Stool Chart, also known as Meyers Scale, to determine the shape and type of your poop, or stool as doctors would call it.

Tips For People Who Bruise Easily

 Some rights reserved by muhreese

Are you the kind of person who bruise easily? Me, not really, but my hubby, yes! And his sister too! Perhaps because they're too fair skinned, just clumsy and bump too easily or simply lacking some necessary nutrients.

So I went to see what could be the cause of their bruising. I wondered if it was something we should be alarmed of. I needed to know what we can do to prevent it. So here's what I learned!

The most common reasons why people bruise easily are:

1. Age. An older person's skin loses some of the protective fatty layer that provides cushioning against bumps and falls.

2. Blood Disorders. Hemophilia and Leukemia can cause unexplained bruising, often because of failure of the blood to clot properly.

3. Excessive Exercise. Putting your muscles under excessive strain, especially when weight lifting, can cause blood vessels to burst and lead to bruising.

4. Certain Medications. Aspirin, Anticoagulants, and anti-platelet agents reduce the blood's clotting ability and make bruising more likely.

5. Family History or Pale Skin. Pale skin doesn't make a person more prone to bruising, but it does make bruises more visible. And you're likely to bruise easily when close family members also show the same tendency.

For people who bruise often due to fragile capillaries, it is important to ensure the strength and flexibility of the capillaries by adding bioflavonoids in their diet.

Our USANA Story

I guess, it's time to share how we were first introduced to USANA. It was May this year when hubby's friend told him about it. You see, we are a happily married couple but have been childless in our 5 years of marriage. She suggested that USANA products could probably help us conceive. Just as expected of him, hubby went right away to research about it and found nothing but positive feedback. So he decided we try them!

I was skeptic at first, and only took them because hubby has already prepared them, ready with water to swallow them with. I said "them" because I was referring to more than 1 pill. With full trust that my hubby will not poison me, I took the Essentials and Coquinone 30 after dinner, which were then unknown pills to me. But after 3 days, I was quick to notice that I've been having restful, dreamless sleep. I was surprised, of course, because I've been having trouble sleeping and always had excessive, vivid dreams that make me feel exhausted when I wake up.

And in a couple of weeks, I could poop easily in the morning without the aid of a cup of coffee. Could you imagine how impressed I am? After long years of being constipated, I've tried Yakult, yogurt, etc., but nothing worked. Even the shape and size of my stool has changed, it became easier for me to move.