Our toilets are so much more than just a place to do our business. In this fascinating article, we'll explore the incredible impact new ways of having a bowel movement can have on our health and well-being. Then, we'll dive into some essential but often overlooked toilet tips, like choosing between paper or water to clean up after urinating or having a bowel movement, and the effect it has on our health. Stay with us as we explore how these seemingly small details can really make a big impact on our daily comfort and vitality!
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Toilet Setup in Relation to Well-being
Just as you "settle down to do your business" in the toilet, you either manage to do so satisfactorily or not at all!
Historical Perspective on the Evolution of Toilets
Since ancient Egypt, toilets have evolved. In particular, the positions adopted when using the toilet have changed, with important implications for users' health.
Defecation positions.
In ancient Egypt, toilets were simple: they often took the form of holes in the ground or ceramic pots. Inhabitants squatted to relieve themselves, a natural position for the human body that facilitated the complete evacuation of feces. The Greeks and Romans then preferred to sit on seats or benches with holes in them, sometimes not separated from each other. This practice of sitting became more widespread with the advent of sewage systems. During the middle ages, squatting remained the norm, especially outside of cities where toilets were limited to simple pits. In castles, people used closets suspended above the void, where they sat on wooden seats with a hole in them. Later, with the introduction of flush toilets in the 19th century, sitting became the norm in the West. Toilets then became individual appliances with a seat and a water tank. Today, the majority of toilets in the Western world are designed for sitting. However, in many cultures, particularly in Africa and Asia, the squatting position is still preferred for health and hygiene reasons. Nevertheless, the sitting position has been and continues to be widely promoted.
Individual Health Implications
In ancient Egypt and many other ancient civilizations, the natural position for relieving oneself was squatting. Toilets were rudimentary and often consisted of bowls on the floor, forcing people to squat to defecate. This natural position made bowel movements easier and faster to evacuate by naturally aligning the rectum to facilitate the passage of matter.
Over time, with the advent of modern Western toilets that require sitting on a bowl, this squatting position was abandoned.
Sitting toilet on a bowl
However, studies have shown that the squatting position is actually more conducive to defecation because it allows for optimal opening of the anal canal, thus facilitating the evacuation of stool.
The health implications of this shift in defecation position are as follows: sitting on the toilet bowl can lead to defecation difficulties, colon disorders, constipation and gastroesophageal reflux. The squatting position, on the other hand, promotes a smoother bowel movement and can prevent these defecation-related health problems.
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Toilet requiring squatting position
Some experts therefore recommend returning to the squatting position for bowel movements, either by using stools designed to raise the feet or by adopting Japanese-style toilets that feature a squatting position. This can reduce the risk of bowel complications and promote good bowel health.
Today, however, a variety of options are available to restore the ability to use modern toilets in a squatting position.
Such is the case with the adaptation below.
Feel free to click on the image, and this link to explore the various alternatives.
The squatting position offers a number of incredible advantages that have been well-documented. Our series of articles "THE YOGA, STRETCHING HEALTH AND WELLNESS PANACEA" (which I invite you to consult by clicking on the link) brings together all the elements of understanding on this subject. By way of summary, you can already note these few benefits of the squat position practiced regularly:
- Give your joints a little love by working the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Not only will this benefit their health, but it'll also help them function better!
- And don't forget to help your back stay strong and healthy by keeping your feet flexible and relaxed.
- We've also noticed that there's been a reduction in the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee.
- Helps keep your spine and lumbar spine safe from the harmful effects of your own body weight.
- It also helps to prevent various medical complications by improving flexibility. This means that it can help to limit the possibility of childbirth difficulties, hemorrhoids and constipation.
- It seems that illnesses such as colon cancer, appendicitis and prostatitis occur less often.
CAUTION: the squat position is painful or impossible for some people. If you find it too difficult, don't worry! It's best to adopt the squatting position gradually, by sitting on progressively lower stools for progressively longer periods. This would enable everyone to benefit from the health benefits of regular practice of this position. By practicing cautiously, everyone would be able to enjoy this toilet practice.
Enjoying other common uses in the toilets
In our ongoing quest for comfort and well-being, toilet hygiene practices should not be overlooked as they have a direct impact on our health. We will now explore the use of toilet paper and water.
Toilet paper is widely used to cleanse oneself when going to the bathroom. Its ease of use is undeniable, and this is undoubtedly the reason for its immense success. However, it has its drawbacks: it can irritate sensitive skin, causing itching and redness. What's more, it's not always effective at cleaning the area properly, which can lead to infections and other hygiene problems. What's more, excessive use of toilet paper is likely to contribute to deforestation and pollution.
Using water to flush after relieving yourself has numerous health and wellness benefits. Small tools are often used for this purpose. These are usually tubes with spouts (like the one in the picture below) for squirting water that has been put in beforehand.
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In fact, water is more effective than toilet paper at cleaning the area and eliminating bacteria and impurities. What's more, water helps prevent irritation and infection while providing a feeling of freshness and cleanliness. Finally, water is a natural, renewable and environmentally friendly resource, unlike toilet paper, which is discarded after use.
The good reputation of using water to rinse after urination or defecation has been recognized by yoga practitioners since ancient times, who attribute benefits to it that can be supported by scientific arguments.
They claim that this practice after urination results in better elimination of urine residues, which helps to reduce the risk of kidney stone formation. Kidney stones are formed from urine crystals that eventually build up and clump together. Regular elimination of these residues can potentially reduce the risk of stone formation.
They go further and assure us that rinsing with water after defecation is beneficial not only in limiting the prolonged residence of stool residues in the rectal area (effectively limiting the possibility of development of harmful bacteria). According to their experience, this practice also refreshes the rectum, which helps to prevent and alleviate conditions such as hemorrhoids, especially by promoting the vitality of the rectal muscles and reducing inflammation and irritation.
You now remember how it's so important to keep your body clean! Did you know that using water to rinse after you urinate or defecate could have pretty amazing health benefits as helping to prevent problems like kidney stones, bacterial infections, and hemorrhoids? Today, a variety of options are available to automatically provide water for flushing after urination or defecation, from devices installed directly in the bowls of modern toilets.
This is illustrated in the picture below.
Feel free to click on the image to get your own LUXE Bidet NEO 120 - Self-Cleaning Nozzle, Fresh Water Non-Electric Bidet Attachment, and this link to explore different alternatives.
Conclusion
The evolution of toilets and hygiene practices has had a significant impact on health and well-being. Defecation positions, from squatting to sitting, can have implications for digestive health and ease of elimination. Similarly, the use of toilet paper and water after defecation raises questions of efficiency, environmental impact and health benefits. It is important to consider these issues in order to adopt practices that promote not only comfort, but also long-term health.
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To conclude our exploration above, if the toilet were an "app", we'd probably need to "update" our practices to avoid digestive "bugs"! Between the squatting position of yesteryear and the modern "throne" that is our potty, our transit could experience ups and downs. As for the toilet paper versus water debate, it's clear that our butts deserve the best treatment for the sake of our health and our planet. In the end, a good balance between comfort and health is the key to a successful bathroom experience, with a touch of humor to make the transition... easier.