Sitting on the toilet. It’s what we do in western countries, often one or two, maybe more times a day.
Well, as humans we are designed to “squat” in order to “eliminate properly”. But since the advent of the ceramic western toilet, this innate instinct has largely been lost; causing a host of avoidable health problems in western countries.
For thousands of years we all squatted to go to the loo. It’s how our bodies were designed to release. Even today almost two thirds of us still squat, and research tells us that these are the people who generally enjoy great gut health. Yet here in the western world, where we have been using the seated loo for only 200 years, we have alarmingly high incidences of constipation, haemorrhoids, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and bowel cancer. These gut ailments are almost unheard of in the parts of the world where people still squat.
A toilet footstool offers simple, easy relief for painful bowel movements. A toilet footstool lifts feet off the floor and positions your body into a squatting position for an easier, more comfortable movement without straining.
Common ailments that can come from sitting on the toilet
#1: Constipation
Let’s face it: most of us don’t get the fibre we need in our diets. It’s true. And we fail to get all the water we need as well. These two things along with improper toilet posture which doesn’t allow us to eliminate completely is a bad combination – which can create hard dry stools. And these hard dry stools are very hard to push out. It’s called constipation, and we’ve all experienced it. Unfortunately, it’s the norm for altogether too many of us. But that’s just the beginning…
#2: Haemorrhoids
Getting those hard stools out calls for lots of pushing. And that pressure causes haemorrhoids, which can be very painful. Haemorrhoids are inflamed anal varicose veins that have swollen because of our need to push excessively to get those hard stools to pass. And as bad as haemorrhoids are, they aren’t the worst of our potential problems.
#3: Colon disease
Eliminating completely and often helps maintain good colon health. Many studies point to faecal buildup in the colon as a cause of diseases including colon cancer. And when there is buildup in the colon, our bodies can’t absorb all the nutrients from the food we eat, leaving us without the energy we could enjoy if our colons were healthy.
#4: Urinary difficulty/infections
Urinary flow is usually stronger and easier when women squat to urinate. The bladder is emptied more completely when squatting rather than sitting or “hovering”. Squatting can help reduce episodes of urinary tract infections in both frequency and intensity. Now, that is good news!
#5: Pelvic floor issues
One of the main causes of this condition is straining on the toilet in women. The “sitting” position causes a great amount of pressure on the anorectal angle of the colon causing the lower part of the colon to drop and protrude into the wall of the vagina. Pelvic floor nerves can be protected by squatting for bowel elimination.
Men can also suffer from pelvic floor disorders and can readily benefit from using a toilet footstool such as a PROPPR as a part of their everyday routine.
Stop sitting and put your feet up
Get yourself a PROPPR toilet stool and you’ll be able to continue sitting on your western toilet, with your feet up to put you in the correct squat position. Problem solved.