It’s unladylike and we don’t do that!
This was what I remember of a nun in my 3rd grade math class telling us girls about manners. In this particular lesson it was about farting, because some poor little girl let one go while practicing our long division. She spent the rest of class in the corner, after being laughed at by her classmates and scolded by the teacher.
She probably has never farted again publicly in her life.
I am of a generation where girls were taught you don’t fart. Even if you are not from this same age, I’m betting you avoid doing so too at all costs. It’s just something us gals learn not do early on in life. Certainly not where anyone can hear or smell it.
We also don’t do number 2 in public.
Ever.
Good Housekeeping in their 2017 article, says its because our glucose levels change when we are at home and are comfortable pooping in our own toilet. Another article I found said it’s called toilet anxiety. While interesting theories, as a woman I can assure it is because we are taught this in words and examples that it is simply something you don’t do.
Additionally, we are taught the hover move so as to never sit on a public toilet seat. This of course makes any need to poop while in this position an incredibly uncomfortable ordeal. It is already quite a situation to urinate this way.
I never understood these manners, or where they came from, but it was just what you did to fit in and not call attention to yourself. Fitting in is hard enough as a kid so adding embarrassing needs of farting and pooping are sure bets you won’t be included in anything. Those patterns stick too. I, like many women, accepted this and became super conscious about it as I needed to fart or have a bowel movement and wasn’t somewhere alone. This was so engrained in my thinking that I would purposely hold it and feel miserable for hours, and even days, until I could be in my home or hotel room bathroom alone. My digestive system and health would pay for price for these excellent manners too.
In addition to not having body needs in public, we also don’t talk about them. It’s embarrassing and no one needs to know about it. So we don’t. We suffer with constipation, bloating, discomfort, diarrhea, heartburn and more in silence with our pent up farts for fear of shame and being sent to the corner like my former classmate. I write this post in honor of that little girl in the corner and the millions of us who have learned directly or indirectly that women don’t fart or poop in public places.
Our physical and emotional health are impacted by how we feel and treat our body. Our response to farting and pooping in public is no exception. -AMY KRAMER
How Digestion Works
In a healthy digestive system, food is chewed well and processed through our stomach and intestines to feed our cells. We intake water to fully hydrate these processes so they can process the foods and get things where they need to be timely. Waste is collected and eliminated. This happens daily and is necessary to ensure our body is operating well. It’s a well made system designed to support us.
When a digestive system doesn’t work well, multiple things reliant on this system also don’t work well. If our digestive system doesn’t work well we introduce risk to our immune system, adrenals and vital organs. If we’re lucky it is a case of constipation or mild heartburn, but over time, we are essentially poisoning ourselves. For example, if you don’t poop daily, that waste gets reabsorbed into your body. Yep, the full of crap saying comes from this very disturbing process of reabsorption because we were told it isn’t polite and ladylike to poop in public restrooms.
The good news is we can rebuild a healthy digestive system. We can re-establish a thriving operation that supports our overall health and helps us eliminate symptoms like bloating, discomfort and more.
It begins, particularly for us women, admitting we are human and have human functions. This requires us to release all those stupid manners we were taught about girls not farting or pooping too.
I heard you gasp!
This may cause some of you to stop reading right here. That is too much I know. I still struggle with it too but hear me out.
I’m not saying we must turn into animals and be like men who joke about it or make it theatrical production. Rather, I’m suggesting we admit we’re human first and foremost. As a result, we admit our body has needs and we have to and need to honor them better than we have been to this point. Start with this and see your body as more than an annoying negative element when it cries out for relief or support. It truly is not trying to slow you down, make things more fussy and complicated or be in your way. Your body is trying to do all it can to help you do what you’re doing and feel your best on the way. That means it needs to get rid of things it doesn’t need.
It’s a good healthy beginning in learning to love our body too. Let’s face it the more we use things like holding back what our body needs it feeds into the negative feelings we can have about ourselves. This type of messaging influences our body outlook, causes body shaming and negativity about how we feel, talk to and describe our body. There are enough things in the world that try to shame us about size, weight, shape, color and more to measure against some unrealistic beauty standards. Let’s stop adding to all that with how we talk about ourselves to our body.
All of this also means we stop passing on silly things to our daughters and young women about being embarrassed about their bodies too!
The Bad Stuff Happening in Your Digestion
America is known as the fast food empire of the world. We do everything fast, including eating. Most meals are consumed in 10 minutes or less. This is efficient and convenient so we can return to our activities and obligations. This however, is the root of many digestive problems we regularly experience.
When you do not thoroughly chew your food, as in more than 2 chews before swallowing, you are putting large chunks of food down your esophagus and into your stomach. Your stomach must then work double time to break it down. The enzymes of your mouth saliva were not used to help in that process so your stomach has to use what it has to try to compensate for that. Over time this breaks down your stomach acid, lining and protective processes and our stomach hurts from eating. We get bloated, heartburn or even vomit. Food does not go down well. We develop intolerances and even allergies from it too. When we take antacids and other over the counter medications we further inhibit the production of stomach acids and digestive enzymes that work to digest foods complicating this problem further.
From there, our small intestine further breaks down food, but if we’re taking over the counter or prescription antacids, the acids in the small intestine don’t respond to food that needs work. They stop producing the enzymes to the amount they need because these medications block that trigger from occurring. This causes bloating, build up and dehydration because more water is needed to help break down food into cell energy and waste.
Our large intestine also suffers because at this point it is clogged with hard waste to try to move out and eliminate. If we don’t consume enough water this is further compounded by the hardness in our stool. Any water we do have in our body is taken to support vital processes. That includes taking it from our waste sitting in the intestine. Remember my comment earlier about poisoning ourselves? Here we are. Toxic waste and fluids being reabsorbed because our body needs to use what it has to try to continue functioning.
When we hold in gas or avoid pooping, this is another way these toxic wastes are reabsorbed into our blood to support functions that are struggling. We force our bodies to redirect bodily needs and this in turn disrupts operations. This leads to fatigue, immune risk for illnesses, further digestive problems, and just feeling like crap.
It all sounds awful doesn’t it? Yet, many of us will put our bodies through this experience regularly. We then pile on stress, poor diet, lack of water, lack of exercise, poor sleep, too much caffeine and then wonder why we are struggling to get through the afternoon slump, not sleeping well, or irritable.
Who wouldn’t be all those things and a few others given this?!
All of it is controllable and preventable when we listen to what our body is saying it needs and do our best to provide it.
What Your Stomach is Saying
The grumbling, rumbling, bloating, gassy feelings, burning sensation and more are messages. They are SOS alerts from your stomach that it needs support. Ignoring them will only make them louder and you may even feel them elsewhere in your body, like swollen ankles, fatigue, depression and anxiety. Not to mention acne and breakouts! Yes! What you see on your face is a direct correlation to what is occurring in your digestive system.
Deciphering these messages is key to starting to rebuild our health, specially in digestion first and that will influence our other body systems too. If you get your digestion working well, everything else does truly fall in place. For example, if you are regularly bloated or have swelling, check how much water you are drinking daily. Most people are not drinking enough. The recommended 64 ounces a day is the minimum we need too. The recommended is actually 1/2 your body weight every single day. This ensures proper hydration for your body to function, including in the digestive process. It also helps reduce swelling and bloating. If you have regular breakouts, check what’s going on in your digestive system. It is all tied together my friend.
This is where working with a natural health practitioner will help you the most. They will focus on what is happening all around your body and build the connections to where it is stemming from. In the majority of situations, it is the digestive system. Our digestive system is responsible for 70-75% of our overall health condition. They will work with you to personalize a plan to resolve it, heal it, build it and feel better. If you have not worked with a natural health practitioner before, be sure to read my blog posts about what it means and what to expect.
What to Expect When You Work with a Natural Health Practitioner:
Is Natural Healthcare Right for You?
Changing the Women’s Digestive Manners
Now that you know how poor these strange digestive manners are to our health, let’s make it ok to acknowledge we need to care for our bodies better.
Let’s stop shaming our bodies for being normal functioning beings who need things.
Let’s stop teaching our daughters through our words and actions, that women don’t fart or poop. We do and they need to as well. It’s healthy. It’s loving to our body. It’s human.
To the little girl who cried about farting in math class, while she stood in the corner. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all those years of abuse I gave to my body as a result of so-called manners that harmed my health. I’m sorry I ever let myself become one of those women who don’t fart or poop because I believed it wasn’t ladylike.
I may still not be entirely comfortable pooping in a public restroom or letting a fart go openly, but I acknowledge my body’s needs are important and do all I can to support it in a loving way. Make that same promise to your body and start rebuilding your relationship with you that includes what your body needs to be healthy.
How to work with me
I am now accepting new clients who are interested in natural healthcare support. Schedule your consultation at dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online
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