Thursday, October 8, 2009

To Squat or Sit........?


I remember the fear I had on my first trip Africa - wondering how was I going to relieve myself in places that didn't have modern toilets? But what a revelation I had when I finally mustered up my courage (after holding it for 3 days!) and assumed the position over that hole in the ground. I'm sure those of you who go camping a lot can relate to this as well.
In her Natural Health Blog, "Doctor of the Future" Carolyn Dean, MD talks about how most other cultures use the squatting position for evacuation and explains how it is a better posture than sitting to facilitate elimination of bodily waste.
The website Toilet Related Ailments goes in depth on the many diseases and health problems that many doctors think are attributed to the modern toilet, the history of sitting down to eliminate and how many other countries where squatting is the norm there are much lower incidences of bowel diseases.
For those of us living in a non-squatting country, there are a few options. You can either "surf the seat" (you get the idea), or purchase a nifty table that you can climb on that fits above your toilet. There's a company called "Nature's Platform", that sells such a table.
But if you're not committed to that level of bathroom tactics transformation, Dr. Dean recommends placing a high foot stool in front of you that will give you at least some angle of assistance when you put your feet up on it. Try it some time and you may be pleasantly surprised.