Be real for a second: You probably inspect your poop so often you could do a PowerPoint presentation on your daily BMs. (No shame, really! Examine that poo all you want.)

Most of the time, whatever’s in the toilet looks pretty standard: Brown and log-like. So when something’s very clearly off ­– like if your poop is pencil-thin and kind of stringy-looking – it’s alarming.

First: Take a deep breath – stringy poop is likely not as bad as you think. Yes, even if your poop looks like you ran it through a Play-Doh pasta maker.

Okay, why does my poop look stringy?

Let’s get something out of the way first: You’ve probably heard that stringy poop can be a sign of colorectal cancer and, yes, that’s true, says Dr Kyle Staller, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. But it’s way more common that stringy poop is caused by something much more innocent, he says.

Namely, it could be that your poop is just moving through your colon really fast and creating a thin, stringy appearance in the process. That could be due to something as simple as a change in your diet, says Dr Benjamin Lebwohl, a gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center.

“Aside from diet, other factors that can affect the frequency of bowel movements include a change in physical activity, fluid intake, travel, stress or other disruptions to one’s routine,” he says. “Typically, moving around less, sitting for prolonged periods and being relatively dehydrated can slow the bowels down, and this can result in a change in shape.”

Read more: 6 reasons why you’re pooping a whole lot more than usual

Should I be worried about my stringy poop?

Not really, says Dr Anton Bilchik, professor of surgery and chief of gastrointestinal research at John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. “This can be a normal type of stool,” he says. “Some people have thin and stringy stools; some people have larger bowel movements.”

That said, you should be a little concerned if you’ve been having big, bulky poop and then suddenly you’re having thin, stringy poop that won’t quit, says Dr Ashkan Farhadi, a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center and director of MemorialCare Medical Group’s Digestive Disease Project in Fountain Valley, California. That’s especially true if it also comes along with bloody poop and abdominal pain, Dr Staller says, who recommends seeing your doctor ASAP, if that’s the case.

Read more: 8 natural laxatives that actually work to relieve constipation

How can I take care of my stringy poop situation?

If you’re just having stringy poop and you have no other symptoms, it’s a good idea to try to bulk up the fibre in your diet and see where that gets you, Dr Staller says. That could mean eating more high-fibre foods (like whole grains and beans) or taking a supplement.

But if you’re having other symptoms along with your stringy poop, or it came out of nowhere and won’t stop, it’s a good idea to check in with a doctor, just in case. Your doctor will typically examine you and, if they think it’s necessary, may order a colonoscopy, Dr Lebwohl says.

One thing to keep in mind (and put you at ease), “When we do a colonoscopy to evaluate long stringy bowel movements, the great majority of the time we find no structural abnormality and no cancer,” he says.

Again, if you’re just having stringy poop here and there, don’t panic. You probably ate something funky or you’ve changed up how much you’re drinking – and it’s totally normal.

^{This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com}

^{Image credit: iStock} 

Due to society’s expectations and rigid gender performance standards, erectile dysfunction (ED) can be a daunting prospect for men.

You might think the problem is squarely on something intrinsically wrong with your penis – so you might be surprised to learn that your struggles might be due to an underdeveloped set of pelvic floor muscles.

Read more: Can watching too much porn give you erectile dysfunction?

For most men, the pelvic floor muscles aren’t exactly their priority when hitting the gym for a full body workout – but they should be. These muscles are critical for many essential daily functions, both in the bathroom and in the bedroom.

Unfortunately, it’s not commonplace for men to seek out help to strengthen their pelvic muscles.

When men hurt themselves playing sports or otherwise, they’re likely not going to be embarrassed to seek out an orthopaedist or physical therapist (PT) for help – but when it comes to an injury or problem with their muscles “down there”, men tend to be a little more… private.

Despite common belief and focus on keeping up macho appearances, pelvic floor (PF) dysfunction isn’t just a woman problem. Leakage with squats, pain during or after sex, and bowel or bladder incontinence are all signs of PF muscle dysfunction. Let it be known that penises have muscles, too. And sometimes, like any other muscle in your body, they can be dysfunctional – so you should see a PT about those muscles, too.

Facing real problems

ED is a common and growing problem facing thousands of men in the US (pun intended). According to the 2010 US Census Bureau, more than 12 million men between the ages of 40 and 79 experience ED.

More recent research suggests that as much as a quarter of men under the age of 40 do, too. Despite its prevalence, most men treat the same way: Using medication. But what if I told you that you could see a physical therapist for your ED to solve the problem naturally? According to research, you can.

Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to achieve or maintain an erection. There can be many causes of ED ranging from the emotional and psychological to the physical or neurological. “Pelvic floor physical therapy can address the muscular and nerve function required to achieve and maintain an erection,” pelvic floor specialised doctor of physical therapy Dr Erin Weber told Men’s Health. Specifically, targeted PT can help a man strengthen and engage his ischiocavernosus muscle, which is responsible for building and keeping penile rigidity. That engagement can be honed through exercises like kegels, which have grown more common among women but are woefully underperformed by men.

Just like any other muscle, the pelvic floor muscles can be addressed with rehabilitation. A proper strengthening routine can target weakness – specifically, trigger points can be released where there is increased tension, restoring the correct length-tension relationship and creating more complete and stronger muscle contractions, according to Dr Weber.

But before you start getting too creative with a DIY strengthening and massage routine, you’ll want a qualified specialist to assess and identify the source of the problem before determining the most appropriate treatment plan.

Read more: This new gel could help you get an erection in just 5 minutes

What goes into treatment

You’d be surprised what PF PT might entail. “Pelvic floor PT is much more than range of motion exercises, soft tissue mobilisation and home exercises,” Dr Francesca Warner, a doctor of physical therapy who specialises in treating male and female pelvic health, told Men’s Health.

A big focus of her treatments is on patient education and lifestyle adjustments. In particular, Dr Warner highlighted the importance of breathing and relaxation techniques. “Your diaphragm and your pelvic floor muscles are connected, therefore proper breathing is paramount.”

Additionally, stress can exacerbate pelvic pain. Dr Warner noted that many people hold stress in their pelvis, just like others do in their neck and shoulders. Patient education on avoiding straining when going to the bathroom, not clenching muscles throughout the day and global relaxation strategies, such as meditation and mindfulness, can be a large part of her treatments.

Read more: How to maintain your erection

So why aren’t more men seeking physical therapy for their ED? According to Dr Weber, who treats mostly women, men aren’t the only ones lacking knowledge about the muscle group. “Women are just starting to talk (whisper) about their pelvic floors, but only because they go through childbirth.”

Dr Warner believes the main reason men don’t seek pelvic floor physical therapy is because they don’t know it exists. “While there are a handful of excellent urologists, gastroenterologists, orthopaedists and pelvic pain specialists who refer patients to PF physical therapy, unfortunately not all doctors are aware of this specialisation (especially when it comes to men),” she said.

Dr Warner believes part of the issue has to do with common misconceptions. She noted that men are often told ED is related to anxiety. When all the diagnostic testing and urine cultures are negative, they are treated with anti-anxiety medications before their pelvic floor muscles are thoroughly assessed. This can be particularly frustrating for men who begin to think “it’s all in their head”, when there is undoubtedly a muscular component to their pain or discomfort.

Not just a ‘woman thing’

Not convinced yet?

Know this: A pelvic floor exam by a physical therapist may involve both external and internal soft tissue, neurological, strength and range of motion assessments.

Read more: How your big toe can signal problems with your erection

By internal, this usually means very gentle assessment of the pelvic floor muscles via the rectum – so yes, you will need to be ready for the rubber gloves to go on.

PF PTs know this may be uncharted territory for many men, so you should also know that internal exams usually don’t happen on the initial visit. Such procedures are always discussed prior to the exam and are only performed when a medical history and complete examination indicate that it is appropriate.

“I often hear ‘how come it took seven different doctors to get me here?’ or ‘I wish I had known about this three, five, 15 years ago,’” said Dr Warner. Above all, she wants men to know that they are not alone and there is help out there. “I am frequently asked ‘Have you ever treated this before?’ My patients seem shocked to hear that, not only are they not my first patient suffering from these symptoms, but they are usually one of three I’ve treated that day.”

Hopefully the stigma of pelvic floor PT being just a “woman thing” will change as men learn more about the prevalence of male pelvic floor dysfunction. Pelvic floor PT can help, so remember: Your struggles might not be in your head.

^{This article was originally published on www.mh.co.za}

^{Image credit: iStock}

Nothing makes you feel like you’re approximately 97 years old more than thinking, “My hips are killing me!” – am I right?

But that tight, pinching sensation where the top of your thighs meet your hips is definitely not just a nonagenarian thing.

If your hips are killing you, you probably spend a lot of time sitting – in the car, at work, on that spinning seat – which puts your hips in near-constant “flexion”, says Cori Lefkowith, NASM-certified personal trainer and owner of Redefining Strength in Orange County, California. Even running involves a repetitive flexion movement that can cause pain.

Keeping your hips in flexion pretty much all the time causes your hip flexors (you know, the muscles that stabilise the joint and allow your body to hinge) to become “overactive” –  which is basically a fancy way of saying incredibly tight.

And that’s probably what’s causing your hip pain, and maybe even your lower back or knee pain. It could also be the reason why your hips hurt more than your abs during your core workouts. Annoying, right?

How can you tell if your hip flexors are overactive?

The most obvious sign: Hip pain. But yeah, tight hip flexors can also cause lower back pain.

“There are two main hip flexors: the psoas and the iliacus,” says Lefkowith. “The psoas connects into your spine, so if that hip flexor muscle gets shortened, it’s sort of pulling the hip towards the spine and the spine towards the hip.” Ouch?

This also interferes with abs exercises, she explains. Tight hip flexors throw off your alignment, and as a result, your hips end up doing more work than they’re supposed to when you do, say, sit-ups or leg lowers.

Shortened hip flexors also overstretch the glutes and hamstrings, explains Lefkowith. This makes the glutes and hammies harder to activate when you want them to, whether you’re going for a run or doing squats. Plus, when you run the front side of your body will be working harder than the back side, causing tons of stress on your knees.

Read more: Tight hips? Take this mobility test!

How can you prevent hip flexor pain?

The first thing you can do to prevent hip flexor issues when you’re working out is to focus on the mind-muscle connection, says Lefkowith. “A lot of time, we push through pain and let muscles compensate without being aware of what muscles are supposed to be working,” she says.

So if you’re doing abs exercises and you feel like your hip flexors are putting in more work, refocus and dial in on the muscles you’re trying to target. It might sound trite to just “think” about a muscle working as you’re doing an exercise (for example, thinking about your abs contracting as you do a sit-up), but it might actually prevent you from mindlessly grinding out reps with poor form.

The second key is to do some prep work before diving into a workout, says Lefkowith. She takes a three-step approach: Foam rolling, dynamic stretching and activation exercises for other muscle groups.

Foam rolling overactive hip flexors with a roller or a lacrosse ball before a workout can help chill them out. “Foam rolling helps relax and release the muscle and it can help inhibit muscles that might be overactive,” Lefkowith explains. She notes that instead of just rolling quickly, hold still and breathe into any tight areas you come across.

Stretching is your next move, but not just any stretches. “Before your workout, you want to go for dynamic stretches, or stretches that put the joint through a full range of motion,” says Lefkowith. Moves like squats and lunges will get your muscles fired up (especially if you focus on squeezing your butt at the top of those squats), says Lefkowith.

Read more: A physio’s guide to foam rolling the right way, plus which type of roller to use

What are the best exercises for hip flexor pain?

The best exercises for hip flexor pain are really more geared towards getting the muscles you want to work engaged.

A basic bodyweight glute bridge is one of Lefkowith’s favorites. Want to try it? Lie on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, and push your hips up toward the sky, squeezing your glutes at the top. This will not only help get your glutes in the game, but it also gives your hip flexors a chance to stretch out.

You can also give your hip flexors some love when you’re not working out. “Just do some glute squeezes when you’re standing around,” says Lefkowith.

Ultimately, just giving your hip flexors a break from all that flexion can make a big difference, too. “The more you can move throughout the day, the better off you’re going to be,” says Lefkowith. “Get up, move around, take a doorway stretch, do whatever you can.” (In fact, that’s just good advice in general.)

^{This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com}

^{Image credit: iStock} 

Alexa Tucker

Breast milk offers a complete balanced meal as it contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins minerals and all the water your baby needs. In addition, breast milk contains antibodies that are not found in any infant formula, food or drink. These antibodies are biological compounds, produced by the mother’s immune system, which means they cannot be artificially made. 

“Breast milk is referred to by some as ‘Liquid Gold’ for this reason,” Catherine Pereira Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) spokesperson, registered dietitian and lecturer at the University of the Western Cape, told Health24. “It is definitely the ‘Gold Standard’ for feeding babies and young children.” 

In fact, breastfeeding can be life-saving too, and according to a journal in The Lancet, “Improved breastfeeding practices would prevent 823 000 annual deaths in children younger than five years of age.” 

Optimal infant and young child feeding is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF as “the early initiation of breastfeeding (within one hour of birth); exclusive breastfeeding until six months; and then the introduction of nutritionally-adequate and safe complementary (solid) foods at six months together with continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond”.

“There is more and more research being done, and new components of breast milk are being discovered that just continue to prove its benefits in terms of health and development, as well as the prevention of disease and death for the baby. However, the benefits don’t only last while the child is being breastfed but is has been shown that the child later on in life, and that same baby as an adult will have a reduced risk of developing non-communicable diseases and obesity, for example,” says Pereira.

5 benefits of breastfeeding

While there are health benefits to a breastfeeding mom, there are also numerous benefits to the baby. Pereira shares these five: 

1. Breast milk is nutritionally complete, which means it contains all the nutrients and water a baby needs for their first six months of life. “Breast milk can never be under or over diluted,” says Pereira.

2. Breastfeeding also has psychological advantages. “It allows for increased bonding between the mother and baby,” says Pereira. “The infant feels safe, warm and protected because there is more skin-to-skin contact between the mother and baby during breastfeeding.” Skin-to-skin contact has many advantages for the mother and baby. According to UNICEF, it calms and relaxes both the mother and baby; it helps regulate the baby’s heart rate and breathing; and it helps the baby to adapt to life outside the womb. Breastfeeding also stimulates the release of hormones that support breastfeeding.

“For me, the benefit to my emotional health far outweighed the physical health benefits. Being able to bond with all my children during the time I breastfed was special. I also have a family history of breast cancer and breastfeeding has been shown to lower one’s risk of breast cancer,” Maryke Gallagher, mother of three, ADSA spokesperson and registered dietitian, previously told Health24. 

3. “Breast milk is more economical than formula, which means the mother would have more money available to pay for all the other costs associated with having a newborn baby, such as nappies and clothes,” says Pereira. She adds that if mothers or caregivers cannot afford sufficient infant formula, they will often over-dilute the formula to help it last longer, which means it contains fewer nutrients and can cause malnutrition. Other sub-optimal feeding practices include giving porridge or tea too early. “Breastfeeding therefore assists to prevent malnutrition.”

4. Babies are seldom allergic to their own mother’s milk. In addition, breastfed babies are less likely to develop food allergies later in life.

5. Breastfed babies get sick less often and have a reduced risk of developing infections due to the antibodies in breast milk. “Unfortunately infant formula carries a high risk of becoming contaminated with bacteria, especially when prepared in conditions where safe water and hygiene are not guaranteed,” says Pereira.  

Did you know?

If mothers start to introduce infant formula or other foods and drinks to the baby too early while breastfeeding, their breast milk production will decrease. This is because the baby would be feeding less often at the breast if they were provided with foods or drinks other than breast milk.

Breast-milk production operates on a supply and demand basis. Each time a baby breastfeeds, specific reflexes in the mother’s body ensure that certain hormones are produced which in turn stimulate the production of milk for the next feed. Therefore, the more often a baby feeds, the more milk will be produced. Babies need to feed often because their tummies are small and they are growing at a rapid rate, so they very quickly use up all of the energy and nutrients that they consume.

^{Image credit: iStock} 

Compiled by Mandy Freeman

A new study in the journal Scientific Reports gets to the bottom of it: Why do dogs that are trained to locate poop sometimes find the wrong kind of poop?

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infects almost all of the human population, but only very few will show any symptoms during their lifetime: HHV-6 is one of the most widespread viruses among the population. Between 95 and 100 percent of healthy adults have antibodies to the virus which means that they have been infected at some point in the past.

Using the fossil record to accurately estimate the timing and pace of past mass extinctions is no easy task, and a new study highlights how fossil evidence can produce a misleading picture if not interpreted with care.

Could the timing of your breakfast and dinner help you eat less and lose body fat?

A small, preliminary study suggests it’s possible.

People cut their daily calorie intake by about 25% when they held off on breakfast for 90 minutes and then had dinner 90 minutes earlier than usual, said senior researcher Jonathan Johnston. He is a reader in chronobiology and integrative physiology with the University of Surrey. 

These people also lost more than twice as much body fat, on average, than a control group with unrestricted eating times, Johnston added.

Meal timing 

“Meal timing is important, in addition to meal content,” Johnston said. “Meal timing research is still quite new, but has a lot of promise to help people improve health with relatively minor changes to behaviour.”

To find out, nine people were recruited to take part in a “time-restricted feeding” pilot study, in which they delayed breakfast and moved up dinner by an hour and a half. During that window, they could eat as often as they liked.

“We deliberately designed our study to have a fairly minor reduction in daily eating duration,” Johnston said.

Another seven people served as a control group by eating meals as they normally would.

Participants provided blood samples and completed diet diaries before and during the study period.

A shorter meal window

After 10 weeks, the people with a shorter meal window had reduced their body fat by about 2%, compared with under 1% lost by those in the control group, the researchers said.

Participants also cut their average energy intake from roughly 2 091 to 1 553 calories per day, the findings showed.

People said they tended to eat less because they had reduced appetite, decreased opportunities to eat, or a cutback in their snacking habits, according to a questionnaire they filled out afterward.

Restricted feeding could lead you to eat food at times best suited for your body’s daily metabolic rhythms, he suggested. It also could be that a shorter meal window increases the length of the daily fasting period.

However, these changes to meal timing may not be sustainable for many.

Fitting in with other people

About 57% of participants told researchers they could not have maintained the new meal times long-term, because they were incompatible with family and social life.

But 43% said they would consider continuing a time-restricted diet if eating times were more flexible.

“This is really important as it emphasizes how important it is for dietary changes to fit with people’s lives in the real world,” Johnston said. “An important question for future research is to evaluate whether a shortened daily duration of feeding will be effective if started at different times of day.”

The study was published in the Journal of Nutritional Science.

Stress hormones can spike

According to an article by Africa Check, 26.8% of South Africans suffer from obesity. This statistic places South Africa at the top of the average Sub-Saharan African ranking. 

The meal schedule in this study is a form of intermittent fasting, said Grace Fjeldberg, a registered dietitian nutritionist with the Mayo Clinic Health System. This “has become an increasingly popular trend to support weight loss,” she said.

“Everyone is looking for quick ways to support weight loss and improve overall health, and eating fewer times throughout the day often produces a deficit in calories and ultimately weight loss,” Fjeldberg explained.

But Fjeldberg warned that quick weight loss through fasting might not necessarily lead to better health and long-term reduced weight.

“Hunger and stress hormones can spike with prolonged periods of fasting, and for some this may mean increased portions in the few meals that are eaten throughout the day and potentially higher calories,” Fjeldberg said.

^{Image credit: iStock}

The British mainland was formed from the collision of not two, but three ancient continental land masses, according to new research.

A maple leaf extract may help prevent wrinkles, scientists say. In a new study, researchers found that certain compounds in maple leaves block the release of an enzyme called elastase, which breaks down a protein called elastin as people age. Elastin helps maintain skin elasticity.

Previous work by the same University of Rhode Island researchers found that these same compounds in maple leaves might help protect skin from inflammation and lighten dark spots, such as freckles or age spots.

“You could imagine that these extracts might tighten up human skin like a plant-based Botox, though they would be a topical application, not an injected toxin,” principal investigator Navindra Seeram said in an American Chemical Society (ACS) news release.

Such products would provide a new option for people who want natural, plant-based skincare products, and also might provide economic benefits in the United States and Canada, the researchers said.

“Many botanical ingredients traditionally come from China, India and the Mediterranean, but the sugar maple and the red maple only grow in eastern North America,” Seeram said.

Woodlot owners who currently only harvest sap from the maple trees could use the leaves as an additional source of income. The process would be sustainable because the leaves could be collected during normal pruning or when they fall from the trees in autumn, Seeram said.

The team’s research is continuing, and it’s also formulating the findings into a patent-pending product.

The study findings are scheduled for presentation at the annual meeting of the ACS, in Boston. 

^{Image credit: iStock}