Last month, I was in Arkansas speaking to a group of school foodservice professionals when “it” finally entered the discussion, just like I always knew it would.  A question was asked, the audience laughed uncomfortably, and the moderator turned towards me and asked, “Kara, do you want to field this one?”  It’s not like I wanted to talk about “it,” but there I was, in a room full of 100+ strangers, each and every one of them curious about the same thing.  All I could do was laugh, take a deep breath, and take the microphone.  

 

What is this “it” I speak of?  “It” is poo, also known as feces, bowel movements, going #2, or a whole host of other terms and words you can probably think of.  I personally take the Mike Rowe a la Dirty Jobs approach, figuring “feces” is too scientific, “poop” is too juvenile, but “poo” is about as good a balance between cute and comic as you’re going to find, and it works well in conversation too.

 

Although I was raised in a very liberal, very open household, it was firmly ingrained in me by my little grandmother that polite people just don’t talk about… that.  “It” isn’t a topic for conversation, no matter what the audience or occasion may be.  And this held true for most of my life.  I certainly didn’t want to hear about “it” from anyone else, just as I certainly didn’t want to talk about “it” myself.  I might not have been much of a lady, but not talking about “it” was something I could agree with.

 

And then, I joined the WGC, and all of that changed.  It’s not as if I talk about “it” all day, every day, but questions do come up from time to time.  And it is important to talk about “it,” much as we might not want to.  Especially with your health professional, especially if you have concerns about that area of your health.  As a friend who is a Registered Dietitian once told me, sometimes the only way to know what’s going on inside the human body is to monitor what goes in and what comes out.

 

So let’s talk about whole grains and poo.  First off, whole grains can be as high (if not higher) in fiber as many fruits and vegetables, and most of us understand that fiber helps clean out our digestive tract.  The insoluble fiber in whole grains helps speed the passage of food through the body and can help keep us regular and prevent constipation.  Insoluble fiber bulks up the stool, helping to move waste out of our bodies; this “plunger effect” is important because keeping your digestive tract moving with ease can help eliminate or even prevent digestive health complications like IBS, hemorrhoids, and frequent constipation.  The easier it is for your body to expel waste, the more comfortable you feel and the healthier your digestive tract will be.  It’s possible to OD a bit on fiber, and I do it at least twice each summer when my dinners can consist of nothing but green beans and arugula from my garden, or fresh corn from the local farm.  Our bodies are pretty good at telling us we’ve gone overboard, so then it’s just a matter of scaling back at our next meal.  (Although it doesn’t totally fit in this context, I thought I should mention that the soluble fiber also found in whole grains is the type that absorbs into your blood and clears out fatty acids, thereby helping to lower cholesterol.  That’s why they help you poo and reduce cholesterol – magical, right?)

 

Some of the confusion that surrounds whole grains and poo can only be described in terms similar to the plot of a bad horror film from the 1950s.  That is, some people worry that increasing whole grain intake is going to make them poo so much and so frequently that they’ll be trapped in the bathroom forever.  They worry that whole grains in their digestive tract will somehow spawn into Super Poos, requiring an immediate, possibly painful bathroom break – and woe to anyone stuck in traffic or trapped in an endless conference call!  Truthfully, I don’t know where this fear comes from, but I can tell you that if you are eating a balanced diet, including whole grains, and staying hydrated, you need not fear the Super Poo.  In fact, it’s been my experience that increased whole grains help you stay regular, which keeps things from moving too slow and too fast, if you get my meaning.  

 

Finally, since we’re focused on things south of your belt buckle, let’s discuss our species’ seeming obsession with gas.  If you’ve seen ads for anti-gas pills like Beano or Gas-X (or my favorite, an ad from the UK for Deflatine), you know that no one wants to be gassy.  I think the only segment of the population that might be okay with, even excited by, increased gassiness are third- and fourth-grade boys.  And yes, there is a connection between fiber and gas – fiber can increase fermentation in the intestines, fermentation equals gas, and it’s got to go somewhere – which means there’s also a connection between whole grains and gas.  I personally believe that the key to cutting down on excess gas is to start slowly and to stay hydrated, but it’s not as if all whole grains give everyone horrible gas.  I’ve heard some people say that whole grains never give them gas, but things like raw onions do.  Everyone is different, so if you do get gassy after eating even a half-serving (8g) or whole grains, do what you need to do to feel comfortable again.

 

So there you have it, my poo post.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments or send me an Email.  Better yet, ask your health professional at your next appointment and see if they too know their poo!  (Kara)

 

Be sure to join me next month for more Me & My Whole Grains, a series of monthly blogs that share the changes I’ve seen in my life directly related to whole grains.