The Scoop on Poop

In today’s wave of body positivity, there are still taboos around pooping—especially among women! That’s why SENOKOT®—providing gentle overnight relief of occasional constipation through natural senna—is encouraging us all to have more candid conversations around poo-haviours, in order to break poo-taboos. After all, digestion and regularity are really the window to our overall health and well-being! We chatted with Toronto-based content creator, YouTuber and host of “The Sandwich” podcast Amanda Muse, who is teaming up with SENOKOT® to spark this "real talk on regularity" and help us all celebrate our #2. —Vita Daily

Hi Amanda! People are embarrassed to talk about poo. Why do you think there is such a stigma around it, and what can we do to overcome it?

There’s no reason for the stigma to exist in the first place—everybody poops! But 30 per cent of Canadians are still too embarrassed to openly discuss their regularity, which is so essential to their overall wellness. We have come so far in terms of body positivity, acceptance and inclusion—and that’s part of why I feel so passionately about this. I want to encourage everyone to start talking about their poo as part of their health so that we can talk about occasional constipation the same way we talk about catching a cold or having a headache!

You are all about realness and openness—so, do you and your husband talk about poo?

All the time! I think that the poo conversation is often initiated in relationships when you travel together for the first time and share a hotel room. My husband is a pilot—so we are on the road, and in the air, all the time! I also think that as soon as you have children, all pretending is gone—and honestly, it’s so much better for everyone to just be honest and open about needing a couple minutes to go to the bathroom!

Do you have any advice for people who want to open up to their partners, friends and family about poo?

Thinking about bowel movements in the context of digestive health is a great way to ease into conversations about regularity. I also think that a few good jokes never hurt! Poo shouldn’t be something we’re embarrassed to talk about—so celebrate the #2 in you and start conversations about the role of regularity in your overall wellness!

We know you are working to end the stigma around poo (thank you!); can you tell us more about the #ScooponPoop campaign?

A: I’m really proud to be working with SENOKOT®, Canada’s most trusted laxative brand, to share the Scoop on Poop with Canadians, and encourage them to end the poo taboo. The campaign encourages Canadians to celebrate their #2 as part of their health, and to feel comfortable talking about their poo because a healthy poo equals a healthy you! One of my absolute favourite things about the campaign is the national survey we conducted, which reveals Canadians top poo-haviours, and how much room there is to educate Canadians on the role of laxatives in relieving constipation.

That sounds fun! Can you share some survey results with us?

The Scoop on Poop survey uncovered some of the—outrageous—things Canadians would rather do than talk about their poo, including: run errands/do chores (45 per cent), talk about politics with their family (26 per cent), go to the dentist (22 per cent), watch paint dry (16 per cent) and swim with sharks (9 per cent)! This is crazy! Nearly one in 10 Canadians would rather swim with sharks than talk about their poo! On a more serious note, the survey revealed that half (50 per cent) of Canadians agree that constipation affects their ability to live their best life, and that 72 per cent feel uneasy and uncomfortable when they are constipated. This really drives home why it is so important for us to open up conversations about poo and regularity—because gentle solutions for occasional constipation, like SENOKOT®, are here to help.

You mentioned there is a lot of misinformation about poo. Are there any top poo myths you can bust for us?

There are so many misconceptions about regularity and laxatives, it’s hard to know where to start! The first issue is that many Canadians don’t know what laxatives are or how to use them. In fact, 42 per cent of millennials say they didn’t know when or how to use laxatives and 18 per cent aren’t aware that there is a treatment for constipation. Another laxative myth: uncontrollable pooping. Don’t worry, you don’t need to take a work from home day if you choose a gentle laxative. This is part of why I like SENOKOT®, it produces really gentle wave-like contractions that encourage a bowel movement—so you don’t need to worry about staying close to the bathroom all day!

Can you tell us more about SENOKOT® and how it supports your regularity?

Did you know that women are two times as likely as men to experience constipation? As a frequent traveller, I cannot stress the importance of staying regular to overall wellness—and general comfort! Sometimes we all need a little help staying regular, and that’s when SENOKOT® comes in handy. SENOKOT® laxatives are made from natural senna and provide gentle relief from occasional constipation (no uncontrollable pooping here!).

Finally, a personal (cheeky) question: are you an on-the-throne cellphone user or book/magazine reader? Or, are you a toilet multitasker?

Toilet multitasking? Of course, I’m a mom! I don’t ever have a second to myself even if it’s on the toilet! In fact, I just posted a photo of me with both my kids and dogs in the bathroom with me! But if I had it my way, I would probably be an on-the-throne cellphone user. I’m very connected to my online community and I love seeing what other conversations are taking place on social media! So please join the conversation with me and celebrate the #2 in you!

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