• Foods high in fiber; Mayo Clinic has a great list of these kinds of foods. You know they say that “an apple a day will keep the doctor away,” it really is true! You can fight that bloated feeling by eating foods high in fiber regularly.
• Juices, such as apple juice and pear juice, will help fight constipation.
• Coffee, we all should know, is a natural laxative. This is because of the high caffeine content in coffee, which relaxes your bowels. Voila! Let it out!
• Cigarettes (if you smoke, of course) are also a great laxative. I know that sometimes I need to put out my cigarette in order to make it to the bathroom in time!
• Water, which makes up about 70 percent of your body, needs to be ingested regularly to avoid constipation. Water is a necessity of life, and without it, a huge affect is constipation.
• Ginger, a root sold in most grocery stores, also helps your digestive system.
• Cayenne Pepper is a good laxative that most people have in their house.
• Nuts, such as almonds, help your digestive system. If you are trying to lose weight, almonds also fight hunger.

These common household items will be sure to cure your constipation and clean out your body! If you still have issues, you probably should go see a doctor ASAP. Constipation may be a side effect of an illness or pregnancy.

According to ABC News, tapping your foot while on a public toilet is a signal for “gay cruising”. I, a gay male, have never heard of this term. But apparently, gay cruising refers to signaling in a public restroom to another male that you are “down for sex”.

What I do not understand is why gay cruising is attributed to the general gay population. I know this is done within male restrooms, between males. But, this is not the majority of the gay population. Such exploitation makes me upset, because I do not want this image to be associated with my own culture and values.

Anyway, the article on ABC talks about what gay cruising is, and an instance Idaho Senator Larry Craigs getting arrested for engaging in cruising in Minneapolis. It is an interesting concept, beyond the stereotypes that follow.

Image compliments of Associated Press

According to The Spiritual Feng Shui, the location of the bathroom in your house affects how wealthy you are. Feng Shui is a spiritual practice that welcomes and comforts others and yourself within your home through organization and placement. The Spiritual Feng Shui states that these locations are bad for your personal wealth:

• Bathrooms next to or above the front door.
• Bathrooms on the second floor directly above the kitchen or front door
• Bathrooms in the center of the office
• Bathrooms under the stairs

I am not sure if this is correct, because my grandma and grandpa have a bathroom next to their front door. My grandpa was a doctor, so he is definitely living in comfort!

1. Soap on the floor and walls, DISGUSTING, crusty, and probably 3 month old handsoap.

2. Dried white “who knows what” on the mirror. Are people brushing their teeth in the bathroom and splashing on the mirror?

3. Spilled coffee, or something disgustingly brown on the floor.

4. Pee still sitting in toilet from person before.

5. Coffee cup ring on toilet paper dispenser…disgustING!

6. Foamy moldy stuff on bottom of toilet, accompanied by a piece of chewed gum.

7. Coffee stains on “unused” toilet seat covers.

Now, if Walgreens offers a public restroom, the appearance should state something about how clean the store is. This just convinced me that the store is a royal and moldy mess!

I was glossing over some websites, and I came across American Restroom, a site that updated the public on restroom news and guidelines across the nation. One of the articles, entitled “Restroom Advertising“, breaks down a study conducted by Media Life. This article tells the results of research done surrounding the demographics of people who use restrooms in 14 locations across the country.

Well, as coined by Rory on a Gilmore Girls episode, these mints are “urine mints.” He stated that urine mints occur “when people go to the bathroom and they don’t wash their hands and they come out and take a mint.” Does this make any of us cringe, thinking that we may be consuming even a “poopie mint?” That grosses me out.

According to Snopes.com, there is no legislation related to the sanitary measures taken on mints in restaurants. There has been talk of legislation though.

Also, after reading an article on Helium.com, I have adopted some of the necessary precautions in order to avoid taking contaminated mints. The five most useful pointers were:

-Use your eyes!! Look around, is the restroom dirty, is the restaurant in good condition? Ask these questions.

-Wash your hands in order to contribute to the overly sanitary atmosphere of the restaurant.

-Check for signs in the restrooms stating when it was last cleaned.

-Are there handtowels or paper towels? A restroom with hand towels is definitely less sanitary than a bathroom with paper towels.

-DON’T EAT THE MINTS! Bring your own, that you know are clean!

..its funny! I especially like the list of the kinds of poopies. My favorites poops to partake would include the “clean poopie”, when you don’t have to wipe afterward… It’s a miracle! I think that the surprise poopie should be called an “oopsie poopsie”, though.

Along with this, the site offers “ways to annoy your public bathroom stallmate”, “different humorous signs found in the bathroom”, and “sounds of someone farting.” A great way to waste time!

BATHROOM QUIZ

Fish tank toilet pictured above

It is always exciting to walk into a clean bathroom when you have to poop. Frequent bathroom-goers are excited to take their bowel movements in bathrooms containing these luxurious and outrageous gadgets.

Gadgets that are wowing guests to certain public or private restrooms include:

1. The Homedics Brethe Air Revitalizer

This gadget goes beyond regular air freshener in a can. You no longer need to light a match after you drop the kids off at school. A 24/7 fragrant waterfall of lime vanilla citrus or lavender.

2. Kohler Bidet Water Butt Cleaner and Dryer

This gadget actually heats the water for you before it shoots it up your butt. And instead of getting toilet paper remnants on your bum, it blowdries your hole for you!

3. Bathroom Seat Raiser

Much like a stool, this toilet seat is perfect for people who are lazy or old. You barely have to lean over to take a poop!

4. Kimberly Clark Automatic Toilet Paper Dispenser

You no longer need to pull the toilet paper. Simply stick your hand under and the toilet paper will magically flow into your hand. Useful for the germaphobes who don’t want to touch anything in a public restroom.

5. Portable Urinal

Don’t fret, you don’t even need to leave your room if you need to take a pee. Just place this portable urinal on your bedroom wall!

6. Front End Urinal TV Projector

Get bored while you take your 30 second pee-pee? This TV will give you entertainment for entire process.

7. Fish Tank Toilet

This toilet will enhance any office bathroom. You no longer have to sit in the waiting room to watch the fishies!

8. Toto Warm Water Cleansing Unit

Much like the Kohler Bidet, this toilet will wash your bum with warm water and dry it. It ALSO massages your butt, and has a REMOTE CONTROL!!

9. Special Urinals

The slideshow pictures Artistic Urinals, beautiful sculptures for your stream to flow into.

Snapshot of properly covered toilet seat

While Chicago is the sixth most HIV cases of any city in the United States, you might ask yourself the ways you can contract this illness other than having sex. HIV is only transferred through four fluids: semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, and blood. But can HIV be transferred if you happen to take a poop after someone who has contracted this disease, or any other STD? If your log is so big that it causes a splash to your skin or privates, can you contract these stigmatized diseases?

5 STDs commonly questioned:

1. HIV
   According to the University of California, it is virtually impossible to contract HIV through a toilet. Thank God for that answer, seriously. We can now poop peacefully…well, until you see the top 4 list of STDs you CAN possibly contract from using the toilet seat.
2. Herpes
   According to International Herpes Resource Center, it is also impossible to contract herpes through the toilet seat. The virus dries out when it is exposed to air. Again, THANK GOD.
3. Scabies
   American Social Health Association says this disease is one reason to plant a large nest of TP on your public toilet seat. Guessing most people don’t want to leave the restroom with female insects burrowing and planting eggs underneath their skin. More information at ASHA’s website.
4. HPV
   As this STD is the most common STD, an most strands are untreatable, we are all happy to know that we can cut toilet seats out of the possible ways we can get HPV.
5. Crabs
   Crabs love running from clothing to clothing, skin to skin, but according to Medicine Net, their feet aren’t made to run on that cold (or warm, depends how long you are sitting there) seat.

Now we know we can’t get most, but there is always a reason to take proper precautions, hold in your poop for 30 more seconds, and place layers of toilet paper to pad your precious bum. No one wants SCABIES!!