Everybody poops. Half of the time when I bring up bowel movements to my clients they look at me like a deer in headlights. Maybe it feels pretty out there to talk about, even a little gross, but your bathroom habits can tell us so much about your health. I consider poop to be a vital sign, just as important as the information we get from knowing blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature. Once we understand the importance of digestion, we can come to agree that the status of your poop gives us so much information about the functionality of the gut. It shows us how you are digesting food matter, absorbing nutrients and eliminating waste. It’s more common than not for people to experience unhealthy patterns in the bathroom, whether that be constipation, diarrhea, straining, foul odor, pain and seeing food pieces in stool. We have to desensitize the awkwardness around talking about this (at least with our health providers) because your bowel habits are one way your body is talking to you! It’s definitely way more uncomfortable suffering in silence.
What we eat influences digestion and sometimes changes the consistency, shape or color of your stool. Stress levels can directly impact gut health too. It’s okay for your poop to change from time to time depending on circumstances like eating something different, traveling, being sick or going through a hard time, but it should go back to normal within a couple of days. It’s when you chronically struggle with your bowel habits or aren’t going at least 1 time a day (and this does not mean needing coffee to poo!) further investigation should be done. This could be your body’s way of hinting that something is off on a deeper level.
In addition to tracking food, hydration, mood, exercise and stress levels throughout the day, I ask my clients to use the Bristol Stool Chart as a helpful tool when analyzing symptoms and patterns pertaining to their health. What goes in must come out. When we view the body as a system, we can better understand if and where support might be needed.
Bristol stool chart:
Using this chart, numbers 3 and 4 are considered normal. Numbers 1 and 2 indicate constipation, while numbers 5-7 err on the side of diarrhea.
Image created on Canva, 2024.
Diarrhea
Oftentimes if your poop is watery and loose or you are going more than 3 times per day, it means you have diarrhea. This is not a condition, rather a symptom being expressed which means your body is quickly trying to get rid of something that does not belong in your digestive system. This could be related to parasites, viruses and food intolerances, poorly managed stress or problems with your colon like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s or Celiac disease. It is important to know the root to this symptom in the first place in order to properly address it. For example, if you experience diarrhea after a fatty meal your gallbladder may need some love and support. When diarrhea becomes more chronic, you are not getting the chance to absorb nutrients needed from your foods which can lead to nutrient deficiencies and dehydration. Certain medications and supplements can cause diarrhea like antibiotics, vitamin C and magnesium.
Constipation
Poop that is hard to pass, painful and dry is considered constipation. If you are not going daily, or at least every other day it could point to issues with your diet, hydration and overall lifestyle. Remember, pooping helps you eliminate toxins, so if you aren’t eliminating toxins such as chemicals or excess hormones, they can get reabsorbed back into your bloodstream. I see that when clients struggle with constipation, they usually consume a diet low in fiber, are under-eating during the day, don’t drink enough water, lack physical activity and have unmanaged stress. Underlying health issues like SIBO (small-intestinal bacteria overgrowth) and dysbiosis (an imbalance of good bacteria in the gut), in addition to certain medications like antidepressants, iron supplements, calcium channel blockers and antacids can contribute to constipation. Always speak with your prescribing doctor if you have concerns. Needing Miralax or coffee to go does not get to the root of the problem.
Other Signs:
Does your poop float? If so, you could have increased amounts of gas in your stool or you may not be digesting fat properly. Supporting the gallbladder and gut microbiome can help!
Foul- smelling poop.
Poop shouldn’t smell like daisies, but your odor should be familiar. If it’s randomly really smelly, it could be a sign of an infection, food sensitivity, malabsorption or a GI condition like IBS, Crohn’s or Celiac disease.
What color is your poop? Healthy poop is usually brown. If you eat a lot of greens it may turn greener or darker brown. If your poop is clay colored, yellow, red or black see your doctor.
Not all red poop is a red flag! One of my friends called me the other week freaking out that her poop was red. The first question I asked was “have you eaten beets?” She immediately felt relief because she had eaten beets the night before and had no idea this could cause her poop to be red. When I was in school I learned about the Beet Test as a way to determine the transit time of your digestion.
The Beet Test
Eat at least 1 raw or cooked beet and pay attention to the time you eat. If you notice red colored stool 12 to 24 hours after eating, your transit time is normal. If your poop turns red less than 12 hours after eating then it could indicate your transit time is too fast, meaning you are not properly absorbing nutrients.
Tips for supporting healthy bowel movements:
(Remember, everyone’s wellness needs to be considered through a bio-individual lens. What works for your friend may not be what works for you! These are general suggestions but are not customized for your specific needs.)
For most of us, eating whole-foods and minimizing highly processed foods, hydrating properly and getting in daily movement can work wonders for normalizing and regulating bowel function. Pay attention to the natural rhythms of your body. When you feel the urge to go to the bathroom, don’t hold it!
Make enough time in your morning to go to the bathroom. Oftentimes, when rushing out the door, people can hold it in and this can cause the rectum to stretch and stop responding normally to the signals it receives. Clients have shared discomfort around pooping outside of their home, but it’s something everyone really needs to get used to. Like I said earlier, everyone poops. The less stress you have around going, the easier it becomes.
Try eating at regular times each day. You don't have to be perfect with your eating schedule but skipping meals, under-eating or eating sporadically can mess up your internal clock and rhythm. The more consistent you are, the better you can learn and understand your timing.
Prioritize mindful eating practices such as taking deep breaths before eating so your body is in a relaxed state, eating slowly and chewing your food until it is smoothie-like consistency.
Hydrate properly, aiming for half of your body weight in ounces per day. Use electrolytes or add a pinch of sea salt or Himalayan salt to your water to help your cells absorb the hydration.
Gradually increase your fiber intake. Focusing on a combination of soluble and insoluble fibers from whole foods like veggies, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains. *If you have IBS or Diverticulitis do not increase fiber during a flare up. Work with a health professional for guidance around how to incorporate these foods at the right pace and at the right time to prevent flare ups.
Focus on more cooked foods rather than raw. Lightly steaming or roasting veggies will digest much easier than raw roughage.
Sip on warm broth and tea throughout the day.
Prioritize stress management.
Get in daily movement, even if it’s doing light stretching or walking.
Ask your doctor or practitioner about supplementing with magnesium. Magnesium citrate and bisglycinate can help with constipation. You can also take epsom salt baths!
Try wearing a castor oil pack over your belly with a heating pad for 20-30 minutes to aid in constipation.
Abdominal massage. I love using coconut oil and rubbing my belly from the lower bottom right of my abdomen, up to the upper right abdomen, across the abdomen towards the upper left, and then down towards the lower left abdomen.
Ask your doctor or practitioner about probiotics. Different strains can help with various symptoms. For example, Saccharomyces Boulardii is great for preventing and managing diarrhea.
Always get to the root of your symptoms! When something is off with your gut-health it can create a systemic reaction of health problems down the road. Functional testing is a great way to get a snapshot of what is going on in the gut! Work with a practitioner to run a GI map, food allergy/sensitivity testing– IgG and IgE, and hydrogen breath testing are all great options.
References
Libpski, L. (2020). Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion. Mcgraw-Hill Books.
Nutritional Therapy Association. (2020) Digestion Module.
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