Poop. Probably a taboo subject in most circles, but not here! As functional nutritionists, it is a vital part of the conversations we have with each of our clients. Poop tells a story. Really – it does! Understanding the importance of monitoring your poop allows you decode your digestion and identify which aspects of the process need attention and support.
Digestion is a complicated business with a lot of moving parts. From the moment we ingest a piece of food, until it makes its grand re-entrance into the world, the processes it undergoes remain a bit of a mystery to us. A breakdown in digestion can occur at any of a number of places along the tract. The end product, our stool, can give us the clues we need to “see inside” our digestive process!
Understanding Normal vs Abnormal
The first step to decoding our digestion is to understand what things look like when everything is working well.
Digestion should be a pretty quiet process. It shouldn’t draw attention to itself. Symptoms like heartburn, bloating, stomach cramps and/or excessive gas are clear signs that there is a kink somewhere in the digestion process chain.
The final result of digestion, known as feces or stool, can provide valuable information through its consistency, color, and odor.
Healthy stools should be smooth, sausage shaped and brownish in color. Voiding of our bowels should not involve needing to take your novel into the bathroom with you! It should occur within minutes of sitting down and not involve any straining. You should feel as if you’ve completely emptied your bowels and, if you need to warn family members to give the room some time to “air out”, there could be some digestive issues lurking there as well!
Bottom-line (no pun intended): There’s a lot of useful information in that toilet bowl!
Poop “Clues” – Decode Your Digestion
Texture
Ideally, stools should look like snakes. Smooth, sausage shaped and with a consistency similar to toothpaste.
What if your stools look more like bumpy logs or hard rocks?
This could be an indication of:
- Constipation
- Gut bacteria imbalance
- Inadequate healthy fat intake
- A need to increase transit speed (time from ingestion to elimination)
What if your stools look more like pudding or tea?
- Diarrhea
- Reduced nutrient absorption
- Unidentified food sensitivity
- Gut bacteria imbalance
- A need to reduce transit speed (time from ingestion to elimination)
Color
If the color of your stool is light to dark brown, congratulations! This is normal. Non-brown stools can occur from something as simple as a food you ate. Anyone who has eaten beets can attest to this! However, changes in color may sometimes indicate a more serious issue.
Below are some possible causes for changes in stool color.
GREEN
- Diet rich in dark green vegetables
- Transit time (the amount of time digested food spends in the intestinal tract) is too fast. This can prevent the breakdown of bile, a substance released by your gallbladder to aid in fat digestion.
- Iron Supplements
RED
- Consumption of red, artificial food colouring
- Consumption of highly pigmented foods, such as beets
- Blood due to hemorrhoids
YELLOW/ORANGE
- Diet rich in yellow and orange pigmented foods
- Improperly digested fat
- Gluten sensitivity
GRAY or LIGHT COLORED
- Reduced bile output (bile is what gives stool it’s brown color)
- Need for liver and gallbladder support
- Barium
BLACK
- Use of Pepto-Bismol or similar products
- Iron supplements
- Consumption of black licorice
- Upper GI bleed
Frequency
How often should we have a bowel movement? Generally, 1 to 3 bowel movements a day is considered normal.
If you are having regular bowel movements that tick all the boxes in terms of normal (color, consistency etc.) and no other symptoms of digestive dysfunction, your frequency is probably good.
Having less than one bowel movement a day means your stools are hanging out in your large intestine for a long time. This extra times can allow toxins in the stool to be reabsorbed.
Alternatively, if you are frequenting the bathroom many times a day, things are moving too fast and not allowing the time needed for the absorption of the nutrients in your food.
Smell
Yes, poop smells. But if you require fans, room sprays or a biohazard sign, your poop is trying to tell you something! Extremely foul smelling stools can point to certain digestive problems. Issues like fat malabsorption, an imbalance in your gut bacteria or the need for pancreatic support can cause that extra foul odor.
Other Clues Something May be Off
Mucus
Some mucus is normal. Overly mucusy stools may indicate lactose intolerance, bacterial infection or an inflammatory bowel condition.
Sticky Stools
You shouldn’t need wads of toilet paper to get the job done! A high fat diet or problems absorbing the fat in your diet could be the issue. Other possible indications include intolerance to lactose and/or gluten or a need for pancreatic support.
Undigested Food
By the time our food makes its way through our digestive system and into the toilet bowl, we shouldn’t be able to recognize it! Seeing recognizable bits of food in your stool usually indicates a breakdown somewhere in the digestive process. Inadequately chewing our food is a common culprit. Other possibilities are the need for pancreatic enzyme support or an inflammatory bowel condition.
Common Issues and Their Poop Clues
Dehydration
As stool makes its way through the large intestine, much of its water content is reabsorbed. If we aren’t drinking enough water, our bodies will reabsorb extra liquid from our stool, in an attempt to satisfy its hydration needs. The result is a drier, harder stool that may be more difficult to pass.
Dietary Indicators
The digested remnants of the foods we eat make up a good portion of our stools. It makes sense that these foods will have an impact on the type of bowel movements we have.
- Fiber containing foods can affect the size, consistency and even frequency of our bowel movements.
- High fat consumption or fat that is not properly absorbed can cause sticky stools and/or stools that float.
- The qualities of your poop, combined with tracking what you eat, provide important information about food sensitivities or intolerances. By identifying patterns between your dietary intake and what you observe in the toilet bowl, you can establish links between specific foods and their effects on your digestion system.
Gut Health
We know that a healthy gut is the foundation for overall health. Clues that point to issues like leaky gut or an imbalance in the bacteria in our intestines mean gut healing is a priority. At Evergreen Wellness Academy, we are able to provide stool and food sensitivity testing that can help identify factors contributing to your digestive issues. The results of these tests allow us to tailor a gut healing plan, specific to your unique needs!
The Role of Poop in Preventative Health
It’s evident that poop provides significant insights into the health of our digestive system, but this information is only valuable if we consistently observe and take note of what we see in the toilet bowl. Think of it as your daily “Hey how’s it going?” with your digestive system!
Tips for Effective Monitoring
Grab a Copy of our Free Stool Self Assessment Handout
This is a super handy tool you can use to decode your digestion! Track and monitor your bowel movements, note any deviations from normal and begin to take the steps needed for digestive well-being.
Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal of your food and activity, alongside your Stool Self Assessment, is extremely helpful in identifying if your toilet troubles might be linked to a particular food or event. We utilize our clients’ journals to help us detect possible digestive function issues and patterns. This allows us to tailor a plan specific to their digestive needs.
Be Mindful of Changes
Monitoring consistently means you can more quickly spot changes in your digestive function. The sooner we are aware of an issue, the sooner we can address it and get things back to running smoothly!
When to Seek Medical Attention
While occasional variations in stool are normal, certain changes warrant prompt medical attention:
- Blood in Stool: Blood, whether bright red or dark, could indicate a more serious health concern. Consult a healthcare professional if you notice this for more than a few days.
- Sudden Changes in Color: Pale, clay-colored stools may signal bile production issues. Black, tarry stools could be a sign of upper digestive tract bleeding. Seek medical advice for consistent abnormal color changes.
- Persistent Diarrhea or Constipation: Consult your healthcare provider if diarrhea lasts more than a few days, especially with dehydration, fever, or severe abdominal pain. Similarly, persistent constipation with pain or bleeding should be addressed.
- Unexplained Weight Loss: Seek medical attention promptly with any significant, unexplained weight loss (with or without changes in stool habits).
- Signs of Infection: Stool changes accompanied by fever, nausea, vomiting, or abdominal cramping could indicate bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections. These may require medical treatment.
- Symptoms of an obstruction: If you are experiencing constipation, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and inability to pass gas, immediate medical attention should be sought to rule out an obstruction.
When it comes to taking care of your health, monitoring your poop, is the epitome of “minimal effort, BIG payoff”. Whether it highlights the need for better chewing habits or hints at potential underlying issues, it’s an essential practice we can’t afford to overlook.
Ready to take charge of your digestive health?
Grab your copy of our Free Stool Self-Assessment and gain valuable insights into what your poop is telling you about your health!
Need help deciphering those clues?
We’re here to help you decode your digestion, formulate a plan to improve your gut health and support you every step of the way! Contact us to schedule a consultation to discuss your findings. Together we can get you on the road to optimal digestive health!
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