The straight scoop on your poop
I know, gross. You probably don’t want to think about 💩, let alone read or talk about it.
But hang in here with me, because your poop is important. Really important. Your poop tells a story about your digestion and health.
Bowel habits and poop can change for a number of reasons. What you eat, or don’t eat, dehydration, stress, travel, use of certain medications, chronic health conditions and other factors may play a part.
Even if you regularly eat nutritious foods, things in the bathroom department can get wonky.
Diarrhea, constipation, bloating and gas are quite common. In a 2022 survey by the American Gastroenterological Association, 40% of Americans said they’d avoided some regular activities — exercise, running errands and visiting with family and friends — during the prior year due to their digestive symptoms.
The survey also revealed how many people are uncomfortable talking about their poop habits and other digestive issues. One in 3 people who had experienced bowel symptoms said they only shared that information when their doctor brought it up first.
But digestive issues are not something to ignore, as the gut is central to our health. Our gut microbiome (trillions of bacteria and other microbes) metabolizes some nutrients, and it influences our immune, nervous and endocrine systems. If the lining of the digestive tract is unhealthy, viruses, bacteria and food compounds can enter the bloodstream, creating inflammation elsewhere in body. Left unchecked, some gut issues can lead to serious chronic conditions.
About 4 million Americans are constipated, meaning they poop infrequently or pass small, hard poops (see Bristol Type 1 below). If you’re constipated, you likely have gas or bloating along with it, because metabolic waste and other toxins the body regularly deposits into the gut for elimination instead just sit there at your booty’s back door.
If you’re constipated for an extended period of time, other issues can develop, including bacterial overgrowth in your digestive tract, anal fissures and hemorrhoids.
In a recent study …
• 1 in 7 people reported bloating in the prior week
• Women are more likely than men to get bloated
Photo: Naturallyyours.in
By contrast, when your poop is loose or liquid (Bristol Types 6 or 7), you’re likely not absorbing adequate nutrients from your food.
If you have chronic diarrhea, see your doctor to rule out an infection or another medical condition that needs attention. Blood in your stool? Also time to check in with your doctor.
Fortunately, many of the ways that our poop routines and overall digestion get off track can be improved with simple dietary and lifestyle changes I can help you make.
Questions I ask many of my clients include:
How often do you poop? Is your poop hard, soft or somewhere in between? What color is it? Is there undigested food in your stool? Is it difficult or painful to poop? Are you bloated and gassy after eating?
Answers to these and other questions provide clues as to whether something is amiss. (I promise, you won’t gross me out!)
While digestive issues bring many clients through my door, others assume they’re pooping just fine, or that bloating, constipation, diarrhea (and upper GI issues like heartburn and reflux) are normal. That regularly taking Tums or acid blockers is normal. These things are common, but definitely not normal.
Below are my top tips for great pooping — 💩s that are smooth, easy to pass and leave you feeling ready to take on the day.
Drink plenty of water — at least half your body weight in ounces daily (for most people).
Eat plenty of fiber, which is found in veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains.
Eat in a rested and relaxed state. If you’re upset, excited or stressed out, wait a bit. Or do some deep breathing before your first bites. I like the 4-7-8 pattern: Inhale through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 7 and exhale by mouth for 8 counts. Do 10 rounds as you relax your whole body.
Eat slowly and chew your food well. Really, really well.
Exercise. It gets food moving through your system.
Listen when your body tells you it’s time to poop. Go to the bathroom, then relax and don’t rush. Waiting until a Zoom call ends or until you get home from errands trains your body to keep the back door closed. We want to let that door swing open.
Ready for better poops? Book a call with me. (I promise, we’ll talk about other things, too.)
Below, see the Bristol Stool Chart, a diagnostic tool developed in 1997 by a doctor at the Bristol Royal Infirmary in England.
Type 4 is an optimal, be-all-end-all poop.
