6 Reasons you should care about your Poop 

You should care because your bowel movements can actually give you quite a bit of insight to your overall health, whether it’s going great or not so much. We’ll discuss 6 reasons you should care!

 

Somethings to note:

• How often are you going? Ideal is 1-3 times per day.
• How does it feel? Quick and painless? Or are you straining, having to run to the bathroom, or sitting long enough to complete a Where’s Waldo book?
• What color is it? Health poo is brown, which comes from the bile your body uses to help us digest our food, although sometimes there are some changes that are still normal like green after eating leafy greens or red after eating beets/
• How does it smell? If you think it doesn’t stink, your friends probably don’t like you very much. However, if it’s extremely foul, there may be an underlying issue.
• Does it sink or float? Healthy poos can actually do both, but whether it’s sinking or floating may be an indication of the fat to fiber ratio in your diet.

 

6 things your poop may be telling you

#1. Your gut could be working better than it is.

Our gut is meant to help us soak up all the nutrients from our food and get rid of the rest. Because of how your gut “brain” works, we often won’t feel pain when things go wrong in the get.

What it can mean: nutrient deficiencies, problems with your nervous system, immune problems, and others. Things you might notice if it IS a problem are brain fog or mood changes, trouble controlling weight, skin conditions, or even new or worse allergies.

How to fix it: the biggest thing here is eating whole, minimally processed foods. Also practice eating slowly. Or bring it up with your Summit Health nutrition coach!

#2. Your macrobiotic balance is messed up. This means the bacteria is your gut aren’t doing their job.

What it means: not only does it make digestion hard, these bacteria are also huge in protecting us from disease, helping us fight infections, and making vitamins our bodies need.

How to fix it: prebiotics to keep alive what we already have (beans and legumes, fruits, whole grains, and starchy vegetables like potatoes), and adding new bacteria through probiotics such as yogurt or fermented products like sauerkraut or pickles.

#3. Your diet isn’t working for you. Obviously our poo is a reflection of what we eat.

What it means: if your poos are really hard and tough to pass, you’re probably lacking fiber. You might even have a food sensitivity, sometimes to even a healthy food. Maybe you heard broccoli is a super food, but if it’s giving your tummy problems, it may not be good for you. Some common ones could be gluten, lactose, or sugar, but there are many. Processed foods also can present issues as many folks have a sensitivity to the additives. 

How to fix it: track your food, as most of you do, as well as how you feel and how your bowel movements are going. As you start to notice some things that make you feel better or worse, start making adjustments and see how you feel. If you’re eating foods that don’t agree with you or you’re missing key nutrients, your poo will reflect that. From there, cut back on the processed foods, increase the whole foods and repeat.

#4. You’re dehydrated. If your poo is small and hard, yes fiber may be the answer, but it could also be as simple as water.

• What it means: your body needs water to execute all of its functions, and if you’re not drinking enough, it’ll take it from other places which can cause things like a dry mouth or even muscle cramping.
• How to fix it: drink more water, obviously, but you can optimize by especially drinking more during or after workouts. Or look at your overall beverage consumption for the day and see if you could substitute a coffee or a pop with an extra glass of water.

#5 . You’re too stressed.

Your head brain and gut brain talk to each other. Have you ever lost your appetite when you’re feeling anxious? That’s because enzyme production and blood flow to the gut are limited during stress. Your body can even panic and take the “everybody out of the pool” approach. If you’re constipated or always rushing to the toilet, you might be reaching beyond the “good stress” territory.

What it means: if these symptoms are happening and you’re also feeling extra anxiety, trouble focusing, headaches, sleep problems, and other things, your stress might be affecting your gut. 

How to fix it: take stress seriously and think of ways to care for yourself. Some of my favorites:

• Going for a walk or just getting outside
• Taking a hot bath
• Or watching something funny

#6. Your workout routine isn’t working for you. 

Doing too much or too little can actually affect your poops! Working out keeps your insides and outsides in shape, but overdoing it can also place too much stress on the body, leading to what we just talked about.

What it means: a sedentary lifestyle can lead to a lot of problems, but constipation is a big one. On the other hand, over exercising without enough recovery can damage your gut as well. During exercise, blood flow to the gut decreases significantly, causing leaky gut. This is why if you’ve ever been to a 5k, the port-a-potty lines are so long.

How to fix it: if you tend to be more on the sedentary side, find a fun way to get some movement in! Walk the dog, have a dance party, pick a room and deep clean. It doesn’t have to be the gym. If you might be overtraining, keep a journal of what you’re doing and how you feel – muscle aches and fatigue, how do I feel during and between workouts, what’s my active recovery look like? And try to find some balance!

• Thanks to Coach Lauren for this informative Ted Talk on Poo!  Start watching what going in the toilet and you just may learn something!
• Bottom line: start turning around and looking down to see what’s going on. Take steps to care for the bacteria in your gut, eat slow, stay hydrated, manage your stress, and know when it’s time to maybe chat with your coach or even your doctor if you’re having some concerns!