Poop was always a topic of conversation during every meal when I worked at the C.H.E.K Institute because we were all paying attention to our health and working hard to have perfect poops. Most health problems begin with poor digestion. If we cannot process the healthy foods we are eating and absorb their nutrients into our body, we start to experience dis-ease. So many diseases arise from poor digestion and eating foods we simply were not put on this earth to eat.
The shape, size, and color of your poop is a true indicator of what is going on inside your body and what you may need to add to or eliminate from your diet. Watching what your poop looks like can tell you a lot about how your body is processing or not processing foods. Let’s take a look.
*Always consult a physician before trying anything mentioned in this blog as it could have adverse effects based on your medications and healthy history.
Healthy Poop
The Bristol Poop Chart shows several types of poop, so let’s start with healthy poop first.
Healthy Poop – Type 3 or 4 on the Bristol Stool Scale
- Shape: Your poop should be formed like a sausage or hot dog
- Size: 6-12 inches in length
- Color: Light to medium brown like tree bark
- Odor: Earthy, not foul
- Consistency: firm, well-shaped and does not break apart when you flush
- Frequency: 30 minutes after each large meal, 2 6 inchers a day or one 12 incher a day
Now let’s look at unhealthy poop.
Separated hard lumps like balls or rabbit turds, or lumpy and dry sausage like poop – Type 1 or 2 on the Bristol Stool Scale
This is a strong indication of dehydration and constipation. When your body becomes dehydrated it sucks all the water out of your poop to provide some sort of hydration to your body. This can result in toxins re-entering your body. Further, as the body draws water from the mucous membrane, there is no moisture left in the mucus membrane of the stomach to protect it from the HCL that is released when you eat food. This can lead to the acid in your stomach burning a hole in the lining causing pain, indigestion, and an ulcer. The “cure” most people and doctors turn to is antacids, which only mask the problem. Further, your colon gets stretched out making it hard to perform normally which causes your poop to back up in the colon and become uncomfortable.
- If your poop looks like this you need to:
- Drink more water! Half your body weight in ounces a day Click here for my blog on water
- Consult your physician about a possible magnesium deficiency. Magnesium draws water into the intenstines, helping move the poop out.
- Reduce your stress.
- Eat high fiber foods that start with P such as prunes, plums, peaches, and pears.
- Eliminate gluten and dairy as they can cause constipation
- Get checked out for colon polyps as they can cause constipation
- If you want to get help for a clean bowel, I love Dr. Schulze
- Go to Bulletproof.com, they have a wonderful Brain Octane oil that helps with constipation
- Consider a Probiotic, see my blog and pre and probiotics
Soft blobs with clear cut edges – Type 5 on the Bristol Stool Scale
- This could indicate you need more veggies in your diet and more “P” fiber as well.
- You could also have higher levels of bad bacteria and need to uptick your good bacteria. See my blog on pre and probiotics for suggestions.
- I also love PCI wellness, Freedom, and Cleanse Restore. I have had issues with bad bacteria and typically when my stool goes from well-formed and healthy to soft blobs within the same day, I know something is off in my gut. Freedom, Cleanse, Restore helps me get my gut back into a state of balance.
- Always consult your physician before trying new supplements.
Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, mushy stool – Type 6 on the Bristol Stool Scale
- This is mild diarrhea, and you need to start eliminating a few things from your diet to get your bowels healthier.
- First eliminate gluten, grains, seeds, alcohol, coffee (if you drink several a day), and beans.
- Food grade diatomaceous earth can help as well. It is a binder and can help remove toxins, firm up your stool and give you some relief. It must be taken an hour away from food and 2 hours away from supplements or medications.
- Bulletproof makes a great charcoal supplement as well that acts as a binder and provides relief from runny stools.
- Quicksilver Scientific makes a great binder called Ultra Binder
Watery, no solid pieces, entirely liquid – Type 7 on the Bristol Stool Scale
Severe diarrhea can have life-threatening effects. If this happens often see your doctor immediately. This is an indication of inflammation in the gut and intestines and needs to be addressed to see what is causing it.
Now let’s take a look at the color and refer to the shades of poop chart
Black Poop
This is a strong indicator of an upper digestive tract issue. A friend of mine recently had bleeding in the esophagus that caused black tarry stools. It could also come from a stomach ulcer due to stress, taking antacids, Alka-Seltzer, or too many NSAIDs. Black stool is never normal and you should consult your physician immediately. It can also cause anemia (low iron) which can be dangerous; a sign of anemia is extreme fatigue. Get to the doctor immediately if you feel extremely tired. Remember though, if you normally have a brown stool and feel good, it could be something you have taken such as charcoal or eating blueberries or black licorice, which could turn your stool black.
Light Grey Clay-like Poop
This suggests a digestive problem and you should seek the care of a physician or natural path.
Red Poop or Red Specks in Your Poop
This could be a sign of lower digestive tract issues and you should see a physician immediately. It can also cause anemia (low iron) which can be dangerous; a sign of anemia is extreme fatigue. Get to the doctor immediately if you feel extremely tired. Remember if you have eaten beets or red dyes this could also change your poop color and result in red, so be mindful of that.
Orange Poop
Sometimes your stool can be orange based on foods you have eaten or medication you are taking. Foods high in beta carotenes such as sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, collard greens, and even cilantro can turn your poop orange. Another cause could be your food is passing too quickly through your digestive tract, so it is not getting enough bile salt. Bile salt comes from the liver, so your body is not producing enough bile salt or your liver’s bile ducts are clogged. If your poop stays orange for long periods, consult a physician or natural path. I had orange poop for a while and my liver was having issues. I was able to get it back on track with supplements. Milk thistle is amazing to boost liver function.
Greenish and Yellowish Poop (left side of shades of poop chart)
If you eat a lot of green veggies, it could cause your poop to be green and mean you are not digesting your foods well. Chew your food until it is liquid in your mouth. It also may be a sign your HCL/Pepsin (aid in digestion) balance is off making food particles appear in your poop. Sometimes this just happens when we don’t chew well or eat things like corn with a husk that is harder to break down in digestion. Taking a digestive aid for a short time like HCL, Pepsin and Betaine can help your body get back on track. Click here for more information and again consult a physician or natural path before starting a new supplement.
Sometimes if your poop is yellowish you may not be digesting fats well which can be a sign you are eating too many highly processed fatty and greasy foods. Switch to healthy fats and ditch the bad fats, see my blog on fats.
Here is a recap of what a good bowel movement should be like.
Frequency
Ideally, you should have a healthy bowel movement 30-60 minutes after eating.
Or
At least 12 inches of healthy poop a day, it could be one 12 incher or two 6 inchers
*If you are going less than once a day you are probably constipated and need to drink more water and eat more fiber.
*If you go more than 3 times a day and it is not healthy poop, you need to eat more veggies and consider seeing a natural path about a parasite infection or addressing bad bacteria in your gut.
How Long Should It Take You to Poop?
- Ideally, you should be able to poop within a few minutes and feel completely evacuated after you poop.
- It should not take 30 minutes to poop, this is an indication of constipation.
- If you have to run to the toilet, this is an indication of diarrhea and/or a parasite infection.
How To Keep Your Bowels Healthy
Do’s:
- Eat foods from the earth like fruits, vegetables, and meats (grass-fed) – Shop the perimeter of the grocery store
- Drink plenty of water
- Eat fiber such as fruits that start with “P”, pears, plums, prunes, peaches
- Eat leafy greens
- Add fermented foods 4-5 times a week such as Kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha
Don’ts:
- Avoid processed foods
- Avoid gluten
- Pasteurized dairy
- Processed juices
- Hydrogenated fats (vegetable oils)
- Limit alcohol intake
- Limit coffee intake
If poops are soft and mushy…
- Ask a natural path about probiotics, see my blog on probiotics
- Consider a binder like diatomaceous earth, Bulletproof active charcoal, or Quicksilver Scientific Ultra Binder
If poops are hard and difficult to pass try:
- Drink plenty of water
- Eat fiber such as fruits that start with “P”, pears, plums, prunes, peaches
- Eat leafy greens
Resources:
How To Eat Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek
BulletProof Brain Octane MCT Oil
https://www.quicksilverscientific.com/all-products/ultra-binder-sensitive/
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