Hiya Gorgeous!
I love talking turd, and I’m not ashamed to say it! Turd, turd, turd (insert poop emoji). It’s time we all stop hiding behind our toilet paper squares and start understanding one of the most important parts of our everyday well-being—healthy poop!
Sure, bowel habits aren’t the sexiest of subjects, but vibrant health is pretty darn hot, in my opinion. And whether you like it or not, your poo is part of that picture.
Without further a-doo-doo …here’s the scoop on poop.
The Scoop on Poop: How the Digestive Tract Works
Poop is made up of dead gut cells, leftover indigestible fiber and bacteria. As you know, your chow is processed in your intestines, which are lined with some very smart cells. These cells allow essential nutrients, such as sugars, amino acids, fats, vitamins and minerals to be absorbed into your bloodstream.
The leftovers (aka the waste) are shuttled through the rest of your digestive system, out of your body and into the toilet bowl. The digestive process should be pretty straightforward. Let’s talk about what healthy—and unhealthy—poop looks like (and what you can do about it).
Type 1: Hard Lumpy Poop
Type one consists of separate hard lumps (pebbles, marbles, berries, etc.) which is a signal that you’re pretty constipated. These solid pieces indicate that you’re likely dehydrated and your diet needs more fiber. Make sure you get enough fluids!
Type 2: Lumpy and Sausage Shaped
This type of poop is shaped like a log but it looks lumpy and a step away from type 1. It was likely hard to pass and required some effort to get out. It signifies mild constipation and is a signal that you need to boost fiber and water intake.
Type 3: Sausage Shaped with Cracks
Type 3 on the Bristol Stool Scale is a poo within the normal range and probably looks similar to a corn cob. This healthy stool should have been easy to pass.
Type 4: A Smooth Soft Snake
Type 4 is the ideal poop. This stool has a smooth surface and is likely s-shaped, like a snake. If the stool moved out with little effort and flushes in one piece, you’re likely drinking enough water and your daily diet is high in fiber. Congratulations!
Type 5: Soft Blobs with Defined Edges
Now we’re creeping back toward the unhealthy end of the scale. Blob-shaped poo with clear-cut edges can indicate a diet low in fiber. It also indicates that your stool moved too quickly through your digestive tract.
Type 6: Mushy with Ragged Edges
If your bowel movement is completely mush, it’s a sign of mild diarrhea. Your poo is traveling quickly through your digestive system which means your body might not be getting the nutrients it needs.
Type 7: Pure Liquid—Yikes!
You officially have diarrhea. Liquid poop could indicate that you have food poisoning or an illness. Pay attention—chronic diarrhea can mean you have an undiagnosed food intolerance to something like gluten.
Where do YOU land on the Bristol Stool Chart?
Normal Poop 101: A Healthy Digestive System
We’ve established that healthy poop should look like an “S” or a smooth log as it lands in your toilet. The types of poop that consist of round pellets, thick logs without curvature, shapeless mounds, and pencil-thin wormy poops mean that your diet, stress level, hydration status, or something else might be out of whack. What are some other things you need to know about healthy digestion?
How Often Should You Poop?
How often you poop probably varies, and each person has their own normal. You may go as often as two to three times per day (basically after each meal) or as little as every other day. However, if you’re going more than four times a day with loose or watery stools, only going a couple of times per week and feel bloated/backed up on non-poop days, or if your poop “normal” suddenly changes, you should probably consult your doctor immediately. These are all signs that your digestive process is out-of-whack.
How Should Pooping Feel?
Your poops should be easy to pass with a fairly effortless push. Chances are if you’re regularly grabbing a book or magazine as you head into the bathroom, or if you’re getting red in the face, you’re working too hard to get that little waste log out of there.
It shouldn’t be painful or difficult to produce a BM. If it is, you might be dealing with functional constipation. If you’re constantly running to the bathroom with stomach cramps, it’s another sign that something is wrong. Please consult with your doc if you’re experiencing persistent discomfort.
What Does the Color of Your Poop Mean?
Healthy poop should be a medium-brown color, courtesy of the leftover bile from your gallbladder (which helps break down your food). It also consists of bilirubin, which is created when red blood cells exit your body at the end of their life cycle. While brown poop is the norm, your poo can change colors depending on what you eat. Let’s dive into the spectrum of stool color, shall we?
Green poop
A green poop color typically means you’re eating a LOT of highly-pigmented green foods (most likely veggies, right?) and some have slipped through undigested. This isn’t a cause for concern unless your stool is watery and green for several days. Even a neon-green poop can indicate food dye in something you ate.
Black Poop
Black stool can result from taking iron supplements or using stomach meds like Pepto Bismol, but could also be a sign of blood in your stools. Interestingly, it can even be caused by downing some black licorice. Now I know that sounds a bit scary, but it’s not necessarily cause for concern.
It could be the result of hemorrhoids, which can be tender and start bleeding if you’re straining too much while pooping (Ouchies! Ease up, hotshot). In that case, you may see a couple of drops of bright red blood in the toilet water, on your toilet paper, or on the outside of your poop. But it could also be a sign of bleeding in your upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. If it continues, it’s safest to check with a medical professional.
Red Poop
Did you know that foods like beets, cranberries, and even tomato juice can lead to bright red poop? This isn’t anything to worry about—just thank those deliciously colorful root veggies for adding some extra pizzazz to your poo.
But if you aren’t eating these foods and you’re consistently seeing bright red blood in your poop—or if your poop is blackish-red or contains dark red blood—the blood is likely coming from higher up in your gut. This could be more serious, so I encourage you to check in with your doc post-haste.
Yellow/Orange Poop
Yellow poop may be a sign of an infection or inflammation in your intestines, especially if you observe mucus in your poop. It usually means you aren’t getting enough nutrients—or you’re eating far too many fatty foods.
White or Clay-Colored Poop
Chalky white or pale poop occurs when your poop doesn’t have bile in it. Seeing this type of poop could indicate a problem with your pancreas or gallbladder, such as your bile duct being blocked. While it might be a side effect of certain medications you’re on, check with your doctor ASAP if the white stool is accompanied by other symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever, and nausea/vomiting.
Signs of Trouble: When to be Concerned about Your Bowel Movements
What if Your Poop Floats?
While most poo sinks to the bottom of the bowl, sometimes it floats. Floating poop doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. However, if your BM floats and smells foul, check with your doctor to make sure it’s normal.
When Foul-Smelling Stool is a Problem
If your poop suddenly diverges from mildly stinky to overwhelmingly foul, you might want to take note. If your stool smells more after something you’ve eaten, it might indicate a food intolerance.
Constipation and Diarrhea
Occasional constipation and diarrhea are very common and nothing to worry about. But if you’re experiencing either for more than a week, you may be dealing with chronic constipation or diarrhea. It’s a good time to make sure you’re getting the Four Fs. And if the symptoms persist, it might be time for a visit to the doctor.
There are certain health conditions and medications that can make your poops extra pesky. For example, things like pregnancy and diabetes affect hormones that can make it harder to pass a BM.
Or, if you’ve had your gallbladder removed, for example, too much fat at one meal can cause diarrhea because the bile normally stored in your gallbladder isn’t available to break it down. For more deets on diarrhea (plus lots of tips to help you stop it!) check out my blog here. And if constipation’s got you down, check out my blog on that here.
How to be a Gold Star Pooper: The 4 Fs
The Four Fs are a general rule of thumb for healthy bowel movements: fiber, fluids, flora, and fitness!
Get Enough Fiber
What foods help you poop? Ones with dietary fiber for starters. As you learned in my guide to fabulous fiber, it comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Lack of either creates pooper pandamonium.
Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel in your intestines, which bulks up your stool and makes it smooth enough to keep the trains moving. Soluble fiber also helps regulate blood sugar and can lower cholesterol levels. Add these foods to increase soluble fiber: oatmeal, apples, oranges, pears, berries, flax, beans, peas, lentils and psyllium (corn husk).
Insoluble fiber does not absorb water, so it acts like the bristles in a broom to sweep poop along. It also has a mild laxative effect, which helps with healthy elimination. Add these foods to increase insoluble fiber: whole grains, nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens, celery, broccoli, cabbage, onions, dried fruit and root vegetable skins.
You’ll know you’re getting too much fiber (or an imbalance of soluble to insoluble fiber) if you have diarrhea. It’s also important to include whole grains in your diet because they add bulk and movement to your fibrous stools. You can get still get constipated on a high-fiber diet if your diet lacks sufficient whole grains!
Drink Plenty of Fluids
When you increase fiber, you also need to increase your fluid intake. Remember, soluble fiber absorbs water, which means you’ll need more H2O to stay hydrated and prevent constipation. There are two easy ways to estimate how much water you need each day:
- Divide your body weight in pounds by two. This gives you the approximate amount of water in ounces that you need to drink per day. For example, a 140-lb woman should drink about 70 oz. For those using the metric system, divide your weight in kilograms by 30 to determine how many liters of water you need per day.
- Look at your pee—it should be a light straw color. The darker your pee gets, the more concentrated it has become, which indicates that you need to drink more fluids.
Get Some Flora in Your Diet
Your intestines are home to over 100 trillion bacteria and a great deal of these bacteria (good guys and bad guys) end up in your poop. Good bacteria (also known as probiotics) are very important to help keep us regular. We need probiotics to work alongside our digestive enzymes and help break down food to release the nutrients our bodies need. In return, probiotics survive and multiply in our gut when they dine on the leftover fiber from our digested food.
To increase good bacteria in your gut:
- Eat fermented foods like tempeh, miso, kombucha and sauerkraut.
- Eat high-fiber foods (prebiotics). Learn about the best prebiotic foods to add to your diet in my blog, 3 Ways to Boost Your Digestion & Improve Gut Health.
- Take a high-quality probiotic supplement (check out My Top Supplement Recommendations blog for some good brands).
- For more tips on building strong belly bacteria, check out my Essential Guide to Gut Health.
Include Fitness in Your Routine
If you want your poop to move, YOU need to move too! Exercise helps stimulate the natural contractions of your intestines. It also tones the muscles in your core that helps create healthy elimination. Gentle activities such as taking a walk or yoga can help ease constipation, but moderate aerobic activity regularly is a more effective way to keep constipation at bay in the long run. It can even help reduce stress. Score!
It’s your turn, don’t be shy! Now that I’ve opened the bathroom door and started the poop-ersation, light a match and share your tips for healthy elimination.
Peace & terrific turds,
This is SO great! Now I just wish I could get my Mom and Grandma on the same page! I grew up thinking it was “normal” to have diarrhea several times a day because my Mom and Grandma are the same. When I did the elimination diet and increased the plants in my diet I realized that what was going on with my digestion was NOT healthy! Now I love that I have 2 good poohs a day! Wait….did I just share too much?? Thanks for this article Kris!
Please don’t forget the bidet. I am surprised – shocked really – the bidet is not mentioned as integral to health. Blows my mind! And the idea of all the problems people have – not to mention cleanliness – that are solved by the bidet! (Though that would be a bunch of drugs and ointments and doctors out of business!). Namaste.
PS – I just re-read my comment and it came off as “shocked” maybe by you or people here. No bad energy here – was meaning in the general sense of society and what people talk/don’t talk about. And to anyone here that does not use a bidet – run, don’t walk! (There’s great attachments to regular toilets these days)
Thank you thank you thank you!!
Being regular completely changes my mood and the course of my day. Love all this information. I have muscular pelvic floor tension, so having easy stools is extremely important for me. I started juicing 6 months ago, and have noticed a difference. 🙂
One thing though that drives me crazy though- if I don’t sit down and eat breakfast at home, I usually don’t go all day… seems funny, but at least it gets me up early!
xo
This is so true, you can totally be your own doctor! The only thing you need to do is to check your poo and pee:)) Might not sound like the sexiest way but better to have the health on top!!
In my own family we are a few that do like to talk about it..haha…well what can I say, when you are interested in creating the best health, this is a topic that you then also need to talk about!:))
Thank you Kris! Have a lovely day!:)
Is it normal for your poo to be green if you are drinking green juices/smoothies for breakfast, raw veggies for lunch and salads for dinner?
Great topic
Yes, that’s a good thing. 🙂
These are great suggestions Harriet. One can also just have a small box or low stool to place feet on when sitting on the toilet. This too also facilitates easier elimination.
I love my Potty Squatty. I wish more people would ask about that contraption in our bathroom. It does a great job on helping eliminate. I just love to Potty Squat. All is well because i Juice and I drink a smoothie every day. Growing my own wheatgrass and all will be even better in a few days. It’s great now but man, can’t wait to get more healthy live giving greens in me.
What height squatty potty do you use, the 7″ or 9″.
Great blog post about a subject not everyone wants to discuss. By the way, anyone want to know a way to “get things going” if you’re a bit constipated (I figure this is the place to post this). While sitting on the toilet relax and take a big breath in and slowly out either using a “shhh” sound or “ssss” sound. Relax and repeat. Works every time. I learned this from a physical therapist that specializes in urinary incontinence. She found it particularly helpful when she was pregnant. I tell all my friends and it always gets a chuckle but everyone tries it.
Not sure if u will end up sharing this lol. Out of all the systems ur asshole is the boss. If u don’t shit u die!!!!
Kris – I just love you! Only you could tackle this topic with such abandon and good humor. Thanks for opening this up – there’s nothing like a good healthy poop! Thank you for being you and sharing with the rest of us.
Here’s to healthy poo!
Cheryl.
How timely. I was just getting ready to start a cleanse diet and was curious about how everything should look when it comes out. I am a distributor for Chia seeds so I use them for my omega’s and the soluble and unsoluble fiber. Thanks for the tips. I always fee like I am getting older when we have these conversations. HAHA
14 years ago I told a nutritionist that I went poop on average 3 times a week. He told me I was literally full of shit! I first became constipated at University when we had shared communal bathrooms. If anyone came in, I froze up. That carried into my work life. Too embarrassed to go at work. This nutritionist straightened me right out. He told me to NEVER ignore the signals of a poop and to stop whatever I was doing and just GO. Now I am a 2 times a day kind a gal and SO HAPPY – I am not full of shit anymore!!! Thanks for bringing this subject out into the open 🙂
I love your sense of humor—even in the bathroom!
Great info Kris. The Scope on Poop is great timing.
We were just chatting about poop last night and again today. Not only is the shape and colour important, but checking to see if you are digesting your food is key too. If you see corn, it is likely a sign that you are not chewing your food (you swallowed it whole). And it you see white or brown wormish looking things, I would go to the doctor as well as it might just be parasites. Taking a look at your poop gives you insights into your intestinal health.
I never knew what golden brown poop looked like until I changed my diet to an anti inflammatory diet, followed the 4 F program as outlined above and took a digestive enzyme with HCl and Bile. Now I get what the colour mean. A sign I am getting healthier.
Thanks again for the outhouse lesson,
Jo
wow! This is great information! I was just thinking about how the digestive system would work and how we would know how poop should look and how often we should go! This is great! Thank You!!!
Even if I didn’t have a thousand other reasons to be a runner, I would run just because of the poop. Growing up as a child with horrible nutrition and very little exercise I know what it is like to not be able to go to the bathroom. When I discovered running and the added benefit of regular bowel movements I was totally sold. Thanks for talking crap today.
I was recently told that if your body is truly alkaline, poop should be green and that brown poop indicates acidity. Have you heard that theory before?
Yes, our colons take the most abuse from the modern diet. Our colons are part of our immune system so when things got clogged up there, it will affect our general health, appearance and the freshness of our breaths. Our colons must act as a continuing running sewer not a putrid, stagnant cesspool. Celebrities are into expensive “cleanse” right now. What they need to do is eat whole food, natural, high fiber food and you won’t have a putrifying cesspool inside you.
Great blog. I’ve shared it in my FB page and trust me, my friends will appreciate this subject matter. It was never discussed before, certainly not publicly. Thanks, Kris.
I recently saw a t-shirt that said “I’m Vegan, So I Poop 4 Times A Day”! Yep…..
OH MY WORD!!! this is one the BEST e mails I’ve ever gotten:) Thanks Kris!!! way to make a tough topic fun:) I teach 8th grade nutrition…maybe I’ll have to print this off for them to read:) I think they’d love it!!! lol