Let’s talk about poop, baby!
Why are bowel movements important to look at?
Let’s talk about you and me! Let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be! Let’s talk aboooooout POOP! Let’s talk about POOP 🎶
I simply COULD NOT resist making this topic even MORE awesome by taking some inspo from an incredible Salt ‘n Peppa song from the 90s that ALSO talked about a topic our country was NOT talking enough about at the time 🤗
So here’s the deal, EVERYONE POOPS and our poop is an awesome indicator of opportunities we may have in our health. Before we dive into that, DID YOU KNOW that poop is made up of approximately 75% water and 25% microbes, mucus, fiber and exfoliated gut lining?! I never really thought about what my poop was made out of, other than “waste”, and thought that was incredibly fascinating.
What is the bristol stool chart?
One of my favorite turd tools is the Bristol Stool Chart, developed in 1997 as a clinical assessment tool, it identified 7 main types of poop and what they may mean. My FAVE version is the one created by Healthline (pictured below) because, why not make this whole conversation AS ENTERTAINING as humanly possible.
That’s some funny sh*t 👆
The 7 Categories of Poop
👉Type 1:
Hard lumps (aka coal, marbles, etc). This type of poop indicates that it moves slowly through the colon and could be an indicator of dehydration, dysbiosis (imbalance in good/bad gut bacteria) or low fiber intake. Fun Fact: When poop has a slow transit time, our body will absorb the water (recall our poop is about 75% water) making it hard and compact. So STAY HYDRATED MY FRIENDS.
👉Type 2:
Lumpy sausage (aka Hungry Caterpillar). An indication of mild constipation, this poop moves slowly, could be painful and if the caterpillar visits regularly, may cause hemorrhoids and diverticulosis amongst other maladies.
👉Type 3:
Sausage-y with cracks (aka hot dog). This type of doodie is in the range of “ideal” poops! It passes without pain and is generally smooth with some cracks in it. Yes. I will be asking you to look that closely at your poop to be able to tell if it is lumpy or cracky.
👉Type 4:
The snake. Often referred to as the “gold standard” of ideal fecal formation, this deuce is smooth, long, and cleans up in about 3 wipes or less! If you are punishing the porcelain with this type, it is an indication that you are NOT punishing your body because you are well hydrated and keeping your gut bacteria fed and happy with fresh foods, plants and fiber.
👉Type 5:
Soft blobs with clear-cut edges. This type of poop could be considered normal for a fast digester but could also mean that your diet may be low in fiber. You may find yourself going a couple times a day and this poop is very easy to pass, but not in the ideal range like Type 3 and 4.
👉Type 6:
Mushy with ragged edges (aka soft serve). We are entering into the realm of mild diarrhea my friends, this type of excrement can also be explosive. This type can occur when stool is moving TOO quickly through our colon, meaning the water content is higher than ideal. This can happen due to stress (yes, stress can cause DI), spicy foods, or stimulants amongst other causes. It is super important to stay hydrated if you find yourself running to drop the kids off at the pool.
👉Type 7:
Diarrhea-CHACHACHA (aka peeing out of your butt). We’ve all been there, this type is 100% liquid and can cause us to get dehydrated quickly (fresh or lightly pasteurized coconut water is a great way to keep electrolytes in balance during this time without adding colors and sugar!). This type often happens because our body is LIT and is doing its best to be protective and eliminate a pathogen or toxin that got into our system as quickly as possible. Fun Fact: Like our skin, our entire digestive tract is really the only other part of our body that is fully exposed to the outside world multiple times a day. I never thought about it that way and it pretty much blew my mind.
Why observing your poop is important
Regularity
Next time you DO THE DOO, get curious and just take a look to see what is going on. As with so many things involving our health, we all tend to power-through and normalize what actually is not normal. If you are regularly having poops that fall in the Type 1,2,5,6,7 range, it may not be a bad idea to book an exploratory call with your friendly, neighborhood, health + life coach (ahem, ahem) and your doctor to see what is going on!
How often should I be pooping?
Ideally, we are pooping 1-3 times per day, cleaning up in about 3-4 wipes, dropping the load in less than 10 minutes (real talk, after much gut healing, I’m down to less than 2 minutes!).
What does my poop tell me?
The color should be brown (if it is green and you haven’t eaten a ton of veggies, it could be an indication of bile and that the dook is moving too quickly through your system.
Warning Signs
If it is red or black and you haven’t recently eaten beets, it could be an indication of blood in your stool and that means CALL YOUR DR IMMEDIATELY).
Also, we are ALL bio-individuals! So while the Bristol Stool Chart is a great guideline for identifying potential opportunities with our gut, we must remember that there is no one “right answer”. We must always look at the big picture of primary and secondary foods to ensure we are on the correct path for US (as individuals) towards a more vibrant, sustainable, healthy lifestyle.
I would genuinely LOVE to hear about your poop, so let’s get comfy in the uncomfy and get it out in the open! What type of poop are you finding you “doo” most often? Do you use a squatty potty (side note, if not, they’re an inexpensive way to change the way you poop)? What questions do you have about poop in general? Shoot me an email and dump your questions this way.
In the meantime, sending you wishes for many a delightful defecation, my friend 💩
Lindsey is an encourager, optimist, health + life coach, and yoga teacher who helps caregivers live fuller, healthier, vibrant lives through exploring all aspects of their life and health while helping to cultivate simple, sustainable fun-size habits, so that they can continue to make a meaningful impact in themselves, their loved ones, and the world, for generations to come.
