What Does Your Stool Say About Your Health?

What does it mean to have a healthy bowel movement? According to health experts, there is no strict rule of how many times a person should poop in a week as the frequency varies for every individual. However, a healthy frequency should range from three times a day to three times a week[1].

Bowel movements are a necessity of life because it helps to eliminate any unwanted waste and toxins out from our body. As strange as it may sound, but every individual should pay attention to what is coming out of their rear end. The condition of your poop could indicate something as important as the state of your digestive health and overall wellness. In fact, the type, colour, frequency, texture and even the smell of your poop can tell you a lot about your health.

Although it may be an uncommon topic to discuss among the public, it is crucial to understand your digestive system and seek help from the doctors before it is too late.

WHAT DOES YOUR STOOL SAY ABOUT YOUR HEALTH?

1. Separate, hard lumps

There is a possibility that you might experience constipation, even if your bowel movements are frequent. This could be due to eating too many dry foods and not enough fibre.

Small poo clumps can also mean that you are not drinking enough fluids. If these symptoms last more than a couple of weeks, do consult a doctor for the possibility of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

2. Sausage-shaped hard and lumpy

This can also be a sign of constipation. Try to eat more foods containing high fibres and drink more fluids to increase your stool's weight and soften it, making sure a smooth excretion process.
 

3. Like a sausage but with cracks

Your poop is normal. It should be soft and easy to pass out. It should not take you longer than a minute in the toilet to push out the poop.

4. Like a sausage smooth and soft

Doctors consider this as the ideal kind of poop that should happen every one to three days.

5. Mushy stools

This consistency is too soft and could be a sign of mild diarrhea. Make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids and replace the minerals that you are losing with fruit juices and soup.
 

6. Entirely liquid

This is definitely diarrhea. This means your stool moved through your bowels very quickly. Consult a doctor if you also have other signs of dehydration, severe pain in your tummy, or fever.

In addition to the type of stool, the following characteristics also matter. See if you can identify with any of them!

• Colour

Healthy stool should be middle to dark brown colour.

If it is greenish, it could mean that your food is making its way down through your digestive tract too quickly (or that you ate too much greens).

If it is black, it could mean that you have signs of internal bleeding. Red or purple could be because you ate coloured vegetables or fruits like beet or dragon fruit. If you cannot associate it with any food that you ate recently, you might want to consult a doctor immediately.

If your poop is greyish or yellow, it is a sign that mucus is making its way into your stool and could indicate problems with your liver or gall bladder. Do quickly consult a doctor if this happens frequently.

• Frequency

The amount of bowel movements a day varies from person to person. It is normal for one person to poop twice a day while another poops every other day for as long as it is consistent.

However, it is still important to ensure that you are going to the toilet at least three or more times a week as any less would mean that you are constipated.
 

• Time taken

A normal poop should not need a long time. It should feel easy as if you have emptied your bowels. The process should not take more than several minutes for most people or even shorter.
 

TIPS ON HOW TO POOP LIKE A CHAMP

Tip 1: Reduce intake of foods that cause constipation

Foods such as wheat, dairy products, citrus fruits, beans, cabbage, milk and carbonated drinks are usually pro-inflammatory and can irritate your digestive tract, leading to constipation.

Tip 2: Increase intake of fibre

A common cause of constipation is not eating enough fibre. Fibre increases the weight and bulk of your poop and softens it. A bulky stool makes it easier to pass, decreasing your chance of getting constipation. Fibre can also help solidify loose and watery stools by absorbing water, thus increasing its bulk. A high-fibre diet potentially lowers the risks of colon diseases.

Find out what vegetables that you don’t mind eating and incorporate them into your daily diet. If you still can’t fathom eating them, you may consider drinking green supplements mixed with water or juices which still allow you to get the essential nutrients from vegetables in a convenient way.

Tip 3: Hydrate

Aim to drink water every 2 hours and consume at least 8 glasses of water per day. This is to prevent dehydration and set you up for a better poop experience. It is also important to drink more water when you are eating a lot of fibre. High amounts of fibre without enough liquids can cause the fibre to expand and get stuck in the digestive tract. This causes uncomfortable bloating, gas, pains, and constipation.

Tip 4: Increase movement and exercise

There is no better way to loosen your digestive tract than to get your body pumping. Exercise stimulates your bowels and lymphatic system, which helps to push waste down to your colon, increasing bowel movement.

Exercise also relaxes your mind and reduces stress which could be the root causes of digestive issues.

Tip 5: Manage stress and practice positivity

A little-known fact is that the brain and gut are intimately connected. A troubled gut sends a signal to the brain; similarly, a troubled brain sends signals to the gut. When we are feeling stressed, our brain communicates these uneasy feelings to our digestive tract, making the gut wall either constrict and tense up (causing constipation) or work overtime and cramp up (causing diarrhea).

By managing your time well and prioritising the things in your life can help reduce stress and in a way, improve your digestive tract as well.

Tip 6: Maintain friendly bacteria in your digestive tract

Probiotics are "good bacteria" that support a healthy digestive system by keeping the growth of harmful bacteria at bay. A healthy person is estimated to carry more than 100 trillion good bacteria, which will reside in our gut[2].

However, factors like aging, stress, and diet can affect the level of healthy bacteria in our bodies. Therefore, it is important to replenish the ‘good bacteria’ in order to stay free from digestive problems. Some foods containing probiotics include yoghurt, kombucha, and miso soup.

With our busy lifestyles, we might not be able to consume these foods daily. As an alternative, supplementing ourselves with probiotic supplements might be a feasible and convenient way to ensure that we get the optimal amount of probiotics in our digestive system.

Tip 7: Do not resist the urge to go

Resisting the urge to go to the toilet from time to time is not harmful but doing it too often can add pressure on your bowels and colon, potentially causing them to change shape. When you hold, the muscles of your colon stretch and send the signal to stop responding to the urge. As a result, it can lead to a slower process of emptying the colon when it's time.