Yes, I’m serious! (And don’t you sometimes wonder anyway?)
You already know that your poo can reflect your physical, and sometimes even emotional, health.
You may get constipation or have diarrhoea when you eat something that “doesn’t agree with you,” or when you’re super-nervous about something. This is common in conditions such as CFS/ME.
And what about fibre and water? If you’re not getting enough, it’ll probably show in your bowel movements.
What about the all-important gut microbes? If they’re not happy, it’ll probably show in your bowel movements.
Here’s a trivia
question for you:
Did you know there is an “official” standard for poo? I mean a university-created chart! One that is used to help diagnose conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?
Meet the Bristol Stool Scale
The Bristol Stool Scale
was created at the prestigious University of Bristol in the UK back
in 1997.
You
can see the chart here.
LINK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_stool_scale
The scale breaks down type of poo into seven different categories ranging from type 1 which is very constipated, to type 7 which is diarrhoea:
1 – Separate hard lumps
(very constipated).
2 – Lumpy and
sausage-like (slightly constipated).
3 – Sausage shaped with
cracks in the surface (normal)
4 – Smooth, soft
sausage (normal).
5 – Soft blobs with clear-cut edges (lacking fibre).
6 – Mushy consistency
with ragged edges (inflammation).
7 – Liquid consistency
with no solid pieces (inflammation).
Other “poo” factors to consider
You probably guessed that the shapes described in the Bristol Stool Scale are not the only thing to consider for poo health.
Think about how often
you go. At least once per day, up to 3 times per day is pretty good.
Less than one, or more than three can mean there is something going
on.
What about how hard you
have to try to go? You want it to be as effortless as possible.
And the colour? It
should be brown from the bile that you need to break down the fats
you ingest.
And if it’s green
after a day of massive veggies, or red after that large glass of beet
juice, you’re just fine.
But if you see an
abnormal colour, like red or even black, that you can’t explain based
on what you ate or drank in the last day or two, you probably want to
get that checked out.
What do you do when you have “imperfect” poo?
Well, the first thing
to consider is how imperfect it is, and how often it is like that?
Once in a while, things aren’t going to be perfect, and that’s A-OK.
If you know you need to get more fibre or water, then try increasing that.
If you haven’t had
enough probiotic foods, then try getting more of them.
If you’re
super-stressed, then try deep breathing, meditating, or having a warm
bath.
Oh, and don’t forget
the two most basic pieces of nutrition advice:
- First, eat a variety of nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods, including a lot of fruits & veggies (and their “fibrous” skins, wherever possible). The fibre in these is not only helpful for pushing food through your gut, but they also feed those millions of amazing helpful critters that live there (your friendly gut microbes.)
- The second piece
of advice is to eat slowly, and mindfully, chewing thoroughly.
These are good habits for anyone and everyone, even when you have perfect poo!
Of course, long-term issues might require a more thorough review with a qualified health care practitioner. Don’t suffer from poo issues for too long before seeking help.
Contact Kate for a free 15 minute consultation.
Recipe (dairy-free probiotic): Super-Simple Coconut Milk Yoghurt
Serves 6
2 cans full-fat coconut
milk
2 probiotic capsules,
- Open the probiotic
capsules and empty contents into the blender. Blend with coconut
milk.
- Transfer to a
sanitized glass jar (make sure it’s not still hot – you don’t
want those probiotics to die).
- Store it in a warm
place for 24-48 hours. If it’s not thick enough for you, you can let
it ferment for another 24 hours.
- Add your favourite
yogurt toppings, and store the rest for up to a week in the fridge.
Serve & enjoy!
Tip:
Fermenting food is not an exact science. If this doesn’t work out
as you’d like it to, try different brands of coconut milk and/or
probiotics.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_stool_scale
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/poop-health
Photo by Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash