So we talked about transit time in part I, now what?
What’s your poop look like? What’s the consistency?
Yup. You heard me.
Let’s Start With Texture:
~Hard bunny pellets : Chances are you’re pretty darn dehydrated and you need more healthy fats in your diet. Ginger tea is your friend- big time! The Herbal Root Coffee mentioned before as well.
~Soft/Feathery stools that don’t stay together in one piece: Most likely you need some liver support in the way of – yup Herbal Root Coffee again or any of the root herbs used as a single tea if that’s your preference.
~Smooth- with minimal cracks, Stays all together in one long piece: Perfection!
Did you know that when you pass the “perfect stool” with complete elimination, you don’t even need to wipe? It’s true. There will be a little moisture left behind but that’s it. When you wipe and there’s “a lot of stuff” to wipe off your bum that means it was not a complete elimination and there’s more coming.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the Squatty Potty, but if you haven’t here you go. And by the way a pile of books for each leg works just as well. And it’s all true. 🙂
Now Onto Color:
~Dark Brown (we’ll call it dark chocolate… sorry for the analogy): Again dehydration and a challenged assimilation process. Up your water and healthy fat intake.
~Medium Brown (milk chocolate!): You’re golden! Good job!
~Pale/Gray/Whitish: This typically an indicator of an excess of gluten in the diet with a challenged break down and assimilation as well as consipation and possibly Celiac’s disease.
~Yellowish: This is your excess bile talking meaning liver, liver, liver support!
~Black: You’re either taking too many iron supplement and it’s not being absorbed or you may have a hemorrhoid or ulcer somewhere in your tract. Time to get immediate help for your healthcare practitioner.
~Green: Either you’re eating A TON of kale or your gall bladder & spleen are talking to you. Again, time to make an appointment with your healthcare practitioner.
~Bright Red: Either you ate a ton of beets OR you’re bleeding. No good. Please call your healthcare practitioner.
How Does It Smell?
No, your poop will never smell like roses, but there is a vary degree of scent.
There’s no surprise that the more foul your feces smell, the more fermentation you may be dealing with in your gut. Check in on that transit time. A healthy bowl movement will have a scent, but it will be more “earthy” if you will and will dissipate quickly.
Do You Have Food Particles in Your Poo?
This is a strong indicator of poor assimilation. Your body may be moving your food to quickly in your body, or your stomach and small intestine is impaired and is unable to properly absorb the nutrients from your food.
Some Helpful Simple Tips For A Healthier Poop (there will be redundancies from Part I as some of these tips are all encompassing to digestion.)
*Hydration! 1/2 Your Healthy Body Weight In Ounces Is Ideal
*Hydration- With Healthy Fats!
*Cook your food. It’s one of the Ayurvedic building blocks for health. Raw food is INCREDIBLY hard for your body to digest.
*Spice your food well. Not super spicy, just think flavorful. All culinary herbs have digestive benefits and are packed with anti-oxidants.
*Drink Fluids Before or After Meals. Drinking while eating dilutes the hydrochloric acid in our stomachs we need to help break down our food properly.
*Ginger Citrus Tea! or Wise Water !
*Chew Your Food. I mean really, really chew. Eating is not a race:) Challenge yourself to chew 15-20x’s before swallowing. You’ll be doing your stomach a huge favor.
* Support your liver & gastric function with herbs! We all could use a boost.
*Eat When You Eat. Many of us eat on the run. Stopping, sitting, and mindfully eating helps aid digestion in so many ways.
*Don’t Eat When Your Mad. This may sound funny, but eating when you’re distressed in any way will compromise your digestion in a very big way.
*Take time to enjoy your food. Really enjoy it:)
***All information shared on this website are for educational purposes only. Please use herbs under the guidance of your healthcare practitioner.