Ideally, you should poop (almost) every day. Over a lifetime—assuming you live to around 80—that would amount to nearly 4,000 kg of poop, roughly the weight of an Asian elephant. But what does your stool say about your health?

Do you always look back before flushing away that valuable information?

"The Big Business" is Bigger Than You Think

Your stool provides a lot of information about the state of your gut, whether your diet is balanced, and what you can do to improve it.

But what is considered healthy? It's often hard to judge for yourself because you've probably pooped the same way your whole life. During consultations, when asked specifically, many people find that their stool is not entirely optimal. Some are used to straining hard for a few small pellets, while others find themselves running to the toilet three times a day due to loose stools.

How would you describe your last bowel movement and poop? I invite you to pay attention to it in the coming days.

Does My Poop Look Healthy?

Ideally, you should poop 1-3 times a day to eliminate all waste, and it should resemble a thick sausage. Do you manage that every day? Well done.

However, it can look different. This is where the Bristol Stool Chart comes into play.

Which type did you last experience?

>>>> Get the Bristol Stool Chart

Types 1 and 2 indicate constipation, with stool that is too hard and often difficult to pass.

Types 3 and 4—considered the best—are healthy stools that pass effortlessly.

From Type 5 onwards, it's diarrhea, with the most severe form being watery diarrhea. Chances are, you won't feel quite well with this.

Stool should be brown in color due to bilirubin—a breakdown product of red blood cells in your body. If it's a different color, there is usually a cause.

• Black: Some supplements or medications can cause this, but if you're not taking anything unusual, it's wise to consult your doctor to check for bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Green: Often due to something you ate with a strong green color.
• White/Beige: This may indicate poor nutrient absorption, excess fat in your diet, or in a more severe case, reduced bile in your intestines.
• Red: This could indicate blood in the stool, in which case you should contact your doctor immediately.

If your gut is healthy, you should be done defecating in a few minutes. If it often takes a long time, is painful, or requires a lot of effort, it's worth investigating what might be going wrong.

How Can I Take Care of My Gut and Ensure Healthy Stool?

1. Identify Sensitivities Everyone's tastes and food preferences vary, but so do the ways our guts react to certain foods. Gluten, grains, or lactose intolerance are the most common. Other culprits like coffee, sugar, alcohol, foods with high histamine, or nightshade vegetables (e.g., tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplants, goji berries) can cause issues ranging from abdominal pain and diarrhea to respiratory symptoms or eczema.

   How do you find the causer? While various tests are available, the easiest and best approach is an elimination diet. For several weeks to months—depending on the sensitivity—you remove all potential triggers from your diet and then reintroduce them one by one. Your body will signal if it can tolerate them.

2. Adjust Your Diet The Western diet often contains too much processed food and too little fiber. We also tend to eat too much and too often, which is harmful to the gut.

   Eating as pure as possible helps avoid harmful substances and retain as many nutrients as possible. Increasing your intake of vegetables, nuts, legumes, and fruits will help you get more fiber—aim for 25 grams (for women) - 35 grams (for men) per day.

   Eating less frequently—preferably 2-3 meals a day—and chewing well gives your body the chance to digest everything properly. Adequate fluid intake is also important.

3. Move and Relax Regular exercise supports digestion and bowel movements. It also has many other benefits, such as anti-inflammatory and calming effects. Reducing stress not only feels good but also improves gut health and daily bodily functions.

4. Check Your Microbiome Your stool can tell you a lot, but a microbiome analysis reveals even more. Your microbiome—the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms in your gut—needs to be in balance to support almost all bodily systems. "Healthy gut, healthy body." An imbalance can cause many physical and mental issues, ranging from autoimmune diseases and digestive problems to skin disorders and psychological conditions.

   Using prebiotics and probiotics can restore this imbalance—also known as dysbiosis—and often improve stool quality on its own.

In summary, a comprehensive approach not only promotes healthy stool but also healthier processes, ultimately leading to a healthier gut.

Do you have questions or want to start improving your health but aren't sure where to begin?

Contact us or schedule an introductory consultation.