Don’t be embarrassed – it’s a perfectly normal bodily function, and it can provide great insight into what’s happening inside the body because we can’t see in there!
When the digestion is working well, we might see the bowels moving 1-2 times daily with a good old sausage. This means that the body is eliminating waste properly, and indicates that nutrient absorption may be happening nicely.
It is not normal to experience the following regularly (of course these things might happen on occasion due to specific circumstances, but ideally not regularly):
Loose, runny movements
Skipping days without a movement
Rabbit like pellets
Cow pats which stick to the bowl and need lots of wiping
Tan, green, mucousy coloured stool
An overly offensive odor
Blood in the stool (especially dark red blood)
Bowel urgency or incontinence
A feeling of not emptying completely
Pain when passing a movement
Common causes for some of the above poo issues:
Food intolerances
Alcohol
Dehydration
Lack of fibre
Stress
Liver congestion
Infection
Microbiome imbalance
There are other possibilities which are more serious, but for most digestive issues, one or more of these are the likely culprits.
The good news is that compared to many other body systems, the digestive system is relatively fast to change when given the right support. Like all health concerns, identifying and treating the cause is the key to permanent change.
For example: Mr Smith has irritable bowel syndrome, characterised by alternating constipation and urgent diarrhoea. He gets abdominal pain and sometimes blood in the stool. His issues are because his diet is full of processed foods and lacking in fibre and water. He is overworking and not sleeping well. The inflammation that his diet and lifestyle is causing is also going to affect his energy, mood, and potentially cause further disease. Taking medications helps him feel better, but continuing to eat and live the way he is causes further problems.
Yes, it takes some effort to make changes – but we can see altered bowel movements as a sign from the body that something isn’t right. When we listen to the body, investigate and make changes, not only do we feel much better, but by allowing the digestive system to function optimally, it will be able to absorb more nutrients and hence support every other system of the body.
Digestion truly is the core of our health.
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