Your poop provides important clues into what’s going on inside your body. In this post, we’ll explore how your bowel movements can reveal key insights into your gut health and microbiome. Read on to learn how to assess your poop, what healthy poop looks like, and simple diet and lifestyle fixes to improve your digestive health.
What is Poop Exactly?
Contrary to common belief, poop is not simply undigested food remnants. Surprisingly, poop actually consists mainly of living and dead bacteria that reside in your intestines and colon. These gut microbes feast on the foods you eat, and the waste products from these bacteria make up the bulk of your stool.
When you fast and don’t eat any food, you’ll still poop because the bacteria in your intestines are still active and producing waste. So when you peek into the toilet, know that you’re primarily seeing evidence of your microbiome at work, not yesterday’s kale.
What Should Healthy Poop Look Like?
While there’s no single definition of “perfect” poop, the general goal is stools that are large, soft, and easy to pass. Imagine it coiled up like a snake in the toilet bowl. You want a substantial amount, indicating healthy populations of good bacteria in your gut microbiome.
On the flip side, small, hard stools that require straining suggest constipation and potential gastrointestinal issues. Floating poop can mean you aren’t properly digesting and absorbing fats. Foul smelling, greasy stool may indicate insufficient bile acids needed to break down fat.
Ideally, aim for long, large stools that pass easily and require minimal wiping afterwards. Track changes in smell, size, texture, and ease of passing to assess your gut health. Your poop provides an important digestive diagnostics tool.
Why Your Poop Matters for Your Health
Having healthy bowel movements on a consistent basis isn’t just for aesthetic purposes. The state of your poop offers insight into how your gut microbiome is functioning, which has critical impacts on:
- Immune health – a diverse microbiome protects against infection
- Inflammation levels – beneficial gut flora reduce inflammation
- Nutrient absorption – good bacteria help properly digest and assimilate nutrients
- Toxin and pathogen resistance – healthy bugs crowd out harmful bacteria and yeasts
- Brain health and mental health – gut microbes produce compounds that influence cognition and mood
When your stools are off, whether constipation or diarrhea, it can indicate dysbiosis in your gut microbiome that needs addressing. Supporting the good bacteria in your intestines through diet and lifestyle is key for overall health.
How To Improve Your Poop and Gut Health
Ready to get your poop into peak shape? Here are some evidence-based tips to optimize your stools and cultivate a healthy gut microbiome:
- Eat more prebiotic fiber – These soluble fibers provide fuel for beneficial bacteria. Focus on yams, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, apples, greens, and psyllium.
- Cook vegetables if gut issues present – Raw veggies may worsen diarrhea due to irritating compounds. Cook thoroughly.
- Avoid gut-damaging foods – Lectins found in grains, beans, nuts and seeds can disrupt the intestinal lining. Limit these.
- Eat probiotic foods – Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and yogurt contain beneficial bacteria. Consume daily.
- Stay hydrated – Drink adequate water and herbal teas to support bowel regularity.
- Consider digestive enzymes – If stools are greasy or float, enzymes help properly break down fats and proteins.
- Exercise regularly – Physical activity supports healthy transit through the digestive tract.
- Manage stress – Chronic stress negatively affects gut function and microbiome balance.
- Get checked for food sensitivities – If gut problems persist, you may have reactions to foods like eggs or dairy.
Be patient as it takes time to improve the microbiome. But stick with a gut-healthy diet and lifestyle, and your poop will reflect your hard work!
Can You Ditch Toilet Paper for Good?
Do you feel like you blow through a roll of toilet paper a day? Excessive wiping is often needed when stools are loose, greasy or improperly formed.
But as your poop quality and digestive health improves, you may find you need little to no wiping after doing your business. Like our animal friends out in nature, we weren’t born needing ultra-soft 3-ply toilet paper.
This may seem far fetched if your current bathroom routine requires half a roll per trip. But as your stools become more solid and substantial thanks to a well-fed microbiome, they require less cleanup. Give it a month or two, and you may be reaching for toilet paper less and less. It’s a sign your gut issues are resolving themselves.
Inspect Your Poop, Improve Your Health
Pay attention to your poop. It provides important clues into the state of your gastrointestinal health and microbiome. Don’t be afraid to get a little dirty in the name of improving your wellbeing. Your bathroom habits reveal key insights if you’re willing to listen.
Focus on diet, lifestyle and targeted supplements to cultivate a robust, diverse population of beneficial bacteria. A healthy gut microbiome will produce poop you can be proud of!
