A discussion last week with a couple of girlfriends got me thinking that this could be a good topic to discuss. At the end of the day (and/or at the beginning of the day – depending on what your ‘normal’ is!) everyone poos! So if you have just sat down to eat a meal, then this is probably not what you are wanting to read while eating. Just an upfront warning!
If you are still reading this, then you might be thinking…. Hmmmm I wonder if Kate is going to be including any photos of this topic? Well I can assure you that I wont be taking any pictures to include in this post. But I have included a great chart called the ‘Bristol Stool Chart’ which is a common reference.
So we all eat. And we all poo. Is there a link between the two? Yes there is! The more clinical term for poo is stools or faeces – or sometimes you might even be asked about your bowel motions (I warned you – I hope you aren’t eating!). So what ends up in your toilet depends on what you have eaten, drunk, what medicines or supplements you might have taken, and your lifestyle including how active you are.
Ultimately we all want to have healthy stools. So I will do my best to answer some of the most common questions. Sit back, relax, and read on!
What is in my stool?
By the time your stool reaches the end of the line at your large intestine, the vast majority of the good stuff, eg: nutrients, have already been absorbed. What usually remains is largely water, undigested fibre, gut bacteria and fat. And occasionally there might be some whole food – like corn or peas that hasn’t been broken down and absorbed by your body.
Colour
Healthy bowel motions are usually brown in colour. Or more specifically a cardboard type of brown, if you want to be specific! You might want to make an appointment with your GP if your faeces appears bright red, black, maroon – as this may indicate blood, which isn’t such a good thing. Also if your faeces is very pale in colour – again worth getting this checked out. And in case you are wondering why faeces is generally brown in colour? It is because of bile pigments that your body needs to get rid of – and it does this via your bowel movements.
Should my stool sink or float?
Good question! If you have a floater (sorry... I couldn’t resist!) then this might indicate you have too much fat or protein in your diet. Or it could be too much gas. Ideally we want stools to sink, as this shows a healthy diet.
How often do normal, healthy people go to the toilet?
Most people will have a bowel motion each day. Sometimes more than once a day. Perfectly ok as long as the bowel motion is ‘normal’ in terms of consistency... which we will talk about next.
Consistency
This is where I will call upon the Bristol Stool Chart. Have a look at the chart below. Fascinating, isn’t it?!
Type 1-2 – indicates constipation
Type 5-7 – indicates diarrhoea
What about the smell?
Oh yes, the smell. Well that is created by the types of food you eat. The more meat, fish, eggs and dairy that you eat – the smellier it will be. Same goes for a diet high in processed food. The more your diet consists of whole cereals, fruit and vegetables – the less smelly it will be. Try it out!
Conclusion
If you are wondering about your diet and your bowel habits, you might want to consider asking us to undertake an analysis on your diet. Feel free to pop over and sign up for a Dietitian Online appointment - confidential and all done online!
So, in conclusion, next time you are spending a few minutes on the toilet – have a quick look. And maybe you might want to think about what you are eating and then what you are evacuating. And I think that is enough on number 2’s!
So, in conclusion, next time you are spending a few minutes on the toilet – have a quick look. And maybe you might want to think about what you are eating and then what you are evacuating. And I think that is enough on number 2’s!
Bristol Stool Chart from http://www.continence.org.au/pages/bristol-stool-chart.html
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