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What does your poop say about your health?

Poop is a bad potty word with my kids but it is common talk with my clients. Your bowels actually say a lot about your health. Your digestion is one of the most important components of your metabolism so your bowels can be directly related to your weight and many other health issues. If your bowels are off, you definitely need to read my article and fortunately, there are Poop Emojimany ways to improve your bowel function and metabolism.

What effects bowel movements?

Stress/Anxiety: Your mental health plays a huge role on all systems in the body, including your digestive system. When your stress levels goes up your hormones are altered, causing changes in digestion speeds, and puts pressure on your intestines causing your bowel movements to be out of the ordinary (diarrhea, constipation, gas, IBS). Medications: There are many different medications that can have an effect on bowel movements in the body. Here is a list of types of medications that can have an effect on your bowels.
  • Prescription Painkillers
  • Antidepressants
  • Narcotics
  • High Blood Pressure Medications
Diet: Your diet can definitely be linked to problems with bowel movements. Like I always recommend, whole foods are definitely the best and easiest for your digestive system to break down. Highly processed, fried, and simple carbohydrates can negatively effect your bowels leaving you either constipated or causing diarrhea. Dehydration: Our bodies are made up of 50-75% of water so when we deprive our bodies of water we slow down our digestive tract causing constipation. It is important to stay hydrated to keep the food moving through your bowels throughout the day.

The Poop Glossary

  • Optimal Poop = A healthy poop usually is a shade of brown or possibly a greenish brown. It should release easily and the optimal poop is the size of a banana. Everyone is different but if you are eating enough dietary fiber in your diet you should be pooping 1-3 times daily.
  • Sticky Poop = You can often tell this when there’s “skid marks” on the bottom of your toilet. This can be an indicator that you are consuming too much dietary fat in your diet and therefore cholesterol. Sticky poop can also be an indicator of a food intolerance to gluten or dairy. Maybe try eliminating one of the two and see if your poop changes.
  • Poop that Floats = Poop that floats is a sign that you have a high fiber diet. The interaction of fiber and bacteria causes gas which allows the poop to float in water.
  • Heavy Poop/Poop that Sinks = This may indicate that you need more dietary fiber in your diet. Try eating dark leafy greens, beans, nuts, etc.  Boost that dietary fiber!  You’ll poop will be floating in no time.
  • The Infrequent Pooper =  This may also be known as constipation or “rabbit turds”.  Everyone’s body is different and some people poop less often than other people but if you tend to lean towards constipation (longer than 2-3 days without a BM), then this is unhealthy, toxic and inflammatory.   Increase your intake of dietary fiber and drink more water to get things moving in your bowels.
  • Odd Colored Poop = All shades of brown and sometimes green are normal. Your poop is influenced by what you eat as well as how much bile is in your poop. Bile is produced by the liver aiding in the digestion of fats.

How do I improve my bowel movements?

Here’s a few helpful tips to keep your bowels moving to prevent constipation…
  • Stay hydrated- at least 8 glasses of water a day helps keep your bowels moving
  • Eat dark leafy greens, fruit, beans, whole grains (preferably gluten-free), nuts, seeds, flax seeds – fiber, fiber, fiber!
  • Stay active! – exercise at least 3 times a week
  • Probiotics are a great nutritional supplement that naturally help bulk up the stool by providing billions of good bacteria – I am a huge fan!  One third of our stool is composed of living and dead bacteria. My basic maintenance Probiotic contains 8 billion good bacteria – 1-2 a day usually makes a difference in your bowels.  I also have a high potency Probiotic with 50 billion good bacteria for significant GI problems.
  • Detox your body and get rid of harmful toxins by using my detox program – it makes a huge impact.

What you should do next …

Register for my Nutrition Class: 3 Realistic Solutions to Rev Your Metabolism so you can Drop Weight Naturally Without Deprivation. And after class, you will receive a gift (My Favorite Balanced Breakfast Recipe Book). I recommend you register early; spaces are limited!

Sign-up for my 3-Day Eating Reset: Tame your sugar cravings without feeling deprived. You will receive my step-by-step guide to stabilize your blood sugar with a done-for-you menu plan, simple recipes, and shopping list.

Schedule a FREE Metabolism Mastery Call: This is a no pressure phone conversation with our health coaches.  Let’s dive into your specific challenges and goals to figure out what next steps are best for you.

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About the Author

Hello, I’m Betsy Markle.  I’m a Registered Dietitian and Holistic Nutritionist with over 20 years of experience. Living a busy life with 3 kids and a passionate career, I understand the importance of realistic nutrition, exercise, and balanced living.

Women tend to put the needs of everyone else before their own. My passion is to empower women to create a healthy lifestyle that they love and can stick with forever.

Here at Sunshine Wellness, we are proud to help women lose weight effortlessly, overcome cravings, and revive energy so they can heal their metabolism, ditch the diet mentality, and love their bodies.

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