Defecation.
We all do it. For some people, it’s a necessary inconvenience. For others, it’s a pleasant and satisfying part of the digestive process. And for the rest of us, it’s a time to catch up on emails, cruise Instagram and take a little personal time to ourselves.
Whether you refer to it as “dropping a deuce”, “moving the bowels”, “relieving oneself” “crapping” or simply just “taking a shit”, it’s a common practice that most if not all of us do daily.
But when was the last time you inspected your poop? And I mean after release but before wiping. If you don’t recall or don’t wish to recall, you could be making a BIG mistake. Going number two might not be the sexiest topic to discuss, but there’s a lot you can learn from your fecal matter. And although we are all unique in size, shape and smell of our poop, there are a few things that can indicate whether our poop is healthy or unhealthy.
What Does Healthy Poop Look Like?
When assessing your poop, there are a few general rules I recommend to clients to look for.
1) Colour – The poop emoji on our iPhones is a fairly healthy-looking poop. The brown colouring caused by the combination of stomach bile and bilirubin, which is a pigment compound formed from the breakdown of red blood cells in the body, gets the credit for this oh-so-lovely shade of brown which just so happens to be the best type of colour your poop should appear.
2) Shape – A somewhat log-like shape is how most poop should come out due to its formation within the intestines. With that said, there are a variety of shapes that poop can have on occasion however when these different shapes begin to appear all the time, that’s when your poop is trying to tell you something.
3) Size – Poops shouldn’t come out in small pellets or as a watery liquid. Ideally, your stools should be a couple of inches in length, and be comfortable and easy to pass.
4) Consistency – Anywhere between a firm and soft consistency is fairly normal when it comes to your poop. It it sways too much towards one or the other, this could suggest some digestion or fibre issues.
5) Length of Time – How long does it take you to poop? Believe it or not, a healthy poop should be easy to pass and take less than 90 seconds to push out. Now I understand that some people do tend to spend more time on the toilet, therefore as a general rule, a poop should not take no more than 10 to 15 minutes to complete (including wiping and washing your hands afterwards).
How Often Should You Poop?
Oddly enough, most people generally poop around the same time every day. On average, a person with a healthy digestive system will poop anywhere between every other day to three times a day. Any less could suggest possible constipation, which means you might need to hydrate with more water to help empty your bowels more quickly and frequently. Ideally, I try to help get my clients to achieve at least one full bowel movement each day when working with them on their Nutritional Plans.
When Should You Talk With Your Doctor?
A green poop here and a hard poop there happens to the best of us. Most of us reading this week’s blog have experienced irregular bowel movements at one time or another in our lives. Whether it’s painful constipation or chronic diarrhea, anyone over the age of 30 has experienced either or both at some point.
However, when these types of irregularities carry on for more than a day or two, then it would be a wise decision to take action immediately and talk with your Doctor or Health Care Provider. Chronic constipation for example can obstruct the bowels, while chronic diarrhea can make it difficult for a person to absorb essential nutrients from food. Both chronic constipation and chronic diarrhea could even be a sign of more serious conditions and therefore should be examined by a medical professional immediately if they continue to last longer than 1-2 days.
What Our Poop Can Teach Us
I understand that you might not want to inspect, check or investigate your poop (unless you’re a 5-year-old) but it’s important to keep in mind that your poop can provide a wealth of knowledge about your overall health and wellbeing. So the next time you pop a squat or drop the kids off at the pool, I strongly advise you to stand up, turn around and take note of what’s going on back there.
Think of the toilet bowl as a window into your health and your livelihood.
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance