Originally published January 23 2015
Four ways to easily tell what your poop says about your health
by Derek Henry
(NaturalNews) It's not something discussed in most social circles, but one of the most important topics when it comes down to you being able to evaluate your health, is your poop. The frequency, form, fumes, and color are all you need to evaluate your stool and to be able to make a reasonable assessment of how different areas of your body are functioning.
So, if you are ready to get down and dirty with your bowel movements, be sure to use this handy guide to measure your results.
Frequency
There is no doubt that consistently moving your bowels is important, and anyone who has been constipated would certainly agree that infrequent bowel movements are, well, a pain in the ass. However, those who tend to go multiple times a day may say that sometimes "more" is not better. In the end, the answer lies somewhere in between, with some pertinent details.
The gold standard would be to have 2-3 complete and fully formed bowel movements a day. This means, you feel like your bowels have completely emptied each time, and your feces are a type 3 or 4 (see more on form below). This is very difficult for most people to achieve, as their diet and inner ecology need to be nearly impeccable for this to occur.
The generally approved standard would be 1 complete and fully formed bowel movement a day. This would indicate that your diet and digestive system are in good working order. Anything less than this would indicate some level of constipation, which will eventually cause many chronic health conditions.
It is also important to note that going 4 or more times a day is NOT typically healthy, as it often indicates an overactive digestive system that is constantly attempting to rid itself of toxins. The only time this may be considered "normal" is when a detoxification or cleansing protocol is in effect.
Form
To get the proper form, our digestive systems need to be efficiently breaking down and assimilating nutrients, and waste needs to be passing through our system in a reasonable time frame (too short of a time frame and you have diarrhea; too long and you become constipated). There are 7 types of bowel movements, and they can be described as follows:
Type 1: Separate hard lumps, like nuts (hard to pass).
Type 2: Sausage shaped, but lumpy.
Type 3: Like a sausage, but cracks on the surface.
Type 4: Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft.
Type 5: Soft blobs with clear-cut edges (easy to pass).
Type 6: Fluffy pieces with ragged edges (mushy).
Type 7: Watery, no solid pieces.
You should consistently be achieving type 3 (good) or 4 (ideal). Anything else that is routinely passed (2-3 times a week or more), is indicative of digestive disturbances.
Fumes
If your stool has an extraordinarily bad odor, you should not ignore it. This could be an indication of a number of digestive problems such as Candida, celiac, and Crohn's, as well as other digestive support system problems such as pancreatitis and liver disease.
The bottom line is that stool will have a smell, but if it nauseates you or others, it's a problem.
Color
The color of your poop, believe it or not, matters. An optimal stool is a nice medium to dark brown color, like what you might see in milk chocolate. If it is black, it could be a sign of blood in your upper GI tract. If it is yellow or green, it could be a result of fat malabsorption or liver or gall bladder stress.
Certain foods can also change the color of your stool, such as dark greens and beets, and this is typically not a concern.
Other considerations
There are debates as to whether floaters or sinkers are best, but the overall consensus seems to be that sinkers are better. You will also want to note any undigested food particles in your poop, which is a sign of incomplete digestion.
One other thing you may want to note is excessive mucus in your stools. This is another sign of digestive problems, possibly related to an IBS, Candida, and/or a parasite infection.
In the end, your poop says a lot about your health and more specifically, your digestion. For a handy chart on proper and poor-looking poop, along with some of the top ways to fix any problems, visit 4 Reasons Your Digestion Is Ruined and What You Can Do About It, and Balance Your Ecosystem.
Sources:
http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com
http://www.healingthebody.ca
http://www.mamanatural.com
http://eatlocalgrown.com
http://truthwiki.org/Garlic
About the author:
Derek Henry took a deadly health challenge that conventional medicine couldn't solve and self-directed a one-in-a-million health journey that found him happier and healthier than he had been in his entire life. As a result of this rewarding journey, he now spends his time writing, coaching, and educating thousands of people each month who want to enjoy similar results under their own direction.
Find out how you can reverse disease and thrive with a holistic approach.
Derek Henry took a deadly health challenge that conventional medicine couldn't solve and self-directed a one-in-a-million health journey that found him happier and healthier than he had been in his entire life. As a result of this rewarding journey, he now spends his time writing, coaching, and educating thousands of people each month who want to enjoy similar results under their own direction.
Find out how you can reverse disease and thrive with a holistic approach.
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