Kids love to talk about “poo poo” and “pee pee,” but adults shy away because it’s just not proper. But pooping is a natural part of life and a critical part of your daily routine.  The most important thing for you to know about your poop is that the quality of what comes out depends on what you put in!  While problematic poop can be a sign of gastrointestinal issues, it’s most often a sign of a troublesome diet that can be fixed with more wholesome foods including lots of water, whole grains, and more fruit and veggies. (Did you know that more than 80 percent of Americans don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables?!) 

Following are some basics about the frequency and transit time, consistency and color of your poop that you should be aware of along with some tips for the perfect poop!

Frequency and transit time: Transit time is the time it takes you, from start to finish, to chew your food, digest it, absorb the nutrients and send the remnants on their way. The average adult transit time is twenty-four hours. So you want to be pooping at least once per day to keep things moving. If you’re pooping less than once a day toxins in your bowel may be building up and your large intestine can swell. Toxins that sit around in your intestine for too long can reenter your system so you want to eliminate then as soon as possible.

Consistency: Hard, lumpy stools accompanied by strain or consistent watery stools are signs that your poop routine needs a make-over. Your poop should be in-tact, smooth, medium to large in size, and should exit your body in a smooth movement.  Think peanut butter!

Color: Different colored stools can be indicative of different dietary issues. For example, yellow stool is a sign of excess fat in the diet or a possible absorption problem.  Dark stools mean that your stool has been sitting in your intestines for too long.  For more details on the color of unhealthy stools check out this article on Stool – Healthy and Unhealthy Stool in About.com.

To improve your digestion and keep things moving try the following:

Increase your fiber: With the rise of highly processed food, many people are eliminating natural fiber from their diets.  Make sure that your grains are “whole” grains such as oatmeal, and brown rice. Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables, beans, lentils, and  dark green leafy greens (spinach, chard, kale) in your diet.

Drink more water: We’ve heard it all before, but you must stay hydrated! Drink water and herbal tea throughout the day and eat foods with a high water content like fruits and veggies. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your weight in ounces. (For example if you weigh 100 pounds, drink 50 ounces of water.)  A good way to make sure you get enough water is to start out the day by drinking 1-2 glasses of warm water when you get up.

Get moving: When you move more, your bowels move more. Exercise will considerably improve the overall quality of your bowel movements.

Pick a probiotics: Probiotics are healthy bacteria found most notably in yogurt and kefir. These bacteria are friendly and improve gastrointestinal health and digestion.  If you’re not getting enough you may want to consider supplementing with a probiotic which you can find at a health food store.

Eliminate stress: Stress makes a mess out of your body and can turn your life, and your health, upside down. Set aside some time each day to walk, stretch, relax or exercise – whatever it takes to clear your mind.

If you stick to this plan and your bowel movements are irregular it might be time to visit your doctor.