That’s Right, We’re Talking S*%t Written by George Economou (Originally published in September 2012)
You’ve got options when it comes to evaluating your health. You can assess your feelings, or get labs run on your blood, urine, or saliva. And there’s another option right under your nose…OK, well hopefully not right under, but your poop can be a great indicator of the status of your health.
Here’s a quick list of reasons why people have a difficult time talking about poop:
Great, so now that we got that out of the way we shouldn’t have any issues moving forward. Aside from telling/showing you that you’ve recently eaten corn, looking at our poo can also give us clues about the following (among other things):
(Disclaimer – If after reading this you think you need help with your poop, I encourage you to seek help from a medical professional – and by all means please don’t bring it to the gym for a second opinion.)
There are a couple of good reference scales I like to use when poop talking: The Bristol Stool Scale (below), and Paul Chek’s “Poopie Line Up” (above).
Your primary care physician is probably more familiar with the Bristol Stool Scale, but it isn’t nearly as fun as the Poopie Line-Up.
Type 1 – Rabbit turds are for rabbits. If you’re pooping pebbles, it could be that you’re dehydrated, or that your gut flora or bacteria may be out of balance.
Type 2 – Like a condensed type 1, meaning that it’s probably sitting in your colon for a longer period of time…not good. Poop shouldn’t hang out in the body for more than 72 hours. Build-up like this can start pushing up against other things and cause discomfort and impede other body functions. The diameter of the poop also won’t feel good coming out.
Type 3 – OH BOY! This is constipation to the max – not healthy . Aside from a desperate need for fiber, you’re also looking at chronic dehydration and severe gut-imbalance issues.
Type 4 – Good poops for the once-a-day type person.
Type 5 – Good poops for a two or three times-a-day type of person, likely after meals.
Type 6 – Borderline not-so-good. This is like a rushed Type 5…should be a Type 5 but it was rushed. It may have been rushed because of a food sensitivity (caffeine?), or stress.
Type 7 – Something is definitely wrong. This is how the body reacts when it’s trying to rid itself of toxic substances.
(from right to left)
The Policeman – The ideal in poops. It’s well shaped, easy to pass, light brown in color, smells earthy, and about 12” in length (per day . . . could be one of 12”, 2 of 6”, 3 of 4”, etc).
The Flasher – You’re seeing bits of breakfast, lunch or dinner. Means that food isn’t being digested for some reason – not good. Could be a sign of food intolerance, an inflammatory disorder of the gut, low stomach acid, or that you’re not chewing enough (and if I had to guess, I suspect 95% of you aren’t chewing enough).
Diarrhella – Similar to Type 7, you’re body is trying to rid itself of something toxic. Not only bad because you have something bad inside of you, but it also leads to dehydration since your body will find water from wherever it needs to in order to facilitate Diarrhella’s exit.
Pellet Man – Type 1.
The Bodybuilder – Type 2.
The Olympic Swimmer – Lighter in color than the Policeman, indicating a higher fat content. The undigested fats could be a sign that stools are passing too quickly, or that your bile salts aren’t breaking down the fats.
Mr. Sinker ‘n’ Stinker – Paul considers this persistent little guy one of the worst offenders and attributes his presence to too much processed foods, toxic environment, or medical drugs (think anesthesia).
These are two different interpretations of poo, but we see some common threads. A summary of what healthy poop should be like:
*An easy, and fun, test to check transit time would be to eat beets and see how long it takes till you poop purple/red!
Here are some tips on how you can improve your poop:
If you’d like more help with your poop, or recommendations on enzymes, probiotics (We recommend SEED ), or getting your poop analyzed by putting it in the mail, drop us a line. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know a few coaches who love talking poop.
Also Check Out…
Probiotics 101 Gut Health in a Nutshell Your Gut 101