Let’s talk poop

April marks irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) awareness month and with up to a third of people in the UK suffering with IBS I thought it would be a perfect time to talk about bathroom habits.  If someone had told me 10 years ago that my career would involve talking about poop I would have thought they were crazy.  Fast forward time and here I am talking about what goes on behind the bathroom door every day in clinic, my daughters always ask for this subject to be avoided in front of friends!

Paying a little attention to your number 2's can tell you a lot about your health, especially your gut health.  If you are a number 4 on the Bristol Stool chart you have the “holy grail’ of poop, it should be smooth, soft, and easy to pass (see below).

What goes on behind the bathroom door is a window into how well (or not) you are absorbing your food, eliminating waste and can be a warning of a more serious condition.  For example, if they float all the time or are hard to flush it can be a sign you are not absorbing fats in your diet properly (think about all those essential fat-soluble vitamins you will be missing to start).  This might be due to a lack of digestive enzymes or not producing enough stomach acid.

When was the last time you actually thought about how your lunch time sandwich was broken down into all the individual nutrients you need to survive.  It is not magic, the process of digestion is complicated and involves chewing, saliva, stomach acid and digestive enzymes.  

We take the digestive and elimination process for granted, it simply happens doesn’t it?  But if you neglect anything for too long things start to go awry, your gut is no different.  I am not advocating obsessively analysing your number twos, that would be disgusting, but just as any woman should check their boobs for lumps and bumps, we should be taking notice of any subtle change in our bathroom habits.  

There is no such thing as a perfect poop, but here is a quick guide:

Colour
A ‘normal’ colour could be described as chestnut brown, mostly due to bile (a digestive juice made by your liver) and bilirubin (a substance formed after red blood cells break down).  Medications and the food you have eaten can change the colour, such as beetroot, or supplements, such as beta carotene or iron.  Take note though, for example a green colour may indicate gall bladder issues.

Consistency 
A ‘normal’ poo should be a type 3 or 4 (check out the Bristol Stool Chart below), type 1 has spent too long in the bowel and type 7 the least time.

Frequency
There is a wide range of ‘normal’ here, some people go 2 times a day and some people 4 times a week.  Any more or less than that means things are possibly not moving through as they should be.

So, if you suffer from constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, gas, cramps it is likely you have been told you have IBS.  There is no test for IBS, it is a diagnosis of exclusion (meaning you have tested negative for more serious causes of your digestive issues such as coeliac disease). You may have been told there is little you can do about it, I am here to tell you not to lose hope.  There is absolutely no need to suffer in silence and small changes really can make a huge difference.

Functional medicine looks for the root cause of your IBS, these vary widely but may include:

Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth – this is a condition characterised by the abnormal increase in the number and/or the type of bacteria in the small intestine.  Normally, the small intestine has a relatively low population of bacteria compared to the large intestine.  Studies have found this condition accounts for around 60% of IBS cases.  Symptoms vary but include bloating shortly after eating, burping, constipation and/or diarrhoea.  This can be tested at home through a simple breath test.

Perhaps it is an imbalance of your gut bacteria or an overgrowth of yeast, we have all heard how important our microbiome is.  Antibiotic use and a high sugar diet can have an impact on the gut microbiota.  This can be tested at home through a stool test.  

Since the rise of Zoe, I often get asked about stool tests.  I regularly order stool tests for clients and if you have been suffering with digestive issues for some time, they can be a great investment (but make sure you work with someone who can interpret the test and formulate a personalised plan).  The comprehensive tests I use provide valuable information about gut health, including the presence of pathogens (such as bacteria, parasites, or yeast), markers of inflammation, digestive function, gut lining integrity, bile flow, bacterial overgrowth, and the composition of the gut microbiota.

If you have been reading this with interest maybe it is about time you took action, if your digestive symptoms are affecting your quality of life, it is important to know you should not have to live constantly scanning for the closest toilet is.

Change is possible!
A recent client of mine had her gall bladder removed 20 years ago and since then has suffered with bloating, diarrhoea, urgency, and the embarrassment of rushing to the toilet.  In 12 weeks, we have normalised her bowel movement, and she has even reintroduced a few foods she never thought she could enjoy again.

Top tip
Did you know pineapple and papaya are rich in digestive enzymes, bromelain, and papain.  These enzymes can help you digest protein.  So, next time you are enjoying a protein rich steak try a few cubes of these tropical fruits before you eat, maybe with a handful of bitter leaves which help stimulate stomach acid and bile.

**If you have noticed changes in your stool which is unusual for you, or blood in your stool please do not be embarrassed, go and speak to your GP**

As ever, I’d love to hear feedback!  If there is anything you would like to see featured in a future newsletter drop me a message at hello@natashahartwell.com

Happy Eating.
 
Tasha x