What Your Poo Says About You!

In 2010, I wrote a post that's quickly become one of my most popular: What the Colour of your Poo Says About You. Due to the popularity of this post and also because I recently finished writing the chapter on digestion in my book I thought it was high time I write a follow up that delves deeper into your poop.

Just like your eyes are the window to your beautiful soul, your poop is the window to the health of your digestive system. Your gut provides you with signs and symptoms such as constipation and heartburn when things are off, so when your poop's a little off, it's actually telling you a lot about your digestive system.

In holistic nutrition and traditional medicine, your digestive system is the root of your health (and where many disease states begin). So listen up to what it's telling you!

Disclaimer: If you get queasy or grossed out easily, you might not want to read this post.

Okay now let's talk poop!

If your poop leaves a skid mark in the toilet after flushing because it's sticky, it's likely because you have too much mucus. The two most common mucus forming foods are dairy and wheat gluten.

Joyous Solutions:

• Eliminate dairy and gluten for at least 10 days. 
• Go get acupuncture to reduce "dampness" in the body.
• Eat good quality fibre: Both soluble and insoluble --pears, apples, leafy greens, chia and ground flax, lentils and beans.

This is a common problem with people who are obese, making fat loss essential for healthy poop.

I don't need to go into further detail but generally speaking heavy meat-eaters have seriously stinky poop. This is a sign of an acidic body, excess of yeast and a weak digestive system indicating there is likely putrefying and rotting matter in your large intestines. All of these problems are likely due to a poor diet and stress. This may also indicate more serious conditions such as celiac disease and Crohn's, so be sure to pay attention to when this happens and how often.

Joyous Solutions:

• Tis time to help you body take out the trash and become more alkaline: Every morning on an empty stomach drink lemon and water (see video at 2 minutes -- when I talk lemon & water). Or get yourself a good greens powder (like the one I use, Greens+ O) or start making your own fresh juices. I've got tons of recipes to get you started.
• You may want to take a digestive enzyme with every meal and a high potency probiotic.
• Ever consider doing a colonic? This might be the right time for you to investigate this further to help get the poop out.
• Eat more detoxifying foods. Check out my newest book JOYOUS DETOX. It has 100 gluten-free, dairy-free and refined-sugar-free recipes. 

This is usually from dehydration which makes you constipated. If you are constipated, then your liver is going to be congested. This is also from eating too many white foods lacking fibre: white rice, white bread, white pasta, sugar.

Joyous Solutions:

• I've got a whole post -- Check all the solutions here for constipation.
• Do yoga, meditate, take 10 deep diaphragmatic breathes at 3 distinct times throughout the day. Your gut is your second brain. What you manifest in in your head, will always be reflected in your poop health.
• Eat more fibre-rich foods. I've got hundreds of recipes right here. 

This is really common sign of a liver imbalance and a poor diet from eating fast food.

Joyous Solution:

• Eat more whole, fresh, raw foods. If this is new to you, eat one raw meal per day or make sure 50% of your plate is raw. Side note: I just saw a woman at a corporate talk I did last week who I hadn't seen in almost a year. She has been eating the "joyous health way" (she's been to many of my workshops and follows the recipes on my site) and she lost 55lbs by eating more raw!!
• Do a liver cleanse. I really like this one and just did it for two months: Floressence. This would be a great cleanse combined with a clean eating plan. Do not do a liver cleanse unless you plan on ditching alcohol, dairy, sugar, gluten, coffee and all junk food.
• Eat more detox-friendly foods. 

Either you are SUPER TYPE A and spend no time chilling out (you know, the classic overachiever constantly in sympathetic nervous system-mode) or you drink too many stimulants -- coffee? Black tea? Red Bull? So your poop evacuates like it's on a mission to the finish line.

Joyous Solution:

• Ditch the stimulants, but if you are drinking more than 1 cup of coffee per day, cut back slowly otherwise you will be in for some withdrawal symptoms. If after removing the stimulants, you get constipated, then you need follow the suggestion in my constipation post or better yet book a Skype session with me.
• Chillax! Do yoga, meditate, take 10 deep diaphragmatic breathes at 3 distinct times throughout the day. Your gut is your second brain. What you manifest in in your head, will always be reflected in your poop health.
• Take a day off work. Spend more time with your family.
• Take a probiotic. If your poop is evacuating in first gear everyday, you are probably not absorbing much from your food. Good bacteria helps the body absorb vitamins and minerals.

This is likely due to inflammation and/or excess yeast.

Joyous Solutions:

• Take oil of oregano every morning on an empty stomach for three weeks.
• Clean up your diet. How? Start making your own food from scratch at home. Try out any of my recipes which are the last thing from mucus forming.
• This can also be a sign of detoxification -- which is a good thing!
• Do an anti-candida diet. This is very intense and can be challenging. There are some good herbal remedy kits at the health food store like this one, but remember that your diet is just as important as popping herbs.

If your poop looks like an oil spill in the toilet, pay attention! You are not emulsifying your fats effectively. Translation? You need to give your liver and gall bladder some lovin'.

Joyous Solutions:

• If you've had your gall bladder removed, then you definitely should be on a good fat digesting enzyme.
• You NEED to do the Joyous Detox. No ifs, ands or buts about it.
• Parasites, bad bacteria, poor gall bladder function all promote oil slicks.
• If you have oil slicks, you are likely not absorbing your fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K either. So additional supplementation is needed*. However, do be sure to get yourself checked out and talk to your MD plus your natural healthcare practitioner.
• *Make sure you talk to your natural healthcare practitioner for recommendations on dosage amounts and brands.

BEFORE YOU GET PARANOID AND THINK SOMETHING IS WRONG, PLEASE NOTE:

Changes in the color, consistency, and frequency of your bowel movements is completely normal from time to time. Your diet and level of stress will immediately impact your digestion which will be visible going out the other end. As well, this advice is NOT meant to treat or diagnose. Please visit your doctor or qualified practitioner for advice or getting your poop in order.

I really hope all this information helps you better understand what's going on with your body. There is a natural solution to every single digestive problem you may experience. The key is to listen to your body instead of suppressing the symptoms with medications or simply ignoring it.

Here's to joyous poops!

Joy