Blood and/or a lot of stool mucus
16 Tips for healthy stools
A subject that was never absent from my consultation room was my client’s relief pattern. It’s not an easy subject for client’s to approach, so they felt relieved when their bowel movements came up. When I asked what this looked like, I often got the answer “Oh, normal“. But what is normal?
They also often said in reply ‘I do not know, because we have a modern toilet without a shelf’. In such cases, clients no longer bothered to look back. And that is a pity, because it makes a lot of sense. After all, your health is largely determined by the health of your bowels. Your stool says exactly how well your digestion and intestines are functioning. That is why it is important to check your poop regularly.
What forms can poop take?
Your stool can take various forms, from water-thin diarrhoea to hard little nuggets. The Bristol Stool Chart gives you a handy visual guide to see if your digestion is functioning properly. Types 3, 4 and 5 indicate healthy digestion. Type 4 is the optimal shape.
What colour can poop have?
Poop can have different colours:
Light brown (discoloured) or even white
This often indicates a shortage of bile. Bile gives the typical brown colour to your stool. A lack of bile can be caused by a lack of production or a blockage / obstruction in the bile ducts, for example as the result of a gallstone.
Grey
Here, too, there is often a deficiency of bile, but it can also be caused by fermentation of food (in case of a disturbed intestinal flora, candida). Or because insufficient digestive enzymes (lipase) are released by the pancreas.
Green
This can be quite normal when you have eaten spinach or superfoods, such as chorella and spirulina. It can also mean that you have too much bile that stays in your bowels for too long. Bacteria such as clostridium can also turn your stool green.
Yellow
This can have various causes, such as inflammation of the gallbladder and / or liver, a parasite (Giardia Lamblia) or even excessive alcohol consumption.
Red
Is a normal phenomenon when you have eaten beets. When there are bright red (blood) spores they have come from the last part of your colon. This can indicate haemorrhoids, polyps, a tear in the anus (fissure) or even cancer.
Black
This is a side effect of constipation and ingestion of iron tablets or excessive alcohol consumption. It can also indicate a bleeding higher up in your gastrointestinal tract, for example if you have an inflammation or ulcer in your stomach.
White dots or dashes
Usually this indicates there are worms present, which is quite common in children.
What is an unhealthy poop pattern?
Obstipation
This is a common problem. Obstipation occurs when you only produce stools once or a few times a week.
Underlying causes often have to do with an unhealthy lifestyle:
- Refined processed foods
- Insufficient physical exercise
- Drinking too little water, etc.
This results in a disturbed intestinal flora and bowel function. Obstipation is very unhealthy, because toxins in the intestine are still absorbed into your body.
Diarrhea
This often happens during a stomach flu, but it can also become chronic. Certain food intolerances can then be the cause. Obstipation can also cause diarrhoea by dripping stools, which is called overflow diarrhoea.
Sticky or it ‘floats’
If you find it difficult to rinse your poop away or if it floats, this means that it contains too much fat. This can be because you eat too much fat (this also includes too many nuts) or because your digestion is not functioning optimally. The latter can be a result of too little gastric acid, resulting in insufficient release of digestive enzymes, or a shortage of enzymes produced by the pancreas itself.
Undigested food waste
If your poop contains undigested food, it does not always mean that your digestion is failing. Often insufficient chewing is the cause. Chewing well (at least 20 times) is important for a good digestion. When this is not the problem, it can be a lack of gastric acid and/or a disturbed balance in your intestinal flora.
Strong odour
Stools may smell, but stink is not normal. Badly smelling faeces usually indicates a disturbed digestion in combination with an unbalanced intestinal flora. This causes rotting and fermentation processes. Proteins and carbohydrates are then digested poorly, causing sulphur air (‘rotten eggs’) and sour air respectively.
Flatulence
Normally we fart an average of 10 – 15 times per day. The healthier you eat, the less this will occur. Lots of farts means that your intestinal flora is out of balance. This can have many different causes.
Alarm signals
Changes in your relief pattern can be an important signal of a (serious) underlying disorder. In any case, consult your GP if you experience the following symptoms:
This does not necessarily mean that there is something serious going on, often it is something innocent. Nevertheless, there may be a more serious condition, especially if you are over 50 years of age.
What is healthy poop?
Poop consists of 50% of (dead) intestinal bacteria. The other 50% contains moisture, fibres, dead body cells, bile, proteins, fats (e.g. cholesterol) and a small amount of mucus.
I consciously speak of ‘healthy’ poop and not ‘normal’ poop. What is ‘normal’ is different for everyone. There is a lot of variation in it. Moreover, I prefer to talk about a healthy digestion and poop pattern, because poop alone does not say enough about your health.
When is your poop pattern healthy?
A healthy poop pattern has the following characteristics:
16 Tips to make your poop pattern healthier
Toilet behaviour
- Never postpone your visit to the toilet, even if you are on the road, on holiday or elsewhere. Of course we prefer to poop in our own toilet at home, but postponing it has a negative impact on your health. It leads to constipation and extra toxins in your body.
- Do you find other toilets dirty? Then make sure you always carry a specially shaped paper in the form of a ‘toilet seat’. You can buy these at the drug store. Put these on the surface and throw them away afterwards.
- Do not press too hard, as this can cause haemorrhoids. Pressing along a little is no problem. Always take the time to go to the toilet, especially if you suffer from constipation. Sit down quietly, take some reading with you and try to relax as much as possible.
Toilet posture
- Your intestine empties best when you lift your knees slightly or put a stool under your feet. In this way your intestines take on a more straight shape, so that your stool comes out easier.
Nutrition
- Eat fresh, pure and unprocessed
- Eat a lot of fibre from fruit and vegetables (maximum 2 pieces per day)
- Eat very low gluten cereals
- Drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day
- Use Celtic Sea Salt
- Avoid soft drinks
- Limit alcohol and coffee
Eating behaviour
- Chew well
- Start the day with a glass of lukewarm water + a little fresh lemon juice
- Drink no later than 20 minutes before the meal and no later than 1.5 hours afterwards.
- Eat calmly, avoid stress
- Put at least 20 minutes over your meal
Are you also looking for a personal food pattern and a healthy digestion & relief pattern?
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