Today we ponder the question “what actually is all this taboo nonsense about poo”? I mean, lets just be honest, we all do them – and if we don’t there is a serious problem that needs RECTIFYING. Why is there such a universal association of absolute revolt surrounding the humble turd?

I believe it’s about time that we embrace the number two, so to speak, and discuss the topic of bowel movements, including overall gut health, the Bristol stool chart, constipation and diarrhoea. After all, poo is an incredible tool to use in determining how healthy your gut is. And as you’ve probably read on this blog before, gut health is paramount to your overall physical, mental and spiritual health. It’s funny to think that your emotions, spirituality, even immunity (or lack there of), can be traced back to the information that your poo is communicating to you.

So the secret’s out. I love poo. Not in a romantic way, so please don’t go spreading the word that I am physically attracted to long, dark, sausage-shaped mounds of bodily waste. That would be incredibly misleading and conjure up a whole lot of judgments and questions that quite frankly are uncalled for.

My love for poo stems from my passion for gut health. I have learned to appreciate that a healthy poo means a healthy gut and a healthy gut means no worries for the rest of your days …  wait, hold it, I got that wrong, that would be Hakuna Matata, but you get the gist. It’s pretty difficult to pass healthy stools if your gut is suffering, and correspondingly, it’s pretty uncommon to have bowel troubles when your gut is thriving and healthy. If any of you are GAPS patients then you will probably appreciate this last point more than others. We are renowned for awkward tummy problems (are we not?) and horrendous poo stories are no exception. We long for the day that bowel movements are painless and regular – true gratitude journal material right there!

This book literally is saving my life – it’s my number one resource for all things gut and poo related

Which brings me to the crux of the matter; what constitutes a normal healthy stool? Well, I don’t like to bring the word normal in too often. It is so exclusive! The word average isn’t much better, especially in the medical world where as soon as you don’t fit within their scope of ‘ideal’ ranges you are considered ‘unhealthy’.

Just to get off topic for a second, did you know that ideal ranges for cholesterol levels, vitamin levels, even pregnancy durations, vary from country to country? Yep, I could be anaemic in Australia but totally ‘fine’ in France! Crazy stuff isn’t it? However when it comes to poo, there is (thankfully) a universal agreement about what it should look, feel and smell like.

See the chart above? Well, ideally you’re aiming for a 4 … at least once a day but anywhere up to three times a day is perfectly healthy – it just depends on the individual and the given day. Now don’t freak out if sometimes you do a 3 or 5 or even a 2 or a 6 – no one is perfect and exercise (or lack there of), different foods, tiredness, stress, anxiety, some medications and travelling are all known to disrupt things from time to time (it’s called life) but most days, a 4 is what you are aiming for (you are also aiming for the bowl but I though that much was already apparent – sorry I saw the opportunity for a crude joke and I went for it. Forgive me?).

So now we’ve covered a healthy poo, but what about those poor souls (you might be one of them … before GAPS I sure was) that are stuck in a constant state of only expelling 1’s, 2’s, 6’s and 7’s (or even worse not expelling anything at all)? Constipation and Diarrhoea are two very taboo topics in society and unfortunately this means that often people put up with one extreme or the other for too long before taking action. We seriously need to be empowered in talking about poo, otherwise how are we supposed to know what’s good and what’s bad, what’s normal and what needs SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet), GAPS or even just some good old-fashioned prune juice.

Poo tends to be one of those things that if you go every day without problems, you take it for granted and carry on with your day. If you don’t go every day, you invest a lot of time and effort trying to , and the day that you do, well, your heart swells with a unique form of gratitude. To turn the other cheek (pun intended), if you go too often each day, then you invest a lot of time and effort trying to reduce your stool frequencies and when the load lessens, you feel like you’ve won a strange sort of lottery. Bowel function may be something we take for granted but like the song Big Yellow Taxi says; “you don’t know what you’ve got till its gone”.

When poo transit time is too fast (sloppy, watery stools multiple times per day) or too slow (nothing for days or ‘rabbit pellets’ at best) there is trouble brewing within. When there is a healthy balance of good bacteria in the gut and no intestinal permeability, then bowel movements tend to happen quite naturally and painlessly. So using this information all of us can, in theory, hop back into the drivers seat and regain control over our intestinal health.

What we put into (or don’t put into) our mouth plays such a major role in digestive and bowel function – we are quite literally what we eat. Lifestyle also plays a huge role. Constipation just loves couch potatoes and diarrhoea seeks out stress bunnies. For those starting off already compromised, it might take longer to heal and it will probably take a lot of effort on your part, but you will get there eventually. For the rest of you lucky ducks, just implementing some (or even better all) of the following ‘life bowel-saving’ tips, should fix any plumbing concerns rather quickly.

Probiotics

These probiotics have been an absolute miracle for me. I am not being paid or endorsed in any way for saying this. I’m not often one to gush on about a product but quite seriously this powder has saved my life. Before starting GAPS I would alternate between diarrhoea and constipation. Within 48 hours of taking my first dose of the powder I was running (actually more like skipping with glee) to the loo like clockwork with a healthy number 4 (for the first time in months). It’s miracle stuff.

Update, 30 November 2015 –  Kultured Wellness is a small business founded in Victor Harbour SA that brew therapeutic grade starter cultures for coconut water kefir or coconut yoghurt. They seem to help me in a similar way to the changing habits powder.

Fermented Foods

The best source of probiotic goodness can come from real whole foods, without even needing to supplement (those with GAPS conditions generally do best when they supplement as well). Sauerkraut, kimchi, homemade yoghurt (or sour cream), kefir (see coconut kefir recommendation above) and homemade whey are all excellent sources of poo-promoting friendly bacteria. Stir some avocado through sauerkraut for an instant salad, serve meats with a dollop or two of sour cream or yoghurt or blend some frozen bananas and fresh coconut water with some homemade sour cream for an instant milkshake.

My two favourite ferments; dill sauerkraut and homemade sour cream

Bone Broth

This is a very healing food, full of nourishing fats, minerals and gelatin. It is gentle on the stomach lining and works to heal any leakages in the gut wall. Incorporate it into your diet by using it as a base for soups, using in place of liquid in other recipes such as stews or cauliflower mash or blending with some cooked pumpkin for a quick and warming sweet beverage.

Avoid processed foods 

Despite what the label may say, processed food offers minimal health benefits and can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut. Let go of those niggling little excuses “it’s not that bad”, or “it’s gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, whatever free so it is better for me”, they aren’t helping you in the long term. Embrace real food, it’s delicious and doesn’t have to be hard work at all.

Now some tips specifically for constipation …

Exercise, move, anything active just do it!

I can speak from personal experience here … jog=poo. Now we are all individuals and all have individual rituals that help things along, but it seems to be widely-appreciated that movement can get things going. Exercise works particularly well when combined with other lifestyle changes; eating real food, incorporating probiotics into your day etc.

Healing Fats

Animals fats, sour cream, coconut oil, avocado, fresh nuts and seeds, olive oil etc. help to lubricate the bowel – pushing things along.

And for those prone to diarrhoea …

Homemade dairy products 

Homemade yoghurt, sour cream and kefir, as well as grass-fed butter, are all very soothing foods for the digestive tract and can slow down transit time, so if you belong to the latter category you might want to take it easy on the dairy (and as a rule higher fat dairy is better for constipation and higher protein dairy is better for diarrhea)

Go easy on the fibre!

We’ve all been told to eat more fibre because the ‘average’ – there’s that word again – person doesn’t get enough. Now some of us are burdening our digestive systems with too much fiber and it’s doing more harm than good. The more fiber something contains, the harder it is to digest for those with compromised gut integrity. Try a simple bowl of homemade yoghurt with a little honey, a mug of (peeled and de-seeded) pumpkin soup or a stew of veggies and slow-cooked meat with all the connective tissue and fat still intact. Aim for highly nutritious foods that are easy on the digestive system.

To finish off I just want to clarify that if you have major concerns about the state of your bowel movements then seek the counsel of an open-minded GP, Naturopath, Holistic Nutritionist, Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner – any medical practitioner that you feel comfortable confiding in.

We are living in a society that thinks it crude to talk about bodily functions, Embarrassment is getting in the way of seeking treatment. Shame is stopping desperate individuals from asking questions. Conditioned disgust scares people away from listening to any discussions mentioning the ‘P’ word. They are missing out on a wealth of information that could be life-changing. When the pipes aren’t working very little else can work either.

Education is empowerment. Knowledge is powerful. Action is inspiring. Demonstration is thought-provoking and asking questions is probably the healthiest step you can take.

I ask you, really, when you think about it rationally, what is there about poo that is actually taboo?