What Your Poop Is Trying to Tell You About Your Gut Health

Yes, We're Talking About Poo Because Our Gut Health Is Worth It.

There are very few subjects that can make a perfectly respectable dinner conversation come to an abrupt halt and bowel movements are quite high on that list.

Yet your poo can tell you quite a lot about what is happening in your digestive system.

Most of us don't give it much thought beyond whether we've managed to go to the toilet or not. We flush, wash our hands and get on with our day. Which is probably sensible in most social situations, but when it comes to your health, paying a little more attention can actually be useful.

Your bowel movements can give you clues about hydration, fiber intake, how quickly things are moving through your digestive tract and whether your usual digestive pattern has changed. They aren't a diagnostic tool, and one unusual trip to the loo doesn't mean your gut has suddenly declared war on you. Your bowel habits can naturally vary from day to day. What matters more is your usual pattern and any persistent changes. So, what exactly should you be looking at?

How Often Should You Be Going?

There is no magic number that applies to everyone. Although i do personally feel we should go at least once a day. What goes in must come out! Its literally how we eliminate waste and toxins.

Some people naturally go once a day, while others may go several times a day. Some perfectly healthy people don't have a bowel movement every day. Some go once a week and think it's normal because it's what they are used to. What matters is what is whether you're comfortable.

If you're regularly going several days without a bowel movement, particularly if your stools are hard or difficult to pass, constipation may well be part of the picture. Constipation is particularly common in women, and menopause can add another layer through changes in hormones, activity, diet, sleep and other lifestyle factors. Rather than simply accepting constipation as something you have to live with, it is worth looking at the bigger picture.

Are you drinking enough?

Are you eating enough fiber?

Are you moving regularly?

Are you ignoring the urge to go because you're busy?

Are your eating patterns particularly erratic?

Sometimes the answer isn't just another supplement. Sometimes your gut is asking for a little more attention to the basics.

What Should Your Poo Actually Look Like?

This is where the Bristol Stool Chart becomes surprisingly useful. It categorises stools according to their shape and consistency, from hard little lumps through to watery diarrhoea. You don't need to become a toilet scientist, but knowing roughly where you sit on the scale can help you understand your bowel habits. So have a little look before you flush.

Type 1–2: Hard and lumpy, ball like consistency

These stools can indicate constipation and may suggest that things are moving too slowly through your digestive tract.

If this is happening regularly, it's really worth looking at your fiber and fluid intake, movement and overall eating pattern.

Type 3–4: Formed and easy to pass

These are generally considered the more ideal forms, particularly Type 4, which tends to be soft, formed and easy to pass.

In other words, not too hard, not too loose and not requiring a small emotional support team to get through it.

Type 5–7: Softer or watery

Occasional loose stools can happen for all sorts of reasons, including something you've eaten, illness, stress or changes in your routine.

Persistent diarrhoea, however, is something that shouldn't simply be dismissed as “a sensitive stomach” and is worth discussing with your healthcare professional.

What About Colour?

Colour can vary depending on what you've eaten, supplements you've taken and how quickly food is moving through your digestive system.

Green vegetables, certain foods and supplements such as iron can change the colour of your stools, so one strange-looking bowel movement isn't necessarily cause for alarm.

There are, however, some colours and changes that warrant medical attention.

Black, tarry stools, visible blood, very pale or clay-coloured stools or persistent changes in bowel habits should be discussed with a healthcare professional. The same applies if you have unexplained weight loss, significant abdominal pain, persistent diarrhoea or constipation, or a change in your usual bowel pattern that doesn't settle. Gut health isn't something you should have to diagnose yourself through Instagram, despite the enthusiasm of the internet.

What Does This Have to Do With Menopause?

Quite a lot of women notice digestive changes during peri menopause and menopause.

You might experience more bloating, constipation, changes in bowel habits or increased sensitivity to certain foods. Hormonal changes can influence the digestive system, but it is important to remember that menopause is rarely the only factor.

Sleep often changes.

Stress can increase.

Activity levels can change.

Eating patterns may change.

Some women also take medications or supplements that can influence bowel habits.

Rather than blaming every digestive symptom on declining estrogen, it is more useful to consider the whole picture.

This is one of the reasons I encourage women to become more curious about their digestion rather than simply putting up with symptoms. Your gut is giving you information. It isn't necessarily giving you a diagnosis, but it may be giving you a reason to pay attention.

So, What Can You Do?

Start with the boring stuff. I say that affectionately, because the boring stuff tends to be the stuff we actually need to do.

Make sure you're getting enough fiber from a variety of plant foods, increasing it gradually if your current intake is low.

Drink enough fluid throughout the day.

Move your body regularly, as movement can support normal bowel function.

Give yourself enough time to eat and use the toilet rather than constantly rushing through both.

Pay attention to your meals and your digestive symptoms, particularly if you've noticed a pattern.

Most importantly, don't assume that more fiber, more supplements or more restriction is automatically the answer. Some people with particular digestive conditions may actually find certain dietary changes make their symptoms worse, which is another reason not to take a one-size-fits-all approach.

Your poo isn't something to be embarrassed about when you're trying to understand your health. It is, quite literally, information.

You don't need to become obsessed with it. Just perhaps give it a passing glance before you send it off on its final journey!