What Is A Normal poop?
When talking to a dietitian you will find that talking about poop is pretty normal. We talk about it all the time so there is no need to feel uncomfortable. Your poo can tell us a lot about what may be going on in your body.
What is poo, faeces, or stool?
It is the waste product from the process of digesting the food we eat. Food goes through a lot on its journey through our gastrointestinal (GI) tract. From the mouth to the anus the GI tract measures about 8-9m. Despite much speculation, the current estimate of the area of the GI tract is around 32m2, or half the size of a badminton court.
The Journey from Food to Poo
Starting in the mouth (5 secs to 2 mins) food gets chewed, cut, torn, and ground by the teeth
It mixes with saliva to lubricate and make it slippery
The tongue then forms it into a ball and it goes down through the oesophagus (8-10 secs) and into the stomach
In the stomach (15 mins - 4 hrs) it gets pushed, churned, ground, and mixed with acid
Then into the small intestine (1 - 5 hrs) where smooth muscle causes waves that contract and push food along the small intestine
Most of the magic of absorption happens here for carbohydrates, protein, fats and vitamins, and minerals
Then into the large intestine (12 - 24 hrs) where gut microbiomes feast on fibre to produce beneficial byproducts and the last of absorption occurs
Most of the water is absorbed here to form a nice soft poo
The poo then sits in the rectum waiting for you to let it out and then off it goes through the anus
What is a normal poo?
Colour:
Normally a shade of brown and can also end up other colours from food (beetroot, food colouring) or from iron supplements
Consistency:
Formed, soft and smooth - type 3, 4
Frequency:
Anywhere from 3 times a day to 3 times a week
No blood
No Pain
What isn’t a normal poo?
Colour:
Pale white, grey, yellow, green, black
Bright red or blood in the stool
Consistency:
Watery, liquid - type 5, 6, 7
Hard - type 1, 2
Greasy and foul smelling
Frequency:
Less than 3 bowel motions per week OR
More than 3 watery, loose bowel motions each day with cramping or abdominal pain
Incomplete evacuation, when you feel like poo remains
Spending a long time on the toilet
Straining
*Indications to see your GP
Nocturnal (nighttime) diarrhoea
Blood or bleeding
Family history of bowel conditions
Weight loss
Chronic pain
What factors play a role in poo?
There are many things that can influence the consistency, colour, frequency, and urgency of our poops.
Medications, laxatives, supplements
Viruses, bacteria, food poisoning, parasites
Menstruation, pregnancy, and endometriosis
Medical conditions - coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, diverticular disease, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes
Bowel and ovarian cancers
Problems with the pelvic floor
Surgical resections of the bowel or gallbladder
Diet - fluid, fibre, the quantity of food eaten, trigger foods, caffeine, spicy foods, alcohol, fat intake, lactose
Irritable bowel syndrome
Eating a meal or not eating enough food
Exercise
Gut-brain axis, our mood can have a huge impact on our bowel motions. Nervous poos? If you’ve ever felt really nervous about something and all of a sudden you need to poo even though you’ve already been that day. That would be your brain and gut talking. Thanks, guys, just what you need when you’re already nervous about something!
The Impact of Unnormal Bowel Motions
Can be distressing, frustrating, annoying, and impact mental health
Can affect quality of life, work, socialising, intimacy, and physical activity
Good Toileting Habits
Go when you feel the urge
Don’t try to poo if you don’t need to
Relax, lean forward, have your knees above your hips, and your spine straight and push your lower belly out
You should pass a poo within a minute of sitting on the toilet
Holding onto poo can cause constipation
Spending too long on the toilet can cause haemorrhoids
Hovering above the toilet is bad for the pelvic floor muscles
Ladies wipe front to back
Washing your hands, every time
The Goods News
We can work together to figure out what factors are influencing your bowels
There are options and strategies for dietary manipulation
You can have normal bowel motions
Most importantly we want to make sure you can eat as many foods as possible and are getting all of the nutrients your body needs
Read More About Bowels
How are farts made? — St Kilda Dietitian & Nutrition (emmakeenandietitian.com.au)
What is irritable bowel syndrome? — St Kilda Dietitian & Nutrition (emmakeenandietitian.com.au)
