We All Do It
Everybody does it so why not talk about it…
This week’s topic is on something that we all do, yet, it isn’t something we chat about very often. I, of course, am referring to poop. We all poop! There is even a book titled Everyone Poops. You might be asking yourself what does poop have to do with nutrition and why the subject is relevant for a nutrition blog? Stick around and hopefully I’ll answer that question for you.
Our digestive systems are complex systems that include several organs and steps that work together. To begin to understand our digestive system we need to start at the top, which many of us believe is our mouth, but we actually need to go a bit further north to our brain.
Remember being told you need to wait after eating before running around to play or, better yet, to wait thirty minutes after eating before swimming? That’s because our bodies don’t do a good job of digesting food when we ask them to perform other demanding actions like exercise or play. Physical activity or any activity that stresses the body occurs in a different mental and physical state most commonly referred to as “fight or flight” or the sympathetic dominant state. This state diverts attention from non-pressing processes to being alert or handling stressors. Our bodies will divert energy and blood flow away from the digestive process and toward other priorities. The ideal state to digest food in is the parasympathetic or “chill-out” state. This state allows for our bodies to produce salivary responses, generate stomach acid and enzyme secretion, and release gastrointestinal hormones.
Moving down to our stomachs. A healthy stomach has a thick mucosal lining and is extremely acidic being made up of hydrochloric acid. The acidic environment has many important purposes such as defending against pathogens that try to enter the body via food, and it’s where the breakdown of proteins starts. While most nutrients and substances we consume are absorbed in the small and large intestines, some minerals, water, aspirin, and alcohol absorption occur in the stomach.
The liver and gallbladder: The liver is responsible for a lot of critical life functions, such as detoxification and protein synthesis; however, it also plays a large role in the digestive system. The liver produces bile and that bile emulsifies dietary fats like butter, olive oil, and coconut oil. Our gallbladders store this bile and release it based on signals from our brain (remember those hormones from before?). We would be unable to incorporate fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K without our liver and gallbladder.
The small intestine is a hard-working, tube like tissue that reaches seven feet in length. It is the key to much of our immune capability and there are three parts to the small intestine: the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. It is where most of our food is broken down into usable forms of amino acids, fatty acids, or glucose. The large intestine stretches about five feet in length and has two parts: the cecum and the colon. The large intestine’s primary functions are water absorption and process any remaining nutrients—specifically vitamins and minerals. The conclusion of the large intestines work is the creation and compaction of fecal matter (which takes place over a 12-18hr time frame).
Now that we have a general idea of how our digestive systems operate, understanding our elimination or poop can help us figure out exactly what’s going on in our digestive systems.
The ideal poop is medium brown in color and solidly formed. It passes easily and regularly, 1-2x per day.
The see it again poop varies in color and is generally solidly formed. It shows pieces of food you recently ate in their semi- whole and identifiable form. What you see may indicate a food intolerance or presence of low stomach acid.
The milkshake poop is generally unformed and varies in color. It shows foods in their semi-whole state. Typically, indicates you have eaten a food your body is reacting to strongly and has initiated the “everybody out!” state. Diarrhea (loose stool over a day or multiple days) can have several causes such as virus, parasites, and reaction to medicines like antibiotics.
The pallet poop is generally dark in color and forms small balls or pallet shapes. Typically, seen during bouts of dehydration, stress, or if you’re not eating enough soluble fibers.
The maximum effort poop is usually medium to dark brown in color and is a bit thicker and tougher to pass. Typically, seen if you’re eating a lot of processed forms of proteins such as bars, shakes, or even processed meats.
The floaty poop is light, greenish, or even white in color. Usually loose, swims in the bowl. Typically, seen if you’re eating processed, refined, or manmade fats or seed oils, or more natural fat than you can digest. May indicate that your gallbladder isn’t able to properly release bile.
The toxic poop is dark in color, sinks to the bottom of the bowl, and has a strong odor. Typically, seen if you have eaten to many processed or refined foods. May also indicate you’re experiencing a toxicity overload from lifestyle habits (smoking), personal care products, or diet (non-organic foods or artificial sweeteners).
Essentially, knowing our poop can teach us a lot about our nutrition and diet. It can be a useful tool in tracking how well our digestive system is not only working but also can help us opt for more organic, fresh, whole foods and plenty of water!
Sanfilippo, D. (2012) Practical Paleo: A customized approach to health and a whole-foods lifestyle. p. 74-75