Have you checked your poop lately? Your poop is a window into your gut health. But what should you be looking for and how do you know what’s ‘normal’?

What’s considered ‘normal’?

Ideally, your poop should we regular, well formed (Types 3-4 on the Bristol Stool Chart) and easy to pass. You should be able to hold on for a short amount of time after first feeling the urge to poop and then things should start happening within a minute or so of sitting on the loo. You shouldn’t feel any pain or strain during a movement and afterwards, you should feel like you’ve completely emptied your bowels. While you might notice some cracks along the surface, a perfectly healthy poop is like a smooth sausage.

What does your poop type mean?

If your poops are mainly Types 1 + 2 on the Bristol Stool Chart, then you’re mostly likely constipated. Most Aussies do not eat enough fibre, resulting in constipation and hard-to-pass poop. A low-fibre diet is also a risk factor for colon cancer. The solution is adding more whole grains, and plant-based foods like vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds to your diet. This will give you the soluble and insoluble fibre you need. You will also need to up your water intake to keep things moving.

If you have coeliac disease or IBS (more on this below) stick to brown rice for the whole grains and avoid bread even if wholewheat. If you’re looking for ideas for eating more plant-based foods, check out our recent Instagram reel on Mason jar salads.

If your poops are mainly types 3 + 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart, well done you! Keep up the good work!

And if your poops are mainly types 5 -7, this indicates that your digestive system is not working optimally. Your transit times may be shorter than normal and your poop may be lighter in colour. Adding soluble fibres into your diet like oats, lentils, pears, flaxseeds, rice and barley may help. If your diarrhea doesn’t resolve in a few days, speak with your doctor. And, in the mean time, make sure to keep up your fluids.

But what if you have IBS?

Being told to increase your fibre intake strikes fear into the hearts (and guts!) of IBS sufferers because a sudden increase in fibre can often worsen symptoms. The solution is to start slow, adding moderately fermentable and viscous fibres into your diet.

Soluble fibre (found in potatoes, brown rice, firm bananas, oats, sweet potato or low FODMAP nuts such as almonds, pecans and macadamias) can slow things down along the digestive tract and can help with with diarrhea. While insoluble fibre (found in spinach, kale, eggplant, green beans, broccoli, brown rice and pumpkin) can speed things up and help with constipation. Avoid wholewheat products until you’ve worked out if fructans trigger your symptoms.