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Even if you feel a bit squeamish talking about it, your poop tells a story about what is going on with you internally, and is the gateway to understanding your digestive health.
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Let's begin.
An Ayurvedic practitioner assesses stools (mala pariksha) by color, shape, size, odor, consistency, and frequency. Each of these factors reveal integral information about your internal health.
Practitioners will also encourage you to become actively involved in your own wellbeing, and to learn how to recognize a healthy poop. By doing so, you can interpret what your poop is trying to tell you on a daily basis.
While digestive disruptions happen from time to time, consistently passing irregular or improperly formed stools can be a warning sign of more serious ailments in the future.
In this way, Ayurveda uses poop, not only as a piece of the diagnostic puzzle, but as a way to anticipate and prevent future imbalances.
After food goes through the digestive process in the mouth, stomach and small intestines, and most nutrients have been absorbed, the remaining food waste enters the colon (pakvashaya).
The colon separates all the parts of food the body can't utilize, and absorbs any remaining nutrients, particularly water. Once water is drawn out and absorbed in the colon, the remaining waste particles (mala) from the food become thicker and firmer and develop into a stool.
The stool moves into the rectum for storage before peristaltic contractions stimulate its evacuation (apana vayu. At that point it is roughly 75 percent water, with the rest being bacteria, fiber, and anything else the body couldn't digest.
At any stage of this process (from the initial digestion in the mouth to the storage of poop in the rectum) an imbalance can occur.
The whole digestive tract must be in sync to create and pass healthy poop each day.
"What goes in, must come out," as they say. What goes into your body and digestive system are the foods you personally choose to eat. What comes out, in the form of poop, is frequently a direct result of these dietary choices.
For your poop to be healthy and well formed, your digestive health needs to be strong.
Any of the following causes of poor digestive health (low agni) causes a wide range of poop imbalances.
Constipation occurs when the stools are passed infrequently (sometimes as little as once per week), often with great difficulty and even pain in some cases. Most commonly, constipation is a result of dryness in the body due to Vata dosha.
The stools that eventually pass are dry, rough, hard and dark in color, resembling rabbit pellets. This type of constipation is often teamed with uncomfortable gas and bloating.
Constipation can also occur due to lack of mobility in the colon (frequently associated with Kapha). A diet high in difficult to digest foods, like fried food and beans, can cause constipation.
Ayurveda offers a number of remedies for constipation:
In some cases, diarrhea is a defense mechanism the body utilizes to expel harmful invaders such as bacteria from food contamination, intestinal infection, or parasites.
Diarrhea can also occur if you are highly stressed, have weak digestion, are taking certain medications, or eating the wrong foods for your body type. Diarrhea is most often due to inflammation and irritation in the intestines.
To reduce inflammation and diarrhea:
However, if you regularly eliminate stools with undigested food, it may be a symptom of weak digestive strength (low agni). In this case you may not be breaking down food, or getting enough nutrients from the food you are eating.
Often this is a result of a dry digestive tract. When the digestive tract is dry, you lack digestive enzymes and food passes through your body without being adequately broken down.
Eating food in a hurry, eating on the run, stress, and poor routine can lead to weak digestion. Instead, relax during meals and take time to chew your food.
The first steps to improve digestion and reduce undigested food in your poop is to:
To promote regular, well formed poop, Vatas should:
This yellow coloration occurs when bilirubin, the pigment found in bile, is inadequately digested by bacteria due to this faster transit time. When broken down properly, bilirubin gives poop its normal, cinnamon brown color.
To encourage elimination of a healthy, well formed poop, balance Pitta digestion by following a Pitta pacifying diet.
A Pitta's digestive tract can easily become irritated and inflamed, leading to poorly formed poop.
Avipattikar churna, Guduchi, and Amalaki are good choices for reducing inflammation, especially in a sensitive digestive tract. Small doses can help bind the stools for those Pitta types experiencing looser movements. It is also one of the best rejuvenatives for Pittas and their intestines.
Kaphas often need a little assistance with motility in the bowels. Ayurveda classifies bibhitaki as one of the best herbs to assist Kapha poops. Its drying and astringent nature dries excess mucus, but still has a mild laxative effect to help increase peristalsis and pass stools.
Digestive Bitters help clear stagnation that may slow down poop production in Kapha types.
Once you learn how to read your poop, it can answer many of the questions you have about your health. It can even show some possible warning signs for future imbalances, allowing you to work preventatively.
To get used to analyzing your poop, keep a poop journal and note your findings for a few weeks. This alone may reveal something significant, or you can take this information to an Ayurvedic consultation for a full assessment.
While there are a number of reasons the production of poop can become imbalanced, diet is usually the biggest culprit. The best ways to ensure you enjoy healthy and regular elimination is to:
Stool that is thick mud can imply that digestive organs are too weak to fully digest the food (Vata). Or, muddy stools can reflect a diet that is too rich. It may also be a sign of excess bile (Pitta). If the stool has a foul odor, it is a hot & sour...
1-2 bowel movements a day is ideal. Stool should be like a banana in size, shape, and consistency with a medium brown color. The surface should be smooth but not slimy.
Stagnant stool sitting in the digestive tract may begin to putrefy, releasing irritating toxins. Moving the bowels flushes the toxicity. Mild or intermittent constipation can cause a buildup of toxins, making you anxious or emotionally unstable....
How often should you poop? Ayurveda suggests that one bowel movement in the early morning followed by a possible second bowel movement later in the day is appropriate. Your stool should be more or less the shape and texture of a ripe banana, easy to...
Unless a person eats a large amount of fiber, Ayurveda suggests that normally a person will have 1-2 bowel movements per day. 3 or more bowel movements per day could be a sign of malabsorption of nutrients from food resulting from weak digestion....
Gas and watery stools together make the elimination explosive. Explosive elimination is often a sign of both irritated and weakened intestines. It may be a sign of colic, or irritable bowel syndrome. This condition should be addressed as quickly as...
Alternating diarrhea and constipation is often simply constipation that eventually irritates the colon. Diarrhea dries out the colon, causing constipation. Constipation irritates the colon, causing diarrhea. This is symptomatic of 'low agni' (digestive...
Straining could results from hard, dry stools (Vata). Or, inflammation of the intestines (Pitta) and lack of muscle tone in the terminal colon. Excess mucus could prevent elimination of stool (Kapha). Straining could cause prolapse of the rectum and...
The frequent urge to defecate is the repeated desire to pass a stool. The urge to pass a stool is a natural sensation, and signals it is time to evacuate feces. However, this urge can become excessive, abnormal, and even painful. Frequent urge to...
Fecal incontinence may result from weakness of the muscles in the rectum, rapid emptying of veins in the sphincter, or inflammation causing an acute urge to defecate. Ashwini mudra may help in weakness. reduce blood stagnation in blood stasis.
A well-formed long, lincoln log stool is a sign of a high fiber diet and often very healthy. Elimination more than once a day, or a larger quantity of softer stools can be a sign of fermentation (hot), or poor digestive function (cold). Soft stools...
Common Causes of Diarrhea Inflamed, irritated intestines due to: Infection by parasites (i.e. E coli, Amoeba, Giardia, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, Arbocvirus, Norwalk, etc.) ...
A clean colon is the measure of health in Ayurveda. Ayurveda gives great importance to cleansing impacted fecal matter using laxatives or enema where appropriate. The impacted matter can be a source of toxicity and infection.
Diarrhea is a serious condition that should be reviewed by a medical doctor. Diarrhea quickly after eating may imply irritation in the intestines, an overactive gastro-colic reflex, or IBS.
Laxatives are substances that help encourage a bowel movement. They are generally used to relieve constipation and are intended for short-term use. However, many people can become dependent on the frequent use of laxatives to evacuate a stool....
This symptom describes a feeling of fullness, bloating, or pressure in the center of the body below the belly button, often caused by stagnant decal matter in the lower GI (ileum or rectum). It is easiest to experience while belly breathing, or a...
Narrow Stools (Stringy poop, Pencil stool) can indicate inflammation or growths in the colon causing a stricture (narrowing of the inside of the tube). The inflammation can obstruct the movement of stools. It can also be a simple sign of loose stools...
Stool in pieces mixed with liquid should be differentiated from mud-like stool. Mud like stool is stool that has never formed into a solid. Mushy pieces imply the stool was formed, then mixed with liquids, perhaps implicating the colon. When the lining...
Irritation, inflammation and osmotic laxatives can often cause stools to completely liquefy. This condition quickly depletes the body of fluids and electrolytes, causing weight loss and dehydration. The loss of electrolytes can lead to muscle cramps...
Small, hard stool indicates either dryness in the colon or that the stool is sitting in the colon for too long. Hard, dry stools are considered to be a sign of constipation. When stool sits in the colon too long, it begins to rot. The rotting stool...
Cracks on the surface of a stool indicate moderate dryness of the stool and dehydration. The stool may be sitting in the bowels for too long. As the stool sits in the bowels, the intestines continue to absorb water from them, making the stool into a...
A smooth surface on stool indicates the stool is well hydrated. A long stool indicates adequate fiber or poor absorption. The ideal poop is like a banana in size, shape and consistency with a medium brown color and no cracks on the surface. The bowels...
When stools are soft, you lose vital fluids and electrolytes. When stools are soft, there is often poor absorption of foods. You may feel drained & tired. The longer your stools are soft, the more your ojas will be depleted. Stools become soft for...
The body doesn't make foul odors. Odorous stool implies food is rotting and fermenting in the gut. Poop starts to rot when it sits too long in the gut (constipation). When you cannot absorb the nutrients from your food (malabsorption, Vata), the...
Skins of foods, poorly chewed foods, and foods that are difficult can be seen in the stools. Undigested food is often a sign of a low digestive fire. Poor digestion may be due to a blood deficiency, stress, poor routine & eating habits, or eating...
Is Your Digestion Bogged Down with Mucus? Individuals have an innate curiosity about what happens in the murky depths of the bowels. When they see something strange happening down there, they wonder what it means, and...
Fatty poop, greasy stools, steatorrhea, or whatever you'd like to call it, one thing is certain: oily stool indicates dysfunctional fat absorption. Fatty stools can manifest in different ways. You may see oil floating in the toilet with stool, light...
High fat content may cause stools to float. Stools will appear yellow in this case. Stools may float if the fiber in the stool is high, generally appearing bulky. Stools also float when fermentation aerates the stools.
Sinking stool is a sign of a rich, heavy diet. Ice cream often makes the stool sink. When food sits in the bowels too long, the stool may become hard and dense. Easy to digest food, mild digestives and fiber should be used to clear the digestive tract.
Pus in stool is a sign of active infection. Please see a medical doctor promptly to address this condition.
About Foamy Poop Frothy stools are those that contain bubbles and look somewhat like a foamy poop. Frothy stools mean there is a lot of air mixed with the stool due to gut fermentation. The bubbles in foamy stool are produced by...
Have you ever seen air bubbles in your poop? Is your poop frothy? Frothy poop is a sign of poor digestion. When food digests poorly, it sits too long in your gut and bacteria begin to grow. This causes fermentation, the same process that...
Passing a parasite in your stool is a definitive sign you have parasites. Parasites are organisms that live within another organism, often causing harm to the host. They can live in multiple locations in the human body, but many prefer the digestive...
The satisfying daily release of a long, large lincoln log stool indicates adequate soluble and insoluble fiber in the diet. The fiber absorbs moisture which increases the size of the stool. Constipation accompanied by a long, large stool can...
This type of stool indicates a healthy, well-formed stool. The ideal poop is like a banana in size, shape and consistency with a medium brown color and no cracks on the surface. The bowels should eliminate 1-2x daily, with the first movement in the...
A polyp, internal hemorrhoid, or something protruding into the colon can create a consistent groove in the stool. This condition should be checked by a qualified gastroenterologist to rule out colon cancer.
Why is your poop yellow? There are two main causes of this anomaly of the bowels. The most common is when stools are moving too quickly through the intestines, called a fast bowel transit time. This rapid elimination of stools is usually from...
Yellow or green stool indicates quick transit time through the bowels. A light brown stool (the color of cardboard or lighter) may be lacking sufficient bile, a sign of Vata type dryness in the liver. This is especially true if the light colored stool...
Babies have tarry black stools called melena for the first few days after birth. Otherwise, tarry black stool indicates implies blood in the stool that has been digested. This tarry black stool will have a peculiar smell and indicates upper...
Gray or light colored stool may have insufficient bile for digestion.
On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalanced biocharacteristics. By eating an optimal diet that balances your biocharacteristics, your whole body is strengthened and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies - such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance your healing.
Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
