Let’s Talk Poo: What Your Stool Says About You
Yes, we’re going there. Because for something we all do every day, we really don’t talk about it enough. Your bowel movements are one of the most honest and immediate reflections of your digestion, hormones, stress, immune system, nervous system, microbiome, hydration… basically your whole internal world.
If something is off in your stools, there’s a good chance something deeper needs attention so let’s decode the messages your body has been sending through your toilet bowl.
🚽 The Ideal Poop: How Should It Look?
According to the Bristol Stool Chart, you’re aiming for:
✅ A smooth, log-shaped stool
✅ Medium brown color
✅ Easy to pass (no pushing or grunting)
✅ Once or twice a day
If you’re hitting that? Congratulations!
⚠️ Signs Your Poop Is Asking for Help
💨 1. Loose, watery stools
Often linked to:
• Stress + cortisol spikes
• Food intolerances
• Imbalanced microbiome
• Infection
• Excess caffeine or magnesium
Your gut is moving too fast to absorb nutrients.
🪨 2. Hard, pellet-like stools
Classic constipation causes:
• Low fiber
• Dehydration
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Low stomach acid
• Hypothyroidism
Slow transit = unhappy colon.
🕳️ 3. Floating stools
Often means fat malabsorption — think:
• Gallbladder issues
• Pancreatic enzyme deficiency
• Low bile production
Time to support those digestive juices.
💤 4. Stools alternating between diarrhea/constipation
Could reflect:
• IBS
• Dysbiosis (bacterial imbalance)
• Stress-driven motility changes
Your gut-brain axis is sending SOS signals.
🌋 5. Mucus or blood
Your gut lining might be inflamed. Don’t ignore this one, speak to a practitioner now.
🎨 Color Matters Too
👉 Brown — the healthy norm
👉 Green — food moving too fast, leafy greens, supplements
👉 Yellow — fat malabsorption
👉 Red — blood (or beets!)
👉 Black — iron supplements… or internal bleeding (always check)
😳 And… Smell
Yes, it matters.
A normal poop has a smell (obviously) — but
🚩 putrid, sour, or chemical smells can suggest:
• Infection
• Bad bacteria dominance
• Malabsorption
🧬 The Gut–Mood Connection
Anxiety and gut discomfort? They go hand-in-hand.
Why?
Stress:
• Alters motility
• Changes microbial diversity
• Reduces digestive enzymes
• Tightens the gut lining
Your nervous system literally hugs your intestines. When one is tense, the other reacts.
🍏 How to Improve Your Poop
✅ Add fiber (veggies, chia, flax, legumes)
✅ Drink more water (seriously)
✅ Chew slowly — digestion starts in your mouth
✅ Reduce ultra-processed foods
✅ Move daily (peristalsis loves movement)
✅ Add fermented foods or quality probiotics
✅ Manage stress (breathwork, nature, boundaries)
Sometimes the simplest tweaks create the biggest shifts.
🧠 When to Seek Support
• Frequent diarrhea or constipation
• Chronic bloating or pain
• Fatigue after meals
• Blood or mucus
• Unintentional weight loss
• New food intolerances
Your poop may be the first sign of an imbalance — much earlier than a lab value.
💩 The Bottom Line
Your stool is data.
It’s feedback.
It’s a daily conversation between your gut, brain, hormones, and immune system.
Instead of flushing and forgetting, take a second look.
Your body is already talking — are you listening?
Much Love,
Marine Sélénée