The Bristol Stool Chart

Our digestion might be one of the least subtle ways our body gives us feedback about how we are feeding ourselves. 

 

And yet, it's a topic that's totally taboo. Your Dr. will never ask you about it. Friends don't discuss it. And yet, it holds vital information that is not so hard to interpret. 

 

 

So what is our poop trying to tell us? 

 

First off, it's good to know that the perfect poop (a 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart). And even if it's not the norm, we can take tiny daily steps to get us there. 

 

 

 

Pooping regularly is essential. It's our main detox pathway, and if you aren't going 1-3 times a day, your body is holding on to things it's meant to release: toxins, used hormones, bacteria, used cells, metabolic waste. Constipation happens for many reasons: Thyroid imbalance, dehydration, slowing motility as we age are a few. If your typical digestion rates 3 or lower, hydration is the first place to start. Aim for 3-4 liters a day. And once you are hydrating properly, fiber is the next layer. Sunfiber is a good initial fiber that's well tolerated. 

 

 

If your digestions tends towards 5 or higher, You are losing vital salts and electrolytes that your body needs to function optimally. By expelling the foods you eat too quickly, before your body can properly use their nutrients, you become more susceptible to viruses and gut imbalances. 

 

3. Off color, shape or odor 

 

Even if your Bristol Stool Chart scores are good, we need to dive deeper into color and shape. Poop should be dark brown, and roughly the width of a banana. Off colors (green, light brown, etc), narrow poop, mucous in your poop, fowl smelling gas or poop & floating stool are all indications of particular imbalances that need attention. 

 

Can be a sign of SIBO (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth), other digestive conditions like IBS, side effects of medication or food intolerances/allergies

 

 

Interpreting this information and making sense of it sometimes comes quickly and easily, and sometimes it takes some iterations. The longer I do this work, the more surprised I am by how many people live with their digestion out of balance for years without getting to the bottom of it. Digestion is one of the real blind spots of modern conventional medicine, yet older medicine systems like Ayurveda, Kampo, Unani Tibb, and Traditional and Classical Chinese Medicine have long understood it as the foundation of health.

 

Functional medicine, which informs my practice, is a modern approach that grew out of Western medicine and seeks to identify and address the root causes of disease rather than only managing symptoms. It sits somewhere between conventional Western biomedicine and ancient medical systems, using advanced laboratory testing (like genetic testing, comprehensive stool tests, and nutrient assays) but viewing the patient through a holistic, deeply interconnected lens.

 

I bow deeply to these old ways of knowing. Many of their texts have never been translated, and much of their wisdom was never written down at all; it has been passed down through generations of practitioners. I personally find functional medicine to be a more accessible way into some of the wisdom of these old systems, combined with new advances in precision medicine. What I appreciate is that each of us is involved in the process, as opposed to having treatments done to us (which has its place, for sure).

 

I made a couple of soups this week to feed our full house of visiting family. This seemed like a good idea when it was in the 40's at sunrise, but the days have been hot. It's been hard to match our meals to the weather this week, as it's been all over the place. 

 

when i'm making soup, I often start by putting a pot of bone broth in the instapot in the morning and getting the components of the soup ready. Later, when the bone broth is ready I strain it and add it to the mostly finished soup. Of course, you can always add water or buy bone broth from the store. 

 

 

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, stemmed, deseeded and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

½" ginger, grated

1 tablepoon red curry paste 

1 bunch turnips or carrots, cut into large dice 

1 whole roasted winter squash or japanese sweet potato (roast in oven at 400 for one hour) Deseed, peel squash, and cut into large dice. It's ok if squash is falling apart, just make sure to stir it well in the soup so it breaks up a bit.  

Greens: big handful of green beans or kale, destemmed and cut into bite sized pieces. 

6 cups bone broth or water

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, baked with salt and oil in oven (about 20 minutes at 400) cooled and diced 

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 can simple coconut milk, full fat

lime, green onions &/or cilantro for serving, optional

 

You can serve as is, or serve with some black rice which makes a beautiful color contrast

 

 

Most of us mixed it all together, but our daughter likes everything in separate piles. She still ate it all! 

 

serves 4 

 

 

1. put the rice on if you are preparing it 

 

2. in a large pot with a lid, saute onions and peppers in avocado oil over high heat until they begin to brown. Lower heat to medium, add garlic and ginger and saute 3 minutes more

 

3. add curry paste, turnips or carrots, bone broth and salt, and simmer until vegetables are soft. Add green beans and simmer a few more minutes. 

 

4. if using greens Add then now, along with the chicken, coconut milk, cooked squash/sweet potato, and simmer until the greens/green beans are wilted and soft. Taste, adjust seasonings. 

 

5. optional: serve with rice and or additional toppings like lime, cilantro and/or green onion. 

 

 

Want help decoding your digestion? Inspired to aim for Bristol #4? Let's chat about what's going on & what your hopes are & why. I'll send you in a good direction, even if it's somewhere else.