If you still opened this post up to read it despite the title, good for you. You probably realize that although not dinner table conversation, pooping is something that everyone does and can relate to on some level. Unfortunately this “end of the line” process has become almost uncivilized to discuss which prevents many of us from getting some very good insight into how well our body is functioning. Digestion is vitally important and is critical for everyone’s health. Even if you don’t know much about digestion (or care to know much about it) from what actually happens inside the body, the end result of the digestive process, that we can actually see on the outside but so quickly flush and discard, can actually tell us quite a bit about the state of our digestion and health in general.

If you’re not too familiar with the ins and outs of it, here’s a little guide… Digestion: From Top to Bottom.

All details aside the important thing, for the purpose of this discussion, is what the end result of your digestive process is. How can you tell if your gut is working well? Thankfully there is quick way to tell, simply by taking a look at your poop.

It’s called the Bristol Stool Chart/Scale and it gives you a simple guide to analyze your digestive efficiency…

Or if you want a “nicer” version…

The sweet spot is in the middle. Type 4 is consider to be indicative of the healthiest digestion, with 3 and 5 being ok but not ideal. The further toward the ends of the spectrum the more trouble is brewing within, as most of us inherently know that types 1, 2, 6 and 7 are less than ideal. Although there are some variations and intricacies to this whole realm, this gives you a basic starting place to look at your digestion. Additionally, you can also learn quite a bit from the color, frequency, smell and density of your poop. Stool should also be brown, happen 1-2 times per day, not smell too bad and sink slowly. Variations from any of these can tell you about what’s happening with your diet, stress level and digestion. For a little more detail on all these this article goes in more depth and gives some good explanation to some of these different stool dynamics.

The bottom line is that your poop can be an insight into your health. Being a 4 on the stool chart doesn’t guarantee a healthy body but it likely means your digestion is on the better side. If you’re a 1-2 or 6-7 then you likely have some problems that should definitely be addressed. No matter what you are, knowing what kind of poop you have is actually a very important tool to keeping a good handle on your health.

Thanks for reading, have a great day!