The Scoop on Poop

Every client I work with gets the same question at some point in a session. How well do you poop?

Some answer proudly and others won’t look at me when they answer.

It is an important question. Physical as well as energetic imbalances can have a huge impact on the regularity and quality of our poop.

A dysfunction of the bowels can influence every system of the body. Constipation can cause pain and bloating while diarrhea can cause dehydration and malabsorption of nutrients. Chronic constipation is often overlooked as a cause of low back pain.

A healthy bowel starts first with good digestion. Ironically the first system to be negatively affected by stress is the digestive system. Bad news for those of us that feel overwhelmed and stressed out all the time.

Fortunately, with a little knowledge and a few lifestyle tweaks we can nudge your body back to healthy habits.

What is a good poop?

The best description of a good poop comes from renowned herbalist Margi Flint. Margi says, “A perfect bowel movement is brown, about an inch or slightly more in diameter, a good 7-10” long, comes out perfectly when one is prompted to relieve oneself, moves easily and evenly when one sits down, forms a round curly-cue like soft ice cream – slowly sinks to the bottom of the toilet gracefully and leaves one in a good mood.”

Because poop can be difficult to talk about, the Bristol Stool Chart was developed so that doctors and patients could easily communicate.

Anything between 1-3 is considered constipated, while 6-7 is considered diarrhea. Type 4-5 are considered ideal.

Type 1 has spent the longest time in the colon and type 7 has spent the least. Stools at the lumpy end of the scale are hard to pass and often require a lot of straining. Stools at the loose or liquid end of the spectrum can be too easy to pass – the need to pass them is urgent and accidents can happen. The ideal stools are types 3 and 4, especially type 4, as they are most likely to glide out without any fuss.

What energetic imbalances can affect your poop?

Governed by the first and second chakras, our bowels feel the effects of fear and abandonment issues. Constipation represents our desire to hold on to things too tightly and our refusal to release old ideas. Diarrhea can indicate a desire to run off or our perceived inability to hold our $#it together.

What can make you poop better?

  • Eat good food. What you take in directly relates to what you send out. Getting enough fiber from real food helps bulk up the poop and healthy fats like olive oil and coconut oil are extremely helpful for people who are constipated.
  • Stay well hydrated. Dehydration can cause poop to be 1-3 on the Bristol Stool Chart. Drink enough water to keep things moving.
  • Reduce your stress. Practice simple deep breathing and meditation exercises to bring down your stress levels. Disengage from unhealthy relationships.
  • Supplement the gut. Using probiotics and enzymes can help boost intestinal flora and increase digestion.

If you feel like you aren’t having good poops right now, try these suggestions for the next 30 days and see how you feel. Since pooping should be happening regularly, you can tell when things are improving.

For related info see my blog Corn In the Toilet.


Are you ready to minimize illness and embrace personal growth? A great place to start is a Discovery Call with Dr. Melanie! As unique and individual as you are, each session is designed to create a personal plan that improves your health, stimulates personal growth and identifies actions that leave you feeling inspired and empowered. Click here to book a FREE 30 minute phone call with Melanie!

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