{"id":20037,"date":"2018-08-07T09:00:23","date_gmt":"2018-08-07T13:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com\/?p=20037"},"modified":"2018-08-22T09:17:37","modified_gmt":"2018-08-22T13:17:37","slug":"normal-bowel-movements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/blog\/normal-bowel-movements\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Your Bowel Movements \u2018Normal\u2019?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Talk to your doctor or read about your gut online and you\u2019ll encounter one vague\u2014but clearly important\u2014term again and again: \u2018regular.\u2019 Experts constantly tell us how crucial being regular is to our digestive and overall health, but many of us still wonder if our bowel movements are truly normal.<\/p>\n<p>Turns out, there\u2019s no one right number of number-two\u2019s per day or week. \u201cNormal for most (but not all) people can be from one bowel movement every three days to three bowel movements every day,\u201d explains <a href=\"http:\/\/rushamodi.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rusha Modi<\/a>, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at USC\u2019s Keck Medical Center. Docs call this the \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/28762379\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rule of three<\/a><u>\u2019<\/u>: \u00a0anything between three poops a week and three a day is a-okay.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Different People, Different Schedules<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When stool gets to our colon, it\u2019s held there until all water and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/c\/energy-endurance\/N-cp99j0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">electrolytes<\/a> are extracted and the water not needed elsewhere in the body is reabsorbed. The sensation of stool build-up signals your body to create space for more and <em>voila,<\/em> you hit the toilet.<\/p>\n<p>The speed of this cycle varies from person to person, as some of our GI tracts just process and transport materials slower or faster than others\u2019. If you poop multiple times per day, you have what docs call a fast \u2018transit\u2019 time, meaning your GI tract absorbs what it needs and empties quickly. If you go just a few times a week, though, you have a slow transit time. (Dietary triggers, such as sugar intake, trouble breaking down lactose, and electrolyte imbalances can all also influence how your body forms and flushes out stool.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/blog\/reasons-constipated\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>6 Possible Reasons Why You\u2019re So Constipated<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Whatever your schedule may be, norm is based on your usual bathroom habits over time. Consider your last two months of bowel movements: If you went once a day for seven weeks out of those eight weeks, consider that your version of regular.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever your poop routine may be, as long as it\u2019s comfortable and doesn\u2019t interfere with your day or sleep routine, it\u2019s probably just fine.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Abnormal Bowel Movements Look Like<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Now that you know your number-two timing isn\u2019t all that important (as long as it\u2019s consistent), there\u2019s another aspect of your BMs worth paying close attention to: what they <em>look<\/em> like.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re not taking a peek in the toilet after you go, you should be. Any of the following characteristics are considered abnormal:<\/p>\n<h3><strong>1. Oily, Greasy Stools<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Slimy-looking stools \u201csuggest a malabsorption in the mid-gut or pancreas,\u201d says Modi. \u201cThis means that some food\u2014especially fat\u2014isn\u2019t processed normally.\u201d These undigested nutrients remain in your stool and exit your body still somewhat intact.<\/p>\n<p>When fats, specifically, aren\u2019t broken down properly, the excess not only creates a greasy-looking BM, but can also cause diarrhea. (Gross but true, doctors can see actual fat droplets when they test BMs like these.)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Floaters<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A random floating stool here and there shouldn\u2019t be cause for alarm, says Modi. Unusually fatty meals, increased fluid intake, and excess gas can all make stools less dense.<\/p>\n<p>However, if your stools float persistently, you may have a food intolerance, likely to dairy and\/or gluten. People with food poisoning or gastroenteritis (a.k.a. the stomach flu) may also experience floating stools, but they should disappear as the digestive system recovers, says Modi.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. White Or Gray Stools<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThe typical brown color of stool comes from the green-yellow pigment of bile, which helps digest fats and cholesterol,\u201d explains Modi. Obstructions and other issues, like infections, in the liver and biliary tract (which stores bile) can block the flow of bile to the digestive system and lead to pale stools. If your stools have become chronically clay-colored or unusually pale, give your doctor a call.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Diarrhea<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>While most isolated cases of diarrhea are caused by temporary infections like gastroenteritis, diarrhea that lasts more than a few days signals larger digestive issues. \u201cChronic diarrhea can occur for a whole host of reasons, from inflammatory bowel disease to celiac disease, and more,\u201d says Modi. In many of these cases, active inflammation in the digestive tract leads to nutrient and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/c\/protein\/N-cp99j4\">protein<\/a> losses and eventually erodes the surface of the GI tract\u2019s lining.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. Blood<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blood in stool is never normal, but it\u2019s more common than you might think\u2014especially in the case of hemorrhoids, says Modi. If you notice blood in your stool, give your doc a call just to be safe, but don\u2019t fret just yet. (When a more hazardous condition, such as colorectal cancer, dumps blood into stool, that blood is often difficult to see with the naked eye and has to be identified through testing.)<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How To Normalize Your Toilet Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The number-one way to become (and stay) regular is to make sure your diet contains enough <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/c\/fiber\/N-cp99ju\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fiber<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/c\/fiber\/N-cp99ju\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Insoluble fiber<\/a>, which comes from fruit skins, vegetables and some grains (like brown rice) is especially important because it speeds up the stool-producing process absorbing the by-products of digestion in your GI tract. If whole foods don\u2019t make up the bulk of your diet, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/c\/fiber\/N-cp99ju\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fiber supplement can<\/a> help keep your digestion regular.<\/p>\n<!-- Shortcode [rr-products] does not match the conditions -->\n<p>Regular exercise\u2014at least 30 minutes, four times a week\u2014also helps. \u201cIt is not uncommon that I see patients with constipation begin an exercise regimen and find that their bowel habits improve considerably,\u201d says Modi. \u201cThe body is designed to move, so problems emerge when we are sedentary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Modi also recommends reviewing your medication list with your doctor. \u201cSince most medications are first absorbed and processed by the digestive system, the use of multiple medications is becoming an increasing issue,\u201d says Modi. Many pharmaceuticals list GI upset as a primary potential side-effect, and could be behind unexplained issues.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>When To See Your Doctor<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you notice dramatic changes in the frequency or the appearance of your stools, pay your doctor a visit.<\/p>\n<p>If these changes are accompanied by abdominal pain, shifts in appetite, and\/or weight loss or night sweats, make an appointment ASAP. Together, these symptoms can indicate internal bleeding, severe inflammation, and even cancer.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Diggin\u2019 What\u2019s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, joi<\/strong><\/em><em><strong>n our Facebook communities,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/EatingHealthyVitaminShoppe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eating Healthy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/StayingFitVitaminShoppe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Staying Fit<\/a>, today!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Talk to your doctor or read about your gut online and you\u2019ll encounter one vague\u2014but clearly important\u2014term again and again: \u2018regular.\u2019 Experts constantly tell us how crucial being regular is to our digestive and overall health, but many of us still wonder if our bowel movements are truly normal. Turns out, there\u2019s no one right<a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/blog\/normal-bowel-movements\/\">Read More <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Are Your Bowel Movements \u2018Normal\u2019?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":20044,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-the-latest"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Are Your Bowel Movements \u2018Normal\u2019? | What\u2019s Good blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We&#039;ve all wondered whether our bowel movements are normal (and what normal really means). 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In addition to What\u2019s Good, she\u2019s written for several publications including SELF, Women\u2019s Health, Martha Stewart Weddings, Reader\u2019s Digest, PureWow, and many more. She covers various topics, from health and fitness to love and sex. After a decade-long career in New York City working in the magazine industry and at a myriad of digital publications, Jenn returned to her hometown just north of Boston to pursue a freelancing full-time. When she\u2019s not busy writing, editing or reading, she\u2019s traveling, running and enjoying the simple things in life with her husband Dan and two feline friends, Janis and Jimi.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.vitaminshoppe.com\/blog\/author\/jennsinrich1\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Are Your Bowel Movements \u2018Normal\u2019? | What\u2019s Good blog","description":"We've all wondered whether our bowel movements are normal (and what normal really means). 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