Everyone poops, even the Queen of England. And another thing that we are all guilty about, don’t lie ok, after pooping we all take a glance at our poop. Am I right? Be honest, no judgement here. Just a short look, just a little peek.
If you have, thanks for being honest btw, have you ever noticed the shape and the colour of your poop? The next time you look back, try and identify the shape and colour because your poop is actually trying to send you a message about your overall diet and health.
Well, if you don’t glance back at you poop before flushing (I know you’re lying sweet cheeks), then after reading this article you might want to do it.
Let’s start off with the shape and consistency:
1. Marbles
If your poop comes out separately in hard lumps like marbles or nuts and it is really hard to squeeze it out, then my friend, you’re constipated!
2. Caterpillar
Does your poop look like a log but like a lumpy log that's hard to push out? Yes honey, the doctor just examined you’re poop, and the results are out, you are also constipated!
Most of the time, constipation is caused by:
+ Poor lifestyle choices related to your diet or your day-to-day activities. So, make sure you exercise regularly and also east a well-balanced diet with a good amount of fibre.
+ Diabetes when not properly treated can damage the nerves supplying the digestive tract, causing constipation.
+ Thyroid conditions such as low levels of thyroid hormone.
+ Pregnancy increases the hormone progesterone that relaxes the muscles in the lining of the digestive tract, leading to more sluggish movement of the bowels and constipation.
+ Bowel obstruction such as a blockage inside your colon can prevent your waste from passing through your digestive tract. You will feel abdominal pain or cramping and a bloated stomach. Please contact your doctor immediately if you suspect bowel obstruction – it’s very serious.
3. Sausage/Hotdog
The sausage/hotdog poop shape looks like log too, but it is smooth with few cracks. Well, if your poop looks like this then congratulations, your poop gets an A+, it is normal! Your poop is telling you that you are healthy!
4. Snake
If you poop comes out smooth and snake like, then you too get an A+, your poop is normal!
5. Amoebas
Just like marbles, these are small but unlike the marbles, they are soft and easy to pass. If your poop looks like this then its is trying to tell you that you need more fibre! It wants you to eat more veggies or maybe some granola!
6. Soft Serve
If your poop comes out all fluffy and mushy while it also comes out easily, then your poop isn’t feeling as yummy as soft serve because you have mild diarrhoea. Drink some fruit juice or water to help your poop get better.
7. Jackson Pollock
Well, just like the painting, you poop comes our watery and it splatters all over your toilet bowl. To put it in simple words, you have diarrhoea.
Now we will proceed to your poop colour:
+ Dark brown: This is a healthy colour caused by bilirubin which is a pigment released by the breakdown of old red blood cells.
+ Black: Iron supplements and some food and medication can cause black poop, but if your poop is black, sticky, and tar-like then you might need to see a doctor, because it could be gastrointestinal bleeding.
+ White, pale, or claylike: You are lacking bile caused by issues with the gallbladder, liver or pancreas or even some medications like anti-diarrhoea medicine can cause this.
+ Green: Green bits in your poop is actually quite normal. But if your whole poop is green then maybe you ate a little too much green vegetables or there’s too much bile or too little bilirubin.
+ Red: Certain red foods can cause your poop to turn red, but red-coloured poop can also be the result of intestinal bleeding or haemorrhoids, so get checked!
+ Yellow: A yellow or greasy-looking stool could be because of too much fat either caused by the malabsorption or due to a lack of certain enzymes (including bile).
