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The Scoop on Poop: What’s Normal, What’s Not & How to Improve Your Gut Health

by Valerie Polley | Feb 26, 2025 | 0 comments

Poop—it's not the most glamorous topic, but it's a crucial indicator of your overall health. Your digestive system is important for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste, so when something is off with your gut, your poop will likely reflect it.

Understanding what's normal, what's not, and how to improve your gut health can help you feel your best. In this article, we'll explore what makes a healthy poop, warning signs of digestive issues, and practical steps to improve your gut health.

What's Considered "Normal" Poop?

A healthy bowel movement varies from person to person, but there are a few characteristics that generally indicate good digestive health.

Frequency

Studies show that "going" anywhere from three times per day to three times per week is considered normal. The key is consistency—if the frequency of your bowel movements suddenly changes, it might be worth investigating.

Color

Healthy poop is usually brown due to bile, a digestive fluid that helps break down fats. Other colors can indicate various issues:

  • Green: May be due to diet (leafy green vegetables) or rapid movement of waste through the intestines. It can also indicate an infection.
  • Black or red: Can indicate bleeding in the digestive tract and should be checked by a doctor. However, red poop can also result from drinking things containing red food dye or eating beets.
  • Pale or clay colored: May indicate an issue with your liver, bile ducts, pancreas, or gallbladder.
  • Yellow: Could be an indication of pancreatitis or celiac disease.

Shape and Consistency

The Bristol Stool Chart categorizes poop into seven types based on their shape and texture. Types 3 and 4 (smooth, well-formed, and soft) are considered ideal. Having Type 1 or 2 stool can indicate constipation, while Type 6 or 7 stool can indicate diarrhea.

Smell

While poop naturally has an unpleasant odor, an extremely foul odor or sudden change in smell may indicate malabsorption, infection, or gut imbalances.

Signs of an Unhealthy Gut

If your poop is frequently abnormal, it could be a sign of underlying digestive issues. Here are some common concerns.

Chronic Constipation

If you struggle to have a bowel movement, experience hard poop, or have a bowel movement less than three times per week, you might have constipation. Common causes of constipation include dehydration, low fiber intake, certain medications (like opioids), pelvic floor dysfunction, or an underlying condition like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Frequent Diarrhea

Loose, watery stools that persist for days or weeks can be caused by food intolerances, infections, or gut disorders like Crohn's disease or celiac disease (where your body mistakenly attacks gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley).

Unusual Colors

As mentioned above, significant changes in the color of your poop—especially black, red, or very pale—should be addressed by a healthcare professional.

Mucus, Undigested Food, or Floating Stool

Excessive mucus may be a sign of an inflammatory condition. While some undigested food in your poop can be a result of eating too quickly or not chewing your food properly, undigested food could indicate something is wrong if it's accompanied by diarrhea, weight loss, or other changes to your bowel habits. 

Floating stools can sometimes be linked to fat malabsorption or an infection.

Persistent Bloating, Gas, or Abdominal Pain

Occasional bloating and gas are normal, but if they're constant or cause significant pain, they could indicate food sensitivities, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or other digestive issues.

Improving Gut Health for Better Poop

If you're experiencing digestive issues like constipation, gas, and bloating, making simple changes to your diet and lifestyle can support better digestion and more regular bowel movements.

Increase Fiber Intake

There are two main types of fiber—soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber, which is found in foods like oats, oat bran, barley, chia seeds, and psyllium husk, forms a gel-like substance in the intestine and slows down digestion. It can also be helpful if you're experiencing diarrhea, as it soaks up excess water in the bowel, leading to more formed stool.

Insoluble fiber, which is found in legumes, wheat bran, and the skins of fruits and vegetables, does not absorb water, but it adds bulk to the stool and causes waste to move through the bowel faster. It can be particularly helpful if you're struggling with constipation. 

In general, women need about 25 grams of fiber daily, while men need 38 grams.

Stay Hydrated

Water is essential for digestion and stool formation. Dehydration can lead to constipation, so aim to drink at least eight glasses of water daily (more if you're physically active). If you're experiencing chronic diarrhea, you may need to replace both fluids and electrolytes by drinking an oral rehydration drink like Pedialyte.

Eat More Fermented Foods

Probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi support a healthy gut microbiome, which plays a key role in digestion and bowel regularity.

Manage Stress

Chronic stress can slow digestion and contribute to issues like constipation. To manage your stress, try techniques like deep breathing, yoga, or meditation.

Exercise Regularly

Physical activity stimulates the intestines, helping food move more efficiently through your digestive system. Even light exercise like walking or yoga can improve bowel regularity.

Identify Food Intolerances

Certain foods can trigger digestive distress. Keeping a food diary or trying an elimination diet under the supervision of a registered dietitian can help pinpoint problem foods like dairy, gluten, or FODMAPs.

When to See a Doctor

While occasional digestive problems are normal, some symptoms warrant medical attention:

  • Blood in your poop, or black, tarry poop.
  • Persistent diarrhea or constipation lasting more than a few weeks.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Severe abdominal pain or cramping.
  • Changes in stool that last more than a few weeks.
  • Symptoms of malabsorption, such as greasy, foul-smelling poop.

If you experience any of these symptoms, consult a healthcare professional to rule out serious conditions like infections, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or colorectal cancer.

Final Thoughts

Your poop is a valuable clue to your overall health. By paying attention to its frequency, color, and consistency, you can identify potential digestive problems and take proactive steps to support your gut health. A diet rich in fiber, proper hydration, stress management, and regular exercise can go a long way in keeping your digestive system running smoothly. If you're still constipated, check out our constipation care plan.

If you're struggling with digestion and have ruled out causes like IBD and colorectal cancer, a registered dietitian can help you get your digestion back on track. Click here to get in touch with us at Blue Tree Nutrition and book an appointment with a registered dietitian.

With summer here, many people are getting excited about upcoming vacations. But for people with digestive issues, symptoms like constipation and bloating are often unwelcome travel companions. Traveling disrupts our body's natural rhythms and daily habits, which can lead to digestive chaos.

This article will help you understand how sudden changes in hydration, diet, and airplane cabin pressure impact the gut, as well as provide practical, evidence-based tips for keeping your gut happy on the road.

The Perfect Storm for Constipation: Fluid and Fiber Drops

One of the biggest contributors to digestive issues like constipation when you're traveling is a change in your normal hydration and fiber intake patterns. Here's how each affects your gut.

Inconsistent Hydration

Disrupted routines often lead to forgetting to drink water. Plus, strict airport security rules mean you can't carry a full water bottle through security checkpoints. Travelers often intentionally avoid drinking to skip using tiny airplane toilets or unfamiliar public restrooms. Finally, plane cabins are incredibly dry, which can quickly lead to dehydration.

The result: When the body is dehydrated, the colon absorbs more water from food waste, leading to hard, dry, and difficult-to-pass stools.

Reduced Fiber Intake

Most people in the United States don't get enough fiber at the best of times, and traveling only makes this worse. Convenience foods at airports, gas stations, and roadside stops are typically highly processed, high in sodium, and low in fiber. Experiencing local cuisines often means prioritizing rich restaurant meals over fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Not getting enough fiber quickly contributes to constipation because fiber is essential for adding bulk to stool and keeps things moving through the digestive tract. A sudden drop in fiber stalls peristalsis (the wave-like muscle contractions in the gut), leading to less frequent bowel movements. 

The Combined Effect

The simultaneous drop in both fluid and fiber creates a "logjam" effect in the intestines. Not having enough fluid and fiber slows the movement of waste through your gut. This leads to more water being absorbed from the stool, resulting in hard, difficult-to-pass stool. The traffic jam effect makes acute constipation one of the most common (yet preventable) gut-related travel complaints.

Cabin Pressure and Bloating

Have you ever noticed that you get more bloated during air travel than other forms of travel? No, you're not imagining things. This is due to a law of physics called Boyle's Law. Simply put, this law of physics states that as atmospheric pressure decreases, the volume of a gas naturally increases.

Here's how that works with your gut and air travel. Airplane cabins are pressurized to simulate an altitude of around 6,000 to 8,000 feet. Because of this shift, the gas that's already present in your gut expands during flight. This rapid gas expansion stretches your intestinal walls, leading to pain, cramping, and bloating often referred to as "airplane belly."

Additionally, several common travel habits can aggravate this trapped gas. Drinking carbonated beverages before or during the flight, chewing gum (which leads to swallowing excess air), and remaining stationary for hours on end all trap and intensify the expanding gas.

Tips for a Happy Travel Gut

Fortunately, a few small tweaks to your travel routine can make a huge difference in whether you end up constipated and bloated while traveling.

Pre-Flight and In-Transit Tactics

  • Hydrate on the go: Bring an empty, reusable water bottle through airport security and fill it once you reach the departure lounge (most airports now have water bottle filling stations). Aim for consistent sipping throughout your journey to keep hydrated.
  • Be mindful of foods that can worsen bloating: Avoid fizzy drinks, heavy or fried foods, and gas-producing foods like beans, broccoli, and cabbage, for at least 24 hours before your flight. This can reduce the amount of gas present in your gut, which can reduce the bloating associated with a drop in cabin pressure.
  • Pack smart snacks: Since airport snacks are typically high in sodium and low in fiber, bringing your own high-fiber, travel-friendly snacks can help boost your fiber intake. Consider packing dried chickpeas, almonds, dried fruit, or on-the-go fiber supplements to bridge the gap.

On-Arrival Habits

  • Prioritize fiber: While there's nothing wrong with enjoying the local cuisine wherever you're traveling, try to prioritize fiber at your destination whenever possible. I recommend starting your day with a high-fiber breakfast, such as oatmeal with fruit, nuts, and seeds.
  • Get moving: Try to avoid being sedentary on arrival. Going for a leisurely walk helps stimulate intestinal motility and releases trapped gas (there's a reason a short walk after meals is commonly called a "fart walk"!).
  • Keep a regular sleep schedule: Vacation can throw a serious wrench into your routine, but wherever possible, try to maintain it. Gut issues can be worsened by poor sleep, so sticking to your routine can help support gut comfort on vacation.

Final Thoughts

Travel naturally changes our dietary habits and challenges our digestive system through abrupt changes in cabin pressure, but digestive discomfort doesn't need to ruin your vacation. By being mindful of your fluid and fiber intake, staying active, and making strategic changes in pre-flight eating habits to minimize the effects of cabin pressure changes, you can keep your digestion on track and enjoy every minute of your vacation.

If you're worried about an upcoming trip and need personalized strategies for managing your digestion on vacation, I'd love to help. You can get in touch with me at Blue Tree Nutrition to book your appointment with a registered dietitian.

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Hello, I am

Valerie

My name is Valerie Polley. I am a Indianapolis-based registered dietitian and owner of Blue Tree Nutrition. I consult with clients both local and far away.
I have a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Purdue University and I have been practicing for 20 years.
I thoroughly enjoy helping clients through their gut health journey. I see a range of GI issues including, but not limited to celiac disease, IBS and SIBO. I also specialize in the FODMAP elimination diet.

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