What's a healthy bowel movement?

Am I really writing another article about poop?

Yes. And for good reason.

Poop is more than a punchline. It’s one of the most immediate and revealing signs of digestive function—how well the gut is breaking down, absorbing, and eliminating. For me—as a Functional Medicine Nutritionist—it’s often a starting point in my clinical conversations, because what you see in the toilet is a direct reflection of how our systems are working together (or not).

Clients may giggle or squirm when the topic comes up, but stool quality is one of the most straightforward ways to gather information without advanced testing. And with a little guidance, the conversation often shifts—what begins as awkward becomes empowering. Because helping clients pay attention to what they eliminate is just as important as helping them consider what they eat.

From Healthy Bowel Movements to Clinical Insights: Gut Health Training for Practitioners

The digestive system is a full-body process, touching every organ system through nutrient absorption, detoxification, immune balance, and the gut-brain connection. It begins before your first bite—with the thought of food—and ends with elimination. Along the way, your body has the challenging and often stressful job of breaking down, absorbing, sorting, and discarding.

The large intestine (colon) is the body’s last stop for digestion before stool moves into the rectum and, eventually, out of the body and into the toilet bowl.

And the colon is where the body reabsorbs water and electrolytes, maintains fluid balance, and depends on the gut microbiome to sort nutrients from toxins. When this system is working, waste is expelled efficiently, and the body thrives. When this process falters, the signs are not only local (constipation, diarrhea) but systemic (hormone imbalances, skin conditions, fatigue).

As clinicians, remembering to “start at the end” can be the simplest way to see how the body is functioning as a whole. This is why our functional nutrition education program emphasizes stool tracking as a key entry point in understanding client health.

Signs and Symptoms of Colon Imbalance

Obvious symptoms of colon imbalance include:

• constipation

• diarrhea

• diverticular diseases

• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis)

• hemorrhoids

• colon polyps

• increased risk for colon cancer

Less obvious symptoms of colon imbalance can include:

• skin issues (eczema, acne, psoriasis)

• headaches and sinus infections

• fatigue and adrenal dysfunction

• hormone imbalances

• immune challenges

• even mood changes, due to the gut-brain connection

What Does a Healthy Bowel Movement Look Like?

A healthy bowel movement isn’t just about frequency. It’s about form, ease, and what it tells you about digestion—whether the client’s body is efficiently processing the food they eat, absorbing what’s needed, and eliminating the rest.

Key markers to assess:

• Frequency: One to three times daily (at least once a day).

• Ease: Passing stool should not require straining, nor should it feel urgent or incomplete.

• Form: Sausage-shaped, smooth, and soft (think ripe banana or smooth nut butter). The Bristol Stool Chart classifies this as Type 3–4 .

• Color: Brown to golden brown (variations may occur with foods—think beets or leafy greens).

• Contents: No visible undigested food (unless it’s corn or other fibrous foods).

• Companions: Minimal gas or bloating. Chronic gas, foul odor, or mucus may indicate imbalance.

Pro Tip: Our Food/Mood/Poop Journal is a simple but powerful tool to track these patterns and correlate digestive changes with diet, stress, and symptoms.

Supporting Health Bowel Movements

Before (and many times instead of) recommending advanced stool testing, step back and ground in the basics. These daily practices influence elimination:

1. Hydration: Water supports smooth elimination and keeps stool soft.

2. Fiber: Both soluble and insoluble fibers are key. Think vegetables, fruits, beans, and seeds .

3. Movement: Regular physical activity stimulates peristalsis (the muscle contractions that move waste).

4. Stress Management: The gut-brain axis means stress directly affects motility and microbiome balance.

5. Microbiome Support: Prebiotics (fiber-rich foods), probiotics (fermented foods), and postbiotics (nutrients produced by bacteria) all play roles in healthy elimination.

6. Chewing & Digestion: Digestion begins in the mouth. Slow down, chew thoroughly, and give your body the chance to do its job.

Why Functional Nutrition Education Includes Stool Tracking

Healthy elimination is not just about comfort—it’s about prevention and resilience. Chronic constipation, for example, has been linked to increased toxin reabsorption, higher risk of colorectal cancer, and systemic inflammation.

When you ask clients to pay attention to their stool, you’re not being “gross.” You’re inviting them to listen to their body’s daily diagnostic report. This approach is central to any functional gut health training for practitioners, who need to understand how to translate stool patterns into actionable clinical insights.

So here’s my invitation: Try it yourself. Don’t flush without looking. Notice what your body is telling you.

If something seems off—persistent diarrhea, constipation, blood in stool, or drastic changes in frequency—please check in with another provider (that’s a cue for referral or co-management). As you likely know, these may be signs of something more serious.

But for the everyday fluctuations? See them as information. A gentle nudge toward better hydration, more fiber, mindful eating, or deeper stress relief.Because sometimes, the most powerful insights into your health are right there in the bowl.

Ready to Bring The Power of Stool Tracking Into Your Practice?

If you’re a functional practitioner or aspiring to become one, remember: learning how to apply these insights clinically is a skill set. That’s part of what we offer in our 10-month functional nutrition education program, Full Body Systems (and, specifically, Digestive Intensive—the first intensive in gut health training for practitioners who want to elevate their client outcomes).

References

Camilleri M. Management Options for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Mayo Clin Proc. 2018;93(12):1858-1872. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.032

Nishijima, S. et al. Fecal microbial load is a major determinant of gut microbiome variation and a confounder for Disease Associations, Cell, 188(1). doi:10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.022. 

Staller K, Olén O, Söderling J, et al. Chronic Constipation as a Risk Factor for Colorectal Cancer: Results From a Nationwide, Case-Control Study. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022;20(8):1867-1876.e2. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2021.10.024

Zhang R, Ding N, Feng X, Liao W. The gut microbiome, immune modulation, and cognitive decline: insights on the gut-brain axis. Front Immunol. 2025;16:1529958. Published 2025 Jan 22. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2025.1529958