At Home Gut Health Tests


MSMonday: At Home Gut Health Tests

To continue our discussion about all things gut health, we’re starting to trend towards testing now. This week we’ll tackle ways you can test your own gut health at home, without any fancy tests or having to spend tons of money (always nice, right?)

First, a slight disclaimer. As always, work with your doc if you think something bigger is going on. These tests only go so far. If you feel like something is not quite right, trust your gut! Lol, #sorrynotsorry. But seriously, a comprehensive stool test can do wonders for showing you what’s up with your gut bugs, and everything else in your inner pipes. More on all of those tests in the coming weeks too.

So, if you’ve never looked at your poop, it’s about time you start. Your poop will tell you SO MUCH about how you’re body is functioning, or not functioning on the day to day. It’s about time you got familiar with your poop norm, so you know when you’re out of the norm. And yes! This is a topic of conversation I discuss with clients! This is a big part of health, and needs to be talked about when discussing health.

Let’s get to it.

 

1. Visual Inspection

Told you we were gonna get down and dirty. As I mentioned above, this should be done often, like daily. The more you know about your gut and how it’s functioning, the better. A few things to be looking out for:

Color

Black/Red- This can be a sign of bleeding. (Black stools would be blood that’s from higher in your GI tract and red stools would be a sign of blood from lower in your GI tract). Either way, this is a sign to head to your doc. Unless, of course, you just ate some beets or took activated charcoal.

Green- Often caused by eating lots of veggies! If you’ve just had a huge spinach salad, then kale for dinner, you might be seeing some green in the bowl later. Usually not something to worry about, unless it is more frequent. It also could mean that you’re having a bit of a hard time digesting and absorbing the nutrients from the spinach, or your transit time could have been increased. If it persists over a few weeks, consider optimizing your gut health.

Yellow- Yellow stools can be caused by diet changes, but often they’re caused by illnesses, disease or inflammation. If it persists for longer than a week, you should be checked out by your doc for sure.

Pale/Greenish/Yellowish– This is usually caused by lack of bile. Bile is what gives our poop it’s normal brown color, and when it’s not there, it becomes pale in color. This can happen for many reasons, change in diet, inflammation, obstruction, etc. If you’ve eaten different foods than normal over the past few days, then I wouldn’t worry too much about it. But, if you notice it persisting for more than a few weeks, especially if it’s accompanied with physical symptoms (pain in your abdomen, excess gas, bloating, etc.), it’s time to see your doc.

Floaters

Floating poop is often caused by diet changes. Many people think floaters are caused by fat malabsorption, or too much fat in the stool, but this is often not the case. Usually floating poop is caused by too much gas that is trapped, usually caused by an increase in fiber. It can also be caused by poor digestion or GI distress/infection. Usually it isn’t an issue, but if you’re also feeling physical symptoms, something could be up.

Food Particles

Having undigested food particles in your poop can be alarming. But sometimes it’s not a big cause for concern. Some foods we eat are very hard for our systems to digest, and will go through our GI tract intact. Especially if we eat quickly, without chewing properly etc. If you’re noticing food particles, that’s the first thing to do. Slow down, chew your food thoroughly and make an effort to make it into small bits before even swallowing. If this is a persistent problem, it can indicate inflammation in the gut, low stomach acid or a need for digestive enzymes.

 

2. Transit Time

In simple terms, this is the time it takes from eating, to pooping. This can be helpful information so you know if you’re trending more on the constipated side (and might need more water/fiber) or more on the quick side (which might indicate inflammation/malabsorption issues).

Jury is out on “optimal” transit time, but anywhere from 24-48 hours is generally thought of as optimal. It’s also worth noting that men and women will probably be different here. Men being faster and women being slower, so take that into consideration too!

This is an easy test to do, pick something that will “show up” in your poop, beets work REALLY well here, so does corn (lol) although, not AIP friendly. Eat said food, then wait and watch. See how long it takes for it to show itself!

 

3. Frequency

This is another one where “optimal” can vary greatly. Some people’s optimal will be 3x per day, and someone else’s will be 3x per week. Those pretty much represent the ends of the spectrum. If you’re having more than 3x per day, especially if it’s loose/watery, that could indicate you’re not absorbing your nutrients like you should be. Having 3x per week (or less) you might need to up your water intake or veggie intake. If that doesn’t help, you might need to look into some testing to see if there is a gut flora imbalance at play as well.

 

4. Bristol Stool Chart

 The Bristol Stool Chart is a chart that helps people decipher where their poop is in terms of transit time. The longer it’s in your body, the harder and more formed it will be, and vice versa. Optimal poopage is around type 4.

However, it all depends on you, your history and what is normal for you, right? I read an interesting line that said “normal stools are not noticeable during defecation”. I think that illustrates everything perfectly. If you’ve had a history of pain and injury, then 5 or 6 might be more normal for you. It all goes back to bio-individuality in the end again, right?

That being said, if you’re seeing type 1/2 often, straining and in pain- that’s probably a sign of a bigger issue. Same with type 6/7, you might not be getting all the nutrients your food is providing.

 

What if you take the time to notice all these things and conclude your gut needs a little attention? Head back a few posts and check out how to get started with gut healing. That will get you started on improving any of these tests that you noticed didn’t quite go so well. And the beauty of at home testing like this, you can always be monitoring your results!

If you want more personalized suggestions, consider booking a Master your MS strategy call. On that free 30 minute call, we’ll tackle one question you bring (might be about gut health!) that you feel is holding you back from feeling your best. Book using the button below!

[otw_shortcode_button href=”https://my.practicebetter.io/#/5b5e24c167c6b9078c61e9e9/bookings?s=5b92c3f3627d791484bb4958″ size=”medium” icon_position=”left” shape=”square” color_class=”otw-greenish”]Master Your MS Strategy Call [/otw_shortcode_button]

I’M ALISSA!

I help women who have also been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis make specific and personalized diet, lifestyle & subconscious changes so that they can begin to heal their body, reduce disease symptoms, and return to a life they love.hey there,

follow along on Instagram:

This is how I slowly helped myself the most:
Making small changes to my life,
* Intentional awareness to my morning
* Noticing when I’m being mean to myself 
* Noticing when I’m reactive or in a state of fight or flight..

Some “small” ideas for you too:
* don’t grab your phone first thing in the morning, take some deep breaths, think about how you want your day to go
* drink an extra glass of water (bonus if it’s in the morning too)
* get up and move every hour
* say something nice to yourself when you catch yourself being mean
* step outside for a few minutes a few times a day

Small changes add up to big steps forward,
don’t get fooled by these not being “enough”,
they absolutely are. 

Wanna hear more about how Ive helped myself and my clients to lessen our MS symptoms so we feel better in our bodies?

I detail it in my chapter in Resilience Redefined.. comment “Book” and I’ll send you the link!!

This is how I slowly helped myself the most:
Making small changes to my life,
* Intentional awareness to my morning
* Noticing when I’m being mean to myself
* Noticing when I’m reactive or in a state of fight or flight..

Some “small” ideas for you too:
* don’t grab your phone first thing in the morning, take some deep breaths, think about how you want your day to go
* drink an extra glass of water (bonus if it’s in the morning too)
* get up and move every hour
* say something nice to yourself when you catch yourself being mean
* step outside for a few minutes a few times a day

Small changes add up to big steps forward,
don’t get fooled by these not being “enough”,
they absolutely are.

Wanna hear more about how Ive helped myself and my clients to lessen our MS symptoms so we feel better in our bodies?

I detail it in my chapter in Resilience Redefined.. comment “Book” and I’ll send you the link!!
...

20 5
You don’t always have to love the hard action you’re taking to reach your goals.

You just have to show up.

You can do this… keep going 🧡🧡

*after discerning there’s no *actual* issue (pain, injury, illness etc) preventing me from working out, only that I’m a toddler and don’t wanna.

You don’t always have to love the hard action you’re taking to reach your goals.

You just have to show up.

You can do this… keep going 🧡🧡

*after discerning there’s no *actual* issue (pain, injury, illness etc) preventing me from working out, only that I’m a toddler and don’t wanna.
...

26 4
“Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.”

Resilience has become such a cornerstone word of the work I do this past year. 
It makes sense this book I collaborated on with 6 other awesome & resilient authors was destined to have resilience in the title.

Did you see??

Pre Orders are open!

If you pre order your copy through me before October 24th you’ll also get:
• Signed copy of Resilience Redefined
• The MS Handbook E-book
• Resilience Bookmark
• LissMS Sticker Pack (first 10 pre orders)

Grab your copy here: 

https://liss-ms.com/product/resilience-redefined-thriving-with-autoimmune-disease/

Or comment Book below and I’ll send you the link!!

“Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.”

Resilience has become such a cornerstone word of the work I do this past year.
It makes sense this book I collaborated on with 6 other awesome & resilient authors was destined to have resilience in the title.

Did you see??

Pre Orders are open!

If you pre order your copy through me before October 24th you’ll also get:
• Signed copy of Resilience Redefined
• The MS Handbook E-book
• Resilience Bookmark
• LissMS Sticker Pack (first 10 pre orders)

Grab your copy here:

https://liss-ms.com/product/resilience-redefined-thriving-with-autoimmune-disease/

Or comment Book below and I’ll send you the link!!
...

13 0
Struggling to start with exercise?

Try this tip!!

Creating a new habit (any of them) necessitate us to become someone new, someone different than we were.

Because we’re trying to do something different after all.

This is gentle way of starting that identity shift process.

Become who you want to be in your mind first.

Does this help?
What other habits do you need help with? Let me know in the comments!!

Struggling to start with exercise?

Try this tip!!

Creating a new habit (any of them) necessitate us to become someone new, someone different than we were.

Because we’re trying to do something different after all.

This is gentle way of starting that identity shift process.

Become who you want to be in your mind first.

Does this help?
What other habits do you need help with? Let me know in the comments!!
...

31 3
It’s only fitting that I announce my 2nd book (along with 7 other authors) on my 14 year anniversary with MS.

This is a book that I would have loved to read early on in my journey.
It’s about how we moved through our diagnosis and came out the other side for the better.

““Resilience Redefined” is not just a collection of stories; it is a call to action. The authors challenge those living with an autoimmune disease to not only survive but to thrive”

So… drumroll please…
Pre orders are officially open!!

If you pre order your copy through me before October 24th you’ll also get:
• Signed copy of Resilience Redefined
• The MS Handbook E-book
• Resilience Bookmark
• LissMS Sticker Pack (first 10 pre orders)

Grab your copy here: https://liss-ms.com/product/resilience-redefined-thriving-with-autoimmune-disease/ 

Or comment “book” below and I’ll send you the link!!

It’s only fitting that I announce my 2nd book (along with 7 other authors) on my 14 year anniversary with MS.

This is a book that I would have loved to read early on in my journey.
It’s about how we moved through our diagnosis and came out the other side for the better.

““Resilience Redefined” is not just a collection of stories; it is a call to action. The authors challenge those living with an autoimmune disease to not only survive but to thrive”

So… drumroll please…
Pre orders are officially open!!

If you pre order your copy through me before October 24th you’ll also get:
• Signed copy of Resilience Redefined
• The MS Handbook E-book
• Resilience Bookmark
• LissMS Sticker Pack (first 10 pre orders)

Grab your copy here: https://liss-ms.com/product/resilience-redefined-thriving-with-autoimmune-disease/

Or comment “book” below and I’ll send you the link!!
...

33 15
If you like being outside, check out the America the Beautiful Access Pass!

This is a pass for those with disabilities to get into National Parks, Monuments and more for FREE!!

You can get it online or at the entrance of a national park!

Share with anyone who also might like this!!

If you like being outside, check out the America the Beautiful Access Pass!

This is a pass for those with disabilities to get into National Parks, Monuments and more for FREE!!

You can get it online or at the entrance of a national park!

Share with anyone who also might like this!!
...

32 2
This is obvs one option of many on how to help yourself through these moments.

But when you’re stuck in negative worrying, don’t forget there can be a positive outcome too!

This is rewiring your brain in action.

You notice you’re doing something you always did,
Then do something different.

And boom! A new pathway is born.

It needs some love and attention to grow,
so keep practicing!

This is obvs one option of many on how to help yourself through these moments.

But when you’re stuck in negative worrying, don’t forget there can be a positive outcome too!

This is rewiring your brain in action.

You notice you’re doing something you always did,
Then do something different.

And boom! A new pathway is born.

It needs some love and attention to grow,
so keep practicing!
...

22 0
This isn’t a you problem, it’s your brain acting as it should.

Are you going through some change and upheaval right now too?

I see you.

Comment any questions on how to deal below and I’ll make a part 2!

This isn’t a you problem, it’s your brain acting as it should.

Are you going through some change and upheaval right now too?

I see you.

Comment any questions on how to deal below and I’ll make a part 2!
...

38 2
We have a new space for my (free) LissMS Healing Community!!

Come on in…

Let me show you around!

This is a space created by an MSer (me), for other MSers (you) to be able to come together and support each other, learn new tools to help manage MS and maybe find a few new internet friends!

Wanna join us?

Comment “community” below and I’ll send you the link!!

We have a new space for my (free) LissMS Healing Community!!

Come on in…

Let me show you around!

This is a space created by an MSer (me), for other MSers (you) to be able to come together and support each other, learn new tools to help manage MS and maybe find a few new internet friends!

Wanna join us?

Comment “community” below and I’ll send you the link!!
...

16 1
There’s so much buzz about everything needing to feel good if it’s right for you.

Sure, there’s a time and a place for alignment.

But, growth often happens in the uncomfortable moments.

Just a reminder.
Keep going.
❤️

There’s so much buzz about everything needing to feel good if it’s right for you.

Sure, there’s a time and a place for alignment.

But, growth often happens in the uncomfortable moments.

Just a reminder.
Keep going.
❤️
...

32 9
Boating! I forgot to add boating to the list 🛶 

Regulation is found in the micro moments.

Which of these have you done lately?

Boating! I forgot to add boating to the list 🛶

Regulation is found in the micro moments.

Which of these have you done lately?
...

60 8

As Featured In:

© LISSMS 2023 | Powered By TheDevQ

0
Your Cart
Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
Calculate Shipping
Apply Coupon