What Your Bowel Movements Say About Your Health: Your Questions, Answered by a Nutritionist.

As a Nutritionist I talk about poo a lot! Whilst it’s not exactly polite conversation, your bowel movements can be surprisingly good at telling you how your gut– and in fact your overall health- is doing.

From how often you go, to what it looks like, your stool can offer helpful clues about digestion, diet, hydration and even stress. The key is knowing what’s normal, what’s just a one-off and when your body might be sending you messages about changes you need to make to your health. You may say in fact, you need to start listening to your gut!

Below I have summarised some of the common questions I get from clients to help decode your poo!

1. How Often Should You Be Going?

Short answer: there’s no magic number.

Some people go a few times a day. Others go every couple of days. Both can be perfectly healthy, although in clinic I aim to support clients to “go” daily for many reasons. Aside from this though, what matters most is what’s normal for you and importantly whether that suddenly changes.

For example, if you experience:

• Constipation (hard stools, straining, or feeling “blocked”) – this can happen if you’re not drinking enough water, skimping on fibre, or spending a bit too much time sitting still.

• Diarrhoea (loose or watery stools) might be down to a bug, stress, food intolerance, or something your gut just didn’t agree with.

  
  

If things are "off" for more than a couple of weeks, that’s usually worth a closer look.

2. What can the shape of your Poo tell you?

Firstly, shape matters, which is why Nutritionists like myself and other Healthcare Professions use something called the Bristol Stool Chart to describe it.

Here’s the simple version:

• Hard little pellets or very lumpy stools → digestion is moving too slowly

• Smooth, soft, sausage-shaped stools → the gold standard

• Mushy or watery stools → digestion is moving a bit too fast

If your bowel movements regularly sit at either extreme, your gut might be asking for more fibre, more fluids, or a rethink of what’s on your plate.

3. Does Stool Colour mean anything?

When do you need to pay attention?

Seeing a different colour in the toilet bowl can be alarming for sure, but it’s not always a problem.

• Brown: boring but brilliant

• Green: often from leafy greens or speedy digestion

• Yellow or greasy-looking: could suggest fat isn’t being absorbed properly

• Black: sometimes caused by iron supplements,  but can also signal bleeding (so be aware)

• Red: beetroot happens… but if it keeps happening, get it checked    

A one-off colour change is usually nothing to worry about. Ongoing or unexplained changes deserve attention, so please speak to a professional.

4. What about the smell?

Let’s be clear: poo smells. That’s normal.

But if your bowel movements are consistently extra unpleasant - especially alongside bloating, cramps, or diarrhoea --it could suggest infection, food intolerance or problems absorbing nutrients.  It’s normal for a Nutritionist to ask about this to rule our specific conditions. For example gut imbalances such as methane-dominant SIBO, where gas-producing bacteria affects digestion and stool odour . If your nose keeps raising complaints, your gut might be too.

5. What does a healthy bowel movement mean?

Generally speaking, healthy bowel movements suggest:

• A well-balanced gut microbiome

• Enough fibre and fluids

• Digestion that’s doing its job quietly

• A nervous system that’s not under constant stress

On the flip side, ongoing issues like constipation, diarrhoea, mucus, or discomfort can be linked to conditions such as IBS, food sensitivities, inflammation, or stress. (Your gut and brain are connected, as I discussed in my previous blog here.)

6. When should you do something about

It’s time to speak to a healthcare professional if you notice:

• Blood in your stool

• Black or tar-like stools without an obvious cause

• Unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or ongoing pain

• Changes in bowel habits lasting more than 2–3 weeks

 Your body is very good at dropping hints. Persistent ones shouldn’t be ignored.

The Bottom Line: What Changes in Your Bowel Movements Say About Your Health

Your bowel movements might not be glamorous, but they’re one of the easiest ways to keep an eye on your health. Paying attention to patterns , rather than stressing over the odd off day, can help you support your gut before small issues turn into bigger ones.

So checking in on your poo now and then is surprisingly sensible!

Looking for further support?

If you'd like to know more about what your bowel movements say about your health, or you are dealing with persistent digestive symptoms, I'm here to help. For more information about how to support your gut health, check out my previous blog.

To book a free discovery call to discuss your symptoms, reach out today here!

About Amanda

Amanda is a London Nutritionist who supports clients online and in person with  Gut Health. She also offers programmes within GLP-1 Nutrition Support, Women's Health and Menopause. She also has a passion for all things Health and Corporate Wellbeing. Read more about Amanda here.