KNP119 - That’s The Shits: Why Your Bowels Shift When Dieting

On today's episode we decided it was necessary to talk about the dreaded subject of bowel movements. AKA, Poop. We discussed the why's behind changes in your bowl movements after starting a new dietary protocol. In fact, we were asked so many times over the past year to do a podcast on this subject, we decided to finally do it!

We covered all the reasons why you might see a shift in bowl movements when starting a diet.

 

They include and not limited to:

Your new diet is too low in fat.

When people make dietary changes like giving up dairy, switching from eggs to egg whites or adopting a more plant based diet it often results in a whole lot less fat. What you may not know, however, is that fat plays a role in stimulating motility – or forward motion – in the colon, which in turn promotes more regular bowel movements.

A nerve signal called the gastrocolic reflex is one way that our upstream digestive organs (the stomach and small intestine) communicate with the downstream digestive organs (namely, the colon) to let them know what is on its way so they can prepare. Very large meals and meals that contain a decent amount of fat both stimulate this communication reflex, essentially informing the colon that a significant amount of food has just entered the system. In response to the gastrocolic reflex, the colon ramps up its motility to make some room for what's headed its way. (The gastrocolic reflex is one reason why very high-fat meals can cause an urgent need to poop soon after a meal, and even diarrhea in some people.

 

Your diet lacks soluble fiber.

Gluten-free, paleo and low-carb plans – significantly cut grains, and some involve a reduction in root vegetable’s and fruit intake as well. These foods, which are rich in a type of fiber called soluble fiber, are often replaced by lower-carb alternatives like leafy greens, berries and nuts, which are rich in a type of fiber called insoluble fiber.

Might seem like an even trade off, but they are not. 

Soluble fiber can hold onto water, serving to plump up your poops and help keep them bulky and soft, no matter how long their journey to the exit may last. The insoluble fiber that predominates in "roughage," veggie skins and seeds, on the other hand, can't really hold onto water as it passes through the digestive tract.

Basically, your poops could come out more like a date than fro-yo.

 

Keto/Carnivore

Both of these an end up with other problems, at times, explosive diarrhea. You strip away huge bulking agents like fiber and other micro nutrients, this is the end result for some. Now good news is, most can get their bowls to get back on track. But beware when starting this you might have some of these symptoms.

 

Plant based

This could actually promote really good poops after even the first week. Reason being, super high in fibers, probiotics, prebiotics, and zero meat, which can be hard to digest for some. Especially red meat when tends to digest very slow. 

 

Look at your poops!

I know, thats disgusting, but let me dive a little deeper. 

Dr Oz, who explained during a now-famous appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show that the perfect poop is log-like and S-shaped, not broken up into pieces. Part of getting that log-style shape, compared with poop that comes out more pebbly-looking, comes from eating fiber which lends bulk to stool and acts as a glue to keep the poop stuck together as it exits your body. Pencil-thin poops, on the other hand, can be a sign of rectal cancer, which narrows the opening through which stool passes. But it could also mean you are just deficient on fiber. 

 

Listen for the sound of your poop (stool) as it hits the water in the toilet. Floating stools are often an indication of high fat content, which can be a sign of malabsorption condition in which you can't absorb enough fat and other nutrients from the food you’re ingesting. When your poop (stool) floats, it is associated with celiac disease or chronic pancreatitis. 

 

Passing Gas

Farting can be embarrassing, at least for some, but this result of harmless bacteria breaking down food in the large intestine is completely healthy. Your colon is filled with bacteria that release gas as a by-product of digesting the food you eat. Your body absorbs some of it into the bloodstream, which you breathe out through your lungs, and expels the rest out of your other end. It’s normal to pass gas anywhere from 10 to 18 times a day, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.

 

Remedies

1. Relax. Getting more sleep with immensely help with digestion ...

2. Digestive enzymes, probiotics

3. Take a walk

4. Drink plenty of water

5. Try fermented foods

6. Eat more fiber

7. Keep a food diary

 

Connect with us on Instagram

Host Brad Jensen – @thesoberbodybuilder

Co-Host Michelle Raines  – @mykeylife

Key Nutrition – @keynutrition