The crucial reason you should be tracking how often you poop
People are arguably paying more attention than ever to their gut health. Thanks to the wealth of knowledge and expertise shared by those in the health and wellness field, Scots are more savvy about what's going on within.
From following the Mediterranean diet to buying a £2 vegetable that can help weight loss and gut health, there are many ways we can help our body perform to the best of its ability and keep any pesky stomach aches at bay.
And a top doctor has said that tracking your poops is a way to keep on top of your digestive system. Dr Emily Leeming, a registered dietitian and researcher at King’s College London, recently joined Dr Rangan Chatterjee on his podcast.
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Dr Chatterjee, a British physician best known for his TV show Doctor in the House and for being BBC Breakfast's resident doctor, hosts the 'Feel Better, Live More' pod. During his chat with Dr Leeming, she shared that observing your own bowel movements can often tell you more about your gut health than costly microbiome tests.
"Most people might think they have to go and get a gut health test," Emily said. "The real thing you can do which is completely simple, easy, affordable free is just look at your poo.
"It's such a great sign of telling you how healthy your gut is and how healthy your gut microbiome is. So, what are the key things we want to be looking for?
"You want it to look like a smooth sausage or a sausage with cracks in it and also have it be a brown/dark brown colour. Red flags would be having things like blood in the stool whether that's coming up as being black or kind of red.
"We want to make sure that you're going between three times a day to three times a week - that's quite a broad range - but anywhere within there's that's normal for you."
Blood in your stool can be a sign of bowel cancer, according to NHS Inform, but it can also be caused by other conditions. If you have blood in your stool, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.
"Emily is someone who is highly knowledgeable and passionate about helping us all improve the health of our guts," Dr Chatterjee commented.
"Her message is clear: nurturing our gut microbiome is not about following rigid rules - it's about understanding this remarkable ecosystem and working with it."
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