What Your Bowel Movements Are Telling You
By Dr. Parya Bahrampour, ND | EBL Naturopathic Clinic | Maple, Ontario
Maybe you've always needed coffee before you can have a bowel movement.
Maybe you go several days without going and have always assumed that's just normal for you.
Maybe you're constantly looking for the nearest bathroom when you leave the house, or avoiding eating before going somewhere because you're worried about sudden urgency.
Maybe you have a bowel movement every day, but never actually feel fully emptied.
Or maybe your bowel habits have suddenly changed and you have no idea why.
These patterns are worth paying attention to.
Your bowel movements can give us useful clues about how your digestive system is functioning. How often you go, what your stool looks like, how easy it is to pass, and whether you feel completely emptied can all be important pieces of the digestive health puzzle.
So, what is your poop actually telling you?
First, What Is "Normal"?
Here's something that surprises a lot of people:
You don't have to poop every day.
For healthy adults, anywhere from about three bowel movements per day to three per week can fall within a normal range.¹
But frequency is only part of the story.
Ideally, a bowel movement should be formed, relatively easy to pass, and leave you feeling like you're finished.
The Bristol Stool Chart is a helpful way to describe stool consistency:
Types 1 and 2: Hard or pellet-like stools, often associated with constipation.
Types 3 and 4: Soft, formed stools that are generally considered the ideal range.
Types 6 and 7: Loose, mushy, or watery stools.
One unusual bowel movement isn't necessarily a problem. What matters more is your usual pattern and whether something has changed.
Are You Actually Constipated?
Constipation isn't just about how often you go.
You can poop every day and still be constipated.
Do you regularly strain?
Are your stools hard or pellet-like?
Do you spend a long time sitting on the toilet?
Do you finish but still feel like there's more?
Does your bloating improve once you finally have a good bowel movement?
If several of these sound familiar, constipation may be part of the picture.
Sometimes the basics really do matter. Not getting enough fibre, fluids, movement, or regularly ignoring the urge to go can all contribute.
But if you're doing all the "right things" and you're still constipated, there may be more to investigate.
Your Thyroid Can Affect Your Gut
Your thyroid helps regulate many processes in your body, including how quickly things move through your digestive tract.
When thyroid function is low, gut motility can slow down and constipation may develop.²
If constipation is persistent and you're also experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, feeling unusually cold, dry skin, hair changes, or unexplained weight changes, thyroid function may be worth assessing.
Constipation, Bloating and Methane
If constipation comes with significant bloating or gas, another possibility is intestinal methanogen overgrowth, or IMO.
Methane production in the digestive tract has been associated with slower intestinal transit and constipation.³
In the right clinical situation, hydrogen and methane breath testing can help determine whether this may be contributing to symptoms.
What About Magnesium?
Magnesium is commonly recommended for constipation, but the type matters.
Certain forms can draw water into the intestine and help soften stool. Magnesium oxide has evidence supporting its use for chronic constipation, and magnesium citrate is also commonly used for its osmotic effect.⁴
That doesn't mean everyone who is constipated is magnesium deficient. It simply means magnesium can be one useful tool when it's appropriate for the individual.
What If Your Problem Is the Opposite?
Maybe constipation isn't your issue.
Maybe you're the person who always needs to know where the nearest bathroom is.
You eat breakfast and suddenly have urgency. Certain meals seem to send you running to the bathroom. Or loose stools have been happening for so long that you've started thinking of them as your "normal."
An occasional loose stool happens.
Regular diarrhea is different.
Food intolerances, medications, infections, IBS, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel conditions, and problems with bile acid absorption are just some of the possibilities.
Could Dairy Be Contributing?
If dairy consistently leaves you bloated, gassy, crampy, or running to the bathroom, lactose intolerance may be worth considering.
When lactose isn't properly digested, it reaches the large intestine where bacteria ferment it, which can contribute to gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea.
But dairy isn't automatically the problem for everyone. The goal is to identify your actual triggers rather than unnecessarily eliminating foods.
What About Bile Acid Diarrhea?
Another condition that can sometimes be overlooked is bile acid diarrhea.
Bile helps your body digest fats. Normally, most bile acids are reabsorbed before reaching the colon.
When too much bile reaches the colon, it can contribute to watery, urgent stools.
This may be particularly important to consider in someone who develops chronic diarrhea after gallbladder removal or has certain conditions affecting the end of the small intestine.⁵
What If Your Gut Can't Make Up Its Mind?
Constipated for a few days.
Then suddenly diarrhea.
Then back to constipation.
Sound familiar?
Alternating bowel habits can occur with IBS, changes in diet, stress, medications, and several other digestive conditions.
Sometimes what appears to be diarrhea can even be overflow diarrhea, where liquid stool passes around harder retained stool.
This is why looking at your overall bowel pattern matters more than focusing on one bad bathroom day.
And Yes, Stress Can Change Your Poop
Ever suddenly needed a bathroom before a flight, exam, presentation, first date, or important meeting?
There is a reason for that.
Your brain and digestive tract are constantly communicating through the gut-brain axis.
Stress can change intestinal motility. For some people, things speed up. For others, everything seems to slow down.
So if your bowel habits change during stressful periods even though your diet hasn't changed, you're not imagining the connection.
Sometimes Testing Can Give Us More Clues
If bowel problems keep coming back, guessing isn't always the best strategy.
Depending on your symptoms and health history, testing might include:
Blood work, including thyroid testing
Screening for anemia or nutrient deficiencies
Celiac disease testing
Hydrogen and methane breath testing for SIBO or IMO
Comprehensive stool testing, such as GI-MAP, when clinically appropriate
Testing for gastrointestinal infections or inflammation
Lactose or fructose breath testing
Further medical or gastroenterology investigations when indicated
Not everyone needs extensive testing.
The goal isn't to order every test available. It's to choose the right test for the right clinical question.
When Should You Get Your Bowel Changes Checked?
Maybe you've always needed coffee before you can go.
Maybe you're constantly looking for the nearest bathroom.
Maybe you haven't felt completely emptied after a bowel movement in years.
Maybe you're relying on laxatives, supplements, or other strategies just to stay regular.
Or maybe something has suddenly changed and you don't know why.
These patterns are worth paying attention to.
You should also seek medical assessment if you notice:
Blood in your stool
Black, tarry stools
Persistent or severe abdominal pain
Unexplained weight loss
Persistent vomiting
Fever
Diarrhea that regularly wakes you from sleep
Signs of dehydration
A significant new or persistent change in your bowel habits
Very pale or clay-coloured stools, particularly when accompanied by yellowing of the skin or eyes or dark urine, also need medical assessment.
Your Gut Doesn't Have to Control Your Day
You don't need to analyze every trip to the bathroom.
But you also shouldn't have to plan your day around whether you'll be able to poop or whether you'll suddenly need to find a bathroom.
If constipation, diarrhea, urgency, bloating, or unpredictable bowel movements are affecting what you eat, where you go, or how comfortable you feel leaving the house, it's worth figuring out what's contributing.
Your bowel habits are information.
And sometimes the most useful question is simply:
What is my gut trying to tell me?
Ready to figure out what your gut is telling you?
Book a consultation at EBL Naturopathic Clinic
This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace individualized medical advice or assessment.
References
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[2] Xu GM, Hu MX, Li SY, Ran X, Zhang H, Ding XF. Thyroid disorders and gastrointestinal dysmotility: an old association. Front Physiol. 2024 May 2;15:1389113. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1389113. PMID: 38803365; PMCID: PMC11129086.
[3] Perets TT, Thurm T, Ben-Yehoyada M, Deutsch L, Ron Y, Baruch R, Niv E, Hershcovici T, Picard O, Engel T, Zangen T, Frishman S, Dickman R. A national consensus guideline on the performance and interpretation of hydrogen- and methane-based breath tests for carbohydrate malabsorption, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and intestinal methanogen overgrowth. Ann Gastroenterol. 2026 Jul-Aug;39(4):383-389. doi: 10.20524/aog.2026.1082. Epub 2026 Jun 22. PMID: 42434160; PMCID: PMC13352189.
[4] Mori S, Tomita T, Fujimura K, Asano H, Ogawa T, Yamasaki T, Kondo T, Kono T, Tozawa K, Oshima T, Fukui H, Kimura T, Watari J, Miwa H. A Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Trial on the Effect of Magnesium Oxide in Patients With Chronic Constipation. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2019 Oct 30;25(4):563-575. doi: 10.5056/jnm18194. PMID: 31587548; PMCID: PMC6786451.
[5] Sadowski DC, Camilleri M, Chey WD, Leontiadis GI, Marshall JK, Shaffer EA, Tse F, Walters JRF. Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Bile Acid Diarrhea. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 Jan;18(1):24-41.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2019.08.062. Epub 2019 Sep 14. PMID: 31526844.