Poo Analysis with Ayurveda: What Your Poop Says About Your Health

Who gives a poo? You should. Everything you never wanted to know about your poo according to Ayurveda.



According to Ayurveda, the color, texture, frequency, and smell of your poop are indicators of your overall health. If your poop is discolored, watery, or too hard this indicates internal issues located in your digestive tract and likely beyond.
When you understand how to analyze your poo, you can proactively address health issues early on -- as opposed to waiting until your symptoms become conditions and diseases.
Ayurvedic poo diagnosis is a non-invasive diagnostic tool that can see into the 30 feet of digestive tract.
In this article about poo, we're going to explore what your poop says about your health -- according to Ayurveda -- and how to accurately analyze yours to assess what your body needs.
Ready to dive in? Grab the toilet paper and let's do this!
The Stinky Truth About Poo





A staggering number of people around the world suffer from digestive disorders, from IBS to Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and chronic constipation and diarrhea, but few have a true understanding of what's happening inside their bodies.
Besides the fact that digestive disorders are extremely uncomfortable, embarrassing, and inconvenient, in all instances, they are a warning sign that the doshas are aggravated and bigger issues may be arising from within that involve other organs and tissues.
Your colon, part of the large intestine, is responsible for processing 1.5 to 2 gallons of water a day, alongside breaking down waste left over from digestion. It also eliminates harmful toxins that your body doesn't need to keep you healthy.
Unfortunately, many people ignore their colon -- and the wisdom it has to offer -- as such, they suffer unnecessarily from conditions that may be solved by taking a few proactive steps and consulting with a seasoned Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner. Book your free phone consultation today. It is not uncommon for clients to tell me that their bowels move once or twice a week and their doctor advises them this is normal. According to Ayurveda, it is not normal, nor is it healthy.
Think about it this way--if you eat three meals a day, and elimination occurs once a week, how much waste is sitting in your digestive tract and for how many day?
"We don't keep trash in our home for days and days. We take the trash out every day. So it is with the waste in our bodies and minds." - Veena



Regular vs. Irregular Bowel Movements
Before we dive into how you can analyze your poo, let's first discuss what a normal bowel movement versus an irregular bowel movement is.
A normal bowel movement will be soft and easy to pass and banana-shaped, easy to wipe, and leaves almost no trace of evidence in the toilet. What's more, this elimination happens in the morning, shortly after waking. When your bowel movements are normal, they won't be very stinky, dry, and/or painful.
In contrast, an irregular bowel movement will happen inconsistently -- either too frequently or not frequently enough, and may be painful, discolored, or have a watery, soft-serve (ice cream style), overly hard, or rabbit pellet texture. Also, irregular bowel movements tend to be stinky!
What is a Perfect Poo?
Keep in mind, that depending on whether Vata, Pitta or Kapha is your predominant dosha, what is a "regular" bowel movement varies. Vata, Pitta and Kapha dosha poo each have their own qualities. More scoop on the dosha poop later in this article.


A perfect poo may have these qualities:
. Complete elimination in the morning, about an hour within waking,
and NOT produced after drinking coffee or other stimulants.
. Brown color
. Banana shape
. No mess when wiping
. No bowel evidence left in the toilet bowl
. Fairly odorless
. Looks more or less the same regardless of what has been consumed

The Color of Your Poo and What it Means



You've probably gone to the bathroom before and noticed an abnormal fecal coloring. While slight variations from time to time are generally harmless, if you notice your poop is discolored for more than a few days, make sure you consult a professional.
Here are the different poop colors and a few ideas of what they may mean:
Brown
Any shade of brown is what you're aiming for -- this combined with the texture of your poop will indicate how healthy your digestive tract and body are.
Yellow
If your poop is yellow or yellow-brown this indicates you have too much fat in your intestines due to malabsorption, an intestinal condition or disease, high Pitta, or improper nutrition.
Red
Red poop means something you ate either had red food coloring in it, you have hemorrhoids, or perhaps bleeding in your digestive system.
Pale, White or Clay-colored
This is an indicator that your bile ducts may be blocked or congestion in the liver/gallbladder. As such, it's important to address any underlying causes immediately.
Black
Certain foods (such as licorice), medications, and supplements can cause black poop. However, if your poop is black for more than a few days consult a professional as this could be an indicator of bleeding in your digestive tract. Black stool may be a sign of old blood from a stomachor upper small intenstine irritation. See a doctor straight away.
Very Green
If your poo comes out looking like a bright shade of green, this either means you have diarrhea (and it's green because it's coming out of your body too fast and has not fermented properly) or you ate a lot of greens or consumed green food dye.
Pale, Clay-Colored Stools
Palish, clay-colored stools may be caused by a lack of bile making its way from the liver, to the gallbladder to the intenstine. Bile is what colors the stool. A pale, clay stool means no bile.
Greasy, Slippery Looking Stool


You know know it when you see it. As with clay colored stools, greasy stool is usually a result of low bile flow from the liver and then the holding tank of bile, the gallbaldder. Remember bile is what colors the stool. It's a greenish-yellow fluid that has many functions including emulsifying fats and carrying away wasate. If the fats are not broken down, the undigested fat slimes up the stool.
Blood in the Stool


Spots of blood on the toilet tissues or elsewhere, or streaks of blood observed in the stool, if persisting, is a really good reason to see your doctor. Most commonly, fresh blood in the stool is caused by hemorrhoids, and there may be other causes.
Mucus in Stool
New clients report seeing something that looks like mucus in their stool. They describe it as clear or whitish and stringly and clingy, wrapped around the stool. It's possible the villi of the intestinal wall are smashed down by the weight and thickness of mucous. If mucousy stool persists, one should see their doctor.
Mucus in the stool is caused by an imbalance of the intestinal wall. This could be a medical condition, so if it persists, see your doctor. If you see mucus in the stool--which typically looks like a white or clear stringy substance that wraps around the stool--the intestinal villi are likely flattened or bogged down by mucus. Some causes may include, coffee, processed foods, stress which we all know by know, we feel it i n our guts, and weak digestion that allows undigested food bits to pass through and irritate the GI lining.
Undigested Food in the Stool


New clients frequently report seeing undigested food in their bowel movement. Here's the chain of digestion. Assuming one is eating food that is correct for them, spiced correctly, a key stage in the complicated digestive process begins in the mind. That's right. Eat when upset and digestion is negatively impacted and we feel it! Eat with a calm, grounded mind,using diaphragamatic breathing, and you'll enjoy your food, appreciated it and you will digested your meal well.
What comes next? If undigested food bits are evident in the stool, this poor state of digestion starts in the stomach. If the fire is not balanced, not optimal, food will not break down.
The most common reason for undigested food to be passed through the entire intestinal tract into the stool starts in the stomach. The stomach is responsible for the initial breakdown of food. If stomach acid production is weak, hard-to-digest foods will not be broken down.
Alternating Constipation and Diarrhea


Are you scratching your head, ready to pull out your hair and wondering what in the world is going on in there? One day loose stool, the next week it might be constipation, or you may experience both in the same week. I frequently hear from clients this experience is maddening and understandably so. Striving to make connections between what they're eating and what's happening with this unpredictable elimination and not being able to make heads nor tails of it. It is a puzzling and frustrating situation and it requires attention without delay.
How to Conduct a Poo Analysis with Ayurveda
As opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach, Ayurveda recommends using your unique constitution -- otherwise known as your doshic picture of Vata, Pitta and Kapha -- to understand what a healthy poop is for you.
To learn more about the three Ayurvedic doshas and their impact on your life, click here
Vata Dosha Poop Analysis
Vata dosha body types are governed by air, which means they are more likely to experience dry, sluggish bowel movements, constipation, and bloating.
A healthy vata stool will be passed without gas, have a firm texture (but not too hard), be dark brown in color, have minimal odor, and be eliminated through your digestive system once a day, typically in the morning within 2-3 hours of waking.
When the vata is imbalanced, the stool will be dry and/or hard, may look like rabbit droppings (as in small, thin pellets), occur irregularly, cause gas before and during elimination, be darker (almost black) in color, and smell foul. Vata may feel as though bowel movement is not complete.
How to Balance Vata Poo
Drink plenty of water: The number one key to a healthy stool is water. Being governed by air, vata types are dry and especially prone to constipation. As such, make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day and keep a glass of water by your bed at night. Use food as medicine: When your body has the nutrients it needs to function properly, based on your unique constitution, it will thrive! Whenever possible, eat foods as close to their natural state as possible (local, whole foods are best) and try to avoid consuming anything that is overly processed and contains chemicals, harmful additives, and preservatives.
Drink plenty of water: The number one key to a healthy stool is water. Being governed by air, vata types are dry and especially prone to constipation. As such, make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day and keep a glass of water by your bed at night.
Drink plenty of water: The number one key to a healthy stool is water. Being governed by air, vata types are dry and especially prone to constipation. As such, make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day and keep a glass of water by your bed at night.
Use food as medicine: When your body has the nutrients it needs to function properly, based on your unique constitution, it will thrive! Whenever possible, eat foods as close to their natural state as possible (local, whole foods are best) and try to avoid consuming anything that is overly processed and contains chemicals, harmful additives, and preservatives.
Use food as medicine: When your body has the nutrients it needs to function properly, based on your unique constitution, it will thrive! Whenever possible, eat foods as close to their natural state as possible (local, whole foods are best) and try to avoid consuming anything that is overly processed and contains chemicals, harmful additives, and preservatives.
Pitta Dosha Poo Analysis
Pitta dosha body types are governed by fire, which means they are more likely to experience an irritated or inflamed digestive tract.
A healthy Pitta stool will be passed twice a day (usually in the morning within an hour of waking and not following coffee, and again after lunch), be brown-yellow in color, have a firm texture, and contain a mild odor.
When the Pitta is imbalanced, the stool will be loose (ranging from soft-serve consistent to watery) and more frequent (meaning it occurs more than twice a day), often urgent and cause bloating and gas, be yellow-brown in color due to increased bile, may burn or be painful to eliminate, and contain a potent odor.
How to Balance Pitta Poo
Avoid heating foods: Chile, raw onion, garlic, and cayenne irritate the pitta type as this dosha is already fiery to begin with. To calm pitta, eat cooling foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, rice, quinoa, and leafy greens. Limit alcohol and coffee consumption: Stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol aggravate the pitta digestive system, and should be limited. Opt instead to drink herbal teas and plenty of water.
Avoid heating foods: Chile, raw onion, garlic, and cayenne irritate the pitta type as this dosha is already fiery to begin with. To calm pitta, eat cooling foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, rice, quinoa, and leafy greens.
Avoid heating foods: Chile, raw onion, garlic, and cayenne irritate the pitta type as this dosha is already fiery to begin with. To calm pitta, eat cooling foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, rice, quinoa, and leafy greens.
Limit alcohol and coffee consumption: Stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol aggravate the pitta digestive system, and should be limited. Opt instead to drink herbal teas and plenty of water.
Limit alcohol and coffee consumption: Stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol aggravate the pitta digestive system, and should be limited. Opt instead to drink herbal teas and plenty of water.
Kapha Dosha Poo Analysis
Kapha dosha body types are governed by earth and water, which means they are more likely to experience a mucousy, sticky, hard to wipe poo.
A healthy kapha stool will be passed once a day (typically in the morning), be brown in color, odorless or possibly sweet, well-formed, and complete.

When the kapha is imbalanced, the stool will be sticky, pale brown, or clay-colored (signifying liver congestion), and/or have mucus in it indicating an imbalance in the intestinal wall.
How to Balance Kapha Poo
Avoid overeating: because kapha types tend to have a slower digestive system, as such overeating can easily cause them to become sluggish and backed up. Instead of overindulging, eat only when you are actually hungry and avoid in-between snacking. Opt for light, airy foods: Rather than eating heavy foods such as red meat, fried foods, dairy, and anything that is overly oily or fatty that will create lethargy and slow digestion, opt instead for light, warm, airy foods that are appropriately spiced will stimulate digestion. For example, cooked fruits and spiced vegetables.
Avoid overeating: because kapha types tend to have a slower digestive system, as such overeating can easily cause them to become sluggish and backed up. Instead of overindulging, eat only when you are actually hungry and avoid in-between snacking.
Avoid overeating: because kapha types tend to have a slower digestive system, as such overeating can easily cause them to become sluggish and backed up. Instead of overindulging, eat only when you are actually hungry and avoid in-between snacking.
Opt for light, airy foods: Rather than eating heavy foods such as red meat, fried foods, dairy, and anything that is overly oily or fatty that will create lethargy and slow digestion, opt instead for light, warm, airy foods that are appropriately spiced will stimulate digestion. For example, cooked fruits and spiced vegetables.
Opt for light, airy foods: Rather than eating heavy foods such as red meat, fried foods, dairy, and anything that is overly oily or fatty that will create lethargy and slow digestion, opt instead for light, warm, airy foods that are appropriately spiced will stimulate digestion. For example, cooked fruits and spiced vegetables.



Healthy Elimination Begins in the Mind
1. Relax. Make daily use of our popular and free guided practices. Learn to retrain your nervous system from flight fight to relaxed, restore and rejuvenate. You'll be amazed at the impact this has on your digestive system and overall sense of feeling good.
Our guided practices are a way you can remove waste from your mind twice a day--11 minutes in the morning, 11 minutes in the evening. To create your Ayurvedic Morning Routine | 6 Rituals for a Calm and Centered Day click here and here for 6 Ayurvedic Evening Rituals for a Calming Night
2. Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing and Change Your Life. Breathing links us both to the mind and the body. And the more we pay attention to breathing by way of a gentle awareness, the more we can relax and find our mind concentrated. That's where diaphragmatic breathing exercises come in.
Change my breath and it changes my life? It may seem an overly dramatic claim, yet it is not. Without breath, where is life? There are many sayings in English about breath, we lost our breath, we catch it, we hold it, we take a deep breath--yet the breath of life--meaning something one depends on, is among the most profound. Breath is not something we tend to connect with consciously yet is foundational in Ayurveda and to life itself.
Flow with a Simple, Sustainable Daily Rhythm, known as Dinacharya


"When we flow with the natural energies present at different times of the day, we are in harmony, flowing with and not against. When that occurs, we balance the doshas and our energy and focus inceases and our sense of calm comes effortlessly." - Veena|Saumya Ayurveda Ayurvedic Morning Routine | 6 Rituals for a Calm and Centered Day 8 Ayurvedic Evening Rituals for a Calming Night
Create a routine, rhythm, ritual that works for you. Keep it simple and focus on a few tools that provide you the most support. Less is more.
"We need to reclaim our calm. What happens in our digestive system is reflective of what is happening in our mind and to our nervous systems." - Veena | Saumya Ayurveda
Click here to use our free guided practices twice a day.
What's My Tongue Got to Say About My Poo?


Your tongue is a powerful and primary diagnostic tool in determing your state of health, just as a daily peek at the poo is. According to Ayurveda, when digestion is working well, it influences all aspects of one's health. When digestion is not functioning optimally--we feel it and not just in the digestive tract.
You may not think about it, but your tongue is located at the begining of the digestive tract. Tongue diagnosis is a non-invasive diagnostic tool that can see far beyond the mouth into the 30 feet of digestive tract. At Saumya Ayurveda, we provide you with a professional assessment of the health of your digestive tract, as well as overall health through the organ map on the tongue.



Poo Analysis with Ayurveda: What Your Poop Says About Your Health? Digestion, poo being an end result, starts in the mouth. Check out your tongue and poo daily.
To learn more about What Your Tongue Says According to Ayurvedic Wisdom, click here.



Poo Analysis with Ayurveda: What Your Poop Says About Your Health
Poo analysis with Ayurveda is pretty fascinating you must admit, and yet it is just one assessment tool Saumya Ayurveda uses to help you feel your best. Imagine the insights when tongue, poo, pee, sweat, hair--well, you get the picture--are all carefully considered when creating a cusotm Ayurveda plan for you.
"I just completed a colonoscopy and my ulcerative proctitus was given a Mayo Clinic Score of 0, normal or inactive disease. THANK YOU! I had trouble keeping weight on and had lost 10 pounds. No matter what I ate, I felt like something was missing. My family doctor said I had colitis. My energy level was very low and I was using a prescription medication daily for a skin condition. Add to this severe migraine headaches about every two weeks. Following Veena's guidance, all of these conditions have been eliminated!
I'm very grateful to Veena for the wonderful results and the healthier quality of life we have attained together. Without reservation, I highly recommend Veena at Saumya Ayurveda." -Chris Schirber, Yoga Teacher, Minnesota Peruse our client stories to learn about the lasting changes Saumya clients created in their lives.
Poo--it's not the ending, it's the beginning to feeling your best. Good mental and physical health begins in the digestive tract. "Hidden in the walls of the digestive system, this "brain in your gut" is revolutionizing medicine's understanding of the links between digestion, mood,..." according to John Hopkins article on The Brain-Gut Connection.
Each time you go number two, take a moment to analyze your poo. This simple practice will help you uncover warning signs your body is sending you, and we can help you address them early on. Digesting, assimilating and eliminating well, is key to feeling good and being healthy mentally and physically.
"The most important cleansing we can do, is to have healthy daily elimination and to cultivate a calm mind." - Veena
With expert guidance from Saumya Ayurveda, you'll discover which herbs, lifestyle tools, and food programs your unique body needs to stay healthy and strong. Book a consultation today. During this free phone consultation, share your concerns, ask questions, and learn about Veena's way of working with clients. See if it's a good fit for you. Now Accepting Buy Now, Pay Later through PayPal.



Veena is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and Meditation Teacher and Monk. She is President Emeritus of the Meditation Center and former staff member of the Minnesota Institute of Ayurveda.
Veena fell in love with the traditional medicine used in her family's home learning herbal remedies at her grandmother's knee. She remains passionate for over 30 years, helping clients feel their best physically, emotionally, and spiritually with Ayurveda.
Veena individualizes treatment plans to each person, so it fits your life and becomes woven into your daily life, naturally.
"Veena has been great. I suffered with burning mouth syndrome for many years. Doctors and dentists had no idea what I was even talking about, much less solutions. Veena knew immediately. Within in a few weeks of using the herbs and protocols she recommended, I am not experiencing any of the symptoms I did previously. And, my thinking is clearer, I am nearly free from hot flashes, and I feel more like myself.
Everything has been easy to incorporate into my life, which is the best part. This feels sustainable. I highly recommend working with Veena." - Liz Pfeffer, Albuquerque, NM