Your Daily Health Report Hidden In Plain Sight

Sometimes the most meaningful health insights into our self-care are waiting for us in the most obvious place we rarely pause to look.

More Informative Than a Smartwatch

You may not find this topic glamorous, nor is it likely to be something you’re chatting up at the dinner table tonight. But your body takes this seriously and wants to talk about it every day, sometimes several times a day, and yet most of us avoid talking about it at all… until it’s a problem.

The food that we eat takes about 18-72 hours to transform into stool for proper elimination. (Rao SSC, Camilleri M. American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2004) From a traditional wellness perspective, health professionals pay special attention to this process, as bowel eliminations are one of the body's most honest forms of communication our body delivers, giving us more clues about our digestive health than a smartwatch.

Our Daily Reset to Optimal Digestion

Our body is constantly trying to clean, balance, and renew itself through the bowel elimination process – only about 12 tons of it during a lifetime! (Cummings JH et al., Gut, 1980) The lining of our gut is constantly renewing, turning over every three to five days, with millions of its cells shedding into the intestinal tract then exiting through the bowel. (Van der Flier & Clevers, Cell Stem Cell, 2009) This bowel elimination is so important that our body mandates it as a non-negotiable daily exercise. Simply pausing and checking out the contents of the toilet bowl before you flush may be one of the most practical, low-cost, high-value bio-hacks you can do for yourself on an every-day basis.

During phase III of liver detoxification, our bile is carrying toxins from the liver to be eliminated by our stool. (Klaasen CD, Watkins JB. Toxicological Sciences, 2010) When these bowel eliminations are optimal, our skin is more radiant, our hormones are balanced, and our energy is optimal. But when sluggish, these toxins can be reabsorbed and what was yesterday’s toxin can become today’s burden - and the body feels it. (Hofmann AF. Gastroenterology, 1999)

Making Sense of What Is Normal

Okay, so now that we have slowed down enough to smell the roses, what are we looking for? It’s not just about frequency, but quality also matters. The Bristol Stool Chart (below) can help make sense of this information, giving us perspective on how we are maintaining the natural health of our stool. Normal bowel habits will vary from different colors, sizes, and odors (even passing gas is normal),but what is just as important is the ease of which you are able to eliminate with no strain or pain. Let’s take a look and see how we are adding up.

The Bristol Stool Awareness Questionnaire: An educational tool for self-awareness of bowel patterns and habits.*

Instructions: Reflect on the questions below based on your average experience in the past 2 weeks. This tool is not to diagnose or treat a medical condition but only to help you notice your bowel patterns and habits.    

Question	Answer	Score
Based on the Bristol Stool Scale, which best describes your most common stool appearance?	Score Appearance 1       Separate hard lumps 2       Lumpy, sausage-shaped 3       Formed with surface cracks 4       Smooth, soft, and well-formed 3       Soft blobs with clear edges 2       Mushy consistency 1      Liquid or watery
What is the typical frequency of your bowel movements?	Score      Frequency 4            1–3 times per day 3            Once per day 2            Every other day 1            Less than 3 times per week
How would you describe the effort of elimination?	Score      Experience 4            Passes easily 3            Mild effort 2            Noticeable effort 1            Significant effort or urgency
Describe how complete you feel after a bowel movement.	Score      Sensation 4            Fully complete 3            Mostly complete 2            Somewhat incomplete 1            Rarely complete
Which best describes your usual stool color?	Score      Color 4            Medium to light brown 3            Dark brown 2            Yellowish or pale 1            Unusual or inconsistent color (If color changes are persistent or concerning, consult a healthcare professional immediately)
Which option below best describes how often you notice bloating?	Score      Frequency 4            Rarely 3            Occasionally 2            Frequently 1            Most days
Which option below best describes your  stool odor?	Score      Description 4            Mild 3            Noticeable 2            Strong 1            Unusually offensive
How consistent is your elimination?	Score      Pattern 4            Very consistent 3            Mostly consistent 2            Variable 1            Unpredictable
Which option below best describes your urge to go?	Score      Awareness 4            Clear and timely 3            Moderate 2            Dull or delayed 1            Rarely noticeable
Which option below best describes the texture of your bowel?	Score      Description 4            Smooth and cohesive 3            Slightly cracked 2            Dry, fragmented, or loose 1            Very hard or watery
Scoring Overview*	Maximum score: 40 Score Range            General Observation 34–40                      Patterns associated with balanced digestion 26–33                      Patterns associated with mild variability 18–25                      Patterns associated with noticeable variability ≤17                          Patterns associated with significant variability	TOTAL SCORE

*This questionnaire is intended for educational and self-awareness purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Changes in bowel habits that are persistent, severe, or concerning should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional. The scoring is educational only and not diagnostic and does not indicate the presence or absence of any medical condition.  

How Our Eliminations Work and What Keeps It Working

Our stool health is the downstream product representing a coordinated effort to digest our food by multiple systems like the stomach, pancreas, microbiome, liver, and gallbladder. But our bowels are not just responding to food; it’s actually orchestrated by the enteric nervous systems - also known as our “second brain.” Extra-curricular lifestyle factors like travel, stress, and exercise can quietly or dramatically influence these electrical circuits, altering our gut motility and elimination patterns.

The following are 5 Foundational Food Elements to help maintain a healthy bowel*:

1. WATER: Your colon acts as your human reservoir, making your stool 70%-75% water but also reclaiming over a liter of water per day. (Guyton & Hall, Textbook of Medical Physiology) So when dehydrated, your stool becomes hard and dry making it difficult to pass.

2. MINERALS: 85% - 90% of water absorption in the intestine is dependent on mineral transport mechanisms to help with fluid balance in the stool. Minerals like magnesium, salt, and potassium regulate these processes to maintain water movement and promote smooth muscle contraction of the colon. (Bharucha AE et al., Gastroenterology, 2013)

   AzureWell Recommendations: NS1868 Trace-Replace Ionic Minerals, NS1870 Whole Food Multi-Vitamin (Caps), NS1862 Super Greens Pro pH 

3. OMEGA FATTY ACIDS: The liver is producing 600ml – 1000ml of bile fluid per day in response to dietary fat intake. (Hofmann & Hagey, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 2008) Bile not only digests fats but also lubricates the stool in carrying waste out of the body. AzureWell Recommendations: NS1903 Alaskan Cod Liver Oil

4. PROBIOTICS: 30%-50% of the dry weight in our stool is bacteria that formulates the stool odor, texture, and frequency. (Stephen AM, Cummings JH. Gut, 1980)

   AzureWell Recommendations: NS1844 MultiCulture Pre Post Probiotics, Fermented, NS2108 Next Step Advanced Probiotic

5. BULK / FIBER: For every one gram of fiber you eat, you potentially increase your stool volume up to 5 grams, encouraging a healthy peristalsis (the wavelike contractions of the colon to move feces). (Cummings JH et al., The Lancet) AzureWell Recommendations: NS1862 Super Greens Pro pH (Capsules), NS1863 Super Greens Pro pH, Organic (Powder)

Supporting Digestion As We Age

As we age, research indicates our digestive enzyme output can decline by 30% in comparison to younger adults, slowing the movement of food through the digestive tract. (Feldman M et al. Gastroenterology, 1996) This age-related shift can affect the chemical breakdown of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, contributing to common sensations like bloating or increased discomfort with certain foods. Supporting your digestion with targeted hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes around meals can help bridge the gap to support nutrient breakdown while promoting healthy digestive function.*

AzureWell Recommendations: NS1825 Digestive Enzymes, Mid-Meal Every Meal, NS2071 Betaine HCL, After Meal Digestive Aid

It’s a Daily Health Clue Worth Taking a Look At

Our health isn't always about what we see on a lab report. If we just pause for a brief moment and listen to what our body is telling us, we can learn how to empower ourselves to balance, renew and support the very systems that sustain us. Healthy elimination reflects how well our digestion, detoxification, and lifestyle systems are all in harmony. Sometimes the most meaningful health insights into our self-care are waiting for us in the most obvious place we rarely pause to look.