Gut Health for Women- Bloating, Constipation, and Stalled Results
Gut health for women explained: why fiber intake, hydration, and stress are behind your bloating, constipation, and stalled results, on this episode of the Get Sculpted podcast.
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You probably know more about your macros than your own gut health. A lot of women who've dialed in their protein, tracked their training, and done everything right are still bloated after every meal, barely pooping once a week, and wondering why their results have stalled. The answer is often sitting in the part of their health nobody wants to talk about out loud.
Coaches Marilynn, Tijana, and Jordanna are talking about poop. Specifically, what your digestion is telling you about everything else going on in your body, where most women's gut health is actually falling short, and what to do about it without overhauling your entire routine. This is the conversation your gut has needed you to have for a while.
The gut is sometimes called the second brain. What's happening in your digestive system affects your mood, energy, how well your body absorbs the food you're already working hard to eat, and whether that bloating after dinner is something you should really be paying attention to. Most women are missing a piece of the foundation here, and it's one that doesn't get nearly as much airtime as protein.
Here's what we cover:
Why gut health for women is about more than digestion, including how the gut microbiome affects mood, immunity, skin, and energy
The fibre gap most women don't know they have, most are getting 10 to 15 grams a day when the minimum recommendation is 25, and the shift toward high-protein, low-carb eating is a big reason why
The difference between soluble and insoluble fibre, what each one does, and which foods give you both
Why fibre without enough water doesn't work, how to figure out how much water you need, and what chronic dehydration looks like as symptoms
What bloating and constipation really come down to, including ultra-processed foods, artificial sweeteners in protein bars and powders, and alcohol as a gut irritant
The stress-digestion connection most women completely miss: why chronic stress and under-eating shut down gut motility, and how the fight-or-flight response literally tells your body to stop digesting
How to read the Bristol stool chart and what healthy digestion actually looks like in practice, including frequency, colour, ease, and what counts as a red flag worth looking into
Five practical ways to improve digestion naturally, starting with a three-day fibre audit, adding plant variety, drinking water before coffee, building fibre in rather than subtracting foods, and managing stress as a variable you actually train
Why the women who have their workouts and macros dialed in are often the ones most likely to be ignoring their gut, and what that costs them in terms of results and how they feel
This episode is for the woman who's been bloated so long she's started calling it her normal. For the one who eats well and trains hard and still can't figure out why things aren't clicking the way they should. For anyone who's never looked at their fibre intake before and genuinely has no idea where they're landing.
"Gut health might not be glamorous, and talking about your poop might not be comfortable, but ignoring it is going to cost you more than you realize. It could be costing you your energy, your performance in the gym, your mood, and ultimately your results." — Coach Tijana
Start with one thing. A three-day fibre count, more water before the coffee, and beans in the rotation. Your digestion will tell you pretty quickly whether it's working.
Ready to map out a full strategy? Head to getsculpted.ca/contact and tell them where you're at.
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More about the Get Sculpted Podcast
Welcome to Get Sculpted, the podcast for women who want to gain muscle and lose belly fat, improve their metabolism, and create real results using science-based fat loss strategies and practical coaching.
We go beyond quick fixes and fad diets to give you sustainable fat loss, strength training for weight loss, and fitness tips for women who want results without burning out. You’ll learn how lifting weights supports fat loss, how to train smarter instead of longer, and how to build habits that fit your lifestyle. Think less about guessing, more about clarity, and about progress you can maintain.
Whether you’re getting started or focused on building muscle after 30, this podcast gives women the tools to lose fat, gain muscle, and feel stronger, without relying on endless cardio or restrictive plans. We emphasize fat loss without cardio extremes, so you can train with confidence and consistency.
We’re your hosts, Jordanna, Marilynn, and Tijana, fitness professionals with over 20 years of combined experience and 1,000+ client transformations. With a strong focus on helping women 30 and older, we specialize in strength training, improving metabolism, and weight training for sustainable, realistic weight loss.
We’ll cover questions like:
Can you build muscle and lose belly fat at the same time?
How does strength training support weight loss?
What’s the best way to lose fat without losing muscle?
What’s the best way to lose fat without relying on cardio?
How can lifting weights improve my metabolism?
Why am I not losing weight even though I’m working out and eating healthy?
How can I stop yo-yo dieting for good?
If you’ve been searching for sustainable fat loss, women’s nutrition, and weight training that actually works, you’re in the right place. Join us every week for practical guidance, honest conversations, and tools to sculpt a stronger body and a more confident life.
Connect with us on Instagram at @getsculted.ca
The unedited podcast transcript for this episode of the Get Sculpted podcast follows:
Tijana [00:00:01]:
Hello, and welcome back to the Get Sculpted podcast. We're excited about this one. We say it every time. But this is an extra special topic, and it is an important one and one that you gotta be talking about more. So we're gonna talk about it. We're gonna be talking about poop.
Marilynn [00:00:14]:
Poop.
Tijana [00:00:14]:
Specifically your gut health, your digestion, and that unsexy foundation that you're probably missing to your health. Now, I will say that I am personally really glad that this conversation has been out there more and more. It isn't a taboo thing. Cause it should not be. It is part of your health, and it's something we talk to our clients about all the time. And we're not afraid to ask the right questions because it is absolutely a crucial part of your health. Your metabolism, like, just making sure that things are running correctly. So are you guys ready to talk all things poop?
Jordanna [00:00:43]:
Let's go. We should have a poop counter for this episode.
Tijana [00:00:46]:
Yeah. How many times do you say poop?
Marilynn [00:00:47]:
Have you guys seen that book? Every time. I read it in my class all the time. Everyone poops.
Tijana [00:00:51]:
No. Is it a kid's book?
Marilynn [00:00:52]:
Yeah. It's so great. But that's what it's about. If you are an organism that eats, you're gonna poop. So, like, it couldn't be more normal.
Tijana [00:01:00]:
Absolutely. Oh, man. I'm. It's funny because we all have such a unique journey with this, but it is so, so important. And as someone who's had digestive troubles before, like, now having healthy digestion, I'm like, you can't live with unhealthy digestion, period. It affects everything. So, like, this is one of those topics that's like, you know, some people are still like, I don't really want to talk about. But you do need to talk about it.
Tijana [00:01:20]:
And that. That's why we're having that conversation. What's happening in your gut is telling us everything about what's happening in your body. Um, and it's a part of your greater system. And the truth is, most women, like, who come to us or who are in our community and who we chat with, I'm dialed in on the protein and. And training. Like, I'm getting there with the sleep. Like, they're kind of aware of these things, but, like, the gut health, the poops, not just the frequency of the poops is one thing, but, like, just the general health of your digestion.
Tijana [00:01:48]:
This is where things get more quiet. And also on that note, might I add, we talk so much about protein and we did an episode about how it's all the craze. More and more young people are getting serious, like cancers of the bowel, I believe, like diseases related to their digestive tract. And we need to talk more about fiber. So, like, that conversation needs to be happening, and not just aesthetically as well, for sure, because we want you to have that nice, you know, flat stomach and keep things running, and that helps with that. But it's for your overall health and all of that. So let's start with the big picture here. So, Jord, why don't you kick us off with gut health?
Why Your Gut Microbiome Affects Everything From Bloating to Body Composition
Jordanna [00:02:20]:
The gut is often also called the second brain, and it is for good reason. You know, it's not just about digestion. It can affect your mood, immunity, energy, inflammation, bloating, how well your body's actually absorbing the nutrients that you've been working so hard to be eating. And it sets the tone, really. And everybody's gut microbiome is individual. So the three of us, our gut microbiomes are all unique and different based off of when we were born, who our mom was, like, what we ate, what medications we might have taken, what diseases we may or may not have had, what vaccines we've been taking. All of those things play a role. And so everybody is unique.
Jordanna [00:03:06]:
So what is good for one person might not be the best advice for someone else. Um, but there are things that we need to all be doing as a baseline.
Tijana [00:03:14]:
Oh, yeah.
Jordanna [00:03:15]:
Um, and what's kind of crazy is, like, there's trillions of bacteria that thrive or struggle based on what you feed them, how stressed you are and how well you sleep. And so when the gut is out of balance, you're going to see things like bloating, bowel movement irregularities, brain fog, sluggish energy. You're going to even have skin issues, because our skin is our largest organ, right? And so what we feed it is going to be impacted by it. So those are the signals that if you're experiencing any one of those, something is perhaps wrong and it's a red flag. You need to pay attention. And I think the key message from us today is that, you know, a healthy gut isn't a luxury. Like, a lot of people will say, like, oh, it's, you know, I just, I'm going to eat this way, or maybe that way it's convenient. But being sick from the inside, from your gut, is not the baseline you want to be striving towards.
Jordanna [00:04:08]:
It's a foundation that you want to be building, because everything else sits on top of it and think about, like, I don't know, I was just thinking about this. Like, the overlap between some of those symptoms can also be perimenopause or any number of other things. So you could be attacking the wrong root cause. So it's also a really good thing to be paying attention to. And what I think is really interesting as well is, you know, that I think about a bit differently is t. I think you mentioned, like, how many diseases are now more and more prevalent coming up for younger generations that are digestive based and like, even Scar, like, she has Crohn's. So being able to understand, like, what's going on and what makes your digestive system inflammatory or not, whether it's just on a day to day basis or if you have like something like Crohn's colitis or something like that, where you have no choice but to address it. Like, you will literally be ill if you don't.
Jordanna [00:05:06]:
But if you're not, then we just see it as normal. Oh, I'm bloated after every time I eat. I don't like it, but I just am. So we're. We're diving into it. We're addressing it more and more, and we don't want that for you. Now that we understand why this matters, we're going to talk about the part most people are completely getting wrong. Mar, walk us through fiber, why it matters and what we need to be focused on here.
The Fiber Gap Most Women Don't Know They Have
Marilynn [00:05:31]:
For sure, this is a really great conversation because there is a big gap.
Jordanna [00:05:36]:
Yeah.
Tijana [00:05:36]:
Oh, yeah.
Marilynn [00:05:37]:
There are so many women who are dialed in with things like protein. Like you said, we did an episode on this and we love that protein's having its moment. But what's happening is we're focusing singularly, let's say, on one thing and we're significantly under on others. So in this case, it's like you might be hitting your protein, but you're significantly under on your fiber intake. And the biggest thing is a lot of women don't even know that they are. Most women are actually oblivious to this. Like when we work with clients and we ask them to kind of like, you know, where's your fiber at? Some of them are like, I've never looked at that before in my life. I have no idea.
Marilynn [00:06:08]:
So most women, when we look at it, on average, are getting somewhere between 10 and 15 grams of fiber per day.
Tijana [00:06:14]:
That's crazy.
Marilynn [00:06:14]:
But the minimum Recommendation is actually 25 grams.
Tijana [00:06:18]:
At least.
Jordanna [00:06:18]:
At least.
Marilynn [00:06:19]:
I was going to say that's the minimum. Right. So if you look at Those numbers, what we're looking at here is a gap of like 10 to 15 to 20 grams of fiber every single day. Day. And as I said, one of the reasons is that, you know, collectively we have become focused on protein, but we've become low carb. So it's like high protein, low carb kind of culture. And it's fantastic that protein is being focused on. But in that focus, the shift is that many fiber rich foods have been pushed away.
Marilynn [00:06:47]:
So things like, you know, legumes, whole grains, fruits, veggies, these things used to take up the bulk of a meal and now in for some people they're being reduced or even eliminated completely. So why is fiber important? Many reasons. First, it feeds your good gut bacteria. Okay, like you started to talk about, George, it keeps things moving through your digestive system, which is called motility. And motility is critical. Fiber also regulates your blood sugar, which of course is important for energy cravings and body composition. Fiber keeps you full longer. So, you know, this is why women who don't get enough of it are constantly hungry, right? You might be hitting your protein, but you still find like, I am hungry even though I'm eating this food.
Marilynn [00:07:26]:
And fiber also reduces inflammation in the body, which is a big deal, especially for women over 35, because we're dealing with these hormonal shifts. What we wanna do is not in too great a detail, but we wanna give you a little bit of the science here in terms of like, you know, what is fiber? So there's two types of fiber and they each do different things, but you need both. Okay? And most women are not getting enough of either of these consistently. So the first one is soluble fiber. Okay? So this is the kind that dissolves in water, slows your digestion and stabilizes your blood sugar. So examples of this would be oats, apples, beans, lentils, chia seeds. Those are great sources of soluble fiber. The second is insoluble fiber.
Soluble vs Insoluble Fiber: What Each One Does and Which Foods Give You Both
Marilynn [00:08:04]:
This is the kind that adds bulk and speeds transit time through your gut and keeps your poop regular. So this is things like vegetables, whole grains and seeds. The mistake we see in a lot of women, especially these high achieving women who are hitting their protein, doing all the things, is that you're optimizing everything but this. Your workouts are dialed in, hitting your macros, but you are missing fiber completely.
Tijana [00:08:25]:
And often they might be undereating, might add, or like you're just undershooting, you're kind of self navigating. You're under hitting fiber because guess what, your calories are too low.
Marilynn [00:08:32]:
That's.
Jordanna [00:08:33]:
Yes. And these are the same people who might think they have all these things dialed in, but then they go and get blood work done and they're like, why do I have high cholesterol? Or why is my sugar a little high? Because there's not enough fiber. And fiber. A lot of these foods that fall under the fiber category are also going to be regulating you on those two elements in your blood work in particular.
Marilynn [00:08:54]:
And we've touched on this before, right? There's a lot of women who will, will eat and then they'll feel super bloated and backed up. And again, this is a situation where fiber could really be the game changer for you. So, yes, that's fiber. So, Jordan. Well, first of all, fiber doesn't work alone. We know that there's another part of this that can be just as ignored. So tell us about that.
Why Fiber Without Water Doesn't Work
Jordanna [00:09:15]:
Yes. Okay. Fiber without water is like a broom with no handle. I like that little analogy. It's like you can't really push it all the dirt away if you don't have the handle of the broom. The. Yeah, it can't do its job. Right.
Jordanna [00:09:30]:
And so water is what allows fiber to move through your system efficiently. And most women are chronically under hydrated and they don't realize it. Like starting your day with coffee, not having any water, intense training and high protein diets, they all increase your hydration requirements. So a general starting point for water intake is half your body weight in ounces. And you should be actually taking more water in on days that you're training intensely. So if you're doing a strength training workout, you want to have a little bit more. Did you want to add something?
Tijana [00:10:03]:
I was going to say that creates more metabolic waste products like when you're exercising, like cardio and strength training and especially in a hot climate.
Marilynn [00:10:10]:
That's right, yes.
Jordanna [00:10:11]:
And so if you're not drinking enough water, you're gonna see some signs and symptoms like dark urine, some headaches, afternoon energy crashes, and of course constipation. And there are a lot of women out there that are using GLP1s for whatever their reasons are. If you are on a GLP1, you wanna double down on your protein, fiber and water intake because you are slowing your digestion down with these drugs and result, if you are not drinking enough water, in particular with whatever you are eating, you are not going to be a happy camper and you will not be pooping. You might even have things coming out, rushing out the other way, being like explosive because when you do finally get enough hydration, there's just so much it just needs to get out of your system. So the water could be the key to some of these people who are like, my digestion is so all over the place when I'm on these drugs. So whether you're on it or off it, water plays a critical role in making sure digestion is regular. And the diet's role beyond fiber, we want to be thinking about, like, how the other types of foods we take in are affecting our digestion. So things like ultra processed foods, they are going to be gut disrupting, they're going to affect the microbiome negatively because they're feeding the wrong bacteria.
Jordanna [00:11:32]:
And those bacterias are going to be growing and then they're going to crowd out the good ones.
Tijana [00:11:36]:
Dysbiosis.
Jordanna [00:11:37]:
Yeah. You're changing the like makeup of your microbiome and that's going to be a challenge for you going forward.
Tijana [00:11:46]:
Yeah. That's why the whole. If it fits your macros or just having raw macros, it doesn't help because your diet should very much be focused on food quality. That's why when someone's like, oh, I need to make up my fats, I'm going to have these chips that have whatever, sunflower seed oil, it's like, no, like, it needs to be like good quality food, not just hitting the numbers.
Bloating and Constipation Causes: Alcohol, Artificial Sweeteners, and Ultra-Processed Foods
Jordanna [00:12:06]:
Exactly. And another one is alcohol. Alcohol is a gut irritant. It disrupts the lining, it alters the bacteria balance and it slows motility, meaning you're, you're not gonna poop as efficiently because it's slowing everything down. And we have an amazing episode coming up later this month about alcohol. And so you're gonna wanna stay tuned for that one. But this is like a really key one to be paying attention to. And the third one is artificial sweeteners, especially things like in protein bars and powders.
Jordanna [00:12:37]:
If you're not using a high quality one or you're just over ingesting these things, you will get bloated, you will have significant digestive disruption. And we see this all the time. People are coming in being like, I'm eating my macros in a deficit. I'm doing this, I'm doing this. And it's like the second you take a look at a food diary and they're like, oh, I have two scoops of protein powder and, you know, two protein parts a day and I'm, you know, cooking with it and all that stuff. You're like, yeah, this is why you don't feel good. And within a few weeks of making that adjustment, they're feeling so much better. And so if you've been like, smashing those protein bars and wonder why, your gut is pretty angry with you now you know why.
Jordanna [00:13:16]:
And this is the playbook to rectify that for you.
Tijana [00:13:19]:
One of the best things I did was stop eating those things. I'm going to be honest. I definitely have reframed that. Just a sidebar, but when I travel, I used to be like, it's handy. Now I'm like, Coach Becky, for example, will say, like, just bring a turkey burger or whatever. And it's like, yeah, like, why am I not just gonna eat meat even at home? It's like, I'm not gonna eat those things. They're gonna make me blow up. And it's not worth it.
Jordanna [00:13:38]:
It's not worth it. Yeah. And there's so many other great options out there that you don't have to over consume these foods. They're meant as, like a once in a while.
Marilynn [00:13:46]:
Like, in a pinch, little treat.
Jordanna [00:13:48]:
Yeah, in a pinch. Um, so there's one more major driver that most women completely overlook because it has actually nothing to do with food.
Marilynn [00:13:55]:
Yep.
Jordanna [00:13:56]:
T, I would love for you to give us a deep dive on stress and what happens when you under fuel.
How Stress and Under-Eating Shut Down Gut Motility
Tijana [00:14:02]:
Oh, my God. Yes. I do want to lead with this was me. This was absolutely me. And you know what drove me insane and all the times. Okay, so let me take you back. I was vegan. This was like 15 years ago, something like that.
Tijana [00:14:14]:
And I was vegan for five years.
Marilynn [00:14:16]:
And.
Jordanna [00:14:16]:
And.
Tijana [00:14:16]:
But I also ate very, very little. So like almost no protein. But I ate super clean. It was not like the fake veggie burgers. Like, I made my own everything from scratch. My own veggie burgers. Like, fermented grains, like almond milk, like, all of it. I made homemade ketchup from, like, sun dried tomatoes.
Tijana [00:14:34]:
Oh, absolutely. And I was eating more fiber than and vegetables than anyone I know.
Marilynn [00:14:38]:
Yeah.
Tijana [00:14:39]:
So anyway, like, I had very hard times with my digestion, meaning, like, I would barely go to the bathroom. And like, I was so skinny, but, like, extremely bloated. And I remember I spent so much money and time going to, like, naturopaths, and they were like, okay, you're gonna take 20 supplements and you're gonna cut out eggs and dairy. And they all say the same thing, I'm telling you. But that's a sidebar. It's like, if they just tell you to cut things out that show up in this test Whatever test I took was like, the things that you eat the most show up. So it was like, oh, you can't have this, you can't have that. And then I cut out even more foods.
Tijana [00:15:09]:
I was eating even less, and I was not going the bathroom at all.
Jordanna [00:15:12]:
And.
Tijana [00:15:12]:
And now in hindsight, like, what I didn't know then, which I'll get to in a second, is like, number one, my stress was sky high, but I was also barely eating, so there's no food to actually move through the digestive tract. It was like, hello. Like, you know, I'm picturing like, you know, a water slide and like, there's just no water coming through.
Marilynn [00:15:29]:
No water.
Tijana [00:15:30]:
So you're like, I'm like, trying to make it through. Yeah, exactly. And then, you know what drove me insane is like, at the time, I did have social media and someone would be like, you should try more fiber. I'm like, excuse me? Like, I'm eating more fiber than all of your whole family combined. So, like, I'm pretty sure I was eating, like, being vegan, you're eating only plants. Like, I was eating a ridiculous amount of fiber. And like, the thing that I'm highlighting here to tell this story for is that, like, it's sometimes not just that, because if you're under eating chronically, like, it's not just even the fiber, but also it's the stress, which is what this leads up to. So if you're constantly in fight or flight, the gut and the brain are very closely connected through the vagus nerve.
Tijana [00:16:12]:
So you're chronically stressed, your body's not gonna prioritize digesting your food because, like, rest and digest and fight or flight, like, your body is literally gonna direct its attention away from your visceral organs. So you're. You're not gonna be able to break down that food. And that is how I was all the time. And in hindsight, it was, like, constantly on edge. Like, I remember I. I would wake up early, not be able to fall back asleep. Like, never ever able to digest anything.
Tijana [00:16:35]:
And now I'm like, it's crazy that, like, all of these expensive protocols and supplements, it was literally all just eating enough and reducing my stress. It would have helped all of it. This is so relatable to the women we work with who are high achieving, they're high performers, they live full lives, they have demanding careers. Like, they're busy, but they're pushing too much. And their thing is like this physical and mental stress, because all of it is perceived stress. Like, we Want to highlight that, too. Right. Because exercise is stress as well, which is another reason why we don't want to be overdoing, like, types of exercise that don't help you.
Tijana [00:17:07]:
Like, when you're doing these group classes every day, you're fatiguing your body so excessively, that's adding more stress compared with, like, shave that down to half, but do it better. But all of these things are also contributing to that reduced gut motility. And, like, maybe you're doing all the right things and it's like the fiber is there. But, like, what about actually regulating your nervous system? Did you girls have anything to share with that, or have you. Have you noticed this with yourself or clients?
Jordanna [00:17:29]:
I personally have always been a very regular girl.
Marilynn [00:17:33]:
I have.
Tijana [00:17:33]:
Not jealous.
Jordanna [00:17:35]:
I feel like I've been lucky in this department. But it has been, you know, goals with number of clients who've come in where, you know, they're not going regularly. And it's not like, something you would come in and be tell your coach, like, hey, I would like to poop every day.
Marilynn [00:17:48]:
Yeah.
Jordanna [00:17:48]:
But when we do our intakes with our clients and we're understanding, like, all the things, including, hey, how regular are you? And they'll be like, oh, I go like, my normal is once every five to seven days. And I'll be like, no, that might feel like normal for you, but, like, girl, we are going to get you to at least every other day, if not daily, because that's really where we want to be landing. So it's like, as you put these pieces, and it's not any more work in the coaching process in your journey, it's actually as we put those coaching pieces of the puzzle into place.
Marilynn [00:18:20]:
It's part of it.
Jordanna [00:18:20]:
Yeah, it's part of it. You are going to then poop more regularly because of all the other things that you're putting into place. It's like a positive byproduct.
Marilynn [00:18:29]:
And t. I mean, I wasn't vegan, but I was exactly the situation where I was under eating significantly and I was very, very stressed out. My nervous system was, like, on high alert. So, I mean, basically everything you described was exactly what I felt that there would be weeks where I'm telling you, I would go maybe once. And it was not easy either. It was like I had to push hard. Oh, my God. Like, it was not an easy bowel movement at all.
Marilynn [00:18:55]:
So it's like I was going irregularly, and I thought it was gonna, like, pop a vein in my frigging head. Okay.
Tijana [00:19:00]:
I love that we're talking about this because men don't get it. I'm telling you, Brian, every. He won't care. I say this, but, like, every morning, like clockwork, and it's like, bam, bam, bam, bam. And then whenever I have to, I'm like, oh, man, I feel like I have to poop, but I can't. Do you ever have that? And he's like, just push harder. I'm like, it doesn't work that way.
Jordanna [00:19:17]:
No.
Marilynn [00:19:17]:
Oh, my God. I know. Listen, we have a running joke in our family. I'm calling out Mike, too, and I know he listens to our podcast, so love you. But we will be sitting at dinner, okay? It doesn't matter what meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner, whatever it is. And we'll be eating, and then all of a sudden, we're like, where's Mike? And then my niece will be like, he's pooping again. He goes after every meal. Literally.
Marilynn [00:19:37]:
He doesn't even finish a meal.
Tijana [00:19:39]:
Oh, my God.
Marilynn [00:19:39]:
And part of me is, I'm jealous. But I'm just like, you need to get that checked out. And he's like, no, I'm just regular. And I'm like, damn.
Tijana [00:19:45]:
I know.
Jordanna [00:19:45]:
Damn it.
Tijana [00:19:46]:
It's incredible.
Marilynn [00:19:46]:
But, yeah, no, I was. It was bad. And I was so uncomfortable. I was constantly bloated. Same thing to you. Like, I was relatively, like, thin, but, like, my tummy was always. I would always say, like, here's my food, baby. Again, here's the, like, yes.
Marilynn [00:19:59]:
Yeah, it was. It was wild.
Tijana [00:20:00]:
But that's the thing. It does. It doesn't need to be that way. And that's. That's what we're highlighting. We're laughing about it, but, like, it's like, it's almost. We wish we knew than what we know now.
Jordanna [00:20:08]:
We're laughing because it's so relatable. And that's the thing.
Tijana [00:20:11]:
Exactly.
Jordanna [00:20:12]:
It's one of those topics nobody really talks about. They keep to themselves. And then here you are, like, everybody's, like, talking about it. And how many people have the same exact challenge?
Marilynn [00:20:21]:
Listen, that is a sign of true friendship. If you can talk about your poop with your friends, you're locked in. And the three of us, yes, no holds barred, we. We talk about our poop.
Tijana [00:20:29]:
So you know what I think about is, like, I'm sad for, like, maybe if some couples don't talk about poop, I'm sad about that, too. Or, like, if there was a time in history when it wasn't talked about, I'm like, talk about it, talk about it.
Marilynn [00:20:40]:
Your relationship depends on it.
Tijana [00:20:43]:
Yeah, I care about everyone's digestive health. Okay, so speaking of talking about poop, like, this is a holistic thing, right? That's what we want to highlight here is, like, it's not just like, a lot of our clients are kind of like, initially also surprised because, for example, in our check ins, we ask them every time, like, how's the regularity? How often? Like, and sometimes if things in their check in are like, you know, for example, like, something to do with like, oh, is should weight be trending different? Or, like, what's going on here? I'll ask them, like, hmm, you said you pooped every day, but, like, did that shift throughout the last couple weeks? Or, like, did you feel like you completed that poop? Like, and then sometimes you get a lot more. It's like, well, yeah, I'm going, but I feel like I have to go more or I'm still bloated. And so there's a lot more to it. So I share this because it's not just the frequency of the poops. It's not just the training or the nutrition. It's like, how does everything go together? So, like, there's a difference between bits and pieces, and you're getting good information here, but we also want you to have the strategy. So it's like looking at things from the outside lens of, like, what is everything in your biofeedback and your lifestyle and your poops, telling us about what you need to be doing.
Tijana [00:21:44]:
So this is what we help our clients do. Map out that custom strategy for getting lean, getting sculpted, and feeling healthy in that process. So if you want to chat about that, map out that game plan for you. Our doors are open. GetSculpted, ca. Forward slash, contact.
Jordanna [00:22:00]:
Tell us about your poop.
Tijana [00:22:02]:
Tell us about your poop, please. We want to hear it.
Marilynn [00:22:04]:
We're about to get real close. Yeah.
What Healthy Digestion Actually Looks Like: The Bristol Stool Chart Explained
Tijana [00:22:05]:
Yeah. So on that note, now you know kind of what drives the problem you might be having. But how do you know if things are working the way that they should? So, mer, tell us what healthy actually looks like. Like, what's the standard?
Marilynn [00:22:18]:
So, like we said, it might feel awkward to talk about, but if you don't understand what healthy poop actually looks like, smells like, all of that, then how are you going to know? So knowledge is power here. The clinical reference for what healthy poop looks like is called the Bristol stool chart. So if you've never heard of it after this episode or pause this episode and go take a Google and check out that chart. It is a visual with seven types of poop, and the gold standard is type three and four. Okay? So it's smooth, soft, easy to pass. Think of it like a log or a banana, but a little bit softer. Okay. Your poop should be medium brown in color.
Marilynn [00:22:55]:
It should pass through without straining. Like I talked about. You shouldn't be pushing so hard that you feel like you're gonna, like, pop a blood vessel. And it shouldn't be with urgency. Okay. You shouldn't be feeling like you're gonna, like. If you don't get to the bathroom right now, game over. So if you are someone who's, like, sitting on the toilet for 20 minutes, scrolling on your phone because you cannot poop, that's not optimal.
Marilynn [00:23:14]:
Like, so many women will say that. They. They do that. Right? Frequency is also another confusing piece for women, because in this situation, everyone is different. Okay? So the range is pretty wide. It can be anywhere from once a day to a few times a week. That can be normal. But what matters most is your normal and what is consistent.
Marilynn [00:23:33]:
Okay? So if you're someone who goes every day when you wake up, and then suddenly you haven't gone in three, four days, well, that's your body giving you a signal that something is up. So the signal isn't necessarily the number in isolation. It's the change in your baseline. Now, I will say in the story that I told and to you as well, like, if you're not going for, like, a week on end, that's definitely something that I would be looking into because that is not necessarily ideal.
Tijana [00:23:56]:
Sorry, I was going to say on vacation as well. Was another one, like, disrupted routine? Oh, man.
Marilynn [00:24:00]:
Oh, yes, yes, yes. Totally. In terms of odor, your poop should have minimal odor. Now, listen, it's. It's waste. So some smell is normal. But if it's, like, super strong, where you feel like you might pass out, that's a signal that something is off. It really is.
Marilynn [00:24:16]:
And finally, there should be no visible undigested food. The one exception is, in my opinion, eighth wonder of the world, which is how corn stays completely whole when you poop.
Tijana [00:24:26]:
Yeah.
Marilynn [00:24:26]:
But other than that, in general, you shouldn't be able to identify what you ate yesterday in the toilet bowl.
Tijana [00:24:31]:
Okay. I was gonna say, I know you guys don't have TikTok, but there's this girl called Z. Explains it. Do you know who I'm talking about? She's like a scientist, and people will post things like, why does this happen? And she's like, breaks it down. And she was talking about the corns. And apparently we do digest the outer part of the corn, but that piece you see in your poo is the.
Marilynn [00:24:48]:
The inside, the inner part. Oh, yes.
Tijana [00:24:50]:
They asked a good question. They're like, but I chew it really well. I'm like, I know you're not eating it whole, so it's the inside crazy.
Poop Red Flags You Should Not Be Ignoring
Marilynn [00:24:55]:
That's right. I don't know her, but good for her for spreading that truth. But I did Google it at one point because I was just mind boggled as to like. And I remember a few times. This is, like, years ago. Don't think I'm doing this now at 44. But I remember chewing it really, really, really well and being like, all right, yeah. Hey, what are you doing in my poop? And then it was.
Marilynn [00:25:13]:
And I was like, magic. Oh, my God, what is this?
Jordanna [00:25:17]:
Oh, good.
Marilynn [00:25:18]:
But other than corn, you should not be able to see your food from the day before in the poop in the toilet bowl.
Jordanna [00:25:23]:
Okay.
Marilynn [00:25:24]:
Does that make sense? Okay, now let's talk about poop red flakes that you should be paying attention to. So if any of these apply to you, this is something you're going to want to look into for sure. First is pencil thin stools. Okay. So what that can indicate is that there is pressure on your colon. If you have black or tarry stools, that could indicate bleeding higher up in the digestive tract. If you have consistently loose or, like I said, urgent stools. Okay.
Marilynn [00:25:48]:
Where you're, like, fighting to get to the bathroom, that could be gut inflammation, food sensitivities, or like, we talked about stress. It could be a chronic stress response going less than three times a week consistently could be a sign that motility is slowed and that your gut isn't moving the way it should. And we've touched on this as well a few times. Significant bloating. So if you're in pain or. Or cramping after meals, that is a red flag for sure. Especially if it's, you know, if it's not common. And all of a sudden that's happening, your body is communicating with you.
Marilynn [00:26:18]:
And our body does communicate with us every single day. And one of those ways is your poop, which is why we have to have these conversations. Most women tune it out or don't want to talk about it or assume that whatever they're going through is fine. Because it's always been like, I didn't think I had a poop issue way back. I just thought, wow, like, I don't I don't go. In fact, I would honestly say at some points, I was like, wow, I'm kind of lucky. I only go poop, like, once a week. But it's not.
Marilynn [00:26:43]:
That's. That's not ideal.
Tijana [00:26:44]:
No.
Marilynn [00:26:44]:
So if you, you know, if you've never thought about this before, this is what we want this episode to be. It's like empowering you with the knowledge so you can start paying attention. So, T, let's take the poop discussion and talk about some tactical takeaways, like, how can someone actually start to identify their poop and do something about it if they need to?
Five Ways to Improve Digestion Naturally Starting This Week
Tijana [00:27:03]:
For sure. So what we want to highlight here is we're painting with more broad strokes, obviously, but we do want to give that disclaimer, like, if you feel like you have digestive issues and by all means, like, speak to your healthcare provider. So we have noticed what this episode is really about is, like, there are some major heavy hitters that women are just not doing that are leading to less than ideal digestion. And more often than not, you're going to notice a ton of improvement by making sure your baseline's covered. And regardless of if you need further support with your gut or maybe, like, some customization to your strategy, these are the ones that everyone should really pay attention to. Okay, Number one is do an audit of your fiber. Count your fiber for three days. Just three days.
Step 1: Do a Three-Day Fiber Audit
Tijana [00:27:41]:
And by the way, this is what we do with our clients when they start now is like, they do a diet recall for a week, and this helps us see, like, how much they've been eating in terms of calories, but also where their fiber's at as well. And most women are actually quite shocked at how far below that 25 grams that they fall without trying. And might I add, too, I've had this with a couple clients as well, who are like, I'm so hungry in this fat loss phase. And I'm like, okay, you're eating, like, 15 grams of fiber, and it's not a matter of overhauling your diet. It's a matter of incorporating something else or switching it up. Like, hey, beans. I wish I could be their spokesperson. I love beans.
Tijana [00:28:15]:
I was telling Brian we were eating soup the other day. I'm like, they thicken soups. They have iron. They have tons of fiber. They have prebiotic fiber, and they have. They're. They're freaking delicious. And they're in several dishes, and vegetarians love them.
Tijana [00:28:27]:
We all love beans. Please eat them.
Marilynn [00:28:29]:
Yeah.
Step 2: Eat the Rainbow and Aim for 30 Plant Foods a Week
Tijana [00:28:30]:
Number two, eat the rainbow. So this is another One that I, I always vent about is like, we really do need to vary the plants in our diet. Like, a lot of us can be like, just buying the same old veggies and plants or whatever. But, like, vary your diet like your gut health needs it. Like, my favorite thing to do is at the farmer's market, be like, oh, cool, I haven't eaten this in a while. Or let me try this and find a way to make it. Or just incorporate it into your existing dishes. So different colored plants will feed different gut bacteria.
Tijana [00:28:58]:
The more variety, the richer your gut microbiome. So you want to add that diversity. So you want to aim for 30 different plant foods a week. But it sounds like a lot. But remember this, things like your herbs and your spices, different colored peppers. These all count. And my favorite trick is buying the frozen vegetables cut up.
Jordanna [00:29:18]:
Game changer.
Step 3: Water Before Coffee, Every Morning
Tijana [00:29:19]:
Costco, they have this, the primavera, the Mediterranean one. Like I'm telling you, in omelets, in soups, all of it. It's already cut up. Like no cutting board. Even better. 3. Water before coffee. This is like an always, always, always rule.
Tijana [00:29:33]:
Wake up in the morning and start your day with 500ml of water before you have that coffee. Hydrate first. Plain and simple. Make it happen. 4. Add and don't subtract. So I'm such a big fan of this because sometimes you might think like, oh, this is so overwhelming. But it's like, no, like with the beans, right? Oh, just incorporate your beans into your rice dish.
Tijana [00:29:51]:
Add some chia to your morning oats.
Marilynn [00:29:54]:
I've been adding it to my salads.
Tijana [00:29:55]:
Yes.
Marilynn [00:29:55]:
I've been putting red kidney beans in my salads. Like, I'm making like a tuna salad. I'm on a kick like that. I am obsessed with red kidney beans. And it does keep you fuller, longer. Because sometimes when I'll have a salad I like, I love salads, even big salads. But then you're like, oh my God, I'm hungry in five minutes. So it really bulks that salad and it helps with your poop.
Marilynn [00:30:13]:
So there you go.
Tijana [00:30:14]:
Absolutely. Yeah. Again, like, it's just adding, like, I've also started baking with bran and like, I, I asked Chatgpt for like, how can I add this to banana bread? And I have this delicious bran banana bread.
Marilynn [00:30:26]:
Love that.
Step 5: Manage Stress Like It's a Training Variable
Tijana [00:30:26]:
And it's, it's just about like doing things smarter. Flourish. We're a big fan of that pancake mix. You can add, add things like that. So like finding ways of taking meals you already eat and adding fiber to them. So yeah, starting your day with some fruit, handful of seeds on your salad, legumes in your dinner rotation, they add up. Number five, manage your stress like it's a training variable. My type A girlies are busy high performers.
Tijana [00:30:51]:
I've been like this too. Where I've been like, well, I'm doing all the right things. I'm not gonna do some willy nilly stress management. Like I'm, you know, in my mind I'm like, I'm doing the important stuff, I'm doing the training and the eating. This is the important stuff. It's like I'm making a cake, but oh, I don't need the eggs. Screw the eggs. They're just there for, you know.
Tijana [00:31:07]:
No, no, no. It's all part of the recipe. They need to work together. So things like breath work. By the way, it doesn't need to mean like overhauling. Like for me, what's been really digestible, haha, pun intended, is like throughout the day of like noticing if I'm breathing shallow and just really fully expanding my rib cage, walking, like just freaking get outside, make that a priority. Like sleeping like a regular schedule doesn't need to be. It shouldn't be a ten step routine.
Tijana [00:31:30]:
It's like a predictable consistent schedule. You're sleeping in a dark room, you're doing your deep breathing, taking rest days. Like for me, what's helped me, which might be an unpopular opinion, is also like I live an active lifestyle, I know I'll get my steps. So sometimes my body really needs that chilling day, you know. And your steps are evening out.
Jordanna [00:31:47]:
One of the things I like to do, cause a lot of people will say they don't have a lot of time for these types of activities. Like, like what you were saying. Like I got in the big things, like I don't have time for these little things. Like breathing takes too much time. Meanwhile, like we do it automatically. Yeah, I like to do like a body scan. It takes literally I think it's less than two minutes. And I do it in the morning and at night and in the morning it's kind of like waking everything up.
Jordanna [00:32:12]:
And I turn off my alarm, I give myself like the two minutes of a body scan, like top of my head down to my toes to wake myself up. And at night I do it almost the reverse. So it's like how am I releasing my muscles? Like the tension even. Like I tell myself like release my tongue from the top of my mouth. Or like relax your bum. Yeah, shoulders down, like relax your forehead. Like all of these little things that we don't realize. Like that tension keeping us tight, it's affecting how you poop too.
Jordanna [00:32:43]:
Like, that's tense too. So, like, if you're learning to relax all of these muscles, like, I found that very helpful.
Tijana [00:32:49]:
I do. I love that.
Marilynn [00:32:50]:
Yeah. And you know what? There's so many apps now too. So if someone's like, well, I don't, I don't know how to do a body scan. I. I don't. Well, then there are apps. I mean, I have many of them. But the calm app is amazing because you can actually set the time, like even if you have 60 seconds.
Marilynn [00:33:02]:
So that's the other thing. Start small. Like, we're not asking you to sit down to like a 10, 20, 30 minute meditation. Jordan. I love that. Like to start the day to either end the day. Both is great. I've also like habit stacked it.
Marilynn [00:33:13]:
So sometimes I'll put my calm app on while I'm getting ready in my bathroom. That way it's kind of like I'm more present, I'm calm, I'm. I'm getting ready anyway, so why not use that time?
Tijana [00:33:21]:
Ooh, that's a good one. Cause I saw this reel the other day and I was like, this is so me. And it was like, girls will be like, I need peptides and supplements to like regulate my nervous system or something. But then this is how they operate. And then it was showing someone brushing their teeth and scrolling their phone. I'm like, guilty, Guilty. Like constantly on your phone. Yeah, I was like, yep, that's what I mean.
Marilynn [00:33:42]:
Replace it. Right? Like you said, like, ad, don't take away necessarily. Like swap it out. Instead of scrolling the TikTok, go on an app and let it do the kind of meditation for you while you just be present.
Tijana [00:33:52]:
Exactly. And this is one that we actually haven't mentioned that's so important. For me, that's huge. Is like, it kind of ties into the next one here. But pay attention to your patterns. Specifically for me, it's like the constant scrolling. But also like mindfulness during eating especially. Everyone's like, oh, just take enzymes.
Tijana [00:34:08]:
I'm like, enzymes are like an external solution, but your body makes its own enzymes. As soon as you start chewing your food and being mindful. And we're not meant to like eat on the go. And like, that's another thing that like I never ever do is like walk and eat is like just, you know, if you even get like a, heck, you know, an ice cream on a nice day. Have a Seat and eat it. Like, we're big on that. Or like, when you're eating a meal, like, don't scroll and eat.
Jordanna [00:34:29]:
Like, chew your food.
Tijana [00:34:30]:
Chew your food. I know, Exactly. And I'm a fast eater by nature. I don't even think about it. It's just I feel like I'm very, like, efficient. This waste of time. I gotta go to the next thing. Yeah, exactly, exactly.
Tijana [00:34:41]:
So slowing down and start noticing how your body feels after certain meals. Like, pay attention to, like, the fluctuations. Like, I noticed, actually, it's funny because this is why it's unique. Like, my fiber jumped up. I ate significantly more than I normally do one day. Like, I normally have around 28 to 30, let's say. And I had, like 35 one day. And I was kind of really uncomfortable.
Tijana [00:35:02]:
Like, I was too full. It was just a note to myself. Like, you know what I gotta be kind of mindful of? Like, if I'm eating this soup for lunch, like, I can't have Raisin Bran later. Cause it's gonna really, you know, like,
Marilynn [00:35:12]:
it's also over the top.
Tijana [00:35:13]:
Yeah, you're just paying attention to your foods and how they make you feel. And mayor to your point, with the salads, like, something I've done before in like is like. And I know bodybuilding people are guilty of this is like the big volume salad, but very low fiber. It's like, it's gonna be making you uncomfortable. Cause it's so much water and volume, but no fiber.
Marilynn [00:35:30]:
That's right.
Tijana [00:35:30]:
All right, so we want to summarize this here for you guys. Gut health might not be glamorous, and talking about your poop might not be comfortable, but ignoring it is going to be costing you more than you realize. It could be costing you your energy, your performance in the gym, your mood, and ultimately your results with the kind of physique you want. Because it's really not just about the body fat. It's about, like, the digestion is going to help you look and feel your best as well. And that unsexy foundation is still needed. And it's the foundation of not just your aesthetics, but your health. And you can't build anything on top of a foundation that just isn't working.
Tijana [00:36:03]:
So if you take one thing from today, think about it, like, listen to this episode again. If you need to come back to it, come back to the show notes and just start with, like, one of the things we suggested. It could be like adding more water, doing an audit of your fiber. Like, whatever it is, your gut will thank you. And as always, remember, if you need support with this, we're going to leave our contact in the show notes. Thank you, guys, and we'll see you in the next episode.