Most adults do not talk about poop—unless they are talking about their children. Yet your bowel movements can provide valuable information about your digestion, hydration, gut health, nutrition, stress levels, and overall well-being.
Are you pooping often enough? What does healthy poop actually look like? Is it normal to go only a few times a week? What can constipation, diarrhea, undigested food, changes in color, or difficulty going tell you about what may be happening inside your body?
In this episode of Wellness in Every Season, Autumn sits down with Katie Kirklin, a licensed registered nurse and certified functional nutritional counselor, to have an open, practical conversation about poop, digestion, and the many factors that influence gut health.
Katie shares how her own experiences with digestive concerns, anxiety, disordered eating, and other health challenges led her from conventional nursing into functional nutrition. Together, Autumn and Katie explore why symptoms can be viewed as information from the body—and why improving health often involves looking beneath the surface rather than focusing on one symptom in isolation.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What healthy poop may look like, including frequency, color, consistency, and ease of passing
- Why bowel movements can serve as a daily source of information about your health
- Why being constipated may be common without necessarily being optimal
- How hydration and electrolytes can affect digestion and bowel regularity
- Signs that you may be drinking too much water without replacing enough electrolytes
- How magnesium, fiber, and whole foods may support healthy bowel movements
- The difference between naturally occurring fiber in whole foods and added fiber in processed foods
- How eating a variety of colorful plant foods can support a diverse gut microbiome
- Why chewing thoroughly may improve digestion and nutrient absorption
- What it means to “chew your liquids and drink your solids”
- How stress and the nervous system can contribute to constipation, urgency, or diarrhea
- Why slowing down before meals may support the body’s “rest and digest” response
- How sleep supports digestion, hormone processing, detoxification, and overall wellness
- Why protein, healthy fat, and fiber can help create a more balanced breakfast
- How to build a more blood-sugar-supportive smoothie
- Why some people experience digestive discomfort after drinking whey protein
- Simple ways to increase food variety without making meal planning more complicated
- Why frozen fruits and vegetables can be nutritious, practical options
- How small, consistent lifestyle changes can work together to support long-term health
Katie also shares her approach to creating balanced meals without relying on complicated recipes. Rather than preparing an entirely different meal every night, she keeps nourishing ingredients available—such as vegetables, proteins, whole grains, greens, beans, nuts, and seeds—and combines them into simple bowls and meals throughout the week.
One of the biggest reminders from this conversation is that health rarely changes because of one “magic” food, supplement, or habit. Sleep, stress, hydration, nourishment, movement, digestion, relationships, and the nervous system are interconnected. Small changes may not feel dramatic on their own, but together they can create a healthier internal environment that better supports the body.
Your symptoms are information. Your digestion is information. Even your poop can act like a free daily health report.
You do not have to change everything at once. Choose one supportive habit from this episode, practice it consistently, pay attention to how your body responds, and build from there.
Connect with Katie Kirklin
Visit Katie’s website to learn more about functional nutrition and one-on-one coaching:
🌐 katiekirklin.com
Follow Katie on Instagram:
📱 @katiekirklinnutrition
Katie can also be found on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Important Health Note
Changes in bowel habits can have many causes. New, persistent, severe, or unexplained digestive symptoms—including blood in the stool, black or tarry stool, significant abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, persistent constipation, or ongoing diarrhea—should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.
The information shared in this episode is intended for general education and wellness purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical care, diagnosis, or treatment.
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