May 8, 2025 • 30 mins
Sticky, hard-to-wipe poops might feel like just a bathroom frustration—but they’re actually one of the clearest signs your bile isn’t flowing well. And when bile is off, digestion, hormones, and energy all take a hit.
In this episode, I’m breaking down:
- What sticky stool really means (and what “normal” should look like)
- 5 reasons your bile might be sluggish
- Why this matters even more if you’ve had your gallbladder removed or are postpartum
- How poor bile flow impacts hormone balance, bloating, fatigue, and even post viral gut issues
- 5 simple, natural ways to support bile flow today
Links & Resources:
→ Purchase the HTMA Bundle (use code MOTHERSDAY30 for $30 off!)
→ Download the free mineral guide
→ Ready to get to the root of your GI issues for good? Apply for gutTogether® here: www.guttogetherprogram.com
→ Follow me on Instagram: @drheatherfinley
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Heather Finley (00:03):
Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
(00:24):
gut issues.
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(00:46):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
Hello, and welcome back to thenext episode of the Love Your
Gut podcast.
We are gonna be talking aboutsticky poops today because your
stool is like a daily gut reportcard, and I recently posted
(01:08):
about this on Instagram I wasshocked at how many people
commented, saved, shared thisreel, and so I thought maybe
more people need help with thisthan I actually thought.
So many of you messaged me afterthe sticky stool reel, which
I'll link in the show notes ifyou didn't see it and said,
wait, this is me.
But really, I mean, so manypeople struggle with this.
(01:31):
This is something that we seewith a lot of our clients.
So if you feel like you'reconstantly having to wipe your
stool, it leaves streaks in thebowl or.
It's really sticky.
Then this is your body trying totell you something.
So it's not just annoying.
It's often one of the firstsigns that your bile isn't
flowing well, and it actuallymatters a lot more than you
(01:55):
might think.
So in today's episode, I want totalk about what causes this
sticky stool.
Why sluggish bile can lead tobloating, fatigue, and hormone
imbalances, and even things likevitamin D deficiency.
What to do if you don't have agallbladder?
Spoiler alert.
This is even more important ifyou don't have a gallbladder.
(02:18):
I'm gonna talk about somenatural ways to support bile
flow and then why women,especially in childbearing years
or postpartum, are morevulnerable to bile issues due to
these hormonal shifts.
So if you've been dealing withgut issues and hormonal symptoms
and feel like nothing is workingand you're struggling with
sticky stool or incompletebowels, then don't skip this
(02:40):
episode.
So a sticky stool is the kindthat typically will stick to the
toilet.
It will take several wipes toclean.
It might have kind of a greasyor peanut butter like texture.
It might leave like a greasysheen on the water, often
floats, or leaves behindstreaks.
If you feel like, any of thisrelates to you, then today's
(03:01):
episode will give you someactionable insights into what's
going on.
This type of stool is notnormal.
It's common, not normal, andit's often a sign of either fat
Mel absorption, so your bodyisn't properly breaking down or
absorbing fats.
It can be a sign of sluggishbile flow.
Bile is a substance that helpsemulsify fats so they can be
(03:24):
digested.
And then can also just show thatyou're having digestive
dysfunction.
That something upstream, whetherit be stomach acid, poor meal
hygiene, whatever it might be,is off.
So your stool should normally besmooth, brown, easy to pass,
clean to wipe.
It should sink.
(03:46):
It should not float and happenone to three times a day,
regardless of what.
Other providers have told you itis not normal if you are not
going to the bathroom everysingle day.
So ideally you want to go atleast one to three times, and
it's not necessarily better orworse if you go three times
versus one time or vice versa.
(04:07):
The question that you wannaanswer is, is it complete?
So did I fully empty my bowels?
So it might be occasional thatyou have sticky stool and you
might be thinking, is that aproblem?
Sticky stool might pop upsometimes, but not always.
And the reason could be a littlebit more situational.
So alcohol, for example, canimpact bile production and
(04:31):
irritate the GI tract.
Higher fat meals, especially ifyour digestion is.
Sluggish can overwhelm yoursystem.
So if you feel like, yeah,normally I'm fine, but then if I
eat something that's really highin fat, I struggle with this.
Stress can also slow down bilerelease and enzyme function,
which can impact thisSupplements.
Even things like berberine,antimicrobials, binders, all of
(04:54):
these things can affect bileflow and liver detoxification.
Some things for the better andsome things for the worse.
Hormonal shifts.
So I mentioned this in thebeginning, but especially
postpartum or around ovulation,this can impact liver and bile
function.
One of the times that you aremost susceptible to gallbladder
(05:15):
and bile flow issues is duringpregnancy and postpartum because
of the drastic hormone shiftsand the load that puts on your
liver.
And also due to rapid weightfluctuations as well.
And then periods of constipationcan also result in stickier
stools temporarily.
So if you notice your stool issticky some days and totally
(05:35):
normal, the others, your bodymight be struggling to keep up
with just digestive demand,especially if you're under
stress, you're in a hormonalshift or you're taking really
aggressive supplements.
So let's talk about five commonreasons that you might be having
sticky stool.
There's.
More than five, of coursereasons, but these are the five
(05:56):
most common reasons that I see.
And the first reason is sluggishbile flow.
So you can kind of think of bilelike soap for your fats, so it's
made in your liver.
It helps break down fat intotiny pieces so your body can use
it, and it also helps your bodyget rid of waste, like old
hormones, toxins that you'reexposed to, et cetera.
(06:19):
But if bile isn't flowing wellor if bile gets kind of sludgy
or thick, fats don't get brokendown.
So they'll stick around and sodoes your poop.
So this can cause greasy stool,bloating after meals, feeling
tired or sluggish.
Hormone issues like.
PMS or breakouts and bile canslow down for several reasons.
(06:40):
It can slow down if you are lowin minerals, which is something
that we commonly see in ourclients.
It just like struggling toactually produce bile, make bile
sometimes because of an upstreamissue, like low stomach acid, it
can, bile can also slow down ifyou've been avoiding fat for
years.
So you can have this kind ofadaptation over time where.
(07:03):
Your body just gets used tolower fat, so you have to work
your way back up.
And it can also slow down ifyour liver is overloaded from
stress or medications or toxins.
And that can make things alittle bit sluggish.
Like I mentioned some otherreasons bile can slow down would
be to hormo due to hormonalshifts, weight fluctuations, et
(07:24):
cetera.
So something to just payattention to.
The second reason would be thatyou don't have a gallbladder.
So if you don't have agallbladder, bile flow matters
even more.
Your gallbladder is like alittle storage pouch for bile,
so it saves it up and thenreleases it when you eat fat.
So if you've had it removed,bile drips constantly, but not
(07:47):
always when you need it.
So that makes fat digestion alittle harder.
It's very common that we workwith clients that have been
told, you know, they've hadtheir gallbladder out and
they've been told, oh, you don'tneed to change anything about
your diet.
You're totally fine.
That's not necessarily true.
You might have to be a littlebit more cognizant of your fat
intake, and not that you need togo super low fat or anything
(08:10):
like that, but you might have tobe more aware of how much fat
you can have at a time, or ifthere's certain enzymes that
might help you because you'renot getting that surge of bile
like you normally would when youeat a meal that's high in fat.
So without a gallbladder, you'remore likely to get stickier
floating stool, feel nauseous orbloated after fatty foods.
(08:32):
Maybe miss out on nutrients fromfat.
One thing that we often see ischronically low vitamin D.
The other fat soluble vitaminsare vitamins, a, de, and K.
And so you need to be able toemulsify fats and then digest
and absorb vitamins from fats.
The good news here is that youcan actually support your bile
flow.
You just may need a little extrahelp, like digestive bitters or
(08:55):
some specific enzymes.
Probably a little bit moremineral support, and a huge,
huge emphasis on making surethat you are taking your time,
chewing your food, slowing down,maybe playing around with what
types of fats you do betterwith, et cetera.
Reason number three is that youhave poor enzyme output from
(09:15):
your pancreas.
So your pancreas makes enzymes.
They're like tiny littlescissors that cut foods into
absorbable pieces.
That's what enzymes do, and ifyou don't have enough enzymes,
your body can't break down fator protein well, and so some
signs that your pancreas mightbe part of the issue is sticky
(09:36):
or yellow stool.
Bloating an hour or two aftereating.
You might see bits of undigestedfood in the toilet, like
especially vegetable fibers, oryou might feel full for hours
after a meal.
One of the things that we oftensee on testing for our clients
is a low stool elastase.
And these are always our clientsthat are like, yes, I'm full
(09:58):
forever, or It's really hard forme to eat a full meal.
And that's just the body reallysignaling, Hey, there's
something going on.
The pancreas needs a little bitof support, so some things that
can help.
This is obviously enzymesupport, but there's other
things that you can do chewingwhile spacing your meals out,
making sure that you have timefor kind of rest and digest in
(10:21):
between your meals.
And definitely talking to yourprovider on which enzymes might
be helpful for you.
If it's more fat related, welove like a chewable lipase.
Sometimes a little bit morecomprehensive pancreatic support
depending on what's going on.
The fourth reason would be lowstomach acid.
I talk about this a lot becauseit's actually very rare that
(10:42):
somebody would have high stomachacid, especially if you're on a
medication that lowers stomachacid.
Oftentimes when people have acidreflux, it's not because their
acid is high, it's because theacid is going the wrong way.
So instead of breaking down foodand then your stomach filling
with acid and emptying into yourbowels and.
(11:04):
Continuing the digestiveprocess, it's going the other
way, causing this acid feeling.
So stomach acid is not bad.
Your body needs it.
It's like the first domino thatstarts digestion.
And so if you don't have enoughacid, bile and enzymes don't get
triggered.
All of these things happen inorder and if you've listened to
my podcast for any amount oftime, you've definitely heard me
(11:26):
talk about North.
To south digestion, we need thesignaling to work.
So we need your minds to beready to eat.
We need your stomach to startsecreting acid.
We need your pancreas to be onboard, your liver and
gallbladder or your bile flow.
And then the chain kind of goesdown from there.
So if you don't have enoughstomach acid, your bile and
(11:47):
enzymes don't get triggered.
Food will just sit in yourstomach.
You might feel kind of heavy,full, or gassy after meals, and
you may burp a lot or get refluxSometimes when clients burp a
lot after high fat meals, itcould be gallbladder related.
It also could be low stomachacid related.
So low stomach acid equals that.
Digestion doesn't even getstarted.
(12:08):
Right?
And this is very, very commonand often missed.
And minerals are a huge piece ofthis.
You need things like sodium andchloride and zinc to help your
body make stomach acid.
Digestive bitters can also bereally helpful here, as well as
getting your body into a restand digest state so it knows
that it's safe to digest a mealand it's not running away from a
(12:31):
tiger.
All right.
The last reason that I wannatalk about is gut dysbiosis or
imbalances of bacteria in thegut, or small intestinal
bacterial overgrowth or sibo.
So your gut is full of trillionsof bacteria, some good, some
bad, and if there's too much ofthe wrong kind or just bacteria
in the wrong place, it's calleddysbiosis.
(12:51):
Or if it's specifically in thesmall intestine, it would be
called sibo.
These bugs can interfere withdigestion.
They can cause sticky, smelly,floating poop.
They can create gas, bloating,stomach noise, and they can even
mess with your mood andhormones.
You have a whole collection ofbacteria in your gut called the
estrobolome.
I talk a little bit about thison the episode that I did with
(13:14):
Dr.
Jolene Brighton.
If you wanna scroll back, I'lllink it in the show notes'cause
I can't remember what theepisode number, it was in the
forties, but I can't rememberwhat the episode number is off
the top of my head.
But if you wanna hear us talkmore about that, then you could
tune into that episode.
But if you feel like you reactto everything you eat, your
stomach is always off, you'rekind of bloated regardless of
(13:34):
what you eat.
You feel like you have tons offood sensitivities.
This might be a root cause andoften it is a root cause.
But kind of like I was talkingabout earlier with this whole
north to south digestion thing,this is not a concern if the
other pieces of digestion aren'tworking.
Like your stomach acid, yourpancreatic enzymes, your
gallbladder, we can't even getto addressing dysbiosis or SIBO
(13:58):
until those things are fixed.
Otherwise, we're just gonna beon this hamster wheel forever.
So it's really easy to get astools test back or something
and see like.
Oh, there's all these bacteria.
I wanna get rid of'em.
They're causing all theseissues.
But then if we also see thatyour body's not breaking down
proteins and carbs and fats,well then we need to put things
(14:19):
in the right order.
So sticky poop is just thesymptom.
There are real issuesunderneath, and the good news is
that every single one of themcan be supported with the right
approach.
The trick is just knowing whereyour body needs the most help.
So I wanna talk too about.
Why bile flow impacts more thanjust your stool.
(14:40):
The thing is that bile is notjust about poop.
If any practitioners arelistening to this episode and
you've been in my program, a gutpractitioner, you know that I'm
obsessed with bile and Iconstantly talk about why bile
is really the real MVP ofdigestion.
If your bile isn't flowing well,you will.
Feel it in your energy, yourhormones, your digestion, and
(15:03):
even your immune system.
So I wanna walk through a fewkey ways that sluggish bile can
show up beyond just your bowelmovements.
And the first one is fatigue, ifyou ever feel like you are
dragging throughout the day, nomatter how much you sleep, one
sneaky reason could actually bebile.
Bile helps you absorb fatsoluble vitamins, like vitamins
(15:25):
A, D, E, and K, like Imentioned.
And these are critical for yourenergy, your immune health, your
skin, your brain function.
And what I see all the time inour practice and just
individuals that I talk to iswomen with gallbladder issues or
sluggish bile often havechronically low vitamin D, even
(15:46):
when they're taking asupplement.
We have had a client in the pastwho was getting vitamin D
injections and even with theinjections, her vitamin D was
still in the twenties, maybewould get into the thirties.
When we finally fixed her bileand gallbladder issue, she no
longer needed the injections,which is pretty crazy.
(16:07):
And this was a multi-phaseprocess for her.
The reason partially that herbile flow was so poor was
actually because of some thingsupstream.
She had an h pylori infectionthat needed to be addressed, and
this was lowering stomach acidand that was impacting bile
signaling.
She also was.
Very low and very depleted in alot of minerals.
(16:30):
And so her body just didn't evenhave the raw materials to
actually make bile.
So when we were able to fixthese things over a couple
months, all of a sudden hervitamin D is back in a normal
range.
So it's not about sometimes whatyou take, you could take all the
vitamin D in the world, but it'sabout what can your body.
Actually use, what can youactually digest and absorb?
(16:53):
Another way that sluggish bilecan affect you is with hormone
imbalances, which is reallycommon that we see in our
clients as well.
So bile always plays a huge rolein hormone balance, especially
estrogen.
So your liver basically packagesup, used hormones like estrogen,
and sends them out through bile.
(17:14):
That's your body's way ofgetting rid of hormones.
But if bile is slow or stuck,estrogen will hang a around in
your body longer than it should.
You can go listen to thatepisode on the estrobolome if
you, want more information onthis.
But this can lead to a lot ofthings like PMS, painful
periods, breast tenderness,acne, mood swings.
(17:36):
And so it might be easy tothink, oh, I just need to know
what hormone supplement to takeor what thing is gonna fix my
hormones when it actually mightbe your gut.
So.
One thing that I mentionedearlier, but that I wanna
emphasize is that postpartum andpregnancy are times when you are
especially susceptible togallbladder issues.
(17:57):
We have had several clients overthe years that have come to us
having had emergency gallbladdersurgery in the postpartum years,
especially in those first couplemonths, because of the drastic
hormone shift.
They were like rushed into theemergency room.
Got their gallbladders out andthen, you know, months, years
(18:17):
later, they're now having GIsymptoms, which is why they end
up in our office.
So because of that massivehormonal shift after pregnancy,
often a rapid drop in weight,that combo can actually thicken
bile, making it harder to flow.
You want, you don't want sludgythick bile.
This is one of the reasons why.
So many women have gallbladderflareups, and end up getting
(18:39):
their gallbladder removed withina year of giving birth.
If this has happened to you, youare not alone.
There's lots of ways duringpregnancy and postpartum that
you can support your liver andgallbladder, which nobody's
talking about.
Even simple things like mineralscan really help, different herbs
and bitter foods.
Adding in more like dandeliongreens or arugula, radishes,
(19:02):
bitter foods can definitelyhelp.
And then there's some, differenttinctures and things that can be
helpful as well.
The third reason is a bloatingand SIBO risk.
So this is one of the, probablythe most common thing that we
see is bile also keeps your gutmoving and it cleans your gut.
(19:23):
So it has natural antimicrobialproperties, meaning that it
keeps bacteria in check.
So if your bile isn't flowingwell, things will slow down.
And when digestion slows downbacteria that shouldn't be in
your small intestine can startto overgrow.
That's what we call sibo orsmall intestinal bacterial
overgrowth.
So if you have constantbloating, especially after
(19:45):
meals, or you often feel smallamounts of food, you make you
really full.
Then sluggish bile could be amissing piece.
Or if you have recurrent sibo.
So like I said earlier, you needthat surge of bile to kind of
coat the small intestine andkill off bacterial because it's
antimicrobial.
And then the last one that Ijust thought I would mention
(20:06):
because we've been seeing thismore and more, is post covid I
gut symptoms.
So this one surprises people,but bile also helps.
Regulate your micro microbiomeand after Covid, many people
have lingering just reported GIissues, so.
Digestive changes may be a partdue in part to inflammation or
bile disruption because again,bile isn't just for fat
(20:30):
digestion.
It helps keep harmful bugs incheck.
It promotes healthy balance inyour bacteria and it supports
detox.
So if you've had some of theselong haul symptoms, a major
illness or virus, feel like yourgut's never been the same.
You may wanna look at bilehealth and liver health.
So sticky poop might be thefirst thing you notice, but.
(20:51):
As you're learning, it's notjust about poop.
Bile is really a big deal.
It touches your hormones, yourenergy, your immune system, your
gut bacteria, and if bile isn'tflowing, nothing else really
flows the way that it should.
So you're probably thinking,okay, great.
What do I actually do?
You don't need a super longsupplement list to get your bile
(21:12):
moving most likely.
Interrupting this episode reallyquickly to tell you about our
Mother's Day sale on the HTMAbundle.
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(21:33):
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If you are struggling with lowenergy, hormone imbalances,
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Until Sunday, only May 11th, youcan grab the HDMA bundle using
(21:56):
the link in the show notes for$30 off.
So I wanna talk about five natural ways
that you can support bile flowthat are simple and make a big
difference.
The first one, which I'vementioned is to eat bitter
foods.
These are nature's way of justwaking up your digestive system.
Just like the smell of coffeegets your brain going in the
(22:17):
morning, bitter taste gets yourbile flowing.
So some of my favorites arearugula.
I love a salad with arugula.
I put it on literallyeverything.
I put arugula on eggs.
I put, I mix arugula into mysalad.
I put it in soup.
I love it.
Dandelion greens are anothergreat way.
Lemon juice and warm water canbe helpful.
(22:38):
That's why a lot of people dothat in the morning.
Radishes, apple cider vinegar,dark chocolate.
So yes, I'm telling you to eatdark, dark chocolate for the
sake of your gallbladder.
So try starting a few meals withjust a few bites of bitter or
sipping some lemon water or somedigestive bitters.
Even a splash of vinegar or avinegar based dressing can help
(23:00):
get things moving.
Tip number two would be mineralrich hydration.
So your bile is kind of likewater.
It needs the right minerals tostay fluid and flowing.
If you are low in potassium orsodium, bile can get thick and
sluggish, and we see this.
All the time, literally all thetime on HTMA testing, especially
(23:21):
in women who are stressed anddepleted and postpartum and
constipated and bloated.
So instead of focusing on, youknow, fiber and fat only try
also adding in minerals, fiber,fat minerals are a great combo
to help your bile.
So adding in a pinch of salt.
(23:42):
To your water, making a mineralmocktail with coconut water or
cream of tartar for some extrapotassium.
Use mineral drops or electrolytepowders.
Whatever you prefer.
You can obviously always godownload my mineral guide.
I have lots of different recipesand links in there.
Simple hydrating helps youabsorb nutrients.
(24:02):
It's a win-win.
The third tip is digestivebitters.
So this goes along with thebitter foods, but bitters from
different bitter foods are moreconcentrated in a bitters
tincture, and you really onlyneed a few drops, so you can
take them 10 to 15 minutesbefore your meals.
To prime your digestion.
The other great thing aboutdigestive bidders is you can
take them in between meals askind of a symptom relief tool.
(24:26):
So you can take them, I think,up to six times a day, depending
on which bidders.
And they're really great fordigestion as well as just
symptom relief.
So they're gonna trigger bilerelease, they're gonna support
your stomach acid, they're gonnacalm bloating in fullness.
Look for ones with.
Dandelion artichoke.
If you're on reflux meds, justcheck with your practitioner
(24:48):
first.
As always, this is not medicaladvice, so please just check
with your provider.
I'll link a couple resources inthe show notes if you wanna
check into this more.
Another really easy, quick andfree tip is to move your body.
Bile is stored in yourgallbladder and movement helps
to release it.
So even a short walk after ameal can stimulate bile flow and
(25:11):
digestion.
You don't need to do an intenseworkout, just some gentle
stretching, walking, deepbreathing, twisting motions like
yoga, all of these signal toyour body, Hey, we're using
food.
Let's digest it.
And then the last piece is don'tbe afraid of healthy fats.
So this might sound backwards,but you do need fat to release
(25:33):
bile.
So when people cut out fat fortoo long, especially after
having their gallbladderremoved, where they're just sent
home with, you know, dual, a lowfat diet, it actually makes bile
problems worse.
So your body's like, oh, cool,we're not eating fat, I guess I
don't need to make bile anymore.
So use high quality fats.
Like olive oil, avocado oil,grass fed ghee, egg yolks.
(25:54):
Aim to include a little fat ateach meal.
And then chew, give your bodythe chance to break it down even
without a gallbladder.
Small amounts of healthy fatspaced throughout the day can be
tolerated.
You just wanna space it out andinstead of doing it all at once,
and they're very necessary forvitamin absorption and hormone
health.
(26:15):
So these five tips can go a longway in supporting your bile and
your entire digestive system.
And if you're dealing with.
Sticky stools or hormonal swingsor bloating.
This is where I recommendstarting before diving into any
kind of fancy protocol.
So if you're nodding along like,yep, this is me.
You know, I'm not sure where tostart.
Let's talk about what to do.
(26:35):
If you're doing all of thosethings and you're still having
symptoms and when you shouldtest.
So if you're dealing with allthese symptoms testing could be
a good step if you're stilldealing with stick or floating
or greasy stool, if bloatingjust will not go away.
Constant fatigue or low vitaminD hormone symptoms like PMS,
(26:57):
acne or irregular cycles, ifyou're having post gallbladder
removal symptoms, if you havechronic sibo, that will not go
away regardless of how manyprotocols you've done.
Or your gut just hasn't feltright since you've had a virus
or pregnancy or just dealingwith burnout.
It might be helpful to take alook at what's actually going on
(27:19):
under the hood, because it couldbe multifaceted.
So some tests that could behelpful when we're helping
clients with these issues are,of course the GI Map test is
gonna be a really comprehensivestool test that looks at
specific fat digestion markers.
Signs of inflammation, ifthere's an overgrowth of
bacteria, and then if thepancreas and gallbladder are
(27:41):
doing their job.
So it gives us some reallystrategic places that we can
start.
And then the HTMA, of course, Ilove the HTMA as just a baseline
test for.
Anybody struggling with anysymptom because minerals are
really the foundation ofeverything from bile to enzymes
to hormones.
So if you're low in minerals oryour minerals are just
(28:03):
imbalanced, or if your body isin a stressed and depleted
state.
It gives us an idea of how yournervous system is doing, what
your mineral loss looks like.
And so these tests, either aloneor together, can give us a full
picture of what's going on so wecan make a plan to help your
body get moving.
If you are ready to get startedtoday, what you can do even
(28:25):
without a test, is start withthe basics.
So add in mineral rich drinksmineral mocktails, use digestive
bitters and include healthyfats.
Get in some gentle movement,especially after eating.
And then don't ignore the signsthat your body is giving you.
So your sticky stool is asymptom.
It's your body saying, Hey, it'swaving, its little red flag.
I need help.
(28:46):
The good news is that the helpdoes not have to be extreme.
So.
If you've tried fiber, you'vecut out gluten, you've done
every gut protocol under thesun, you still feel stuck.
It could be time to just zoomout.
The problem may not be yourfood.
It might be that your gut is notdoing its job, or your bile is
not doing its job.
So if you've made it this far,you know that.
(29:09):
Sticky peanut butter texturedstool is way more than just an
awkward bathroom moment.
It's your body's way of sayingthat it's having a hard time
breaking things down and that itneeds some support so you can
support your bile flownaturally.
You can improve your digestionand your hormones and your
energy, and you don't need a 20step.
Protocol or extreme foodelimination to do it.
(29:30):
So it starts with something assimple as more minerals, some
bitters, walking, et cetera.
So I hope that this episode wassuper helpful.
I would love it if you wouldshare it.
With someone who might benefitfrom it because you never know
who might need it.
And, don't forget also about theHTMA Mother's Day promo.
(29:54):
So if you're looking to get yourminerals tested, it's a great
intro way to work with our team.
It's$30 off through Sunday, May11th for the HTMA bundle.
That will get you the HTMA testas well as a consult to review
your results and a personalizedprotocol of how you can get
started.
So don't forget the link is inthe show notes with the coupon
(30:16):
code if you would like to dothat.
But I'll catch you next time onthe next episode of the Love
Your podcast.
Thanks for joining.
Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
(00:24):
gut issues.
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(00:46):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
Hello, and welcome back to thenext episode of the Love Your
Gut podcast.
We are gonna be talking aboutsticky poops today because your
stool is like a daily gut reportcard, and I recently posted
(01:08):
about this on Instagram I wasshocked at how many people
commented, saved, shared thisreel, and so I thought maybe
more people need help with thisthan I actually thought.
So many of you messaged me afterthe sticky stool reel, which
I'll link in the show notes ifyou didn't see it and said,
wait, this is me.
But really, I mean, so manypeople struggle with this.
(01:31):
This is something that we seewith a lot of our clients.
So if you feel like you'reconstantly having to wipe your
stool, it leaves streaks in thebowl or.
It's really sticky.
Then this is your body trying totell you something.
So it's not just annoying.
It's often one of the firstsigns that your bile isn't
flowing well, and it actuallymatters a lot more than you
(01:55):
might think.
So in today's episode, I want totalk about what causes this
sticky stool.
Why sluggish bile can lead tobloating, fatigue, and hormone
imbalances, and even things likevitamin D deficiency.
What to do if you don't have agallbladder?
Spoiler alert.
This is even more important ifyou don't have a gallbladder.
(02:18):
I'm gonna talk about somenatural ways to support bile
flow and then why women,especially in childbearing years
or postpartum, are morevulnerable to bile issues due to
these hormonal shifts.
So if you've been dealing withgut issues and hormonal symptoms
and feel like nothing is workingand you're struggling with
sticky stool or incompletebowels, then don't skip this
(02:40):
episode.
So a sticky stool is the kindthat typically will stick to the
toilet.
It will take several wipes toclean.
It might have kind of a greasyor peanut butter like texture.
It might leave like a greasysheen on the water, often
floats, or leaves behindstreaks.
If you feel like, any of thisrelates to you, then today's
(03:01):
episode will give you someactionable insights into what's
going on.
This type of stool is notnormal.
It's common, not normal, andit's often a sign of either fat
Mel absorption, so your bodyisn't properly breaking down or
absorbing fats.
It can be a sign of sluggishbile flow.
Bile is a substance that helpsemulsify fats so they can be
(03:24):
digested.
And then can also just show thatyou're having digestive
dysfunction.
That something upstream, whetherit be stomach acid, poor meal
hygiene, whatever it might be,is off.
So your stool should normally besmooth, brown, easy to pass,
clean to wipe.
It should sink.
(03:46):
It should not float and happenone to three times a day,
regardless of what.
Other providers have told you itis not normal if you are not
going to the bathroom everysingle day.
So ideally you want to go atleast one to three times, and
it's not necessarily better orworse if you go three times
versus one time or vice versa.
(04:07):
The question that you wannaanswer is, is it complete?
So did I fully empty my bowels?
So it might be occasional thatyou have sticky stool and you
might be thinking, is that aproblem?
Sticky stool might pop upsometimes, but not always.
And the reason could be a littlebit more situational.
So alcohol, for example, canimpact bile production and
(04:31):
irritate the GI tract.
Higher fat meals, especially ifyour digestion is.
Sluggish can overwhelm yoursystem.
So if you feel like, yeah,normally I'm fine, but then if I
eat something that's really highin fat, I struggle with this.
Stress can also slow down bilerelease and enzyme function,
which can impact thisSupplements.
Even things like berberine,antimicrobials, binders, all of
(04:54):
these things can affect bileflow and liver detoxification.
Some things for the better andsome things for the worse.
Hormonal shifts.
So I mentioned this in thebeginning, but especially
postpartum or around ovulation,this can impact liver and bile
function.
One of the times that you aremost susceptible to gallbladder
(05:15):
and bile flow issues is duringpregnancy and postpartum because
of the drastic hormone shiftsand the load that puts on your
liver.
And also due to rapid weightfluctuations as well.
And then periods of constipationcan also result in stickier
stools temporarily.
So if you notice your stool issticky some days and totally
(05:35):
normal, the others, your bodymight be struggling to keep up
with just digestive demand,especially if you're under
stress, you're in a hormonalshift or you're taking really
aggressive supplements.
So let's talk about five commonreasons that you might be having
sticky stool.
There's.
More than five, of coursereasons, but these are the five
(05:56):
most common reasons that I see.
And the first reason is sluggishbile flow.
So you can kind of think of bilelike soap for your fats, so it's
made in your liver.
It helps break down fat intotiny pieces so your body can use
it, and it also helps your bodyget rid of waste, like old
hormones, toxins that you'reexposed to, et cetera.
(06:19):
But if bile isn't flowing wellor if bile gets kind of sludgy
or thick, fats don't get brokendown.
So they'll stick around and sodoes your poop.
So this can cause greasy stool,bloating after meals, feeling
tired or sluggish.
Hormone issues like.
PMS or breakouts and bile canslow down for several reasons.
(06:40):
It can slow down if you are lowin minerals, which is something
that we commonly see in ourclients.
It just like struggling toactually produce bile, make bile
sometimes because of an upstreamissue, like low stomach acid, it
can, bile can also slow down ifyou've been avoiding fat for
years.
So you can have this kind ofadaptation over time where.
(07:03):
Your body just gets used tolower fat, so you have to work
your way back up.
And it can also slow down ifyour liver is overloaded from
stress or medications or toxins.
And that can make things alittle bit sluggish.
Like I mentioned some otherreasons bile can slow down would
be to hormo due to hormonalshifts, weight fluctuations, et
(07:24):
cetera.
So something to just payattention to.
The second reason would be thatyou don't have a gallbladder.
So if you don't have agallbladder, bile flow matters
even more.
Your gallbladder is like alittle storage pouch for bile,
so it saves it up and thenreleases it when you eat fat.
So if you've had it removed,bile drips constantly, but not
(07:47):
always when you need it.
So that makes fat digestion alittle harder.
It's very common that we workwith clients that have been
told, you know, they've hadtheir gallbladder out and
they've been told, oh, you don'tneed to change anything about
your diet.
You're totally fine.
That's not necessarily true.
You might have to be a littlebit more cognizant of your fat
intake, and not that you need togo super low fat or anything
(08:10):
like that, but you might have tobe more aware of how much fat
you can have at a time, or ifthere's certain enzymes that
might help you because you'renot getting that surge of bile
like you normally would when youeat a meal that's high in fat.
So without a gallbladder, you'remore likely to get stickier
floating stool, feel nauseous orbloated after fatty foods.
(08:32):
Maybe miss out on nutrients fromfat.
One thing that we often see ischronically low vitamin D.
The other fat soluble vitaminsare vitamins, a, de, and K.
And so you need to be able toemulsify fats and then digest
and absorb vitamins from fats.
The good news here is that youcan actually support your bile
flow.
You just may need a little extrahelp, like digestive bitters or
(08:55):
some specific enzymes.
Probably a little bit moremineral support, and a huge,
huge emphasis on making surethat you are taking your time,
chewing your food, slowing down,maybe playing around with what
types of fats you do betterwith, et cetera.
Reason number three is that youhave poor enzyme output from
(09:15):
your pancreas.
So your pancreas makes enzymes.
They're like tiny littlescissors that cut foods into
absorbable pieces.
That's what enzymes do, and ifyou don't have enough enzymes,
your body can't break down fator protein well, and so some
signs that your pancreas mightbe part of the issue is sticky
(09:36):
or yellow stool.
Bloating an hour or two aftereating.
You might see bits of undigestedfood in the toilet, like
especially vegetable fibers, oryou might feel full for hours
after a meal.
One of the things that we oftensee on testing for our clients
is a low stool elastase.
And these are always our clientsthat are like, yes, I'm full
(09:58):
forever, or It's really hard forme to eat a full meal.
And that's just the body reallysignaling, Hey, there's
something going on.
The pancreas needs a little bitof support, so some things that
can help.
This is obviously enzymesupport, but there's other
things that you can do chewingwhile spacing your meals out,
making sure that you have timefor kind of rest and digest in
(10:21):
between your meals.
And definitely talking to yourprovider on which enzymes might
be helpful for you.
If it's more fat related, welove like a chewable lipase.
Sometimes a little bit morecomprehensive pancreatic support
depending on what's going on.
The fourth reason would be lowstomach acid.
I talk about this a lot becauseit's actually very rare that
(10:42):
somebody would have high stomachacid, especially if you're on a
medication that lowers stomachacid.
Oftentimes when people have acidreflux, it's not because their
acid is high, it's because theacid is going the wrong way.
So instead of breaking down foodand then your stomach filling
with acid and emptying into yourbowels and.
(11:04):
Continuing the digestiveprocess, it's going the other
way, causing this acid feeling.
So stomach acid is not bad.
Your body needs it.
It's like the first domino thatstarts digestion.
And so if you don't have enoughacid, bile and enzymes don't get
triggered.
All of these things happen inorder and if you've listened to
my podcast for any amount oftime, you've definitely heard me
(11:26):
talk about North.
To south digestion, we need thesignaling to work.
So we need your minds to beready to eat.
We need your stomach to startsecreting acid.
We need your pancreas to be onboard, your liver and
gallbladder or your bile flow.
And then the chain kind of goesdown from there.
So if you don't have enoughstomach acid, your bile and
(11:47):
enzymes don't get triggered.
Food will just sit in yourstomach.
You might feel kind of heavy,full, or gassy after meals, and
you may burp a lot or get refluxSometimes when clients burp a
lot after high fat meals, itcould be gallbladder related.
It also could be low stomachacid related.
So low stomach acid equals that.
Digestion doesn't even getstarted.
(12:08):
Right?
And this is very, very commonand often missed.
And minerals are a huge piece ofthis.
You need things like sodium andchloride and zinc to help your
body make stomach acid.
Digestive bitters can also bereally helpful here, as well as
getting your body into a restand digest state so it knows
that it's safe to digest a mealand it's not running away from a
(12:31):
tiger.
All right.
The last reason that I wannatalk about is gut dysbiosis or
imbalances of bacteria in thegut, or small intestinal
bacterial overgrowth or sibo.
So your gut is full of trillionsof bacteria, some good, some
bad, and if there's too much ofthe wrong kind or just bacteria
in the wrong place, it's calleddysbiosis.
(12:51):
Or if it's specifically in thesmall intestine, it would be
called sibo.
These bugs can interfere withdigestion.
They can cause sticky, smelly,floating poop.
They can create gas, bloating,stomach noise, and they can even
mess with your mood andhormones.
You have a whole collection ofbacteria in your gut called the
estrobolome.
I talk a little bit about thison the episode that I did with
(13:14):
Dr.
Jolene Brighton.
If you wanna scroll back, I'lllink it in the show notes'cause
I can't remember what theepisode number, it was in the
forties, but I can't rememberwhat the episode number is off
the top of my head.
But if you wanna hear us talkmore about that, then you could
tune into that episode.
But if you feel like you reactto everything you eat, your
stomach is always off, you'rekind of bloated regardless of
(13:34):
what you eat.
You feel like you have tons offood sensitivities.
This might be a root cause andoften it is a root cause.
But kind of like I was talkingabout earlier with this whole
north to south digestion thing,this is not a concern if the
other pieces of digestion aren'tworking.
Like your stomach acid, yourpancreatic enzymes, your
gallbladder, we can't even getto addressing dysbiosis or SIBO
(13:58):
until those things are fixed.
Otherwise, we're just gonna beon this hamster wheel forever.
So it's really easy to get astools test back or something
and see like.
Oh, there's all these bacteria.
I wanna get rid of'em.
They're causing all theseissues.
But then if we also see thatyour body's not breaking down
proteins and carbs and fats,well then we need to put things
(14:19):
in the right order.
So sticky poop is just thesymptom.
There are real issuesunderneath, and the good news is
that every single one of themcan be supported with the right
approach.
The trick is just knowing whereyour body needs the most help.
So I wanna talk too about.
Why bile flow impacts more thanjust your stool.
(14:40):
The thing is that bile is notjust about poop.
If any practitioners arelistening to this episode and
you've been in my program, a gutpractitioner, you know that I'm
obsessed with bile and Iconstantly talk about why bile
is really the real MVP ofdigestion.
If your bile isn't flowing well,you will.
Feel it in your energy, yourhormones, your digestion, and
(15:03):
even your immune system.
So I wanna walk through a fewkey ways that sluggish bile can
show up beyond just your bowelmovements.
And the first one is fatigue, ifyou ever feel like you are
dragging throughout the day, nomatter how much you sleep, one
sneaky reason could actually bebile.
Bile helps you absorb fatsoluble vitamins, like vitamins
(15:25):
A, D, E, and K, like Imentioned.
And these are critical for yourenergy, your immune health, your
skin, your brain function.
And what I see all the time inour practice and just
individuals that I talk to iswomen with gallbladder issues or
sluggish bile often havechronically low vitamin D, even
(15:46):
when they're taking asupplement.
We have had a client in the pastwho was getting vitamin D
injections and even with theinjections, her vitamin D was
still in the twenties, maybewould get into the thirties.
When we finally fixed her bileand gallbladder issue, she no
longer needed the injections,which is pretty crazy.
(16:07):
And this was a multi-phaseprocess for her.
The reason partially that herbile flow was so poor was
actually because of some thingsupstream.
She had an h pylori infectionthat needed to be addressed, and
this was lowering stomach acidand that was impacting bile
signaling.
She also was.
Very low and very depleted in alot of minerals.
(16:30):
And so her body just didn't evenhave the raw materials to
actually make bile.
So when we were able to fixthese things over a couple
months, all of a sudden hervitamin D is back in a normal
range.
So it's not about sometimes whatyou take, you could take all the
vitamin D in the world, but it'sabout what can your body.
Actually use, what can youactually digest and absorb?
(16:53):
Another way that sluggish bilecan affect you is with hormone
imbalances, which is reallycommon that we see in our
clients as well.
So bile always plays a huge rolein hormone balance, especially
estrogen.
So your liver basically packagesup, used hormones like estrogen,
and sends them out through bile.
(17:14):
That's your body's way ofgetting rid of hormones.
But if bile is slow or stuck,estrogen will hang a around in
your body longer than it should.
You can go listen to thatepisode on the estrobolome if
you, want more information onthis.
But this can lead to a lot ofthings like PMS, painful
periods, breast tenderness,acne, mood swings.
(17:36):
And so it might be easy tothink, oh, I just need to know
what hormone supplement to takeor what thing is gonna fix my
hormones when it actually mightbe your gut.
So.
One thing that I mentionedearlier, but that I wanna
emphasize is that postpartum andpregnancy are times when you are
especially susceptible togallbladder issues.
(17:57):
We have had several clients overthe years that have come to us
having had emergency gallbladdersurgery in the postpartum years,
especially in those first couplemonths, because of the drastic
hormone shift.
They were like rushed into theemergency room.
Got their gallbladders out andthen, you know, months, years
(18:17):
later, they're now having GIsymptoms, which is why they end
up in our office.
So because of that massivehormonal shift after pregnancy,
often a rapid drop in weight,that combo can actually thicken
bile, making it harder to flow.
You want, you don't want sludgythick bile.
This is one of the reasons why.
So many women have gallbladderflareups, and end up getting
(18:39):
their gallbladder removed withina year of giving birth.
If this has happened to you, youare not alone.
There's lots of ways duringpregnancy and postpartum that
you can support your liver andgallbladder, which nobody's
talking about.
Even simple things like mineralscan really help, different herbs
and bitter foods.
Adding in more like dandeliongreens or arugula, radishes,
(19:02):
bitter foods can definitelyhelp.
And then there's some, differenttinctures and things that can be
helpful as well.
The third reason is a bloatingand SIBO risk.
So this is one of the, probablythe most common thing that we
see is bile also keeps your gutmoving and it cleans your gut.
(19:23):
So it has natural antimicrobialproperties, meaning that it
keeps bacteria in check.
So if your bile isn't flowingwell, things will slow down.
And when digestion slows downbacteria that shouldn't be in
your small intestine can startto overgrow.
That's what we call sibo orsmall intestinal bacterial
overgrowth.
So if you have constantbloating, especially after
(19:45):
meals, or you often feel smallamounts of food, you make you
really full.
Then sluggish bile could be amissing piece.
Or if you have recurrent sibo.
So like I said earlier, you needthat surge of bile to kind of
coat the small intestine andkill off bacterial because it's
antimicrobial.
And then the last one that Ijust thought I would mention
(20:06):
because we've been seeing thismore and more, is post covid I
gut symptoms.
So this one surprises people,but bile also helps.
Regulate your micro microbiomeand after Covid, many people
have lingering just reported GIissues, so.
Digestive changes may be a partdue in part to inflammation or
bile disruption because again,bile isn't just for fat
(20:30):
digestion.
It helps keep harmful bugs incheck.
It promotes healthy balance inyour bacteria and it supports
detox.
So if you've had some of theselong haul symptoms, a major
illness or virus, feel like yourgut's never been the same.
You may wanna look at bilehealth and liver health.
So sticky poop might be thefirst thing you notice, but.
(20:51):
As you're learning, it's notjust about poop.
Bile is really a big deal.
It touches your hormones, yourenergy, your immune system, your
gut bacteria, and if bile isn'tflowing, nothing else really
flows the way that it should.
So you're probably thinking,okay, great.
What do I actually do?
You don't need a super longsupplement list to get your bile
(21:12):
moving most likely.
Interrupting this episode reallyquickly to tell you about our
Mother's Day sale on the HTMAbundle.
So instead of flowers, thisMother's Day, tell your husband
you want minerals.
Seriously, send him the link andsay, I want the HTMA bundle, not
another candle.
It is$30 off.
(21:33):
This weekend only and the HTMAbundle is the best place to get
started.
If you are struggling with lowenergy, hormone imbalances,
bloating, or GI issues, it is agreat place to get started to
give you the personalizedsupport that you need to get
your body feeling like itselfagain.
Until Sunday, only May 11th, youcan grab the HDMA bundle using
(21:56):
the link in the show notes for$30 off.
So I wanna talk about five natural ways
that you can support bile flowthat are simple and make a big
difference.
The first one, which I'vementioned is to eat bitter
foods.
These are nature's way of justwaking up your digestive system.
Just like the smell of coffeegets your brain going in the
(22:17):
morning, bitter taste gets yourbile flowing.
So some of my favorites arearugula.
I love a salad with arugula.
I put it on literallyeverything.
I put arugula on eggs.
I put, I mix arugula into mysalad.
I put it in soup.
I love it.
Dandelion greens are anothergreat way.
Lemon juice and warm water canbe helpful.
(22:38):
That's why a lot of people dothat in the morning.
Radishes, apple cider vinegar,dark chocolate.
So yes, I'm telling you to eatdark, dark chocolate for the
sake of your gallbladder.
So try starting a few meals withjust a few bites of bitter or
sipping some lemon water or somedigestive bitters.
Even a splash of vinegar or avinegar based dressing can help
(23:00):
get things moving.
Tip number two would be mineralrich hydration.
So your bile is kind of likewater.
It needs the right minerals tostay fluid and flowing.
If you are low in potassium orsodium, bile can get thick and
sluggish, and we see this.
All the time, literally all thetime on HTMA testing, especially
(23:21):
in women who are stressed anddepleted and postpartum and
constipated and bloated.
So instead of focusing on, youknow, fiber and fat only try
also adding in minerals, fiber,fat minerals are a great combo
to help your bile.
So adding in a pinch of salt.
(23:42):
To your water, making a mineralmocktail with coconut water or
cream of tartar for some extrapotassium.
Use mineral drops or electrolytepowders.
Whatever you prefer.
You can obviously always godownload my mineral guide.
I have lots of different recipesand links in there.
Simple hydrating helps youabsorb nutrients.
(24:02):
It's a win-win.
The third tip is digestivebitters.
So this goes along with thebitter foods, but bitters from
different bitter foods are moreconcentrated in a bitters
tincture, and you really onlyneed a few drops, so you can
take them 10 to 15 minutesbefore your meals.
To prime your digestion.
The other great thing aboutdigestive bidders is you can
take them in between meals askind of a symptom relief tool.
(24:26):
So you can take them, I think,up to six times a day, depending
on which bidders.
And they're really great fordigestion as well as just
symptom relief.
So they're gonna trigger bilerelease, they're gonna support
your stomach acid, they're gonnacalm bloating in fullness.
Look for ones with.
Dandelion artichoke.
If you're on reflux meds, justcheck with your practitioner
(24:48):
first.
As always, this is not medicaladvice, so please just check
with your provider.
I'll link a couple resources inthe show notes if you wanna
check into this more.
Another really easy, quick andfree tip is to move your body.
Bile is stored in yourgallbladder and movement helps
to release it.
So even a short walk after ameal can stimulate bile flow and
(25:11):
digestion.
You don't need to do an intenseworkout, just some gentle
stretching, walking, deepbreathing, twisting motions like
yoga, all of these signal toyour body, Hey, we're using
food.
Let's digest it.
And then the last piece is don'tbe afraid of healthy fats.
So this might sound backwards,but you do need fat to release
(25:33):
bile.
So when people cut out fat fortoo long, especially after
having their gallbladderremoved, where they're just sent
home with, you know, dual, a lowfat diet, it actually makes bile
problems worse.
So your body's like, oh, cool,we're not eating fat, I guess I
don't need to make bile anymore.
So use high quality fats.
Like olive oil, avocado oil,grass fed ghee, egg yolks.
(25:54):
Aim to include a little fat ateach meal.
And then chew, give your bodythe chance to break it down even
without a gallbladder.
Small amounts of healthy fatspaced throughout the day can be
tolerated.
You just wanna space it out andinstead of doing it all at once,
and they're very necessary forvitamin absorption and hormone
health.
(26:15):
So these five tips can go a longway in supporting your bile and
your entire digestive system.
And if you're dealing with.
Sticky stools or hormonal swingsor bloating.
This is where I recommendstarting before diving into any
kind of fancy protocol.
So if you're nodding along like,yep, this is me.
You know, I'm not sure where tostart.
Let's talk about what to do.
(26:35):
If you're doing all of thosethings and you're still having
symptoms and when you shouldtest.
So if you're dealing with allthese symptoms testing could be
a good step if you're stilldealing with stick or floating
or greasy stool, if bloatingjust will not go away.
Constant fatigue or low vitaminD hormone symptoms like PMS,
(26:57):
acne or irregular cycles, ifyou're having post gallbladder
removal symptoms, if you havechronic sibo, that will not go
away regardless of how manyprotocols you've done.
Or your gut just hasn't feltright since you've had a virus
or pregnancy or just dealingwith burnout.
It might be helpful to take alook at what's actually going on
(27:19):
under the hood, because it couldbe multifaceted.
So some tests that could behelpful when we're helping
clients with these issues are,of course the GI Map test is
gonna be a really comprehensivestool test that looks at
specific fat digestion markers.
Signs of inflammation, ifthere's an overgrowth of
bacteria, and then if thepancreas and gallbladder are
(27:41):
doing their job.
So it gives us some reallystrategic places that we can
start.
And then the HTMA, of course, Ilove the HTMA as just a baseline
test for.
Anybody struggling with anysymptom because minerals are
really the foundation ofeverything from bile to enzymes
to hormones.
So if you're low in minerals oryour minerals are just
(28:03):
imbalanced, or if your body isin a stressed and depleted
state.
It gives us an idea of how yournervous system is doing, what
your mineral loss looks like.
And so these tests, either aloneor together, can give us a full
picture of what's going on so wecan make a plan to help your
body get moving.
If you are ready to get startedtoday, what you can do even
(28:25):
without a test, is start withthe basics.
So add in mineral rich drinksmineral mocktails, use digestive
bitters and include healthyfats.
Get in some gentle movement,especially after eating.
And then don't ignore the signsthat your body is giving you.
So your sticky stool is asymptom.
It's your body saying, Hey, it'swaving, its little red flag.
I need help.
(28:46):
The good news is that the helpdoes not have to be extreme.
So.
If you've tried fiber, you'vecut out gluten, you've done
every gut protocol under thesun, you still feel stuck.
It could be time to just zoomout.
The problem may not be yourfood.
It might be that your gut is notdoing its job, or your bile is
not doing its job.
So if you've made it this far,you know that.
(29:09):
Sticky peanut butter texturedstool is way more than just an
awkward bathroom moment.
It's your body's way of sayingthat it's having a hard time
breaking things down and that itneeds some support so you can
support your bile flownaturally.
You can improve your digestionand your hormones and your
energy, and you don't need a 20step.
Protocol or extreme foodelimination to do it.
(29:30):
So it starts with something assimple as more minerals, some
bitters, walking, et cetera.
So I hope that this episode wassuper helpful.
I would love it if you wouldshare it.
With someone who might benefitfrom it because you never know
who might need it.
And, don't forget also about theHTMA Mother's Day promo.
(29:54):
So if you're looking to get yourminerals tested, it's a great
intro way to work with our team.
It's$30 off through Sunday, May11th for the HTMA bundle.
That will get you the HTMA testas well as a consult to review
your results and a personalizedprotocol of how you can get
started.
So don't forget the link is inthe show notes with the coupon
(30:16):
code if you would like to dothat.
But I'll catch you next time onthe next episode of the Love
Your podcast.
Thanks for joining.
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