Tag: yeast

Mucous in the Stool

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Why is there mucous in your poop?

Have you ever looked (we all look, it’s normal) at your poop and thought – what IS that? If there’s a jellylike substance (it looks like snot in the toilet bowl) in the stool, it could be an indication that there’s an infection in the bowel.

There are levels of intensity when we’re addressing mucous in the stool:

Mild: Small amount, occasional mucous. This indicates a mild overgrowth of non-pathogenic (meaning not disease-causing), non-commensal (meaning not the good bacteria) bacteria or yeast in the bowel. This is typically seen in patients with bloating, irregular bowel movements and other IBS symptoms. I address this using antimicrobial herbs and supplements for a short time frame, plus a well-balanced probiotic.

Moderate: Moderate amount, frequent mucous. This indicates a more aggressive overgrowth of non-pathogenic, non-commensal bacteria or yeast in the small or large bowel. This is seen in patients with more severe IBS and sometimes in SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and may require lab testing prior to deciding on the appropriate treatment approach.

Severe: Large amounts with severe diarrhea. This indicates a pathogenic (disease-causing) infection. This is seen in patients with a harmful infection, often traveller’s diarrhea or a parasitic infection. If you are experiencing this type of symptoms, please see your MD, ask for a stool sample, and you may need antibiotics (yes, I do support antibiotics when necessary). Follow up with your Naturopathic Doctor to replenish the gut flora with good bacteria, help with gut healing, and determine the best nutrition protocol during and after treatment.

Red flag: If there is bloody mucous in the stool, we’ll send you for fecal calprotectin testing and/or a colonoscopy, as blood is a risk factor for more serious conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Other causes: If infection isn’t the cause, it could be another underlying condition such as Celiac disease or a liver or gall bladder issue causing a malabsorption of fats (often mistaken for mucous). A full assessment of the rest of your bowel habits helps us to narrow this down so that we can send you for appropriate lab testing.

We can learn a lot from asking about bowel habits! Asking about mucous in the stool is only one of my 10 questions that I ask every patient about their bowel health.

Here’s the full list:

  • Is there mucous in your stool?
  • Is there blood in your stool?
  • Is there undigested food (other than corn) in your stool?
  • How many bowel movements to you have per day?
  • Do you feel fully evacuated?
  • Shape: Is the stool well formed / pelleted / liquid etc. ? *Bristol stool chart helps!
  • Do you experience urgency?
  • Do you have abdominal pain, or pain on passing a bowel movement?
  • Do you feel gassy?
  • Do you experience bloating?

Book your appointment to address your digestive symptoms, because a happy gut is the foundation of a healthy body.

Top 5 Marketing Traps

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Marketing can be sneaky and misleading! These are the most commonly de-bunked marketing myths I see in my office. Let’s dig into each so that we can understand why these fads are not as healthy as they’re made-out to be.

Probiotic yogurt aids digestion – FALSE

Probiotic yogurt like Activia have convinced us that eating these foods helps build a healthy gut microbiome. To put it bluntly… they don’t! The strain “B. regularis” is not a research-driven strain of bacteria that is part of a healthy microbiome.

Kombucha is healthy for gut flora – FALSE

Kombucha is a fermented tea made with yeast culture. If you have #digestion issues like IBS, Crohn’s or colitis it’s important to be mindful of the types of bacteria you’re introducing into your system. The yeast cultures in kombucha can be like adding fuel to the fire if our gut microbiome isn’t already in a healthy place.

Diet soda is better than regular – FALSE

Diet soda is made sweet with artificial sweeteners that have been shown to be linked to cancer. Research also shows diet soda negatively alters the gut flora within hours of drinking even one can. Interestingly, research also shows that people who consume artificial sweeteners typically eat more total sugar in a day than those who do not because the tongue tells the brain to expect calories that never arrive, so in turn, we crave more sugar.

Lactose-free doesn’t cause indigestion – FALSE

Lactose free dairy IS helpful for people who genetically don’t have the “scissors” needed to snip a lactose sugar molecule in half; you know who you are, my lactose intolerant friends! This is DIFFERENT from someone who has an inflammatory response (aka food sensitivity) to the PROTEINS (not lactose sugar) in dairy. If you have IBS, bloating, IBD or heartburn, simply avoiding lactose isn’t enough because your body reacts to the proteins found in dairy and those are still present in lactose-free products. Simply put: it’s an immune system issue, not a sugar-scissors issue.

Gluten-free is always healthier – FALSE

I’m all for living a gluten free life, however a lot of gluten free products are very high in sugar and other additives. Always read labels to make sure sugar content is as low as possible. More importantly, try to buy whole-food substitutions instead of look-alike products. For example, quinoa, GF oats, lentils, sweet potato and squash are all healthy whole-food sources of GF complex carbs.

The world of online nutrition advice can be tough to navigate, so peer-reviewed research studies are always my go-to for getting to the truth!

Book your apportionment and we’ll create a meal plan based on your personal nutritional needs and preferences.

Curb Your Sugar Cravings

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Do you have a sweet tooth? There are lots of physiological reasons that we might crave sugar. When patients come in asking about curbing their sugar cravings, my first goal is to understand why they might be experiencing cravings in the first place. Then we can take a targeted approach to make those sugar cravings stop for good.

Reason #1: Low energy levels

When we’re tired, our bodies seek out ways of boosting energy. The fastest way to make energy (ATP) is by using sugars in the blood stream (glucose), and the fastest way to get them there is by eating simple sugars. This is why at 3pm, when we’re running low on energy, we often crave a sweet treat.

Solution #1: Understand why you’re tired, and fix it.

This often means improving your sleep quality and or sleep quantity. It also means researching other common underlying causes of fatigue, like dehydration (so simple, but so true!), nutrient deficiencies, or having an under-active thyroid.

Reason #2: Emotional eating and boredom

When we eat sugar, our brain releases a hormone called dopamine, which is our reward hormone. Dopamine makes us feel good! However, research shows that over time this response becomes worn-down, so that we need more and more sugar to get the same dopamine “feel good” response.

Sometimes we’ve also learned to eat sugar out of habit or boredom. We don’t even notice it’s happening until the bag or bar is empty, and we’re not even enjoying the deliciousness of the treat.

Many of us have also learned to use sugar as a coping mechanism for stress. Treats may have been used to reward us as children (or bribe us…), or are associated with happy memories, like getting ice cream after winning your soccer game. For myself, once I finished my dinner I was always allowed to eat two cookies. This isn’t bad parenting at all – but to this day, I don’t feel as if dinner is complete without that hit of sweetness at the end.

Solution #2: Mindfulness

The key lies in recognizing these patterns so that they no longer have a hold over us. In the example of my own life, I can cognitively say to myself “I know I have eaten enough food, I know that I’m full, and I don’t need a cookie to finish off a meal”. For the person who eats for comfort, it might be recognizing that and then engaging in positive self-talk, or finding another activity to release dopamine like going for a walk or hugging your partner/child/pet. For the person who reaches for sugar out of habit or boredom, use a small bowl and eat one bite at a time, trying to savour each bite, and see how you feel.

Reason #3: Candida (yeast) overgrowth

Candida is a yeast that occurs as part of our gut flora. Like all molds, if given too much fuel it can over-grow, and yeast feasts on sugar. As a result, an overgrowth of yeast can actually make us crave sugar, because it wants to keep growing. Candida overgrowth can cause bloating, low energy, brain fog, and lots more. Read about it in this article for the full lesson on Candida.

Solution #3: Kill off the excess Candida and replace it with healthy bacteria.

This should always be done under the care of an experienced healthcare practitioner, as many “online guides” can be either ineffective or dangerous and detrimental to our digestive system.

Reason #4: Blood sugar crashes

When we eat simple carbohydrates (foods that are easily broken down into sugars), our bodies digest them quickly and then dump a large amount of glucose (sugar) into the system all at once for fuel. This causes a spike in blood sugar, and a big release of insulin to help metabolize the circulating sugars. When the dust settles, we get a blood sugar crash and our bodies crave sugar again to boost these low blood sugar levels. The higher the high, the lower the low, and the stronger the cravings.

Solution #4: Balance blood sugar

My mantra for keeping blood sugar stable is: fat, fibre, and protein with every meal and every snack. These three macronutrients are harder for the body to break down, so they slow down what’s called our “gastric emptying time”. All this means that instead of a quick spike and subsequent crash, it’s a slow-release of fuel into the blood stream, with a lower insulin release. This prevents the crash from happening, and we avoid the subsequent sugar craving all together. Added bonus: These nutrients also keep us fuller for longer, which doesn’t hurt the sugar cravings, either.

Reason #5: Eating artificial sweeteners

Research shows that people who use artificial sweeteners actually end up eating more sugar during their day than people who don’t. Artificial sweeteners pack a lot of sweetness per tastebud; even a small amount tastes very sweet. As a result, they send a very strong message to the brain, and to the rest of our digestive tract that says. “We’re about to be hit with a BOAT LOAD of sugar, so get ready!” … and then our stomach doesn’t receive the corresponding expected amount of fuel (whomp whomp). As a result, a signal is sent to the brain to tell us to crave more sugar.

Solution #5: If you’re going to eat something sweet, just do it.

Focus on sugars with a lower glycemic index, like maple syrup, honey, sugars found in fruit (dates and bananas are often in recipes as sweeteners) and raw organic coconut sugar. These are the “healthiest” sources of sugar, but still count as sugar, so please continue to practice mindfulness around eating them.

If you go by the “knowledge is power” rule, and you know you can have stevia in your coffee and not give into the corresponding sugar cravings later in the day, then go ahead. Please continue to avoid all other types of artificial sweeteners for reasons I will write about another time.

Other quick tips for curbing sugar cravings:

  • Brush your teeth right after dinner
  • Plan, plan, plan! Have readily available snacks that are full of fat + fibre + protein (nuts and seeds, dried chickpeas, nut butter with celery or an apple, greek yogurt with pumpkin seeds or hemp hearts, or my amazing protein bars.
  • If you haven’t the mastered self control (like me + cookies), then don’t bring it into the house.
  • Treats should be a treat! Save it for once a week – date night, dinner at a friend’s, holidays, etc.
  • Be confident with saying no at work. Ask for peoples’ support in your health choices if they chide you, and realize they’re projecting their own sugar-relationship onto you if they’re not being supportive (circle back to Reason #2).
  • When you do eat sugar, ENJOY IT! No guilt, no rushing, just savour the deliciousness and enjoy the hit of dopamine :).

Book an appointment with Dr. Hilary Chambers, ND to develop healthy sugar-free habits and address the underlying causes of your sugar addiction.