Why was my poop crazy?

[chaoticbear]

I'm not one to analyze stool, but I did happen to notice tonight, among some GI distress the following:

I though that I had diarrhea. "Crap," I say.

So I finish, and am getting up, when I see... Whoa?!

There are leaves of vegetables floating around the bowl, along with solid feces.

So the "suspected diarrhea" was really little pieces of partially digested vegetables. I know that corn syndrome comes from the body's inability to break part of it down... but I've never noticed it with standard green leafy vegetables.

*confused*

[Tripler]

Now that's some crazy shit.

[Tripler]

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist! :D

Honest question (with a slight hijack): Why can't the body digest corn? And is there anything else it's not exactly equipped to handle?

If we can't digest corn, is there any nutritional value then?

Tripler
But the leafy greens? Got me there too.

[Alice The Goon]

Did you eat Romaine lettuce recently? I've found that I have a problem digesting it. Don't know why, though.

[chaoticbear]

Did you eat Romaine lettuce recently? I've found that I have a problem digesting it. Don't know why, though.

Yup. Salad with Romaine lettuce exclusively (well, there were other things, but no other kind of lettuce) this afternoon for lunch. That's weird, though, because I've never had a problem with it. Today was, however, the first day that I made a salad out of a whole head of romaine instead of buying the prebagged salad mix. I hope it wasn't that, because I can make my own for less than half the cost of those bags... (and we'll have romaine in our garden at some point.)

[DrDeth]

Honest question (with a slight hijack): Why can't the body digest corn? And is there anything else it's not exactly equipped to handle?

If we can't digest corn, is there any nutritional value then?

.

Your body does digest corn. What you see (usually) is just the empty husks (and those are cellulose, which isn't digestable) However- Corn is rather hard to digest, and can cause stomach distress and gas.

Many leafy green veggies are mostly fiber and cellulose, both of which "pass through". This is one of the benefits of such- you get fiber and your bowels move. Don't worry- usually most of the food value has been digested out. One exception being the iron in spinach, which the human digestive system really can't get at.

I suggest more fiber, and more probiotics (the "live" part of "live culture yogurt). Most Americans don't get enough of either.

[chaoticbear]

I eat a thing of yogurt with lunch every day, so that's probably not it.

It's not a fiber problem, at least I don't think so. I think that it might have something to do with my eating habits getting weird, though. For the last couple of weeks, I've been waking up at 11am or so, eating a poptart or two at about 1, eating "lunch" at 5, and then eating a few cookies or something at 11-ish.

[DrDeth]

I eat a thing of yogurt with lunch every day, so that's probably not it.

I think that it might have something to do with my eating habits getting weird, though.

Hmm, check to make sure your yogurt is "live culture". But yes, a drastic change in your eating habits, as you described, will change your BM habits. I think that's it.

Incidentally- that advice "get more fiber and more probiotics" is good advice for almost every one here. CR just did an article on the benefits of probiotics.

Also note that "regularity" doesn't mean one BM at the same time every day. That's BS. It's better to have a couple, and "the same exact time every day' isn't nessesarily a good thing.... or a bad thing mind you. It's just an indication of a habit, rather than healthly bowels.

[Mangetout]

Are you currently taking antibiotics?

[Tenar]

Why was my poop crazy?

Bad day at work?

[Broomstick]

I find extreme heat can loosen my bowels and their products, as can abrupt changes in habits. Not to mention the occassional bit of food that's slightly "off".

There are a lot of reasons your used food can emerge in unusual form.

If it was just one episode I wouldn't worry about it too much - it's when you have multiple episodes that you need to be concerned.

[BwanaBob]

Fascinating stuuf this thread - but it could have used a TMI.

[Fringe]

Fascinating stuuf this thread - but it could have used a TMI.

That's true. I must say however, when I see a title such as "Why was my poop crazy?", I assume that it's going to be at least slightly TMI.

[ParentalAdvisory]

If we can't digest corn, is there any nutritional value then?

Hmm, I don't know. I tend to look at it like rebar in concrete. You know, keeps it all together nice and strong.

[NurseCarmen]

Salad Shooter.

[Future Londonite]

Finding salad leaves in my poop happens to me quite frequently............it also happens to me with red/green peppers, cashews, beans.......

I guess my digestive system is quite off - and the same note I also notice that I will poop out stuff I ate like 8 hours earlier.

Should I see a specialist about this or should the whole fiber/'live' culture incorpoartion to my diet change this?

[chaoticbear]

Yup, it's live culture yogurt. :)

[DrDeth]

Finding salad leaves in my poop happens to me quite frequently............it also happens to me with red/green peppers, cashews, beans.......

I guess my digestive system is quite off - and the same note I also notice that I will poop out stuff I ate like 8 hours earlier.

Should I see a specialist about this or should the whole fiber/'live' culture incorpoartion to my diet change this?

No cramps? Bowels aren't liquid? No blood? Unless you have one of those three signs (there are others that don't apply to you, such are severe constipation), you're likely all right. I assume you see your MD every so often anyway, might as well mention it. If you haven't had a check up in a year- why not go get one anyway?

I would say that adding probiotics would help.

[chaoticbear]

I haven't been to the doctor for a checkup since elementary school. Is this bad?

[Push You Down]

TMI!


After a hearty dinner of a buffalo steak on a steamed spinach bed I immediately had to go to the bathroom. For number 2 of course... My log was half normal solid brown the other half was all compressed green spinach.....

It was WEIRD.

[DrDeth]

I haven't been to the doctor for a checkup since elementary school. Is this bad?

How old are you? Have you had any other health screenings? I assume you have health insurance?

[chaoticbear]

I'm 18, other health screenings: Not really. I went to student health services last semester when I had a UTI, and I still have a kidney stone. Yes, I do have health insurance.

[DrDeth]

Well, at 18, it isn't as critical as it is over 40, but yes, a physical isn't a bad idea at all.

Call your Doctors office and enquire.

[sunstone]

Human digestive abilities do not include the breakdown of celllulose and lignin; during chewing, the teeth normally break the cell walls found in plant material apart. These cell walls consist of cellulose and lignin. With complete chewing, the contents of the cell will be exposed to the digestive processes. The contents will be reduced into smaller components that can then be absorbed throught the intestinal lining.

If a single corn seed slips by the chewing process, the coating (made of cellulose and lignin) will keep the contents from being broken down, and the seed will complete its travel through the digestive tract intact. If the corn seed is chewed well, the coat will travel through the digestive tract but the individual fragments of material will not be visible to the naked eye.

(As an aside, fecal materials if treated properly and then examined under the microscope will reveal many plant fragments, and the diet of the fecal maker can be determined to a great degree. Uhhh....I have had an interesting life....)

[newcrasher]

What are probiotics?

[dlack]

Finding salad leaves in my poop happens to me quite frequently............it also happens to me with red/green peppers, cashews, beans.......

I guess my digestive system is quite off - and the same note I also notice that I will poop out stuff I ate like 8 hours earlier.

Should I see a specialist about this or should the whole fiber/'live' culture incorpoartion to my diet change this?

Have you experimented with chewing more?

[DrDeth]

What are probiotics?

Lactobacillus Acidophilus and it's little freinds. Sometimes just called Acidophilus, it's what yogurt uses to turn milk into yogurt. So, if you see "live culture" on your yogurt container, then you have probiotics. You can also get pills and other supplements at a health-food store, if you prefer pills to eating yogurt.

[biddee]

One exception being the iron in spinach, which the human digestive system really can't get at.

Could I please get a cite for that. My mother always used to force me to eat spinach when I was a kid because of the iron and now my daughter has low iron, so I've been encouraging her to eat it (she likes it, go figure) but this is the first time that I am hearing that it is not bioavailable.

[DrDeth]

http://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/min_iron.html

" References to Popeye and his spinach consumption perpetrates a popular myth – eat a lot of spinach to get your iron. While rich in iron, spinach also contains oxalic acid which inactivates the iron. Spinach with the oxalic acid removed is an excellent source of iron, and the plant material without the oxalic acid naturally chelates the iron for maximum assimilation. This form is probably only available to the average person in supplement form."

[Future Londonite]

DLECK

Actually I a few weeks ago I started having trouble swallowing at times - especially with starchy products................so off to the doctor I went. Had to do the whole Barium-swallow with the X-ray thingy and such..............

Well it turns out I suffer from esaphogus spasms. I was told to chew more and longer and to drink more water while eating.

Ever since doing that I hardly suffer from spasms as well as freaky poop

[Uvula Donor]

Your poop is crazy? I went to a free tasting at the Planter's factory, and my poop went nuts!

[Muffin]

The problem is that occasionally a Doper becomes his handle. You are turig into a donkey, and being a chaotic donkey, you have been eating too many leaves.

Count yourself lucky. I'm turing into a muffin.

[chaoticbear]

Ok, I didn't have the problem today, but there were some other variables: I was eating romaine hearts today instead of romaine, it was organic today instead of the regular kind (it was on sale that day), and it was cut with baby spinach today instead of just straight romaine.

Growl.

[ageless6]

The problem is that occasionally a Doper becomes his handle. You are turig into a donkey, and being a chaotic donkey, you have been eating too many leaves.

Count yourself lucky. I'm turing into a muffin.



when you've fully turned into a muffin, can I slather you with butter and...well, never mind.
I'd hate to poop you out.That would make 'ole ageless6 a sad Panda, indeed.

[biddee]

http://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/min_iron.html

" References to Popeye and his spinach consumption perpetrates a popular myth – eat a lot of spinach to get your iron. While rich in iron, spinach also contains oxalic acid which inactivates the iron. Spinach with the oxalic acid removed is an excellent source of iron, and the plant material without the oxalic acid naturally chelates the iron for maximum assimilation. This form is probably only available to the average person in supplement form."

Damn! So I ate that nasty spinach for nothing! Is there any nutrional value to spinach at all then?