There truly is nothing like a good poop. Like the ones that make you proud and want to call your mom about. The ones that leave you feeling lighter, like you just had confession and left all your sins at the porcelain throne. The poops that you want to take a picture of and send to your S.O. but you don’t because that’s crossing a line you two haven’t reached… yet. Why can’t those poops happen all the time or at least more often?! 

If you suffer from loose stools or diarrhea, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Whether it be common diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), many people experience it. But we’re here to give you a few pointers on how to make your bowel movements more solid with the food you eat. 

Hint: They’re all fiber-rich. 

10 Binding and Bulking Foods for Your Bowels

With so many different weight-loss diets out there to try, our stomach and our bowels really go through it. All meat to plant-based to raw to binging eating on a Saturday afternoon, it takes some time for our microbiomes to catch up with our ever-changing eating habits. This is most likely what contributes to your loose poos. So what are the best foods to eat to maintain good digestive health? 

The keyword today is “soluble fiber”. Soluble fiber is a type of fiber that works by attracting water and turns it into a gel during digestion. This slows the digestion process and can help to add bulk to bowel movements. Here are five foods that pay attention to a fiber diet and can help your digestive system and bowel movements.

1. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great source of soluble fiber. Eating oatmeal will help bind your stool and reduce your need to rush to the toilet when you’re experiencing diarrhea. Plus, this hearty meal is filled with whole grains that bulk up your bowels, keeping you fuller for longer — a win-win for a healthy start to your day and a happy gut! 

2. Psyllium Husks

Psyllium is a plant with a high source of fiber and both a binding and loosening superpower. It’s often used to relieve symptoms of both constipation and mild diarrhea. You can add psyllium husk to your smoothies, use it as a thickener or just dissolve it in a good old fashioned glass of water. If you think you’ve never heard of psyllium husk before, trust me you have. That’s what Metamucil is.

3. White Rice

White Rice is low in fiber so it helps by not promoting bowel movements. This allows the bowels to bulk instead of promoting them to move. For example, brown rice would be higher in insoluble fiber which helps food pass more quickly through the stomach. So if you’re looking for a binding food to help stop up some loose stools, then white rice is an easy fix that most people have on hand in their pantry!

4. Bananas

Bananas are also a great source of potassium which is an electrolyte that needs to get replaced when you’re dealing with loose bowel movements. Though there is some speculation around whether bananas bulk or loosen stools, we like to think that it has qualities to do both!

5. Broth-Based Soups

Broth-based soups help replenish the losses of salt and potassium from having a bout of loose bowels.  A hearty chicken or vegetable broth soup can rehydrate your gut, and contribute to bulking up your next bowel movement.

6. Beans, Peas, and Other Legumes

Legumes are food with large amounts of fiber, which you now by now, your butt LOVES. The soluble fiber absorbs water and develops into a big sticky gel that can solidify your body's waste.

7. Creamy Peanut Butter

A spoonful of peanut butter is a quick source of calories and protein that also adds fiber to your diet and is a nice binding mechanism for your stools. Even better, try some peanut butter on a piece of whole grain toast for a protein packed, energy filled snack that will help bind any remainder of liquidy poops!

8.  Potato (without the skin)

The skin of a baked potato is nutritious, but it may contain more fiber than your system is up for handling when you're dealing with less-than-favorable runny stools. While you're still having diarrhea, stick to peeled, plain potatoes instead, to bulk things right up.

9.  Applesauce

Applesauce is recommended for diarrhea because of its stool-binding properties that help stop diarrhea and replenish the nutrients lost throughout the sickness.

10.  Tapioca

Doctors recommend tapioca for people with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diverticulitis that can cause flares of digestive symptoms.  Tapioca derives from the cassava root, and is practically pure starch, so it’s no wonder why it’s a great option to bind loose stools.

Probiotics Can Help Make Your Poop More Solid

Probiotics are bacterial strains that are thought to be beneficial to our digestive tracts. There is evidence that they promote a more favorable balance of your gut bacteria.

This beneficial effect on the bacteria within your large intestines and small intestines may help your body to establish improved motility and result in less intestinal gas, both of which can serve to slow down the fast speed of intestinal contractions that ​contribute to loose stools.

You can increase your intake of probiotics through probiotic supplement formulations or by eating fermented foods. That means stocking up on the yogurt and sauerkraut.

Recovering Your Gut After an Illness

The above steps are particularly important in restoring your gut after you have to take antibiotics. One of the unfortunate side effects of antibiotics is that they are not selective in which bacteria they end up annihilating. 

All bacteria die… even the good stuff. So to restore it and to help ward off diarrhea and to get your gut working properly again, it is crucial to take probiotics, eat fermented foods, and of course the foods mentioned above. 

If you’re still having trouble restoring your gut to 100%, seek medical attention from a professional to help guide you to the proper methods. There is a chance that it could be a bigger issue affecting your health. 

Once you get your bowels moving just how you want them to, make sure to keep your butt clean with a TUSHY Classic Bidet Attachment.

Listen to your body. Listen to your gut. And listen to your butt.