As food winds through the GI tract, bacteria digest the bile, turning the bile from a green to yellow and finally to a cinnamon brown color - so that the finished masterpiece of your poop is a cinnamon brown color. Yellow stool means you eliminated your bowels pre-cinnamon stage, before bacteria finished processing your bile. When stools are eliminated too quickly, the bacteria don't have time to break down the bile into its yellow form. Under these rapid conditions, your body can't complete its task of crafting a healthy poop.
Fast moving poop is usually a sign that your intestines are irritated, a Pitta imbalance. Pitta is hot, sharp, fast, intense, and liquid in nature, just like diarrhea and loose stools. In Ayurveda, fast moving bowels are called ati pravrutti in purisha vaha srotas (the elimination pathway). Soft bowels are called mrdu koshta.
In hot weather or after eating spicy food, so much blood is moving through the liver that the liver overproduces bile. Pitta people tend to have sensitive livers anyway, and may experience these symptoms even in winter.
Fatty foods also increase bile production. Generally, when a Pitta person consumes too much fat it sends your poop flying through your intestines at top speed. For this reason, Pitta people do not digest fat well.
Intestinal disorders including infection, parasites, IBS, & celiac disease also irritate the intestines leading to rapid bowel transit.
Herbs like shatavari have both an anti-microbial action and cool the intestines. Arjuna is an astringent herb that bind stools. Marshmallow root is a demulcent to soothe intestines.
In this case check the health of your liver, as well as the pancreas to see if you are producing enough fat digesting enzymes like bile and lipase. Cystic fibrosis and pancreatic enzyme deficiencies may also create light colored stools. These conditions are more complex and you'll definitely want to work with your doctor and Ayurvedic practitioner to come up with the right approach for you.
If Vata's dryness is contributing to your lack of bile, sipping warm water throughout the day with a pinch of salt and a wedge of lemon or lime can help. The sour taste in lime increases bile production. You want to avoid drying foods like crackers, dried fruit, raw foods and legumes.
Kale and other bitter foods and herbs also stimulate bile. Amalaki, aloe vera gel, turmeric, kutki, guduchi and fenugreek are just some examples of the many herbs that increase bile production. These bitter foods and herbs can improve fat digestion as they increase bile production. Many of them reduce inflammation in the GI tract as well.
Consult with a practitioner to get an herbal formula and diet that is right for you. Consider yellow stool to be a helpful early warning sign and let it inspire you to get your gut tuned up.
If you have symptoms in this category, your body is sending you a warning sign. Since digestion is so metabolically intensive and sensitive to stress and emotions, the earliest warning signs of imbalance usually appear in the digestive tract first. You may have gas and bloating, for example, or acid reflux. Ayurveda recommends paying careful, close attention to warning signs. They indicate that an imbalance is starting to accumulate. Correct these warning signs before they accumulate further and weaken your body's resistance. This is usually accomplished by removing diet and lifestyle habits that aggravate your imbalanced doshas and biocharacteristics.
Symptoms Tell A Story
The first step to healing is learning patterns from your symptoms. Symptoms are clues that reveal underlying imbalances. Symptoms show you where your body is weakened. Ultimately, all disease has a root in tissues too weak to defend itself. Ayurveda describes these patterns of weakness using doshas & biocharacteristics. If you notice a biocharacteristic or dosha appears next to many of your symptoms, it helps you establish a pattern that may be systemic.BIOCHARACTERISTIC | DO YOU HAVE THIS IMBALANCE? |
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PITTA | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Pitta' dosha. |
OILY | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Oily' guna. |
HOT | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Hot' guna. |
PUNGENT | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Pungent' taste. |
SOUR | FIND OUT Status UnknownTake these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Sour' taste. |
To learn more about the symbols above, click on them. See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
About the Author
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 6 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.