Dietician Shares Insights on Gut Health from Bathroom Habits

Registered dietitian Amanda Sauceda explains what your toilet time reveals about your digestive system.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 3:31am

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Registered dietitian and gut health expert Amanda Sauceda discusses how the frequency and appearance of your bowel movements can provide insights into your overall gut health. She explains that regular, healthy bowel movements are a key indicator, and that issues like constipation, bloating, and cravings may signal the need to improve your gut microbiome through diet, exercise, and stress management.

Why it matters

Gut health has become a major focus of wellness and nutrition in recent years, but there is still a lot of confusion around the topic. This article provides clear, expert-backed guidance on using simple bathroom habits to assess gut health and take proactive steps to improve digestion and overall wellbeing.

The details

According to Sauceda, having at least one bowel movement per day is ideal, and anything less than that for three days could be a sign of constipation. She also notes that even if you're going daily, if your stool appears dry, hard, or difficult to pass, that's another red flag. The main cause of constipation is typically a lack of dietary fiber. Sauceda also says that persistent bloating, especially after meals, as well as unexplained food cravings, can indicate gut health issues that may require attention.

  • Sauceda is a registered dietitian and gut health nutritionist based in Long Beach, California.

The players

Amanda Sauceda

A registered dietitian, gut health nutritionist, and nutrition lecturer at California State University, Long Beach. She is the owner of The Mindful Gut, which helps people improve their gut health using mindfulness.

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What they’re saying

“Your poop is one of the best indicators of your gut health because it can give insight into how your body is digesting its food. A bowel movement is the final phase of digestion, and how often you're going along with what it looks like can give us insight into our gut.”

— Amanda Sauceda, Registered Dietitian and Gut Health Nutritionist (tomsguide.com)

“The biggest reason most people are constipated is that there's a lack of fiber in their diet. A majority of people aren't meeting the daily fiber requirements, and that can decrease gut motility and contribute to uncomfortable bathroom trips.”

— Amanda Sauceda, Registered Dietitian and Gut Health Nutritionist (tomsguide.com)

What’s next

Sauceda recommends focusing on increasing fiber intake, staying hydrated, and finding healthy ways to manage stress in order to support overall gut health.

The takeaway

By paying attention to your bathroom habits, you can gain valuable insights into the state of your gut health and take proactive steps to improve digestion, energy levels, and overall wellbeing through simple diet and lifestyle changes.