Show Notes
Most people think you need to poo every day to be healthy. You don’t. In this episode, we explain how to tell if your poo is normal, the warning signs you shouldn’t ignore, and the gut mistake you may be making on the toilet every day.
Dr Trisha Pasricha, a leading Harvard gastroenterologist, a columnist for the Washington Post and author of the book You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong, explains how your poo, gut health, and disease risk are linked, and when you should see a doctor.
Dr Pasricha guides us through why frequency, colour, and consistency all matter, and why there is no single “normal.” You’ll learn how to spot changes that could signal disease, including early warning signs linked to cancer and long-term brain health.
You’ll hear simple advice you can use straight away. This includes how to recognise your normal pattern, what changes to look out for, and how to avoid the common toilet habit that may affect your gut.
Are you looking at your poo every day? And, if not, what might you notice if you did?
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Timecodes
Intro
Your phone on the toilet: hidden risk?
Your colon runs on a clock
The illness that changed his gut for years
Why you should look before you flush
The poo colours you should never ignore
Why this sign is rising in younger adults
The stool colour doctors treat as urgent
What “perfect” poo actually looks like
What holding it in really does
The 3 things that control your bowel movements
Why gut problems are getting worse
The posture fix most people miss
The phone habit linked to 46% higher risk
Why your phone keeps you stuck there
The hidden gut–brain connection
What stress really does to your gut
Your gut may be controlling more than you think
Is IBS really misunderstood?
The theory that changes how we see Parkinson’s
The gut damage linked to future brain disease
The simple rule for better bowel movements
The foods that changed gut health in weeks
The surprising fix for constipation
The 2 habits most people ignore
A 60-second trick to calm your gut
If you change one thing, make it this
What matters most
📚Books by our ZOE Scientists
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks
Mentioned in today's episode
You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong by Dr Trisha Pasricha
GastrointestinalSymptoms in the United States, The American Journal of Gastroenterology (2018)
Smartphoneuse on the toilet and the risk of hemorrhoids, PLOS One (2025)
Impactsof Gut Bacteria on Human Health and Diseases, International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2015)
Associationbetween Early Adverse Life Events and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, CGH (2011)
Managementof Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease: A Comprehensive, National Library of Medicine (2024)
Constipationand risk of dementia in adults, Frontiers (2025)
Gastrointestinalissues and Autism Spectrum Disorder, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America (2020)
Ultra-ProcessedFood Consumption and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Nutrients (2025)
Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.
Episode transcripts are available here.