The Gut Health Episode: Harvard Doctor Reveals What’s Normal (and What’s Not)

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Mar 30, 2026

Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a Harvard gut-brain specialist and gastroenterologist, brings a funny, no-shame look at digestion. She gets into what normal poop really looks like, bloating, constipation, hemorrhoid-triggering bathroom habits, colon cancer warning signs, and why your stomach can affect mood, stress, and the brain.

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ADVICE

Use Your Bowel Movements As Daily Health Data

Look at your stool and track shape, consistency, color, pain, bloating, and whether you felt relief after going because each bowel movement acts like a small health report card.
If constipation persists despite usual fixes, consider pelvic floor mechanics; one study found some people improved just by raising knees above waist.

ADVICE

Daily Pooping Can Still Mean Something Is Wrong

A daily bowel movement is not enough if it takes 20 to 30 minutes, requires straining, or comes with recurring bloating, cramps, urgency, or pain after eating.
Pasricha says normal includes comfort and function, not just frequency, and many symptoms people dismiss deserve attention.

ADVICE

The Four Colon Cancer Signs To Act On

Do not ignore abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, iron deficiency anemia, or any persistent new change in bowel habits because these are major colorectal cancer warning signs.
Pasricha says even one to two weeks of a new pattern, including suddenly thinner stool, deserves medical attention.

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If you’ve ever wondered whether your bloating is normal, what your poop is supposed to look like, or why your stomach seems to have a mind of its own… you are definitely not the only one.

This conversation is hilarious, science-backed, and packed with the answers to questions we all have but rarely ask.

By the end, you’ll understand your body better, feel less embarrassed about what it’s doing, and finally have a practical guide to taking care of your gut instead of guessing.

Today, Dr. Trisha Pasricha is here to answer every question you’ve been too embarrassed to ask out loud.

Dr. Pasricha is a Harvard Medical School physician-scientist, a board-certified gastroenterologist, director of the Institute for Gut-Brain Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the longtime “Ask a Doctor” columnist for The Washington Post. She’s also the author of the new book You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong.

She’s funny, brilliant, and completely unafraid to talk about the things most doctors avoid, from poop and bloating to hemorrhoids, colon cancer risk, and the surprising ways your gut influences your mood and brain.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
-What a normal poop looks like and when you should go to a doctor

-Why you’re bloated and what to do about it

-Why looking at your phone on the toilet dramatically increases hemorrhoid risk (and the 5‑minute rule every GI doctor follows)

-The #1 mistake make that causes constipation

-Why more young people are getting colon cancer, and the early warning signs of colon cancer you should never ignore

-What your gut is telling you about your stress and mental health
-The simple habits that support digestion, gut health, and long-term wellness

This is the ultimate no shame conversation that will help you finally understand how to listen to your gut.

Dr. Pasricha will change the way you think about digestion, gut health, and yes, even poop.

For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page.

If you liked the episode, check out this one next: Change Your Body & Your Life in 1 Month: 4 Small Habits That Actually Work

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