Ashley’s answer: Don’t worry, it’s not you, it’s the quinoa! Well, sort of. Anytime a food shows up close to its whole form in our poop, it means that the food was not fully digested. That means all the parts weren’t broken down and absorbed for optimal use in the body. This should be cause for alert, but not always cause for alarm. Some foods, quinoa included, contain some fiber that is not meant to be digested. We call it insoluble or indigestible fiber, and its job is to pass through the system and pull out waste along with it. Think of it like tape or a brush that you use to remove lint from a sweater. If you see some parts of quinoa in your poop—like the white “curls"—it’s likely not an issue of poor digestion. The fiber’s just making its way through. However, if you are seeing whole quinoa, that likely means that there is an issue. Either your system isn’t breaking it down (most likely because you’re eating too fast or too much) or the quinoa wasn’t prepared properly for optimal digestion (did you cook it 1 part grain to 2 parts water and fully bring to a boil before reducing the temperature?) So here’s my advice: make sure to chew your quinoa thoroughly and that you cook it properly. But unless you’re seeing other whole foods or all of your quinoa come through intact, you’re still getting both the taste benefits and the nutritional ones. Oh, and kudos on taking the time to look behind you. Your poop has a lot to say about you, if you’re willing to listen! Chewing over a food quandary? Send it to AskAshley@Prevention.com Ashley Koff is a registered dietitian, Qualitarian, nutrition expert, and co-author of Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged (Hay House; 2011) as well as Recipes for IBS (Fair Winds Press; 2007).
