The Bone Broth Diet heals your gut, cleanses your cells, and super-charges your metabolism. This is a great-big “remodeling” job, and today I’ll tell you why it may cause you to spend a little more time in the bathroom for a few days (and why this is a good thing!).

If you hang out with medical professionals, here’s something you probably know about us already: Frequently, our conversation turns to topics that make you say, “Eww!” And this is one of those times.

Yep… today, I’m going to talk about poop. Specifically, I want to talk about what happens to your bowel movements when you go on the Bone Broth Diet.

Here’s the deal. The odds are good that for a few days on the diet — maybe even a week or so — you’ll experience some minor diarrhea, possibly along with some gas or bloating. If you don’t know why this is happening, it might freak you out a little. After all, you’re getting super-healthy on this diet — so why is your plumbing suddenly going wonky on you? 

Well, here’s my message: Don’t panic! This is a totally normal transition period. Here’s what’s happening right now with your Bone Broth Diet bowel movement:

• You’re changing your gut microbiome. One of the most important things the Bone Broth Diet does is improve the balance of microbes in your gut. When you eat the foods on this diet, you’ll promote the growth of beneficial microbes and tell the bad ones to “hit the road.” And that road leads to… well, you know where!
• You’re removing toxins. The foods on this diet provide all the nutrients your detoxification pathways need to do their job incredibly efficiently. As a result, they’ll be whooshing toxins out of your body like crazy, leaving your cells squeaky-clean. And those departing toxins, along with the substances that bind to them to remove them from your body, are going out in the trash — that is, in your poop.
• You’re training your body to burn fat instead of sugar to create energy. This is a crucial switch that turns you into a fat-burning machine, and it’s one of the biggest reasons why this diet is so powerful. However, your body is used to its little habits (even lazy ones, like burning sugar for energy), and a major change like this can throw your gut out of kilter for a few days.

The bottom line? Don’t be alarmed if you have a temporary change in your bowel movements. It’s merely an indication that your gut is getting healthy, your cells are being scrubbed clean, and your metabolism is switching from “sloth” to “cheetah” mode. Think of it as a natural cleanse, without the pills or powders.

And remember, too, that this is a very temporary stage. Be patient, and before you know it, you’ll be your “regular” old self again!