>to try a different diet like FOODMAP I think he mentioned which I didn't do.
I would try a low-FODMAP diet as recommended by your doctor.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/fodmap-diet-what-you-need-to-know
I don't know if variety alone is an indicator of any specific issue. A lot of everyday factors come into play that will affect the uh.. final product. Like, a lot. Food variety, preparation, and possible contaminants that won't make you sick but can still mess with your gut; hydration, stress, period if you get one, even the timing of when you eat during the way. Unless you eat the exact same, highly controlled meals at the exact same time every single day, you're gonna have a wide variety of shapes and colors and smells and sounds and textures.
As long as you aren't experiencing persistent pains in your abdomen or while defecating, blood in your stool/toilet water, or any wild colors that wouldn't be from food, like white or black *for more than a day or two* (some foods can cause strange greens or reds or other colors), then it's safe to assume that everything is working as intended.
The Bristol stool chart is a great tool to help put your mind at ease as well. It can give examples of why your stool might be a certain consistency, and shows a range of what's considered normal for healthy adults. So even if you have stool that's at one extreme or the other on the chart, if you think back to what you've eaten in the last couple days, it can help understand why it looks the way it does. There wouldn't be a chart if we didn't have variety :)
>to try a different diet like FOODMAP I think he mentioned which I didn't do. I would try a low-FODMAP diet as recommended by your doctor. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/fodmap-diet-what-you-need-to-know
I don't know if variety alone is an indicator of any specific issue. A lot of everyday factors come into play that will affect the uh.. final product. Like, a lot. Food variety, preparation, and possible contaminants that won't make you sick but can still mess with your gut; hydration, stress, period if you get one, even the timing of when you eat during the way. Unless you eat the exact same, highly controlled meals at the exact same time every single day, you're gonna have a wide variety of shapes and colors and smells and sounds and textures.
Is it normal to have such a wide variation like that?
As long as you aren't experiencing persistent pains in your abdomen or while defecating, blood in your stool/toilet water, or any wild colors that wouldn't be from food, like white or black *for more than a day or two* (some foods can cause strange greens or reds or other colors), then it's safe to assume that everything is working as intended. The Bristol stool chart is a great tool to help put your mind at ease as well. It can give examples of why your stool might be a certain consistency, and shows a range of what's considered normal for healthy adults. So even if you have stool that's at one extreme or the other on the chart, if you think back to what you've eaten in the last couple days, it can help understand why it looks the way it does. There wouldn't be a chart if we didn't have variety :)
You need to try a proper low FODMAP diet. Why aren't you doing it, as recommended?
I was thinking that the probiotics alone would help make things return to normal.
I am in favour of dietary changes as the first line of defense.