Your Colon Called—It Wants You to Do These 3 Things Before It’s Too Late
Table of Contents
The Gut-Wrenching Truth That No One Wants to Face (But You Must)
You don’t want to think about it. No one does. You wake up, take your morning dump, scroll your feed, maybe sip coffee. Life moves. Until the day it doesn’t.
That day starts with a pain you can’t ignore. A strange discomfort. A trip to the doctor. A scope up your rear end. And then it hits you like a shovel to the gut:
“You have colon cancer.”
That sentence changes everything. Suddenly, your gut health—the very thing you ignored, laughed off, or tried to flush away with kombucha and kale—is now the battlefield between life and death.
But here’s the part no one screams loud enough: Colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers on earth.
You just have to pay attention to your gut. And more specifically, to your poop.
A leading doctor from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center recently gave an interview with Business Insider, revealing exactly what he does every day to protect himself from the very disease he studies.
So, what does a colon cancer researcher do to avoid dying from colon cancer?
You’re about to find out. But fair warning—you may never look at your toilet bowl the same way again.
TL;DR: The Life-Saving Power of Poop
If you care about living a long life without a bag strapped to your side and chemotherapy dripping into your arm, this post is your wake-up call. We’re breaking down the gut-saving daily habits of a cancer researcher who walks the walk—and poops the poop. This isn’t theory. This is backed by real science and lived experience. Colonoscopies, diet choices, and the war on processed food are the weapons in the gut health arsenal. And if you don’t act now, your colon might be planning your funeral.
What You’ll Take Away From This Post
Colonoscopies aren’t scary. Cancer is. The screening that saves lives is easier and safer than most people think. Fear is no excuse.
Your diet is feeding something—either your good bacteria or your tumor. What you eat directly shapes your microbiome. And your microbiome shapes your risk of colon cancer.
Processed food is poison in a pretty package. The same foods engineered for shelf life are shortening your life. The connection between ultra-processed junk and colon inflammation is real.
Your poop is a report card. Frequency, form, and smell all signal what’s happening deep inside you. If your gut could talk, it’d beg you to pay attention to the bowl.
Movement matters. If you sit all day, your bowels suffer. A moving body keeps your gut moving too. And that movement is life.
Colonoscopies: Stop Being a Baby, Start Being a Survivor
We’ll start with the one everyone avoids like a colonoscopy prep drink. Oh wait…
Let’s get brutally honest here. A colonoscopy isn’t painful. It’s not dangerous. It’s not even that gross.
But colon cancer? Now that’s painful. That’s dangerous. That’s gross. And it’s often entirely avoidable.
The American Cancer Society dropped its recommended screening age from 50 to 45 years old for a damn good reason. We’re seeing rising rates of colorectal cancer in younger adults. People in their 30s are showing up with advanced tumors. That’s not a fluke. That’s a trend. One that reflects the gut-damaging lives we live.
The colonoscopy isn’t about catching cancer early. It’s about preventing it altogether. Doctors remove polyps before they become cancer. It’s like spotting a bomb before it explodes.
So what’s your excuse? Embarrassed? Afraid of discomfort? Too busy?
Ask yourself this: Would you rather be inconvenienced for 30 minutes, or spend the next five years explaining to your kids why your hair is falling out in clumps while you get chemo?
Get the scope. Get it now.
Your Gut Is a Garden. And Fiber Is the Fertilizer.
Imagine walking into your backyard and seeing overgrown weeds, rotting plants, and dry soil. Would you ignore it? Probably not. You’d roll up your sleeves, grab a shovel, and start feeding the land.
Your gut works the same way.
It’s a microbiome—a teeming, churning, microscopic ecosystem filled with trillions of bacteria. Some are friendly. Others are freeloading parasites.
And just like a garden, what you feed determines what grows.
The doctor from Fred Hutchinson follows a plant-rich, fiber-loaded diet for a reason. Fiber doesn’t just make you poop better. It fuels short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate, that protect your colon lining, reduce inflammation, and literally kill cancer cells.
This isn’t some hippie juice cleanse. This is metabolic warfare.
Think beans, lentils, whole grains, leafy greens, berries, nuts. Real food. Grown from the ground, not assembled in a lab.
Your poop gets healthier. Your microbiome gets smarter. Your colon cells become disease-resistant.
And just maybe… you don’t get cancer.
The Dirty Truth About Ultra-Processed Foods
Let’s talk about the stuff in shiny wrappers.
That “protein bar” you crushed after spin class? That bag of veggie chips? That low-fat yogurt? That frozen lean meal?
All of it is ultra-processed garbage dressed up like health food.
These foods are engineered to be addictive. They’re filled with emulsifiers, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and inflammatory oils. They starve your microbiome, feed the wrong bacteria, and promote the very conditions that breed colon cancer.
The same doctor warning about colon cancer? He avoids this junk like his life depends on it. Because it does. And so does yours.
Ultra-processed foods increase gut permeability (leaky gut), spike inflammation, and wreck the mucosal barrier your colon needs to function.
Want to protect your gut? Start by reading every food label like it’s a death certificate. If it sounds like something cooked up in a lab, your body doesn’t want it.
Eat real food. Or prepare to be a real patient.
Movement = Motility = Microbiome Magic
Let’s get one thing straight: sitting is not neutral. It’s destructive. It’s a slow, quiet killer that does just as much damage to your gut as bad food.
When you sit too long, your digestive system slows down. Your gut motility—the wave-like contractions that move waste through your colon—becomes sluggish. Sluggish guts lead to sluggish poops. And sluggish poops become breeding grounds for inflammation, fermentation, and toxic build-up.
Physical activity is not just about burning calories. It’s about keeping the flow moving. Movement activates your core muscles, stimulates peristalsis, and enhances blood flow to the intestines. Translation: exercise makes you poop better. Period.
And guess what? You don’t need to run marathons or flip tractor tires. You need to move your body daily. Walk. Stretch. Do squats. Ride a bike. Dance naked in your living room. Just move.
The doctor at Fred Hutchinson integrates movement into his life not for aesthetics, but for survival. Because gut motility matters. Because a stagnant colon becomes a septic tank of future disease. And because life is meant to move—inside and out.
Your Daily Poop Is a Report Card
Stop flushing away the most valuable diagnostic tool your body has. Your poop is a biofeedback machine. It’s a snapshot of your health. It tells you what your gut microbes are doing, what your digestion is like, how well your diet is working, and whether inflammation is creeping in under the radar.
Healthy poop is regular, solid but soft, and easy to pass. It’s shaped like a banana, not rabbit pellets or cow patties. It doesn’t smell like a toxic waste dump. And it happens daily.
If your bowel movements are inconsistent, painful, or foul enough to scare off a skunk, your body is talking. Are you listening?
Take note of your frequency, color, shape, and ease of passage. If you haven’t yet, check out our full breakdown on The 3 Poop Rule—a simple way to gauge whether your gut is thriving or surviving.
Build Your Anti-Cancer Gut Protocol
Let’s recap the simple, powerful, poop-powered protocol that this cancer-preventing doctor swears by:
Get a colonoscopy at 45 (or sooner if you have symptoms or family history). Don’t delay. Don’t rationalize. Just get scoped.
Eat like your life depends on it. Because it does. Fill your plate with plants, fiber, and fermented foods. Crowd out the crap.
Move your ass—literally. Motion is medicine. For your mood, your waistline, and your colon.
You don’t need to become a monk or a marathoner. You just need to stop ignoring the most preventable form of cancer in America. Your poop is powerful. Your habits are healing. And your future is worth fighting for.
Final Word: Poop Like Your Life Depends on It (Because It Does)
At ThePoopSTICK, we don’t do fluff. We do facts. We do function. We do forward motion—both in your life and in your bowels.
This post wasn’t just for awareness. It was a warning. A blueprint. And a chance to change.
You can keep ignoring your colon until it screams. Or you can start listening while it still whispers.
Click here to read the original Business Insider article that inspired this post. And then share this piece with someone you care about.
And if you want to take control of your gut health with better posture, better poops, and fewer distractions in the bathroom?
Try The PoopSTICK. Your colon will thank you.
Join our Email List
About the Author
James
Founder of The PoopSTICK | Gut Health Advocate | Healthcare Pro
I’m James, the guy who talks about poop so you don’t have to (but probably should). With over 12 years of experience in the healthcare world—and a family history of colon cancer which made gut health personal—I created The PoopSTICK to give people a better, more natural way to poop.
After trying almost every pooping gadget, toilet stool, and gut health trend under the sun, I realized most products were uncomfortable, overhyped, or just plain awkward. So I built something better—designed for real humans who want real results.
The PoopSTICK isn’t just a product; it’s part of a movement to take gut health seriously (while still laughing a little). Through our blog, I share natural health tips, poop-positive education, and easy ways to take control of your digestion—because better bowel movements should be a normal part of life, not an embarrassing mystery.
If you're someone who cares about health, wants to feel better naturally, or just wants to poop like a champion, you're in the right place.
Let’s talk sh*t—so you can get rid of it better.
James
Founder of The PoopSTICK | Gut Health Advocate | Healthcare Pro
I’m James, healthcare veteran and gut health advocate on a mission to help you poop better—naturally. With over 12 years in the industry and a personal drive to prevent colon cancer, I created The PoopSTICK after being let down by every “solution” out there.
This isn’t just a stick—it’s a movement (literally). I mix humor, health tips, and real talk to make better bowel movements something we can actually talk about.
Let’s ease your poop!
Past Blog Posts
How Your Diet Shapes Your Bowel Movements (and Gut Health)
What you eat directly impacts your digestion, bowel movements, and overall gut health. Struggling with constipation, bloating, or irregularity? The key lies in your diet. From fiber and hydration to probiotics and mindful eating, simple changes can make a huge difference. Discover the best (and worst) foods for digestion, the role of gut-friendly habits, and how to keep your system running smoothly. Ready to transform your gut health? Let’s dive in!
You’re Pooping Wrong—And Dr. Gina Sam Can Prove It
You’ve been pooping wrong your entire life—and it’s wrecking your gut. Dr. Gina Sam’s poop method reveals the shockingly simple, doctor-backed fix that makes straining obsolete and bathroom breaks blissful. Ready to unlock the natural way your body was built to eliminate? This isn’t a trend. It’s a revolution.
Pea Protein vs. Whey: Which Is Better for Your Gut?
Struggling with bloating after protein shakes? Your choice of protein could be affecting your gut health. Pea protein is gentle and gut-friendly, while whey protein may trigger digestive discomfort. In this post, we compare pea protein vs. whey protein for gut health, breaking down their benefits, drawbacks, and which one is best for you. Keep reading to find out which protein supports digestion and keeps your gut happy!
