The Art of Being Well
The Art of Being Well

Ghost Wipes, Diet Soda vs. Regular Soda & Should You Avoid Pork, Ham & Bacon? | Ask Me Anything

October 1, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

“Ghost wipe” is the term Dr. Will Cole coined for the ideal bathroom experience: you go number two, wipe, and the toilet paper comes back clean. On this Ask Me Anything episode of The Art of Being Well, Cole, along with his team, fields listener questions on whether a ghost wipe is the ultimate sign of digestive health, whether diet soda or regular soda is the lesser evil, and whether pork, ham, and bacon deserve their bad reputation. The throughline is that health markers are rarely binary—what matters is context, frequency, and individual biology.

The Ghost Wipe: A Useful Proxy, Not a Verdict

A listener named Mary Kate asked if needing to wipe after a bowel movement means your digestion is off, even if you’re going one to three times a day. Cole affirms that a ghost wipe is a good sign, but it’s not the only metric. “It’s one spoke in the good bowel movement wheel,” he says. The ideal stool is a formed “snake” that sinks to the bottom of the toilet, indicating good hydration, adequate fiber, and low inflammation. If you need to wipe a lot, it often points to an irritated gut, incomplete emptying, or poor fat absorption (floating stool can signal gallbladder issues or a need for digestive enzymes).

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:30) **Ask Me Anything Intro & Giveaway Details** - Dr. Will Cole and team welcome listeners to the latest AMA episode, explaining how to submit questions and win prizes.
  • 2 (03:10) **Question 1: The "Ghost Wipe" Myth** - Mary Kate asks if needing to wipe after a bowel movement is a sign of poor digestion, even if you go 2-3 times a day.
  • 3 (04:42) **The Nuances of Bowel Movement Health** - Dr. Cole expands on the multifactorial nature of digestive health beyond just the ghost wipe.
  • 4 (05:56) **Practical Tips for Better Digestion** - The team offers actionable advice for improving bowel movement quality.
  • 5 (17:36) **Question 2: Artificial Sweeteners vs. Sugar** - An anonymous listener asks about the health impacts of artificial sweeteners like Stevia and Splenda, noting they feel foggy-headed after consuming them.
  • 6 (20:21) **The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Sugar Alternatives** - Dr. Cole provides a nuanced "good, better, best" framework for sweeteners.
  • 7 (21:31) **The Great Debate: Coke vs. Diet Coke** - The team engages in a lively, unresolved debate on which is the lesser evil for a once-a-week treat.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Dr. Will Cole

Show Notes

It's another Ask Me Anything with Dr. Will Cole. This episode: what your "ghost wipe" says about your gut health, a full breakdown of every sugar substitute from stevia to aspartame (and the 2022 study that changed how we think about them), and whether pork is actually safe - or something to avoid on biblical or health grounds. For all links mentioned in this episode, visit http://www.drwillcole.com/podcast


Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

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