Are you Constipated?
Are you Constipated?
I’m excited to dive into this (very sexy) topic of…constipation! When it comes to digestive issues, constipation is actually a really, really common one I see frequently with my clients. (I have to laugh also at the photo my amazing assistant chose for this post!)
Firstly let’s define what a normal bowel movement even looks like to know where you fall on the spectrum!
This might come as a surprise to you, but a normal bowel movement is supposed to happen 1-3 times per day. If you are not having a normal bowel movement every day or it's every other day or sometimes even three to four days, that's the sign that you are constipated. Also, if you are having a hard time eliminating, straining to eliminate having hard stools or incomplete elimination it’s a sign that you're not eliminating fully and that you are indeed constipated.
Eliminating fully is really important in order to get out toxins from our body. We eat food, it's broken down and absorbed, we get all the nutrients we need from it and we want to get rid of everything else that we don't need. If you are not eliminating 1-3 times per day or fully eliminating, waste is getting backed up in your system. This not only causes digestive issues like gas and bloating with waste backing up and allowing things to remain stagnant in the gut, but it also doesn’t allow us to get toxins out of our body.
Bowel movements are one of the main ways that we get toxins, and also certain hormones like estrogen, out of our body. Once the liver processes estrogen for elimination, it is up to your gut to move it out! If you are experiencing constipation, there is a good chance your estrogen isn't making its way out, but instead, going back into circulation in the body. High level of estrogen in the body, or an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone, can lead to things like PMS symptoms, fibroids, heavy periods, and many other symptoms that come with this estrogen dominance.
So check in and see just where you are at! Sometimes we don't know until we use a tool to track our digestion and see, oh, actually, yeah, I haven't gone in two days or I didn't go today or I went once but it really doesn't feel like I'm actually getting everything out. You can download my free Food and Symptom Journal to get started!
Common Causes of Constipation
Common causes of constipation are:
Food allergies or sensitivities
Lack of good bacteria in the gut
Intestinal permeability or damage to the mucosal lining of the gut
Dehydration
Thyroid or other hormone imbalances
You can see that it really depends, like so many things, on what the underlying cause for the individual is. This means that you're going to address constipation differently depending on what’s going on for you. That being said, there's the three easy things that I always look at first when it comes to troubleshooting constipation.
3 easy ways to troubleshoot constipation
Hydration. Our digestive system needs water to function properly. When dehydrated, our digestion slows down and our stools become harder to pass. A good rule of thumb is to divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces of water per day. This will of course vary depending on your individual needs, climate and how much you sweat!
Get enough good fats in your diet to help lubricate the digestive system. (Think olive oil, avocados, fatty fish, coconut oil, coconut meat, olives, etc.)
Increase fiber. Fiber is really important for supporting our digestive process and add bulk to the stool. Fiber is the main food for the 70-100 trillion microorganisms that live in your digestive tract. And when you eat plenty of fiber, it’s harder for pathogenic bacteria to grow in your digestive tract. A simple way to get in more fiber is to load up on good veggies like these roasted root veggies or sautéed kale throughout the day! To see what works for you I recommend slowly increasing your fiber intake. Don't feel like you have to like dump a ton of fiber and just start eating a ton of raw veggies. In these colder months I liked to include warm, cooked veggies for fiber which are a bit easier on the digestive system. Sometimes I like to have the “one, two, three” rule where you have one veggie at breakfast, two at lunch, three at dinner. See if you can experiment with that!
In order to understand what’s going on for you specifically and to really support your digestive system from top to bottom I've created my Love Your Gut Program! It's going to take you through what are called the 5 R's of digestive health. If you're dealing with chronic constipation it’s a fantastic resource to help you figure out what's going to make a difference for you!
Love Your Gut is an online, self-paced, 5-step program designed to give you all of the tools you need to support a healthy digestive system so you can experience:
More regular bowel movements
Less bloating
Better digestion
More energy!
Improved immune health
Better skin
Improved hormone balance and detoxification
Support with what’s going on in your body at a root cause level
Increased wellbeing and vitality!
As a RN and Functional Nutrition Coach I’ve worked with hundreds of clients to achieve these outcomes. I’ve taken my teachings and put them together in this online program for you so you have all of that knowledge and guidance!
This program gives you all of the knowledge and tools you need to start supporting your gut TODAY in a way that works for you. If you’ve bee chronically constipated for years, the tools in this program will help you understand how to support your gut and body at a root cause level. My goal is to empower you to take control of your health, cut through all of the overwhelm and conflicting information, and make some easy shifts to start feeling better right now.
Learn more and enroll in the Love Your Gut Program here!
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If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell, founder and owner of Live Well with Christina. I'm so excited that you're here and have begun to delve into your health and wellness journey! Here at Live Well we help people with autoimmune disease take control of their health through nutrition, lifestyle shifts and personal empowerment.
If you suffer from:
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Symptoms of autoimmunity
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