If I had a dollar for every time I have heard “my digestion is fine, I have a bowel movement every few days…” I’d have a lot of dollars! Constipation is common, but common doesn’t mean normal.
It is estimated that roughly 15%-20% of the population suffers from chronic constipation. Constipation can be characterized by not having daily or complete bowel movements, or having difficulty passing stool. Chronic constipation can be detrimental to overall health. Remember, the liver processes toxins and hormones and deposits them into the intestine to be eliminated. If that doesn’t happen, those toxins and hormones can end up being recirculated back into the bloodstream and can be reabsorbed into the body. It’s easy to dismiss these symptoms but if they go on for too long, it can have negative consequences on our body and overall health, plus, it can quite literally make you feel like crap..
What Causes Chronic Constipation?
Constipation can have underlying root causes from hypothyroidism, SIBO or other gut infections to simply needing to address diet and lifestyle changes. The bottom line is, this is something you can work on and you don’t have to live with the uncomfortableness of constipation for the rest of your life!
So let's talk strategy!
Eating Enough Food
Make sure you are eating enough food! Undereating for extended periods of time can often cause more bloating and less bowel movements. Eating an adequate amount of calories is one of the easiest ways to help keep things moving along.
Focusing on Fiber
You may have heard this before, but fiber is incredibly important for our digestive health. Fiber adds bulk to our stool and makes it easier to pass bowel movements while also feeding our healthy gut microbiome. Fiber comes from plant foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
We need different types of fiber for a diverse gut microbiome. Generally speaking, there are two main types of fiber:
We have soluble fiber which absorbs water as it passes through the digestive tract. It creates a gel like substance which helps improve the consistency and form of your stool, making it easier to pass. Sources of soluble fiber include, oats, barley, beans, apples, citrus fruit and psyllium husk.
We also need insoluble fiber. This type of fiber adds bulk to our stool and can help speed up the movement of stool through the digestive tract. Sources of insoluble fiber include whole wheat flour, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, potatoes, beans and nuts.
It should be noted however, that fiber is what we like to call a goldilocks nutrient. Too much or too little can lead to bloating and constipation. If you are finding that you are low in fiber, try slowly increasing your fiber intake over time and aiming for a minimum of 25g of fiber daily.
We also have prebiotic fibers that we get from whole foods that help with gut diversity and smooth digestion. Prebiotics are a type of soluble fiber and are literally foods for our gut bacteria. When we have an adequate amount of prebiotic fibers in our diet, the gut bacteria creates anti inflammatory compounds such as short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s). This helps strengthen the lining of the gut and eliminates harmful bacteria and toxins from the digestive tract. Foods that are high in prebiotic fiber include, dandelion greens, chicory root, garlic, jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, onions, jicama root, bananas, apples and oats.
Don’t skimp on the water!
If you are adding more fiber filled foods into your diet, but aren’t drinking enough water to flush it out, you may feel worse than before. Stay well hydrated by drinking a bare minimum of ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily.
Managing Stress
Like many other health ailments, stress can be a top contributor. That said, it's crucial that stress is addressed if you are suffering from constipation. We have a very strong gut-brain connection. In fact, our gut is often referred to as the second brain. Our gut produces neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine and contains over 100 million nerve endings! If we are stressed, we will feel it in our gut. When our body is stressed it goes into “fight or flight”. What this means for your digestive system is blood is not going to be pumped to the digestive tract to aid with digestion. It’s going to be pumped to the muscles because the body is ready to run or fight. Over time, this can lead to diarrhea or constipation.
We know we can’t live a life completely free of stress, but we can absolutely do some things to help minimize the impact that stress has on our body. Examples include: going to bed earlier, making sure we are getting enough sleep, moving our body regularly, connecting to your breath, journaling or talking to a friend or mental health professional. These healthy habits can all have a huge positive impact on our stress levels.
A Note On: The Role of Probiotics In Constipation
Probiotics can be a helpful tool in helping to manage constipation, but not all probiotics are created equal. There are many different strains of probiotics and certain strains are beneficial for certain issues. Probiotics that contain bifidobacteria have been shown to help improve constipation and motility.
GI Testing
If you have made dietary changes, worked to manage stress and are still struggling with constipation, it's typically worth investing in a health coach or a practitioner who can order testing for you such as a GI Map Test or Breath Testing to get a deeper look at what is going on beneath the surface.
An imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut can play a large role in constipation or any other digestive issues you may experience. By doing testing, we are able to target bacterial imbalances and overgrowth with targeted antimicrobials and digestive supporting supplements to optimize your digestive system, reduce inflammation and restore healthy bacterial balance in the gut.
The bottom line is that you don’t have to live with the discomfort of chronic constipation and you can improve your quality of life and overall health by making your internal health and digestion a top priority.
There is so much you can do to improve digestive function and motility - from lifestyle and nutrition changes to testing and addressing microbial imbalances.
Ready for personalized help to optmize your overall health and fitness levels? Learn more about our online health coaching by clicking here!
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