Chronic constipation is defined as not having a daily bowel movement or struggling to go to the toilet.
In the good old days a doctor would always inquire about your bowel movements because they knew they have a significant impact on a person’s well-being and overall health.
I commonly hear people say that they only go once or twice a week, and assume because this is “normal” for them it is okay. But it is not okay and can lead to an array of health issues.
Constipation is often associated with a slow metabolism and can be a symptom of hypothyroidism. It is easy to forget that digestion is an energy-intensive process.
A daily bowel movement is key to optimal health and yet constipation isn’t really considered a health concern even though it not only causes digestive discomfort, it creates the perfect environment for bacterial overgrowth, creates inflammation, hormonal imbalance and infertility, fatigue, brain fog and can seriously impact your mood.
Not only this but it may lead to many other gastrointestinal disorders like haemorrhoids, anal fissures and colon cancer.
When you consider that the vagus nerve is a communication highway that runs from your brain to your bowel, and messages are relayed between the two, you can understand why the gut effects mental health. 10x more data goes from the body to the brain than brain to the body. Gut health matters and is tied to robust mental health.
Causes of constipation
- Stress
- Food allergies
- Hypothyroidism
- Oestrogen dominance
- Lack of movement
- Over exercise
- Low stomach acid
- A hurried lifestyle (lack of bowel habits)
- Lack of fluid
Bowel stagnation is an issue you really want to correct and below are some ways to tackle this common complaint.
“Because of the cultural clichés about constipation–that it’s caused by not eating enough fiber or drinking enough water, for example–and the belief that it’s not very important, there is seldom an effort made to understand the actual condition of the intestine, and the causes of the problem.
Aging and stress increase some of the inflammatory mediators, tending to reduce the barrier function of the bowel, letting larger amounts of bacterial toxins enter the bloodstream, interfering with energy metabolism, creating inflammatory vicious circles of increasing leakiness and inflammation.” – Dr Ray Peat
Strategies to Adopt to Support Daily Movements
- EAT ENOUGH – nutrient dense carbohydrates and enough calories are necessary to support metabolism and transit time
- CONSUME DIGESTIBLE FOODS – stewed fruit, well cooked vegetables, high quality animal protein, saturated fats and enough salt
- A DAILY GRATED RAW CARROT – the fibre in carrots increases peristalsis, and helps prevent bacterial and fungal overgrowth of the intestine.
- COFFEE – is naturally bitter supporting liver health and bowel regularity. Coffee stimulates a hormone called gastrin which promotes digestion.
- ADDRESS NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES – low magnesium and constipation are closely related
- REDUCE STRESS – digestion slows right down when experiencing stress
- MOVE DAILY – walk, dance, skip
- SQUAT – considered to be the natural, traditional and most widely followed posture for easier elimination
- Senna, Cascara, Triphala, Slippery elm are all remedies that can help constipation. Contact your health care provider for more in formation.
- A recent study found that a papaya smoothie consumed in the evening was over 80% effective for overcoming constipation
