My Top 5 Ways to Ease Constipation (aka How to Poop)
Struggling with constipation dominant IBS? Or cannot go regularly in the morning? Today I share my 5 top ways to ease constipation. Tehehehehe to that title.
I'm gonna make people squirm when they see that.
Ladies aren't supposed to talk about pooping, are they?
Well ladies, don't worry. I have no shame in my game. I have struggled with going to the bathroom regularly for years. And ya know what? I've learned a thing or two a long the way!
Today I am sharing my 5 top tips to ease constipation (the polite way to say this)!
1. Drink warm beverages, especially in the morning. I personally drink and (advocate for my clients to choose) only warm drinks throughout the day (including warm water) as its much easier on our digestive system. This is especially important in the morning. There's nothing like warm water with lemon or a cup of my Jacked Up Java to wake up your bowels! While many with IBS or digestive woes struggle with caffeine, I find those with constipation dominant IBS tend to do well with a sight stimulant. I much prefer my clients (and myself) to drink the coffee with added fats (also known as bulletproof coffee) in order to help the caffeine absorb slower. This will give you sustained energy and also avoid over-stimulating your digestion!
2. The saying you'll hear most dietitians promote is fiber plus fluid creates a bowel movement. I want to add a little more to that: fiber plus fluid plus FAT helps create a bowel movement. We know that fiber is important in forming the bulk too our stools, fluid helps move things along, but I find eating enough (rather A LOT) of fat in your diet helps truly move things along. It acts as a lubricant and can help those with constipation. Pro tip, slowly increase your fat intake. Especially if you are use to eating a low fat diet (like most of us have been told to do our entire lives!)
3. Probiotics. Sick of hearing me talk about probiotics? You should be. Just kidding! But in all seriousness, they are so incredibly important. I am a fan of having my clients eat probiotics rather than take supplements, but if you truly hate all foods that contain bacteria than just take a supplement. Here is where you can find my recipes that contain probiotics! My favorite sources of probiotics are kombucha, kefir, yogurt, kimchi and sauerkraut.
4. Get assistance. As in a squatty potty. Proper toilet posture helps fully relax the muscles in the colon, allowing the colon to relax and release your bowel movement quickly and completely. Read more here. Speaking of relaxing...
5. Relax. Nothing helps me go the to bathroom more than just relaxing. My innate nature is to be highly strung (and sensitive) so daily acts of yoga and meditation (especially upon waking) makes a profound difference. If you have suffered from constipation, you know what I am talking about when I say it makes you incredibly anxious when you cannot go to the bathroom in the morning. You know if you don't you're going to feel "stopped up" all day long and be miserably bloated. But you know what is the WORST thing to do? Stressing out about it. That's why I created my morning routine, it encourages me to start the day off positive and present, improving my mood and my ability to use the bathroom in the morning! I have also found taking Naturally Calm magnesium in the evening to be helpful. I would slowly ease into using this to avoid over-stimulating. You may not even need to use it daily, I tend to use it on days I need it (anyone else always constipated on Monday's?!)
If these tips don't help, seek some assistance! Our practice specializes in digestive health. If nutrition and healthy living (including self care and stress management) doesn't help, it's also worth talking to your doctor to see if something bigger could be at play. Imbalance in gut flora, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, candida, and pelvic floor dysfunction (among other things) can cause constipation. Above all else, don't give up. You don't have to just live with a poor digestion system, you can change it. You, my friend, have the power to do anything you set your mind to!
This posts contains affiliate links. If an item is purchased, I receive a small kickback at no additional cost. Thank you for supporting this website!
