When it comes to chronic constipation, supporting bile acid metabolism, hydrochloric acid production, the migrating motor complex, peristaltic movements, and our daily psychology are all necessary components.
Nobody wants to be backed up, that’s why I put together some high value questions to ask ourselves so we can say goodbye to chronic constipation.
- How am I responding to stress?
- Am in consistently in a state of tension, worry, fear?
- Am I racing around every day?
- Do I feel like I am constantly behind?
- Do I have time between when I wake up in the morning and when I am full tilt into my day?
- Do I have a consistent eating schedule?
- Do I have a consistent sleep schedule?
- Do I practice nasal breathing?
- Do I have a consistent workout routine?
- Do I consistently get over 35 grams of fiber in my daily food routine?
This is not supplemental fiber, we are talking about real food.
It is extremely important to ensure adequate water intake or fluid intake to support the amount of fiber intake.
Fiber utilizes fluids as a major part of the mechanism by which it moves stool downstream.
Without sufficient fluids and additional fiber, especially if you are using supplemental fibers, you could find yourself dehydrated and constipated.
However, fiber is not found in processed foods, so it would require loads of fruits, vegetables, sprouted grains, seeds, beans, lentils to hit these marks.
When I say grains, I am not talking about whole wheat bread or gluten free rice bread. You need the actual whole grain, whether that is wild rice, black rice, sprouted barley, rye, wheat or oats. The flour is going to turn into cement in your bowels and clog all your drains.
You may be saying I have tried pushing my fiber content up and all I get is more gas, bloating, and still no increase in bowel movements. I have also seen this many times with patients.
For many, the autonomic enteric nervous system of their gut is so off kilter or the constipation has been going on so long that ramping up the fiber makes it worse.
In such cases, I often find it is best to remove vegetables (especially in raw vegetables), yes even the kales and broccolis. The heartiness of cell walls in these foods is too much for the bowels to handle and makes thing worse. Often substituting in fruit in these cases is very helpful.
Recognize we are all different and we all experience the same situation differently. Some people under life tension have diarrhea, others become constipated, others alternate between the two and even others notice zero bowel changes under heightened life pressure.
You can’t compare your symptoms and life directly with anyone else.
Don’t give up, just keep massaging your life routine, food routine, thinking patterns, activity patterns, supplemental support until you have consistent bowel activity.
It is possible. And remember your bowls are governed by your autonomic nervous system, taking a bunch of laxatives randomly to make them move because you are feeling backed up is not a long term solution.
Beyond fiber, water, and stress allocation, I would consider the following:
- Eat whole foods.
- Add in Bitters, apple cider vinegar, ginger, lemons, limes to help stimulate gastric secretions.
- Utilize calming herbs like slippery elm, chamomile, lavender, peppermint.
- Next you may want to add in magnesium and potassium supplementation to ensure sufficient nutrients to promote smooth muscle contraction in intestines as well as to pull water into the intestinal lumen to act as an osmotic laxative.
If your results are either diarrhea or the bowel movements still don’t feel complete, then look at using teas or capsules with senna, cascara aloe, rhubarb, dandelion to stimulate intestinal contractility and bile acid metabolism. Aim to use the smallest dose possible that still give you complete, consistent bowel movements.
Just remember, if you jump out of bed most mornings and race off to life, the chances of you having regular bowel patterns is slim to none.
A state of rest and relaxation is the lever for healthy satisfying bowel activity.
For more habits to improve your bowel habits, check out this post.
