5 Reasons You Might Not Be Seeing Any Progress with Constipation

Dealing with constipation can be frustrating and uncomfortable, especially when it seems like you’ve tried everything and you’re literally not getting “results”. I understand because I have been there! My struggle started in my late teens and lasted for many years. Getting to the root of constipation woes can sometimes be complex. I find with myself, as well as with clients, that it’s almost never just one thing causing it. Beating constipation can sometimes be multi-faceted but it is doable and there is hope. I see it time and time again!

Why it’s Important to Get to the Root of It

When we don’t have a bowel movement daily, we end up holding onto excess hormones, waste, and toxins in our bodies. These unwanted factors can get reabsorbed putting an extra burden on our bodies and liver and causing bacterial overgrowth in our gut, as well as hormonal imbalance. A bowel movement is one of the main ways that our body performs detoxification. Going one to three times daily is ideal.

5 Key Reasons You Might Not Be Seeing Any Progress and What You Can Do About It

1. Hydration. I know, you’ve heard it before: “You need to drink more water”. And for a lot of people, it’s actually true. We usually aren’t drinking enough. We need to aim for half our body weight in ounces. But, here’s the catch. Water depends on electrolytes for absorption.₁ If you are someone that is drinking enough water, this may be the tweak that you need. Adding a pinch of unrefined sea salt or minerals to your glass of water can be very helpful.
2. Chronic Stress. Stress can have so many detrimental effects on our body, including down-regulating peristalsis and motility.₂ Prioritize those activities that nourish your nervous system. Deep breathing, prayer and meditation, getting movement in daily, and working on strengthening your vagal tone are all helpful ways to support your nervous system. Read this article to learn more about how to strengthen your vagal tone.
3. Low Digestive Output. Without enough stomach acid, digestive enzymes, and bile, our food will be difficult to break down and move through the digestive tract. Work on mindful eating, such as removing stressors during meals, sitting down, chewing thoroughly, and savoring your food. Functional testing can also be helpful for measuring if a person is breaking down fats, measuring digestive enzyme secretion, and checking to see if there are pathogens that may be affecting digestive function.
4. Imbalance of healthy “gut bugs”. The ecosystem of our gut has a large impact on how often we go. When the bacteria is imbalanced, or dysbiotic, it can cause a cascade of issues related to motility and digestion, ie constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and food sensitivities to name some. Increasing the variety of foods in your diet, adding in prebiotic and probiotic foods, spending time outdoors, getting good quality sleep₃, and managing your stress levels are all powerful ways to nurture the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
5. Not enough movement. Mild to moderate-intensity exercise can protect against constipation, as well as improve diversity in the gut microbiome.₄ Choosing an activity that you enjoy adds even more benefit for your gut health.

These are not a complete list of factors that affect constipation but are frequently associated with it. I know that constipation can be frustrating, but by taking these five factors into consideration, you can take impactful steps toward finding relief. Remember, everyone’s body is unique so it might take some trial and error to find the root causes and strategies for you. Reach out if you need help with navigating it!

References

1. Nutritional Therapy Association. Hydration-Introduction. [PDF file]. 2020. P 9.
2. Nutritional Therapy Association. Sleep, Stress and Movement Guide. [PDF file]. 2020. P 54.
3. Matenchuk, B. A., Mandhane, P. J., & Kozyrskyj, A. L. (2020). Sleep, circadian rhythm, and gut microbiota. Sleep medicine reviews, 53, 101340.
4. de Oliveira, E. P., & Burini, R. C. (2009). The impact of physical exercise on the gastrointestinal tract. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care, 12(5), 533–538.