It's not a very glamorous subject. sorry, but your bowel movements are such an important indicator for your health.
My Key Health Tip: You should be moving your bowels at least once per day Two-three times per day is ideal.
Anything less than once per day, and you are constipated.
If you poop once per day, but it's hard to do, you're straining, or it comes out looking like rabbit poo pellets then you are constipated.
This may seem crazy to some people. Unfortunately I see a lot of women who think moving their bowels a couple of times per week is completely fine and normal. Often we get used to things and accept them as normal (like anxiety, period pain, irregular periods, crazy mood swings), but they're not normal. They're just common.
Why should you care if you're constipated?
If you're constipated, your body is dealing with more toxins and inflammation than it should, and this is going to lead to unpleasant symptoms:
Feeling sluggish and tired
Headaches
Tummy pain, bloating and excess wind
SIBO (this is not a symptom, it's a condition, but constipation is a causative factor in developing SIBO).
Period pain
PMS
Oestrogen excess related conditions (sore boobs, PMS, fluid retention, hormonal acne, irregular periods and more).
Acne and eczema
Decreased immunity
Increased body soreness and joint pain
Difficulty losing weight
This can also be associated with an underactive thyroid
Long term, constipation causes inflammation which leads to leaky gut, SIBO and puts a big strain on your liver detoxification capabilities. Every chronic disease is linked to increased inflammation, so constipation is definitely something we want to avoid.
How can you reduce constipation?
The reasons behind constipation can, of course, be different for everyone. If you're really struggling I recommend working with a Naturopath for personalised treatment.
But here's where you can start:
Drink enough water. We should all this get tattooed on our foreheads. It is so simple and boring, but it's so important. Water literally keeps your poop soft (sorry), so it can more easily move through your digestive tract. Warm/hot water especially keeps things moving, so drink plenty of herbal teas and room temperature water.
Move your body everyday. This helps to encourage movement through your digestive tract, and it doesn't have to be crazy exercise. I'm talking stretching your body out each morning, and going for a walk each day (to the shops, walking the dog etc.). Many people find that doing a workout really helps to get things moving.
Balance your gut bacteria. Certain bacteria produce methane gas, which has been shown to cause constipation. Conditions like SIBO are associated with constipation, and indicate and imbalance or overgrowth in certain bacteria. Reducing your methane-producing bugs can be so helpful here. Prebiotics and fibre are great for this (see more about fibre here). Similarly, probiotics are really helpful. Bifidobacteria strains have been shown to reduce constipation, particularly Bifidobacterium lactis HN019.
Take Magnesium. We are all deficient in this important mineral due to our busy, stressful modern lifestyles and the depletion of magnesium in our soil. Magnesium helps support proper muscular function- your intestines are a muscular organ and intestinal contractions are so important to move things along. Plus, magnesium helps to draw water into the bowel which will help to soften things!
If you're still struggling with pooping every day then I suggest working with a Naturopath for some tailored treatment. For foods to help with constipation, check out my Instagram page for ideas.