Sluggish digestion (aka constipation)?
Did you know that constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal (GI) complaints in the U.S.? It is estimated there is more than $800 million spent on laxatives in the U.S. per year! There are so many other ways to help relieve your constipation that work naturally with your body so that you don’t become dependent on laxatives or require them to go. This isn’t typically a topic we discuss with our friends (or even our family for that matter) but seeing as how common it is, it’s obviously something that we should be talking about.
How to naturally treat your constipation:
Water. Dehydration is a huge contributor to constipation. If you aren’t drinking enough water, your body doesn’t have the fluid it needs to help properly flush out your digestive tract which can lead to constipation.
Fiber naturally helps you go. Eating lots of veggies can provide you with fiber. Whole grains like oatmeal are a great way to get fiber in your diet too. Make sure you drink plenty of water when taking fiber to help everything move along smoothly.
Rebuild your gut microbiome. If you lack the good bacteria in your digestive tract, it can slow down your digestion and worsen constipation.
Cut out food sensitivities. Eating food sensitivities can alter your digestion, your gut bacteria, and can cause constipation.
Manage your stress and emotions. Emotions play a huge role in our digestion, and elimination. Stress can create indigestion, bloating, and diarrhea or constipation. If you notice that your constipation gets worse when you are under more stress or emotionally stressed out, then this is a factor that you need to address (and one that stimulant laxatives definitely won’t help).
Magnesium is a great option. This mineral has so many benefits on the body, and one of them is more regular bowel movements. It also supports your muscles and joints which can mean less muscle cramps and aches too! Fish, spinach, swiss chard, avocado, brown rice, nuts, chickpeas, and bananas are all great sources of dietary magnesium.
Prunes, prune juice and pear juice are all known to help you have a bowel movement. Their natural fiber and water content can help your constipation.
Avoid constipating foods like white rice, cheese/dairy, and bananas. All of these foods can make constipation worse. (Yes bananas can be a good source of but the other foods listed above have a higher magnesium content than bananas. An occasional banana is fine, but if they are a staple in your diet and you’re experiencing constipation, you may want to search for other options.)
Stimulant laxatives. Every once in a while this is an okay option to use to help relieve constipation but if you are chronically constipated and find yourself reaching for a laxative more than 1-2x/month, then you need to get to the root of your constipation and resolve the deeper issues. Long term chronic use of stimulant laxatives can alter your intestinal muscles and actually make them weaker over time which makes you more reliant on them the more you use them. They can also affect your nutrient levels as they tend to rush food through your digestive tract quicker than is normal which doesn’t allow for full processing and absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Medications that contribute to constipation. If you are taking any prescription medications, make sure you read the labels and know the side effects. Constipation is a common side effect of many medications which means that you may have to work harder to keep your digestive tract moving if you are taking a medication with constipation as a side effect.
Constipation isn’t something you may want to talk about with your family and friends, but you should definitely be discussing it with your doctor. Contact us today to make an appointment for your individualized treatment plan to get your digestion back on track!
References:
Epidemiology and burden of chronic constipation. Maria Ines Pinto Sanchez, MD and Premysl Bercik, MD. Can J Gastroenterol. 2011 Oct; 25(Suppl B): 11B–15B.
Linus Pauling institute. <https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/magnesium#food-sources>