Do you struggle with constipation?
Our digestive health impacts all areas of our body so ensuring your bowels are moving regularly is essential! Ideally you should be having a bowel movement every one to two days, it should be easy to pass and formed - not pellet like or too loose. Check out the Bristol Stool Chart - type 4 is ideal, and 3 is the next best type.
Optimal digestive health is essential for nutrient absorption, mental health, immunity and removal of wastes and toxins.
If you've been struggling with constipation a good place to start is ensuring you're drinking enough water (at least 1-2L depending on your diet and exercise level) and consuming adequate vegetables. Include a variety of vegetables with each meal, along with some quality protein and fat. Including some fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut can also be a great way to support digestive health - start with 1 tbsp with one meal per day. (If fermented vegetables cause you any digestive upset you may need to start smaller or you may have a more serious imbalance or overgrowth of gut bacteria which needs correcting first).
Dysbiosis - an imbalance in gut bacteria, can contribute to constipation, so a good quality multi-strain probiotic can be useful. Our gut bacteria become imbalanced over time from antibiotics, antacids, steroid medication, chemicals, stress, alcohol, sugar and processed foods.
Magnesium citrate can also be used to help relax your nervous and digestive system to help get things moving. If you are stressed your digestive system is literally shut down, as it is not seen as critical during a fight or flight response. Ongoing stress, which is experienced by many people, has a huge impact on your digestive function.
Sometimes just giving yourself enough time to sit on the toilet can help! With our busy lives, some people just don't give their body enough time to relax on the toilet!
Liquid herbs are amazing at improving digestive function especially chronic constipation. Cascara, Yellow Dock, Globe Artichoke and Schisandra can be used safely and have a laxative effect. They also work by stimulating liver function and improving bile production which are essential for optimal digestion and bowel movements. A more frequent dose of herbs can be used initially until your digestion is moving more regularly. A calming herb, such as Chamomile is ideal to use alongside the stronger action of Cascara, to help calm and soothe your digestive system.
Constipation, especially if chronic can also be caused by hypo or under-active thyroid function - which can be assessed by a Naturopath. Testing TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) alone does not give you an accurate picture of thyroid function - you also need to check T3 and T4 levels.
Other conditions such as SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth) can also contribute to constipation - a Naturopath can help you work out which underlying issues and testing are relevant to you.
If you'd like to improve your digestive health I'd love to help you.
Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, anxiety and fatigue. The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype. You can contact Marion here.