As with so many symptoms that many of us experience on a daily basis, constipation is extremely common, but that does not mean that it is normal!!  (Add it to the list, along with PMS, chronic back pain, and insomnia…)

Why Addressing Constipation is Important

Constipation is a sign that there is a deeper underlying imbalance in the body. Keeping things moving daily through the digestive tract is extremely important for our health.

When waste is not removed from the body consistently we start to reabsorb the toxins, by-products of normal (and abnormal) metabolism, and hormones.

Why work to hard to support your detoxification pathways and balance your hormones if you are just going to be reabsorbing the waste you were trying to get rid of?

There can be many different causes for constipation from a candida or bacterial overgrowth such as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), thyroid issues to food sensitivities and more.  

Every person is unique and the trigger or reason can be different as well.

Getting Started on Dealing Naturally with Constipation: The BasiCs

If constipation is a consistent problem for you, we suggest that you start investigating with some health detective work.  

Start with the basics such as drinking adequate water, getting daily movement or exercise and removing the processed foods out of your diet.  

Next up, wesuggest a basic elimination diet if you haven’t already completed one.  You will be amazed how one food that you eat daily could be the cause of your slow digestion.

Finding the underlying imbalance is an important, but in the meantime, here are some tips.

Action Items to Relieve Constipation Naturally

• Drink plenty of water and start your day with warm lemon water or Lemon Water Elixir.
• Avoid processed foods and foods that you are sensitive to. Although this is an obvious one, sometimes we tend to forget how much our daily meals can contribute to this problem.  We have had multiple clients who find that their constipation disappears after removing a food that were sensitive to.
• Add a good quality probiotic . By doing so, you are taking huge steps towards colon health and good bowel movements.
• Fermented foods and cultured drinks work well. By adding fermented foods to each meal, you add vital bacteria to your gut as well as detoxify the colon.
• Digestive enzymes help break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. If there are chronic digestive issues, you can add an enzyme or consume the Lemon Water Elixir 20 minutes before a meal to enhance your natural digestive enzymes.
• Make sure to chew your food!! Don’t forget, digestion starts in the mouth (well actually the brain).
• Add 1 ounce of aloe vera to your green juice or lemon water daily.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 10 ounces of water.
• Magnesium is wonderful too. Rub the bottom of your feet with magnesium oil  or you can take in the supplement for such as with magnesium citrate. Follow the directions on the bottle.
• Vitamin C is awesome for increasing bowel movements. We suggest you follow the instructions on the bottle but we both tend to consume 2000 mg per day with bioflavonoids.
• Walk briskly for 30 minutes daily.
• Try 4 prunes soaked in warm water.
• Try the squatty potty and make sure you are doing your daily squats.
• Triphala is a great supplement you can find at your local health food store or buy online. Follow as directed on the bottle.

There are a lot of ideas here to get started with but you have to promise us that you will dig for the underlying cause!

Also, we have a other article that’s 8 Tips to Relieve Constipation Naturally that can help you along the way.

Happy Pooping! 🙂

XOXO,