💩 CONSTIPATION 💩
Ah yes - my old friend.
Who here hasn’t experienced constipation? That’s a bloody miracle if you haven’t. I’m also jealous. And I don’t believe you.
🤷🏻♀️ 🤷🏻♀️ 🤷🏻♀️ 🤷🏻♀️ 🤷🏻♀️ 🤷🏻♀️ 🤷🏻♀️ 🤷🏻♀️
The funny thing is that I didn’t know that I had a problem with constipation until I was much older - maybe late 20s / early 30s. So many clients I speak to don’t know they have a problem either.
When I actually think about it - I’ve had this problem for as long as I can remember. I recall sitting in the stalls of my all girls boarding school toilet block not being able to go. Listening to the squeals and chatting of the girls around me - coming and going.
There were whole days in a row while at drama school that I wasn’t able to go - then I wouldn’t fit into my costume and would get so stressed about it all which only made it worse.
LET’S GET GRAPHIC ⚠️
Constipation is not having a bowel movement every day, having difficulty passing stools, not having a full emptying of the bowels, or passing hard or dry stools.
There are SO many reasons why you might be constipated!
There are physiological and mental reasons, as well as nervous system and microbiome related issues:
Low serotonin production 😒
An imbalance of bacteria in the small or large intestine 🫁
Lack of fibre 🥝
Not eating enough! 🍲
High methane causing bacteria 🦠
Slow motility (has multiple underlying causes) ✋🏼
Lack of sleep 💤
IBS 💩
Lack of physical activity / movement 🚶🏻♀️
Blockages in the intestines 🛑
Pregnancy 🤰🏻
Diabetes ⚠️
PTSD 😶🌫️
Childhood constipation shows a significant association with physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Children with constipation complain of more somatic symptoms and bowel symptoms when they are exposed to abuse.
I frequently deal with clients suffering from IBS-C which is ‘constipation dominant IBS’ and all that means is that you tend to have constipation… not much of a diagnosis is it.
I hear you screaming: “WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT LIBBY!”
There is no simple answer.
You are a unique ❄️ snowflake ❄️
Your body will respond differently to different treatments and your microbiome changes across the course of your life and in reaction to diet and lifestyle changes.
What I would recommend is taking note of the changes particularly as you introduce remedies, foods, or nervous system support.
For example: if you get relief from fibre supplements such as psyllium husks or you start eating prunes or 2 kiwi fruits with the skin on each day and you start having regular bowel movements, then you know it is a fibre issue.
Aim for 25-30g of fibre a day and build up to that amount slowly.
Here are some suggestions to get you started
If you start meditating each day and note an improvement in your bowel movements then you will know it is a nervous system / fight flight issue.
If you have your bloods done and you are hypothyroid, then you will notice improvements as you start to work on your thyroid health - and so on and so forth - you get the picture.
When it comes to chronic constipation associated with IBS or SIBO it can be a much more complicated issue.
Do some of these issues sound familiar?
In my ‘Master of SIBO’ study the greatest outcomes were seen from gut-centred hypnotherapy.
In fact Hypnotherapy was vastly superior to all other treatment options related to IBS and SIBO. I was gobsmacked by the studies that were presented around gut-centred hypnotherapy which is what compelled me to become a qualified clinical hypnotherapist and offer this to my clients.
If you are a nervous nelly and just tend to be very sensitive to your environment and any changes to your routine (that’s definitely me) then you are a perfect candidate for Hypnotherapy and nervous system work. If you simply cannot pinpoint what has caused your issues, you are also a perfect candidate for hypnotherapy. My Hashimoto's peeps, my stressors, anxious warriors (or is it worriers?), my HIIT obsessives, my busy mammas, the under eaters, and the ‘I simply don’t have time to poop’ clients - this is for you.
The second greatest results were seen by reducing methane causing bacteria (with natural herbal remedies as noted in my Constipation Be Gone protocol) while also improving the type of fibre intake and specific probiotics to improve motility.
⬇️ Shop my Constipation Be Gone Protocol below ⬇️
Probiotics are incredibly important and should be taken long term. I know some of you are reluctant to take any supplement long term however the research shows that probiotics support all IBS conditions - but if you stop taking them you do tend to return to ‘baseline’ microbiome variety and those pesky symptoms. Probiotics are a relatively cheap and easy way to retain balance and healthy bowel movements - so don’t be afraid of them. We simply don’t get enough probiotic foods in our diets these days and we are surrounded by chemically cleaned surfaces, water, chemically laden foods and antibiotics so our microbiomes are very very sad.
🙏🏼 Let’s make our microbiome happy again 🙏🏼
How do we do that?
Try to get 8 hours of quality sleep
Eat a variety of colourful foods including fruits and vegetables
Eat probiotic foods such as kim chi, sauerkraut, kefir, and yoghurt
Take a probiotic supplement (these vary greatly and work differently from issue to issue so you might need to get in touch with me about this one)
Get a reverse osmosis water filter with remineralisation (yes I’m serious)
Increase your fibre intake slowly until you reach 25-30g per day
Incorporate prebiotic fibre such as PHGG and Green Banana Fibre
Work on your Vagal tone and nervous system health with EFT tapping, meditation and breathwork
Have 4 sessions of Hypnotherapy to resolve root cause of the constipation/IBS issue
Move your body every single day
Sounds easy doesn’t it? Ha. I know I know. How are you supposed to do all of these things and then relax enough to go to the damn bathroom?
Just take one thing at a time from this list and focus on that for a week.
ONE THING.
Take one thing and make that your focus for the week. Once that has become a part of your life, your focus, then you can shift to the next.
Also make the first thing you choose from the list, the easiest thing for you to do.
Getting your bowels moving can have incredible health benefits let alone make you feel GREAT so please prioritise this for yourself.
LM x
This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.
If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that you have read on this blog or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.
The opinions and views expressed on this blog and website have no relation to those of any academic, hospital, health practice or other institution.