Constipation is one of the most common digestive issues of modern times. It can impact many areas of your health and well-being, sometimes in very surprising ways. The choices we make with food, hydration and activity are basic fundamentals for making sure our system is sh!tship.

Constipation (generally classified as having less than three bowel movements a week) and all of the mates it brings along – pain, bloating, loss of appetite, even hanging out with haemorrhoids (commonly known as ‘piles‘) – do not make for a fun party.

Do you know there may be symptoms you are living which are triggered or exacerbated by your pooping routine? Here are the side effects of constipation that may be troubling you:

• Tiredness – the taxed system will fatigue as it keeps dealing with the same waste. The toxins from long-held-onto poop get reabsorbed back into the blood system and the liver has to deal with it over and over. Like washing up using the same water again and again…
• Poor Immunity – the body is already busy trying to deal with the toxic back-flow and is robbed of its resources to combat other threats or invasions.
• Headaches – with a number of causal factors such as stress, dehydration and the retainment of the body’s waste products. Stress creates “holding on” – the backed up stool disrupts ‘apana vayu’ (downward and outward energy flow) and the energy scrambles up and concentrates in the head. Sluggish stool also causes or intensifies dehydration as the body makes attempts to help rectify the situation.
• Pimples and Rashes – the state of our skin is a reflection of our inner workings. Remember the skin is the body’s largest organ and is responsible for some elimination (along with lungs, kidneys, liver and bowel). Toxins that accumulate due to constipation can be pushed out via the skin as zits, blemishes etc instead of removed through the other elimination systems.
• Brittle Nails and Hair – due to the lack of nutrient absorption. If your body is not taking in the vitamins, nutrients, and minerals you need due to slow moving poop-chute, it may lead to other health issues.
• Bad Breath – and a bad taste in the mouth can be experienced from the blockage in the pipes (gas can’t go down so it will find another way… eeww!)
• Mood Disorders – neuroscientific research has identified the importance of gut flora in the development of brain symptoms i.e. impacts on the altering levels of serotonin (the feel good hormone). So, there’s even more reason you feel low if you can’t go to the loo.
• Weight Gain – as the pipes are well backed up, it will add numbers to the scales. Add to that, the increased toxins means the body is holding on to more fat stores.

HABITS for HAPPY POOPING

1. Morning Water – make it warm, with a little lemon juice if you like, and have 2 cups every morning BEFORE eating or drinking anything else. If you are a chronic-constipator, you may find you need to drink 4 cups (or even more) to get your system trained and fine tuned. If  nausea impacts you more at breaky time, you may need to start with smaller quantities such as half a cup (or even less) of morning water. Keep persisting with this – it’s so effective when you get used to it! 

2. Make Toilet Time – about 15 mins after the morning water, before having anything else orally, go and sit on the loo. Sit and think. Think happy thoughts on the task at hand. Stay put for at least 10 mins (unless there’s been action and you’re already done!). You are training your body and it needs time to respond – just like lifting weights, reps counts and sets count before the muscle grows. You need to create the opportunity for the body to get back on track… AND MAKE SURE TO ADD THE NEXT STEP…

3. Get your Knees up – and I don’t mean dancing! I mean add some height – get a stool (footstool that is) under your feet. Aim for lifting the knees higher than the hips. This is all about the way our bodies are made – the physical structure. Lifting the knees gets the anatomy in prime position for successful pooping. Use the defunct phone books, the kids toilet step, some blocks or whatever – just get your feet up so your knees are lifted up. This is why squat toilets should make a comeback!

The Goal of the Champion = DAILY poop + Type no 4

HEALTHY HABITS ESSENTIALS

Drink water – this is not new. If you only drink tea, coffee and soft drinks or sports drinks, you are creating more constipation due to these fluids drying the system out. Caffeine is a diuretic – i.e. they make you pee more thereby moving your body towards dehydration. Too much sugar or salt in the diet? Body will take water out of the cells to balance it out.

Eat Wholefoods – get fibre in your diet. The best source is fresh fruit and veges. Not only will these add to your hydration balance (come with their own water content) but also the fibre to create bulk which helps sweep the sticky bits out of the pipes (if you get my drift). This decreases the risk of colon and other cancers. Simple.

Move – the more we sit, lounging on couches, at desks, at steering wheels, the more our body suffers. Our bodies are meant to move. Just do it. Every.Single.Day. Physical activity, exercise, training – whatever you want to call it… walk, jog, run, swim, yoga, dance, or jiggle… just MOVE your body so your heart pumps and you breathe more.

Sit in Silence – sitting on the toilet without result can increase mental tightness and further holding on especially if happy pooping has been a life-long challenge. Take time to sit in silence, meditate, pray – create space and freedom in your mind, and release thoughts and attachments with the intention of ease. 

Add Fermented Foods – add some sauerkraut, kombucha or kefir (for example), to help the gut to work more effectively. If our system doesn’t have the correct enzymes to help with digestion, we won’t be nourished by the foods we eat. This has become an issue due to current farming practices, the standard of the soil our food is grown in, the use of chemicals and pesticides in the growing and preparation of the food, even medication you take or have taken can strip the gut of these necessary health boosting microplayers.

SUPER HEALTH BOOSTING SUPPORTS

​The habits are the foundation for getting our system operating intelligently, but sometimes we need more support, especially if this runs deeper than a recent issue. Sometimes, this pattern can even be inter-generational, but it can stop with you – you just need to choose to experience life differently.

As plants were man’s first medicine, look to these to help manage symptoms while your body gets back on track. Young Living Essential Oils has a number of essential oils and supplements to assist unhappy tummies to feel happier and promote effective function. Therapeutic grade essential oils are concentrated and potent so a little goes a long way. These can be helpful with detoxification and cleansing, relieving symptoms, moving things along, as well as the assisting with the mental and emotional impacts, to create a new level of health and vitality. [Happy to chat further to help guide you with these options.]

LAST STOP

You may have the impression that I think all of this is simple and easy – if you are a chronic constipator, you know how much of a pain in the butt that can seem (pun intended 🙂 )

This is a part of my own health history – with a humorous (now it is anyway) childhood story about a slither of soap (maybe I’ll share this one later)… and nowadays as a more-often-than-not ‘champion pooper’, I highly recommend these simple yet extremely effective habits need to be integrated to be a part of your bodycare routine forevermore.

But I’m aware that trying to change habits is a process and ultimately super important for sustained success. YOU don’t need to go it alone. As a health coach, I can help you understand this more, from western and natural medicine viewpoints, as well techniques from the habit change science, and even be that someone you brainstorm your current obstacles with. Raise your hand HERE.

Simply put, this is how we look after our bodies – and we can’t trade them in for newer models.

Be well.