What to do when you're constipated
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A close elder family friend once shared with me his keys to happiness….
He said, “Lisa, there are a few essential pleasures in life: 1- Good sleep, 2- A peaceful environment and 3- A GOOD CRAP.”
He was so serious and I was less than impressed with his demonstration of sage wisdom. I was a teenager at the time and didn’t realize the magnitude of the profound insight he was sharing that I would come to later appreciate.
Fast forward 20+ years, I now know what my dear family friend was talking about.
I’d say that about half the folks I see in practice have challenges with bowel movements. This is a huge disruptor to peace of mind, body and spirit.
It’s important to appropriately get out what you put in.
My patients don’t seem totally bent up about it. I think they adapt and accept it as a new normal, until they meet me.
Loose stool, gas, bloating and constipation happen on occasion for some and on a very regular basis for others.
PLEASE DON’T NORMALIZE POOR POOPING.
Your gut is key to “post heaven qi” as we like to say in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It’s pivotal for immune health, mood, metabolism and inflammation management. If there’s imbalance as demonstrated by stool that is too hard, stuck, extra gasey, not well formed or goat pellet like, your gut may need some extra attention and healing.
In this post, I’m sharing 4 things to consider if you’ve been backed up.
Water- ensure that you’re drinking plenty of water, especially when it’s hot outside and if you’re exercising. *Note- if you're a night sweater you should consider that you may need extra water to replace what you’ve lost at night.
Essential fatty acids- Omega 3’s are a great natural anti-inflammatory and can also act as “lubrication” if you will. (👈🏾Feel free to ask me about my favorite omegas.)
Probiotics- help populate the gut with healthy bacteria that can help the overall gut flora and aid in improved digestion and elimination. (👈🏾Feel free to ask me about my favorite probiotics.)
Fiber- shortens the transit time between food consumption and elimination. Make sure you have plenty of fibrous fruit and veggies like apples, pears, leafy greens.
This is a good start to getting you on your way to better bowel movements. Of course, you should definitely see your health professional to personally address any medical needs. I fully believe in making sure you know what your dealing with as you don’t want to miss a potentially serious condition. Make sure to follow up with your provider.
I love to work from a holistic perspective. In the chakra system, digestion relates to the 2nd (sacral) and 3rd (solar plexus) chakras. Often times, stressors and life style factors impact physical health. If you'd like to know more about how the chakras intimately connect to the body, you're in luck.
I’ll soon be releasing Digest Life, my online course that focuses on the in’s and out’s on digestion from a holistic wellness perspective. I use Chakras as an internal roadmap to navigate the mind-body-spirit relationship. I love how this system provides an easy check and balance system between life style, physical health, stressors and nutrition.
If you’d like to be the FIRST I notify about Digest Life and my free digestion webinar, JOIN MY WAITING LIST.
Until next time!
Blessings...
