3 reasons why you could be constipated (and 5 ways to relieve it)

In this article, I’m going to talk about the 3 reasons why you could be constipated occur and 5 ways to relieve it.

What is the definition of constipation? You could be constipated if:

Not having a bowel movement for 3 days.
Stool is “hard” 25% of the time.
Also feel like your bowel movement feels “incomplete” aka you’ve gone to the bathroom but it doesn’t feel like you’ve let it all out or you still feel a “blockage” in your gut area.
Having to use enema about 25% of the time.

Having constipation is more of a symptom of what is actually the root cause. So to eliminate or reduce constipation, we have to figure out what COULD be causing it.

What can cause constipation?

There are plenty of reasons why constipation could be happening. 3 top reasons are medications, nutrition, or lifestyle/environment.

Medications – Some medications that can cause constipation are:

Opiates (oxycontin, norco)
High blood pressure medications (ex: amlodipine)
Diuretics
Anti Diarrhea meds (Imodium)

2. Nutrition – take a look and see if any of these apply to you:

A diet that is low on fiber
Not enough water
Not eating enough
Mostly fat/meat based diet
Chronic dieting
A diet is that is too HIGH in fiber (yes, there is such thing)

3. Lifestyle/Environment:

Stress: I have noticed that many of my clients that are prone to high stress or high anxiety tend to upset their stomach. One of the ways their stomach is upset is constipation.
Movement: not enough exercise or movement on a regular basis makes it harder for you to have regular bowel movement.

So now you know the 3 main reasons for constipation, I’m going to talk about 5 main ways to relieve constipation.

5 Ways To Ease Constipation Naturally

There are a number of ways that you can ease your constipation. Although these are general recommendations, it’s still important to talk to a dietitian as they can give you more of a specific recommendation on which intervention to focus on more.

1. More water

If recently you’ve started eating more whole grains, fruits, or vegetables your total fiber has increased. But, sometimes with that increase also needs to have increased water needs. Be sure to drink more water (around one gallon) spread throughout the day to make sure that your digestive system is thoroughly flushed.

2. More fiber

Having more fiber coming from whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetable helps immensely staying regular. Aim around 25-30 grams per day as a start. As with the first point, make sure you drink enough water with this much fiber!Chew your food: chew your food really well. Our saliva has digestive enzymes that help breakdown and digest food. When you chew your food really well, you’re starting the digestive process early in the mouth and making it easier for your stomach and intestine to break down food.

3. Switch it up

Some of my clients find some foods “sit” in their stomach well despite many experts saying that it is good for you.

Even though some foods (like oatmeal) may have fiber, not everyone responds to them equally. What you need to do is to SWITCH IT UP.

This means that if you are constantly eating oatmeal, feel free to switch to cream of rice or wheat. If you are eating brown rice constantly, switch to white rice. If you are used to eating hot rice or potatoes, try eating more bread or pasta.

The key to this is to make sure that the foods you are eating are easier for you to digest. This means that foods that are higher in fiber might be harder for you to break down. This could mean eating less oatmeal or vegetables to see how your body responds. Another way of doing this is to cook your vegetables more instead of eating them less cooked.

4. Control your stress

Don’t let it control you: Yes, stress can cause constipation but if you manage your stress really well, you get more control of your gut. The proven ways to control stress are:

1. Regular exercise: this can also mean that to talk regular walks after a meal if possible.
2. Mindfulness: many ways to approach mindfulness and part of this is meditation. Click more HERE on what it can look like.
3. Talk therapy (talk to someone, a friend or a therapist)

Want to read more on the fool proof way to manage stress? Read more HERE.

Now that you’ve read on 3 ways you could be constipated and 5 ways to relieve it, I’d love to know, what have you tried before to ease your constipation?

If you feel like you’re not sure where to start, I’d love to help. Head over to my website HERE and book an appointment!