5 Things To Do If You’re Constipated

Yes, today we are going to talk about poop (or lack thereof). It’s crazy how many clients come to me that aren’t pooping regularly. They just think it’s their “normal” and there’s not much they can do about it. For some, it gets so severe that it becomes uncomfortable and interrupts their hunger and fullness cues.

Truth is, it’s important to poop everyday. Our body is hard at work removing toxins and recycling hormones, and at some point, it needs to get out! It should be an easy process – you don’t want to be pushing until your are blue in the face or sitting long enough to read an entire newspaper before something happens.

Constipation is typically defined as having less than three bowel movements per week; having stool that is dry and/or hard to pass; or feeling like you have incomplete evacuation. According the Bristol Stool Chart, your poop should look like a 3-4. You can view the chart here. 

If you’ve gotten this far, you probably need help relieving your constipation. So here’s five things you can do:

Invest in a Squatty Potty: EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE ONE. Seriously. Physiologically, it doesn’t make sense for us to sit at a 90 degree angle on a toilet.

           My brother, Kevin Neglia, is the owner of Loco Motion New York and is known all over New York as the “Poop King”.

Just kidding. He just has a degree and an incredible understanding of human anatomy. He says:

           “When standing, the puborectalis muscle is contracted in order to retain feces, which as you can imagine (please don’t) is pretty important.

When we simply fold the body, or “squat”, we allow the hips to flex past 90 degrees, which is about where our western toilets bring us to a halt. On the contrary, squatting allows us to reach 135 degrees of hip flexion. Once we achieve this fold, the puborectalis muscle is able to relax, clearing the way for feces to leave the body without much strain (goodbye 45 minute toilet breaks). In reality, elimination is a pretty quick process, allowing you to quickly and painlessly get on with your day.”

A Squatty Potty, found here and here, gets you into that squatting position. I have one for home and one for travel. I seriously don’t know how I ever lived without it.

Take Magnesium: This is another tip that seriously works magic. I take this myself and my clients love it too. Magnesium is needed for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body- and most of us aren’t getting enough! When you take it you’re not just pooping better, you’re doing 300+ other things better too. The type of magnesium here matters. I recommend Natural Calm, which contains magnesium citrate (the stuff that makes you poop).  Magnesium helps relax the muscles of the digestive tract and helps move stool through the intestines. Ladies- it is also helpful for menstrual cramps! I recommend speaking to a dietitian on individual dosage and timing.

Eat More or Less Fiber: Yes, fiber can be too much of a good thing. The recommended fiber intake 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for men. If you’re not getting enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains, you might not be getting enough fiber to add bulk to your stool (and therefore, help it get out). On the other hand, if you are getting WAY too much fiber, this can also be constipating. It may be time to rethink that Quest bar…

 If you need to increase fiber, do it gradually. You’ll also want to increase your fluid intake simultaneously.

Eat Enough Food: I don’t care how many vegetables you’re eating, if you’re not getting enough food it’s going to be really hard to poop. When you’re not eating enough, your digestive system slows down and there is not enough food waste to add bulk to your stool. Carbohydrates and healthy fats are incredibly important in this regard.

Drink Coffee: For some people, drinking coffee can stimulate the muscles in your digestive system and increase the urge to go to the bathroom. I recommend having a cup first thing in the morning rather than later in the day.

There are some other remedies, but I find these to be most effective and relevant for both myself and my clients. Constipation is common, but shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s a symptom, not a disease or ailment, so it’s important to figure out the underlying causes.

More poop questions? I’d love to help! Leave a comment below or e-mail adena@brownmedinanutrition.com