I am all too familiar with this malady. I suffered for years with constipation. I went almost 14 days without going number two when I was a kid. And when I went once a week, it was party time. My stool was hard and painful on the exit. I remember sweating and pushing like there was a bowling ball in there. The process was so draining that I needed a nap after the whole ordeal. Then rinse and repeat. Awful. It’s just so hard to live this way, literally.
That was then.
Today pooping is a quick and pleasant experience. I feel my emptied bowels and I go as many times as I eat, give or take. No more bloating, heaviness, and gloomy mood. BTW that's me in the picture below. Big smiles.
I had to make many major changes to get a happy gut. I knew doing the ostrich wasn’t going to work. The Ostrich Effect btw is when you see a bad thing coming and stick your head in the sand hoping it will just go away (which it doesn’t).
My diet went through a 360 degree makeover and my gut microbiome responded with applause. I started taking live source supplements and detoxifying this precious body because folks you only get one. More on that in a later article.
In this article, I'll cover the types and subtypes of constipation and what you can start to do to shift your gut microbiome to a healthier state so that pooping is a breeze. As a bonus, I'm going to outline exactly what my day looked like implementing all of the elements I discuss below.
Warning: this does require effort.
Here we go…..
Constipation is a symptom based disorder that is caused by multiple mechanisms. Constipation may be primary or secondary to other factors (3).
Primary constipation involves the following three pathophysiologic subtypes plus one that is less common:
Secondary constipation is caused by a myriad of factors such as diet, drugs, behavioral, lifestyle, endocrine, metabolic, neurological, psychiatric, and other disorders.
How would you describe the constipation you experience? Slow Transit Constipation? Dyssynergic Defecation? Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Normal-Transit Constipation?
Let’s focus on secondary constipation, constipation influenced by other factors such as diet, lifestyle, metabolic, endocrine, etc. since we have so much power over many of these factors and changing these can eliminate constipation--whichever version you suspect you suffer with.
Drink Water. Before you skim over this point and jump ahead, come back and read this. It’s very important.
“The colon receives approximately 1.5 L of liquid effluent daily from the small intestine, with 200 mL to 400 mL excreted in the stool. The functions of the colon are to absorb fluid and transport waste to the rectum, where it is expelled or stored until defecation is convenient.” (2)
Do you drink a minimum of 1.5 liters of water so that the colon gets its share and can smoothly excrete waste? Most people don’t. In fact, most people walk around chronically dehydrated.
50-75% of your body is made of water.
How much water should you drink per day to ensure that your colon and whole body is hydrated?
½ your weight in ounces of water. If you weigh 140 lbs./2= 70 ounces of water which is about 2 liters per day.
Quality of the water you drink is as important as drinking water. Make sure you drink pure spring water. There are many reasons why spring water but I will leave that for another article.
Besides high quality water, I used professional grade supplements to overcome debilitating constipation naturally. Here is a list of the live source, food grade supplements I love and still take that have helped me overcome constipation …..
More on Guts, Noni, and Energy….
“On a molecular level, gut motility is a complex process that includes several layers of neural and hormonal control from the colon up to the central nervous system. On a simplified level, peristalsis, the major movement theme of the gut, is mediated predominantly through the neurotransmitter serotonin (5HT).” And the gut has seven 5HT receptor subtypes. (2)
Dr. Ralph Heinicke, Ph.D. in biochemistry specializing in alkaloid research, pioneered the research on the Noni plant and discovered its high content of pro-xeronine.
Pro-xeronine (a stable enzyme) + Serotonin (and other compounds found in Noni) = Xeronine (an alkaloid which acts to stabilize the structure and function of all cells)
Pro-xeronine + Serotonin found in Noni is converted to xeronine by the body. If a sufficient amount of xeronine is available, it helps activate all the body’s enzymes and proteins to greater efficiency. In other words, you get an energy boost.
Premier Cleanse. Premier Cleanse is a live source, clean, whole food grade colon cleaning formula that provides soluble fiber and cleans out toxic colon pockets, moving stagnant waste out of the colon and promoting healthy regular bowel eliminations. This herbal, beyond organic blend includes marshmallow root, licorice root, bitter gourd melon, black walnut hulls, pumpkin seed powder, slippery elm and much more. To grab yours click here.
More on stagnant poop….
Researchers know that “stool that remains in the colon longer will become drier, which can lead to scybalation (pebble-like stools) and impaction if the stool becomes too large and hard to pass through the anal canal. Cholera toxin, which selectively stimulates the CFTR channel, can produce overwhelming secretory diarrhea.” (2) This is why Premier Cleanse is important and powerful—it helps keep moving waste along the colon.
Premier Digest. Premier Digest is a plant source broad spectrum digestive enzyme formula that is derived using a proprietary Japanese fermentation process. It supports key digestive needs such as fat, protein, starch, lactose, sugar, and fiber.
Why do I take Premier Digest?
I use it to make sure I digest my food properly so that my colon doesn’t have to deal with toxic, rotting food that contributes to constipation and many other health problems.
I created a video for my digital program Master the Slim Life (link to Master the Slim Life here) that discusses not only Premier Digest but also Premier Digestase-SP that I use especially before meals at restaurants that may contain hidden or trace amounts of gluten (link to gluten video here). Click the brief video below to learn more about these digestive enzymes, what enzymes are, and why enzymes are vitally important to your digestive health and life….
[Insert digest video here]
What are enzymes anyway?
Enzymes are catalysts composed of amino acids that accelerate reactions in your body. An amazing several million reactions per second and without them some reactions wouldn’t function in your body.
There are three basic categories of enzymes: digestive enzymes, metabolic enzymes, and food derived enzymes. Dr. Edward Howell extensively studied enzymes. He believed that life expectancy depends on the preservation of your enzyme potential and metabolic enzyme deficit is the root of health problems.
Studies show that as you age your body’s enzyme production decreases, meaning it becomes increasingly difficult to digest your food. Greater digestive enzyme stress depletes the body of metabolic enzyme production and according to Dr. Howell metabolic enzyme deficit is the root of health problems.
What’s the moral of the story?
You want to make sure your enzyme reserves are high to properly digest your food and also enhance the body’s metabolic enzyme production.
Premier Galactan. Premier Galactan is a clean, live source arabinogalactan supplement (aka larch fiber) that supports gut health and immune system integrity.
More on this amazing fiber…..
What is arabinogalactan?
Arabinogalactan is a non-starch polysaccharide carbohydrate that occurs abundantly in the cell walls of plants. It is classified as a dietary fiber because it resists digestion by enzymes contained in saliva and the small intestine, hence entering the large bowel intact, where it is fermented by the resident microflora. And the gut microbiota love this stuff.
Arabinogalactan has a “wide range of biological properties and activities documented, such as the protection of gastrointestinal mucosa and large bowel function [23], the support of digestive health by improving intestinal flora [6, 24, 25], the improvement of stress- induced gastrointestinal dysfunction [26], the effect on vascular permeability [7], the effect in metastatic disease [7] and the enhancement of immune function [7],” according to a recent article published in 2016 Nutrition & Metabolism. (4)
AloeMannan-FX. AloeMannan-FX is an organic inner leaf aloe vera, grown on a tropical volcanic island btw, that contains 15% stabilized acemannan (the major polysaccharide in aloe vera), clay, and Lou Han Guo fruit. Aloe vera is a digestive healing superfood and AloeMannan-FX is exceptionally handled to ensure you get the highest quality, live source product.
A double blind study published in Digestion looked at constipation in adults and found that aloe vera along with psyllium (which Premier Cleanse contains) and celandine increased bowel frequency and softened stools. (6)
The Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2015 states that the Aloe Vera plant:
“exhibits many pharmacological activities such antioxidant, antimicrobial, immune boosting, antitumor, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, wound healing, and antidiabetic.” (5)
Take a look at the table below that lists just some of the magnificent compounds found in the Aloe leaf pulp and exudate. (7)
As I mentioned earlier in this article, my diet changed significantly. Along with drinking high quality spring water in large amounts and incorporating the supplements I reviewed above, I made three major dietary changes.
I removed gluten and gluten containing foods from my diet because I discovered that I am gluten sensitive (and you may be too). Gluten is the main structural protein found in wheat, rye, and barley and it is found in bread, pasta, pastries, pizza crust, and many other products. I’ve created a video that explains gluten and gluten intolerance/sensitivity vs. wheat allergy vs. celiac disease. Watch it now to get the inside scoop on gluten.There is a whole world of fantastic foods that are healthful and help relieve constipation that do not contain gluten— just in case you’re worried there’s nothing out there to eat. Health food stores carry organic gluten free brown rice pasta if you love your noodles. If you love bread there are gluten free options too. Make sure to read the labels. If there’s too much stuff in something that you can’t pronounce, look for a better option.
Gluten free is a huge category of products, a movement almost, that you have probably heard of here, there, and everywhere. The question is have you tried gluten free for a month and observed how you feel without the stuff? Try it.
The second major change was in the dairy department. I stopped eating it. A moment of silence. People can be so emotionally attached to milk that the thought of life without it may make them cry moo moo. I understand but let’s look at some valuable research on the subject….
According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, some 30 million to 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant (Cornell University).
Are you one of them?
Some lactose intolerance symptoms: nausea, cramps, gas, bloating, diarrhea that begin 30 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking foods that contain the milk sugar lactose.
Researchers hypothesize in Medical Hypotheses that industrial milk production practices have changed milk’s hormone composition in ways that could increase the risk of ovarian and other hormone-related cancers.
Ditto for men…
A Harvard study of male health professionals found that men who drank two or more glasses of milk a day were nearly twice as likely to develop advanced prostate cancer as those who didn’t drink milk at all.
Yikes, right?
Once again proving in my mind how powerful our food choices are on the state of our overall health (because everything is connected), including constipation and spanning the range of other digestive problems.
What are you going to do? Continue drinking milk or give it a break?
In one and two above, I revealed two food groups that I avoided. Number three is a delicious add in….Drum roll….
My morning smoothie. I know, I know you have probably heard of smoothies. This is a special kind of smoothie. Simple to make yet incredibly powerful in regards to fiber and antioxidants. I couple it with another drink that I will reveal later below….
What’s in my smoothie?
A bag of frozen organic strawberries plus 1-3 bananas that have just turned from green to yellow and a few additional powders (which I will discuss below). Blend. I often also add in frozen or fresh raspberries and/or organic blueberries once I have mixed the strawberries, bananas, and powders. That sounds very simple. Why do I add these ingredients you may be wondering?
Organic Strawberries. Rank 27 out of 50 for total anti-oxidant capacity and fourth in the fruit category. Strawberries have been shown to decrease inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein when consumed at least 3 times per week. And inflammation is the underlying driver of chronic disease so decreasing this baby is wonderful. Strawberries also contain mucho fiber which helps move poop along the colon.
Organic Raspberries. One of the greatest fiber containing foods. But that’s not all folks. Raspberries contain a phytochemical called rheosmin which has been shown to boost fat metabolism in fat cells helping digest and absorb less fat. Thus, it is a powerful player in the management of obesity. Raspberries help you lose weight faster and promote of course pooping.
Organic Blueberries. This fruit needs little introduction but here it goes anyway. Organic blueberries support and supply the entire body with antioxidants: protect the nervous system from oxidative stress, damage to muscles following rigorous exercise is reduced , protect the digestive tract, help regulate blood sugar, protect the retina from oxidative and sunlight damage, support the cardiovascular system (reduce total cholesterol & triglycerides, increase HDL, decrease blood pressure). They’re amazing.
Organic Bananas. Only the ones that have turned from green to yellow. Why? Because at this stage they are mainly structured water and act as prebiotics in the intestine. In other words, your gut microbiome is having a serious party when you throw in these kinds of bananas. DJ. Backflips and everything.
What are the additional powders I add to my smoothie?
Glad you asked…
Trim Body Blend, Premier. This is a live source, food source, premier quality whey protein formula that is produced using an ultrafiltration process that keeps the delicate and precious glycomacropeptides that boost your immune system intact. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. It also contains a powerful anti-oxidant blend, an additional immune blend and superfood grasses such as organic oat grass, organic kale, organic chlorella, broccoli, cilantro, and some of our friend noni.
I love this formula. It’s wonderful for weight loss, antioxidants, and of course a happy gut microbiome
Wait, wait, wait….Is whey protein derived from dairy? Yes, this is my only dairy exception….
And my second powder is….
Lecithin Granules, Premier. Premier Lecithin Granules contain all four key unsaturated fatty acid phosphatidyl complexes for optimal organ health, including the brain, nervous system, kidneys and more. Premier Lecithin Granules have inositol which supports a healthy mood and positive outlook and are a great source of choline which helps the body burn fat. What does this have to do with constipation? A lot.
Remember:
“On a molecular level, gut motility is a complex process that includes several layers of neural and hormonal control from the colon up to the central nervous system.” (2)
The central nervous system is very much involved in the function of the colon and elimination or pooping. It only seems logical to support the nervous system. And I do this with Premier Lecithin Granules among others.
Premier Galactan. I already discussed this power larch fiber player in the supplementation section and I also want to mention that I add it to my smoothie.
And last but not least…..About the drink….
As I am joyfully sipping my smoothie, I am also sipping my loose leaf, Japanese green tea with and without matcha. I drink various kinds that test well. If you want to find out about the inexpensive yet luxurious teas I drink, click here.
Why green tea you ask? Well, green tea has many uses…
The National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) informs that
“Green tea and green tea extracts, such as its component EGCG, have traditionally been used to prevent and treat a variety of cancers, including breast, stomach, and skin cancers, and for mental alertness, weight loss, lowering cholesterol levels, and protecting skin from sun damage.”
I created a video that discusses green tea and its amazing benefits. In the video, I reveal how to make green tea the right way to maintain all of its precious polyphenols. Drinking green tea alongside my smoothie in the morning is a one, two punch to constipation and helps me poop like a baby….
This article is packed with actionable information. Go out and do! If you would like to start relieving constipation naturally, wasting no more precious time and want to copycat what I did, click here to receive my protocol as a bonus when you decide to try the supplements I mentioned above. There’s nothing to lose except a bunch of toxic poop…
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Emily Pobratyn
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