How to Support Daily, Complete Bowel Movements
It is the New Year, so I want to dive into my favorite topic – poo! Do you poop daily? Having daily, complete bowel movements is essential to our hormonal health. Especially when it comes to estrogen regulation, fertility, mood, and metabolism. Constipation can also increase gut inflammation, endotoxin exposure, and cortisol (stress hormone). Improving your bowel movements is also an easy way to improve insulin sensitivity!
What does “healthy” look like in terms of bowel movements?
- At least 1-2 soft, well-formed bowel movements daily
- Easy to pass, no straining
- Feeling fully emptied afterwards
How to support daily bowel movements
Fiber: Fiber is often the first nutritional line of defense, but what actually is a good source of fiber? And what happens when eating more fiber is not enough…or it even seems to be making it worse?!
Ideally, we want to aim for a minimum of 30-40g of fiber per day. And we want that coming from whole food sources. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that low-carb, high-fiber tortilla you love with 15g of fiber per serving, or drinks like Olipop, is not what I am talking about! And could actually be making your bloating worse. This is because your body does better with smaller amounts of fiber spread more evenly throughout the day. Things you might see on labels are inulin, chicory root fiber, gums, acacia, etc. These can actually be too much for most people. Instead, fiber doesn’t need to be an added ingredient; it’s inherent in the food. Berries (especially raspberries), beans, lentils, artichokes, broccoli, carrots, avocado, and chia and flax seeds are great natural sources of fiber.
While fiber is an important part of our diet for gut health, eating too much or too little fiber without sufficient water can backfire. Fiber needs water to move through our system. Without it, we can feel more backed up, and it can make stools harder to pass.
Eating enough. Food = fuel. You need enough food to thrive, not just survive. If you are under-eating, everything slows down, including your digestion, because your body is trying to extract every last bit of nutrition it can out of the food you are consuming. Eating a big enough meal also triggers peristalsis, the movement of your intestines, which will help you pass stool.
Gut-supportive foods and magnesium. You can also try incorporating more probiotics and magnesium into your diet. You can get probiotic-rich foods through fermented foods like pickles, kimchi, and yogurt. Magnesium is found in leafy greens, almonds, white beans, avocado, and salmon. However, our soil is becoming depleted of magnesium due to over-farming, therefore supplementation may be necessary. For constipation, magnesium citrate is best.
Hydration. Hydration, especially first thing in the morning, should not be forgotten about either! Try to have a glass or two of water BEFORE your morning coffee to help increase your likelihood of complete bowel movements.
Physical Movement. Daily physical movement helps you poop because your intestines are designed to move when you move! Gut motility is closely tied to muscle activity, blood flow, and your nervous system. Your intestines rely on rhythmic muscle contractions (peristalsis) to push stool forward. Walking, stretching, and gentle core engagement activate these muscles. Sedentary time slows intestinal contractions and can lead to constipation. Even 10-15 min of movement a day can help here!
Proper positioning. While pooping, proper positioning helps because it puts your rectum in the most natural, efficient alignment for elimination, reducing strain and allowing stool to pass easily. Modern toilets actually work against our anatomy. Instead, you want to squat or elevate your feet to help (i.e., the squatty potty).
Popping daily isn’t just about digestive health – it is about hormonal health. If hormones are imbalanced, the gut is almost always part of the picture!
If you’re struggling with chronic constipation and none of this is helping, consider seeking additional support from a functional practitioner or scheduling an appointment with our wellness providers to rule out gut imbalances, food sensitivities, do a deep dive into your daily dietary habits, and get more targeted/individualized support.
As always, we are here to help you optimize your well-being! If you want to take a deep dive into your health or would like to talk through your current goals, give us a call to schedule a complimentary wellness consultation!
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