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Welcome to the Meraki Blueprint Podcast. I'm your host, lisa Day, a nutritional therapy practitioner. On this podcast, we talk all things wellness and nutrition, exploring how to support your health on a preventative level. I wholeheartedly believe in Hippocrates' wisdom that the body has an innate ability to heal when we give it what it needs. This healing starts with balancing the foundations of health. Are you ready to rethink wellness? Let's get into it. Are you full of it? If you're not having a bowel movement every day, you very well could be, and I don't know about you, but I think my title is pretty clever.

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Today's episode, we're talking all things constipation what constipation is, what a bowel movement is, what a bowel movement should be, some reasons people might have constipation and some tips and things to look into to relieve the constipation. Every time we eat, we are essentially bringing the outside world into our bodies. Our digestive system's job is to break down that food, extract the nutrients and then excrete the leftovers, the waste that our body can't use, and it does this through mouth movements, urine, sweating, and even our breath exhales, releases waste. So digestion is a process of internalizing external substances, utilizing what's beneficial and getting rid of everything else. Now our bowel movement is more than just leftover food that we can't digest or didn't digest. It, yes, contains water and fiber, but it also contains bacteria, excess hormones, environmental toxins, dead intestinal lining cells and basically everything that your body is trying to get rid of, remove out in solid form, and it's just one of the body's ways of waste removal. So there's the movement that we've discussed. It's the body's primary method of excreting solid waste. There's urine. The kidneys filter waste and excess fluids from the bloodstream, turning them into urine, which is then excreted through the bladder, and urine helps remove water-soluble toxins and excess salts from the body. Sweating Sweat helps the body eliminate toxins and excess heat. The sweat glands and the skin release waste products like urea, ammonia and heavy metals like lead and mercury. Mycotoxins from mold are also can be removed from sweat, and then even some environmental toxins like BPA have been found in sweat. Breathing also is a waste removal method. Our lungs help us eliminate volatile waste products like carbon dioxide, which is a byproduct of cellular metabolism, and then we also have the lymphatic system. That is also a method of removing waste fluid from the tissues, and then it's sent to the blood to then be excreted.

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Before we get into constipation, I want to talk a little bit about the background on digestion, just so you have some knowledge, because digestion does play a role in creating our bowel movements. So food enters into the mouth and we chew it up and this mixture is now called bolus and it's sent down to the stomach through the esophagus. The bolus now in the stomach is then mixed up with enzymes and hydrochloric acid and it's churned around. The stomach actually makes like a massaging movement to move the food around. I'm doing a like little dance to explain this Move the food around and help break it down more. After this process, the mixture is now called chyme and it's partially digested and it's released into the small intestines. During the trip through the small intestines it's being further digested and nutrients are being absorbed through the lining of the intestines. The lining of the small intestine is covered in tiny finger-like projectiles called villi, and the villis are covered in even tinier hair-like structures called microvilli that reach out and grab nutrients. The small intestines are about 20 feet long when they're laid out, so this creates a massive surface area for absorption.

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After the small intestine it is then taken into the large intestine and when it reaches the large intestine, also referred to as the colon. It is turning into mainly waste products. Water is being absorbed and vitamins, and there's four areas of the colon. So we have the ascending colon, which is on the right side, and it moves waste upwards and absorbs water and nutrients. And then we have the transverse colon, across the top of the abdomen and it's absorbing more water and salts. And then we have the descending colon, which goes down the left side. This is moving stool downwards and it's continuing to absorb water and it's compacting the waste into a more solid form. Then we have the sigmoid colon, which is an S-shaped area and it connects the rectum and acts as a storage area for a bowel movement. And after the sigmoid colon, the waste moves into the rectum and then out through the anus into the toilet.

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When we're constipated, stool is moving too slowly through the colon and it sits there longer than it should. This is problematic because the longer the stool stays in the colon, the more water is absorbed, making the stool drier and harder to pass. But there's an even bigger concern and it's that the body is reabsorbing toxins and waste at the stool and sending it back into the bloodstream, and this is a process known as toxin reabsorption. The colon is meant to excrete waste, but when things slow down, it can start to reabsorb unwanted substances, including hormones, metabolic waste products, toxins, heavy metals, bacterial endotoxins and these can end up back in circulation, putting a strain on your detox organs like your liver and your kidneys. It can lead to fatigue, headaches, skin issues, hormonal imbalances, so it's really it's not helpful at all.

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Imagine taking your kitchen trash out, tie up the bag, you take it out of the main trash can and then you just take it to the back door and you just set it down by the back door. You don't actually take it out of the house and put it into the dumpster, you just leave it by the door Like it's not helpful. The trash is still there in your house. A valve movement is the body's way of saying we've processed what we needed. Now it's time to move on, and it's a sign that. It's a sign that the digestive system is working the way it's meant to.

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When someone's constipated, it can also add to our toxin load the toxin bucket common analogies in the functional health space. So imagine your body has a bucket that holds all the toxins that it comes into contact with from environmental pollutants, chemicals sprayed on your food, chemicals in your makeup, your skincare, your household cleaning products, even byproducts of normal metabolic processes. Everyone's bucket is going to be a different size. Things that can factor into how much your bucket can hold are things like genetics, diet, lifestyle, your overall health. Your body is constantly working to empty this bucket by processing and removing the toxins from the body through various elimination pathways that we talked about bowel movements, urine, sweating, the lymphatic system. If any of these detox pathways are sluggish or ineffective, your bucket will fill up faster. Eventually it can overflow, leading to symptoms of toxin overload like fatigue, skin breakouts, digestive issues, headaches, hormone imbalances really the list just goes on. But the more you support your detox processes, the more efficiently your body can empty that bucket and avoid overflow. And remember, the overflow is whenever we see the symptoms.

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Let's get into a little bit about what constipation even means. In my opinion, you are considered constipated if you are not having a bowel movement at least once a day, preferably two times a day. Some people even say you need to be having a bowel movement after every time you eat, and there is a handy at-home test that you can do. It is a transit time test and it will help you determine how long food is taking to get through your digestive system, so how long it takes from entering your mouth to leaving into the toilet. The most common method involves eating a food that is easy to spot in the stool, like corn kernels, sesame seeds or beetroot. These foods are typically not digested fully, so they can act as a natural marker. The transit test works by choosing the marker food and then eating it after a meal and not chewing it too much and then noting the time that it was eaten Over the next few days. Track when the food is seen again in the stool, when the food passes or its remnants. Note the time and the time from eating the marker food to passing it in your stool is your intestinal transit time. Now a little disclaimer this podcast is informational purposes only, but this is a test that does exist and that can be done. So what does the transit time mean? A normal transit time is typically anywhere between 24 and 72 hours. A faster transit time is going to be under 24 hours and this is going to indicate possibly diarrhea or malabsorption, and then a slower transit time over 72 hours suggests constipation, sluggish digestion. So now that we've talked about transit time, what should a bowel movement look like as it's coming out, and I know this is like such a taboo topic, but it's a very important topic and while bowel movements are not considered a traditional vital sign, they are so important to giving us clues to how someone's health is doing. So I don't know, take the information with what. Take the information as you will, but the consistency of a bowel movement is an important indicator of health. There is a handy chart called the Bristol Stool Chart and this chart is a way to describe the consistency and shape of a stool and helps assess digestion and identify any potential digestive issues. Since I can't show you the Bristol stool chart on the podcast, I'm going to explain the Bristol stool chart to you.

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There's type 1 through 7. Type 1 is small, hard, dry lumps that are difficult to pass. This is often associated with severe constipation, where the stool is staying in the colon for far too long and becoming very dry and hard Because, remember, the longer the stool stays in the colon, the more water is being extracted from it. So if someone is severely constipated, a lot of the water has been taken out of the stool. A lot of the water has been taken out of the stool. Type two it's a firm, lumpy stool like a thick sausage, but with noticeable lumps. This also suggests mild constipation. The stool has become compacted and is still somewhat difficult to pass, though not as hard as type one.

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Type three is a smooth, sausage-like shape with cracks on the outside. This is considered a normal stool. It's well-formed, passes easily but still a bit firmer than ideal, slightly dry, but no major issues. If someone's telling me that they're having a type three bowel movement every day, I'm happy. That's great. Type four is a long, smooth and soft stool, often described as snake-like. This is the ideal stool. It's easy to pass, has the perfect consistency. It indicates a healthy digestion and hydration. This is the gold standard.

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Type five soft but well-formed pieces that are more like a blob. This stool is relatively easy to pass but might be a bit more water content than ideal. It's usually associated with mild diarrhea or slight digestive discomfort. Type six stool that's soft and mushy, with jagged edges. This indicates diarrhea or loose stool, where the stool has too much water. And then type seven very watery with no solid pieces. It's like diarrhea, completely liquid. This is the most severe form of diarrhea and it can indicate serious issues like infections, food intolerances, digestive problems. It's also accompanied by urgency and discomfort. So, in summary, types one and two are constipation, hard limpy stools. Types three and four normal stools well-formed, easy to pass. Types five and seven diarrhea, loose or liquid stools. So if you want to see a visual of the Bristol stool chart, google Bristol stool chart. There's different variations.

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But now let's talk about some potential reasons for constipation. We're going to go over 10 different reasons and some practical things to consider to help. Number one a lack of movement in the lymphatic system. Our bodies are designed to move and movement plays a key role in stimulating the digestive system. When we move, it helps get the lymphatic system going. The lymphatic system is responsible for draining excess fluid or lymph from the tissues and it returns it to the blood, and it also supports the natural contractions of the digestive system, called peristalsis. This is like a wave-like motion that happens in the intestines to help move the bowel movement through. This is important because movement helps reduce the amount of time food spends in the large intestine, making it easier to have a regular bowel movement and reducing the risk of constipation. Have you ever like gone for a walk and then needed to go to the bathroom? There's a reason for that.

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A little bit more about the lymphatic system. It plays an important and often overlooked role in digestion and bowel health. While its primary job is to help the body support the immune system, it's also closely tied to our digestive system, especially when it comes to constipation. The heart pumps blood around our body through the blood vessels. The lymphatic system does not have a pump, so it works by muscle contractions, deep breathing, physical activity to help circulate lymph fluid throughout the body, and this circulation is crucial for flushing out cellular waste and toxins. So if we're not moving consistently, then our lymphatic system is not moving consistently.

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To help your lymphatic system to keep it flowing, move your body regularly, and it doesn't have to be like crazy high intensity workouts. It can be walking, yoga, rebounding, which is like on the mini trampoline. They're all really effective in getting the lymph moving. There's also those digest, or what are they called? There's also those vibration plates. Um, you should literally just stand on them and then staying hydrated is going to help the lymphatic, the lymphatic system. Dry brushing this is something that stimulates lymph lymphatic flow.

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Castor oil packs castor oil packs placed over the liver can also help with detoxification and lymphatic system, number two being in sympathetic nervous system dominance. So sympathetic nervous system state is our fight or flight. This is our go mode, the state we enter during times of stress and urgency and activity mode, and it's one we enter when we're working out, rushing around or even like when someone knocks at your door unexpectedly. Are you like me? When someone knocks at your door, my nervous system thinks a lion is chasing me. Who is at my door?

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When we're in sympathetic dominance, digestion isn't prioritized and instead the body is more focused on survival. And the problem with this is that today, many of us are living in a sympathetic dominant state. For most of the day, we're rushing through life, we're handling stress and we're forgetting to slow down, and I'm not. We need the sympathetic side of our nervous system, but when we are, when our mind is constantly going, when we constantly need to be doing something, when we are stuck in perfectionism, we are not. Our body is not focusing on digestion. So we need the sympathetic nervous system, but we need to be able to ebb and flow between the sympathetic and then also the parasympathetic state, which is our rest, digest, detox. This is the part of the nervous system that's active when we're calm and relaxed and at rest. This is the state we want to be in for optimal digestion, because it supports the body's natural detoxification processes. It's very important to get into the parasympathetic state before we eat because, like I said, parasympathetic is our rest and digest. Our body is focusing on digesting our food when we're in this state. And something that you can do deep breathing before you start eating. This simple practice helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system. It signals to the body that it's time to calm down, it's time to digest the food. You can do just simple deep breaths. I like to do box breathing, which is four counts, in hold for four counts, release for four counts and just starting that over again.

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Number three food sensitivities can also contribute to constipation. For example, dairy is known to cause constipation for some people. Other people might struggle with gluten and processed foods. Identifying these foods or removing them from your diet can be a game changer if you're having digestive issues. Keep track of what might be irritating your gut and definitely start by removing the foods that are highly processed, full of thickeners and preservatives. When your body is sensitive to certain foods, it can react by initiating an immune response which leads to inflammation in the digestive tract, and this inflammation can slow down the digestive process and impair the movement of food through the intestines, contributing to constipation. You can also of food through the intestines, contributing to constipation. You can also, on the flip side of this, see diarrhea with food sensitivities, but that's not the topic of today's video.

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But I just wanted to note Number four low thyroid or hypothyroidism. The thyroid helps regulate metabolism and energy and when it's underactive it can slow down the body's natural processes, including digestion, and this can result in slower transit times in the intestines, leading to constipation. If you suspect you have thyroid issues, it's worth talking to your healthcare provider, asking them for testing and evaluation. Supporting the thyroid health will help your metabolism and improve digestion. In my practice, I check for low thyroid through my comprehensive blood work panel that I run on all new clients. I check eight thyroid markers to make sure that we're getting the full thyroid picture. If your thyroid is low, working on thyroid health can help support constipation. When the thyroid is slow, it is essentially trying to conserve energy and one of the ways it does this is by slowing down the digestion process.

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Low fiber intake can contribute to constipation. Fiber is one of the most important parts of our health and our nutrition, and when we don't get enough, constipation can become a problem. We should ideally be aiming for 30 grams of fiber per day. Unfortunately, many people don't come close to that amount, often consuming less than half of that. Increasing plant fiber in your diet can help bulk up your stools, making them easier to pass.

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We're going to briefly talk about soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms like a gel substance in the gut. This type of fiber helps pull water into the colon so it can soften hardened stools. Soluble fiber is often found in like the soft, fleshy plant parts. Some vegetables or foods that are high in soluble fiber include broccoli, artichokes, avocado, carrots, sweet potatoes, apple, lima, beans, lentils, chia seeds, potatoes, asparagus, oranges, pears so adding those to your diet will be helpful for constipation. And then some actual like fiber supplements that you can take psyllium, husk, pectin, inulin.

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The other type of fiber found in plant foods insoluble, it doesn't dissolve in water. Instead, it adds bulk to the stool and helps food pass through the digestive system more easily. It plays a role in preventing constipation by promoting regular bowel movements. Insoluble fiber is often found in the tough, fibrous parts of the plant, like the skins of fruits, vegetables. Foods high in insoluble fiber include prunes, cauliflower, green peas, dark leafy greens, blackberries, nuts and seeds, and also unpeeled apples. So really just eating plant foods will help you get your fiber in. But if you're interested in the two different types of fiber, there you go.

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A side note increase fiber gradually. If you're not used to eating a high fiber diet, it's important to increase fiber intake slowly. Jumping straight into fiber heavy diet can cause bloating, discomfort, gas. It's going to take like a little bit of time for your digestive system to adjust. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water when you increase your fiber intake, because fiber absorbs water in the digestive tract. So without enough fluid it can actually worsen constipation. Don't let that scare. You. Just start increasing your fiber slowly. Okay, and one more fiber supplement that I love Sun Fiber. This is a soluble fiber that it's virtually invisible. It doesn't have a taste, it doesn't have a texture, but it still provides all the benefits of fiber without causing bloating. A lot of fiber supplements you mix with water and there is like a noticeable texture. Um. So if you're like a tech, if you're a texture person like you can't handle weird textures start with some vibe. Um.

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Dysbiosis is another factor that can contribute to constipation and dysbiosis just means that there's an imbalance in the gut microbiome. The majority of your gut microbiome lives in your colon and it's home to trillions of bacteria, both good and bad, and maintaining a healthy balance between the two is crucial for proper digestion. Dysbiosis occurs when the bad bacteria, pathogenic bacteria or other harmful microorganisms like parasites or worms outweigh the beneficial bacteria. The imbalance can lead to poor digestion, bloating, constipation, malabsorption of the food that you're eating can lead to hormonal imbalances. The gut is really connected to everything. One way that I assess gut health in my practice is with the GI map test. This test gives literally a snapshot of what the gut looks like at a specific moment in time. If you haven't guessed by now, it is a stool analysis the good bacteria. So it looks at the good bacteria, the pathogenic bacteria, opportunistic bacteria that can undergo and cause problems, parasites, worms, digestive markers, inflammation markers. It's really a great test and by addressing and identifying dysbiosis we can help restore the balance in the gut, improving digestion, alleviating constipation and a whole host of other symptoms that may be present.

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The last one that we're going to talk about today is dehydration. So dehydration is just another major contributor to constipation. I think we all know that we need to be drinking our water, but are we drinking our water? Are you drinking your water? Your body needs plenty of water to help keep things moving in the digestive tract, and when we're dehydrated, the colon absorbs more water from the stool, making it harder, drier and more difficult to pass, and we do not want that. Staying well hydrated helps keep the stool soft and easy to move through the intestines.

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Be mindful of your water intake. Aiming for about half of your body weight in ounces of water per day is a great place to start. There's also like herbal teas. You can infuse your water with fruit. I also love Organifi, which is a mixture of adaptogens and fruits. It's like a. It's basically did you okay, did your parents or did your mom back in the day ever drink Crystal Light? It's like a healthy version of Crystal Light. If I could explain it in the most simplistic way. That's what it is, but it has like a lot of adaptogens. It's very good for you.

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Some other things that I'm going to just kind of touch on really quickly is a squatty potty can help get someone in the correct squat position to have a proper bowel movement. A study was shown that using a squatty potty gave a sharp reduction of time necessary for sensation of satisfactory bowel emptying in the squatting posture, compared to either of the sitting positions. So the toilet, the way it's made, is actually, it actually puts like a kink in our bowels and makes it harder to use the bathroom. So that squatty potty just lifts your feet up and gives you a squat position on the toilet. Those are some common reasons for constipation, some things that can be done to address those reasons.

Speaker 1: 27:07

Thank you so much for listening to today's podcast episode about constipation. We spent a whole 30 minutes talking about poop. We spent a whole 30 minutes talking about poop. Hey, and, by the way, if you think that this podcast has been helpful or you've enjoyed it, leave a review please. It would help so much. Leaving small businesses reviews is just the. It makes our day and it's free. And then also, if you know someone who's constipated, send them this podcast episode. Maybe it will enlighten some ways to relieve that constipation. Okay, bye.