#1 Reason Why You’re Still Bloated
Let’s get real—bloating is the worst. That uncomfortable, swollen feeling can ruin your day, and it feels like no matter what you do, it just won’t go away. You might have tried cutting out certain foods, adding probiotics, or drinking more water. But what if I told you the root cause of your bloating could be constipation?
Why Constipation Causes Bloat
Constipation and bloating go hand in hand. When you're constipated, waste lingers in your system longer than it should. This build-up can lead to the production of excess gas and make your abdomen feel swollen and tight. It's like a traffic jam in your digestive system, and nobody likes being stuck in traffic.
But First, What Exactly Is Considered Constipation?
Constipation isn’t just about how often you go to the bathroom. It’s also about how difficult it is to pass stools. Here’s the lowdown on what regular, healthy bowel movements should look like (PSA, we’re getting down and dirty with the specifics!):
1. Shape and Form: Ideally, a healthy stool is smooth, well-formed, and shaped like a sausage or a snake.
2. Color: The color of a healthy stool should be a medium to dark brown. This is due to bile from your liver, which helps digest fats.
3. Consistency: Stools should be soft but solid, easy to pass without straining. They shouldn’t be too hard, lumpy or pellet-like OR loose, fluffy or easily break up in the toilet.
4. Frequency: Regularity varies from person to person, but going anywhere from 1-3 times a day is considered normal. If you are skipping days, this could definitely cause bloating, but also interfere with detoxification, and hormone balance.
5. Effort: A healthy bowel movement should require minimal straining and leave you feeling completely evacuated. You shouldn't feel like there's more to come out right after you just went. A sign of incomplete evacuation is if you feel like there’s some left inside, have manually tried to remove stool or have poo stains on your undies after wiping.
Make it stand out
Type 1 and type 2 are common in constipated folks HOWEVER you can struggle with types 5-6 in cases where you have trouble fully emptying.
This stool chart was designed by my friend and colleague, Jenna Volpe RD.
Common Reasons Women Are Constipated
Hormonal Fluctuations: Women’s hormone levels fluctuate during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause, which can slow down digestion and bile flow. Hormonal birth control can also play a role in this. Hormonal birth control disrupts mineral metabolism, reduces stomach acid & can affect nutrient absorption. HBC is specifically associated with decreased levels of minerals like zinc, magnesium, selenium & phosphorus. Mineral depletion plays a major role in constipation.
Minerals: Every single cell requires minerals to make energy, hormones and enzymes. Minerals are crucial for regular bowel movements. When minerals are depleted due to either use of hormonal birth control, diet, or both, risk for constipation increases. Today's soil is not as rich in minerals as it was years ago, leaving us at risk for deficiencies. Chronic stressors also cause our body to go through minerals more quickly. Mineral depletion can be caused by healthy stressors like regular exercise or unhealthy stressors like chronic anxiety, inflammation, infections and pesticides. Even water filters can play a role - filtering your water via reverse osmosis is great, but you have to make sure you remineralize (as it also removes the minerals!). If you're dealing with constipation, mineral repletion is a solid first step!
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: When pelvic floor muscles aren't working as they should - it can be difficult to have a bowel movement. If the pelvic floor muscles in the rectum are too tight and unable to relax, it becomes difficult for stool to be passed. In addition, women who have had abdominal surgeries, injuries or traumas can be left with adhesions which can cause disruption in healthy motility. Cue pelvic floor therapy, and breathwork.
Lack of Fluids/Fiber: Not drinking enough water and a diet low in fiber can lead to constipation. Fiber helps to bulk up your stool, and water keeps it moving smoothly through your digestive tract. Soluble fiber specifically has been shown to improve constipation in clinical trials.
Emotions: Stress and anxiety can literally stop your digestive system in its tracks. Your gut is often called your "second brain" for a reason. The second brain in the gut is called the enteric nervous system. When the body is stuck in a constant state of anxiety ( also known as a fight or flight state), digestive processes are downregulated. Stress hormones cause the body to shift blood flow from the intestines toward vital organs like the heart, lungs, and brain. As a result, intestinal movement slows down, and constipation can occur.
Standard American Diet: Highly processed foods, low in nutrients and fiber, can wreak havoc on your gut. Following a Standard American Diet rich in things like heavily processed foods and refined sugars/carbs leaves us at risk for deficiencies in key nutrients for bowel regularity (vitamins, minerals, fiber, bitters).
Over Exercising: Over-exercising can put our body into a fight or flight stress state, slowing digestion - especially in the context of an already stressed out person. Exercise is essential for our overall health, but not overdoing it is key. Over-exercising can also cause excess electrolyte loss- if not repleted this could cause electrolyte imbalance and/or dehydration. Electrolytes, such as sodium and magnesium,, help regulate the movement of fluids in your digestive system, keeping things running smoothly. An electrolyte imbalance can disrupt gut motility, leading to constipation.
Undereating: Undereating plays a major role in constipation. If we are not eating enough, the movement through the digestive tract slows down, causing constipation. Chronic undereating is also a stressor - causing the body to spike cortisol more often and halt ‘rest and digest’ mode.
Bile Flow Stagnancy: Bile is a digestive fluid created by your liver and stored in your gallbladder. Bile helps digest fats and aids in the elimination of waste. If our bile flow is decreased, constipation can occur. Low bile flow can be commonly caused by obesity, aging, vitamin d deficiency, or excess alcohol intake. Excess estrogen can also reduce bile & bile flow as it concentrates cholesterol in the bile. This increases risk of constipation. Try incorporating bitters to support bile flow.
How Constipation Impacts Hormone Detox
Constipation doesn’t just make you feel bloated and uncomfortable—it can also mess with your hormones. Your body eliminates excess hormones via your poop. Say hello to your Estrobolome aka estrogen microbiome. Your estrobolome = gut bacteria that do or don’t help you detoxify and clear out estrogen.
When you’re constipated, estrogens (an namely other waste products) can be reabsorbed into your bloodstream, leading to an imbalance. This can create a vicious cycle where hormone imbalances cause constipation, and constipation exacerbates hormone imbalances.
