Constipation is a troubling and frustrating situation that brings on many unwanted symptoms and negative effects.
We instill to our students how important it is to discuss bowel movements with clients, and determining if they are constipated is important information.
Some symptoms that indicate constipation include :
• dry, hard stools
• stools that are difficult or painful to pass
• they don’t feel completely relieved or “empty” after pooping
• bloating and nausea
It’s ideal for the body to be eliminating daily through the bowels.
If there are complications with stool elimination, this can:
Create a toxic environment for the body
Increase inflammation
Inhibit fat loss, especially around the mid section
Lead to dysbiosis (an imbalance in good and bad bacteria, increasing the bad bacteria in the gut)
And numerous other unwanted effects.
If your client is experiencing constipation, here are some common causes to look at, and discuss making lifestyle and eating changes to address these :
1. Food passes too slowly through the digestive track which gives the colon more time to absorb water from the digested food that’s passing through. Causing dry hard stools.
2. Lifestyle choices such as not drinking enough water, consuming too many inflammatory or processed foods, not consuming enough fibre and/or living a high stress life.
3. Medications such as antidepressants, iron pills, pain meds, anti inflammatories and ant acids are all known to cause constipation.
4. Stress can make constipation worse as you tense up your muscles. This causes the valve between the small and large intestines to close up.
5. Low stomach acid or an overgrowth of bad bacteria which causes food to build up.
You can address these causes and prevent constipation through :
• Prescribing a well- balanced diet with plenty of fibre, and a large variety of fruits and vegetables each day.
• Ensuring your clients stays well hydrated, drinking plenty of filtered water each day. Water helps the colon pass stool.
• Exercise regularly (if they are training with you, this one should be easy)
• Look at lifestyle changes to reduce stress, such as less coffee, walking, getting to sleep earlier, and journaling.
• Supplement with magnesium. Prescribe 2 at dinner and one later in the evening with herbal tea to start, then adjust of their stool begins to seem too loose.
Your client’s poop tells you so much about their inner health, it gives you data that is key for healing their gut and eventually leading to fat loss.
Join Sara and Ken in this episode to elaborate on this topic.
