5 Natural Constipation Remedies
As a nutritional therapist and someone who’s had their fair share of digestive woes, I don’t shy away from poop discussions. After all, we all know that good poop makes a good day.
Regular bowel movements indicate a healthy digestive system and proper diet. Poop is helpful insight into what’s going on inside our body.
We should have softly-formed bowel movements once to twice a day. Any less is considered constipation. But you can be constipated even if you are going once a day, if your bowel movements look like a 1, 2, or 3 on the Bristol Stool Chart. Ideally, it should be a 4 or 5.
Natural constipation relief means a good diet and digestion. Here are five natural constipation remedies that will give you good poops every day.
1. Practice Proper Poop Posture
First, do the squat! Elevating your feet while on the bathroom throne brings your body into the elimination position nature intended. A squatting position fully relaxes the puborectalis muscle, while the conventional seated posture actually puts a kink in the anorectal angle.
I’m using words like “puborectalis” and “anorectal” because I really don’t want to scare you off with personal details about how squatting rocks. So I’ll just say that proper pooping alignment means no straining. You’ll be surprised how the proper pooping posture offers natural constipation relief.
I use a Squatty Potty and I thoroughly recommend it. You can also use a step stool to elevate your feet, but the Squatty Potty is much less of an eyesore.
2. Eat the right fats
How do healthy fats support regularity?
It stimulates bile release from the gallbladder, and bile helps trigger peristalsis (muscle movement) of the colon. Without an intake of adequate fat, the gallbladder doesn’t release bile. That, in turn, compromises the health of the gallbladder. Improving fat digestion naturally relieves constipation.
It also supports a healthy metabolic rate, which governs the transit time of waste in the colon. Coconut oil has been shown to improve metabolic rate, and it recommended by alternative practitioners to improve thyroid function.
Finally, it supports hormone synthesis. The cholesterol found in “old-fashioned” fats like butter and egg yolks is a nutrient. Sex hormones and thyroid hormones, which play a role in metabolism and regularity, require the
What are some healthy fats that support regularity?
- Ghee – my most highly recommended option, read the benefits of ghee here
- Pastured eggs
- Butter from grassfed cows – read the benefits of grassfed butter here
- Coconut oil
- Lard and tallow, from pastured animals – read the health benefits of lard here
3. Get Enough Magnesium
Magnesium is a natural laxative. I use two different magnesium supplements:
- Natural Vitality Natural Magnesium Calm is not the most absorbable form of magnesium, but this means that it acts as a laxative. Natural Calm dissolves water to create a slightly fizzy beverage. Take it before bed and slowly increase your dose by 1/4 tsp. until bowel tolerance is reached.
- While Natural Calm can often produce a bowel movement the next day, magnesium oil is better utilized by the body but works more slowly. I recommend using magnesium oil daily, and Natural Calm when needed. You can make your own magnesium oil or buy it.
4. Balance the Beneficial Bacteria
Healthy gut flora lays the foundation for all areas of health. When these good probiotics get ravaged by processed foods, sugar, and toxins, the whole digestive process deteriorates.
Often, incorporating a fermented food with each meal significantly improves irregularity. Include a tablespoon of lacto-fermented veggies with lunch and dinner. Enjoy a cup of yogurt (homemade or the plain, whole milk type) with breakfast and snacks. I also recommend a this clinical-strength probiotic to help re-populate the gut with good bugs.
Balancing gut flora also means addressing an overgrowth of opportunistic flora by avoiding refined sugars, grains, and processed foods. In serious cases– like me –it means following the GAPS Diet for a couple years of intensive good bacteria breeding.
5. Eat the Right Fiber
When things are backed up, we usually reach for the fiber bars, Metamucil or psyllium husk powder. As we have been told by the media and mainstream health practitioners, fiber is the cure-all that will make you sexy, smart and – most importantly – regular.
However, the grain-based fiber in these supplements can be disastrously irritating to the digestive tract. Humans are not meant to consume isolated fiber… you won’t find Metamucil in nature. It is a fake food, just as much as canola oil is a fake food.
Further, consuming isolated fiber can worsen constipation because it is a dehydrating product, absorbing moisture in the digestive tract.
But the right type of fiber is crucial for healthy bowel movements. I recommend increasing your intake of cooked vegetables, specifically cruciferous veggies and leafy greens, for natural constipation relief.
While grains contain fiber, they are difficult for many to tolerate. I recommend obtaining whole-food fiber from vegetables, low-sugar fruits and some starchy veggies like sweet potatoes.
I wish you a good poop day!
delivered weekly
Very informative post!
I have a general question about fiber: is more fiber (if it comes from natural food of course) always better? For example is a 2000 calorie diet with 60 grams of fiber healthier than a similar diet with “only” 40 grams of fiber?
I have on and off problems with constipation, I consume between around 35 grams of fiber a day (I am 23 and female), so would upping my fiber intake to about 60 grams be a good idea or is the problem for my constipation likely something else?
Thanks in advance!
Julia
PMG love this blog! Very well written and thought out Lauren. Thank you for it.
As someone, Constance F?, wrote above:::: it is a shame that we, Americans, talk so much about point less dumb things. But, spend so few words talking about IBS, constipation and enemas.
We let our kids consume so much junk. No who dear constipation every year is a bigger and bigger health problem.
Running to the store buying laxatives, chemicals, OTC stuff will not fix this.
Read what Lauren and others have written on here. Read what Valerie RN mentioned above says. Read Back To Eden book. And Prescription For Nutritional Healing book.
I take a coffee enema or plain warm water enema often. I feel so good and relaxed after getting enemas.
My kids are also given enemas. For constipation, fevers or during times of ill. They don’t get constipated often.
Before doing GPAS, a cleanse, coffee enema or give enemas at home ask your doctor if it is ok to give enemas or get them
Sorry Barb F
Hugs
Sorry for the atop spell checker… Better yet the changer. Hate it.
Change “no who dear..”
“No wonder constipation…”
Jean who posted awhile ago, yes years ago mothers did give enemas for many reasons.
When I am at my local health food store I hear enemas asked about and discussed often. Especially younger moms who want to do coffee enemas or start giving enemas to their kids.
One of the moms who works there tells since she has gotten coffee and water enemas she feels so much better. I agree with her!
Within 4 days I’m feeling good and its all bcoz of you. Thanks for posting this article. Today was really Happy good poop day for me.
I have suffered from constipation/ dry stools since my early 20s I am now 40 and my problem has never been worse. I take Miralax daily to go which I have tried to quit several times just to end up with blood in my toilet. For the last year I have seen numerous doctors and I even started seeing a natropathic doctor who has not been successful in getting me off of Miralax. I drink water all day and during this past year I stopped drinking soda, coffee, dairy and changed my diet completely. Im stuck I dont know what to do!!! I add chia seeds, hemp seeds and flax seeds to smoothies and my yogurt which at first I thought would make me go smoothly without the laxitive but I have not been successful. Im desparate!! Any suggestions on how I can ween myself off of Miralax without having blood in the toilet? I know it’s TMI but like I said Im desparate! Thanks in advance.
Hi. I suffered from chronic constipation for the past 2.5 years. My doctor had put me on Metamucil and I had been taking it for around 2 years. At some time I just decided to get off it because I hated how I would feel. I had A LOT of up and downs trying so many things, fibers, chia seeds, flax seeds, probiotics, prebiotics, etc. but neither seemed to give me regular relief. They just stopped working after a couple of doses. My doctor did not care and wanted to put me on Miralax but I did not accept. I finally ended up in this website and this page. I changed my whole lifestyle. Now I am most of the times feeling great without even taking laxatives. My diet is filled up with a lot of cooked vegetables (different kinds), good fat (Ghee, olive oil and coconut oil), meat (beef, chicken, salmon), white rice (limited). I am significantly healed not just in my bowels but overall feelings. If at some time I happen to feel constipated, I take the Natural Calm magnesium supplement.
I am not an expert or nutrition researcher or anything like that. However based on my experience I suggest that you have a slow transition from Miralax. Really, you need to have a long term plan. Start with changing your diet (include a lot of cooked vegetables and good fat) and really limit grains. If you have to take Miralax, take it while getting adapted to this new diet. But slowly replace Miralax with a magnesium supplement which is the safest laxative. With a long-term consumption of the right foods you might even be able to get off the magnesium supplement in future.
Like I said I am not an expert but really this article has helped me tremendously and I am really thankful for that. I really hope you feel better soon.
A skilled homeopathic doctor can use natural meds (alumina, barita, hydrastis, etc.) Given in the proper dosage, and according to your symptoms and constitution, this can get you off miralax and pooping on your own. It worked for my teenage daughter.
Thank you so much Lauren. I am feeling alive again because of you.
What is your position on psyllium? A lot of low carb recipes call for it but before adding it to baked goods, I’d like to know it’s ok. Thanks!
Thanks Lauren, Kindly if you have time advise me, I am suffering inflamation according to your excellent site. Doctors named it as IBS and Hiatus hernia.
My life is miserable despite taking the following medications:
Mebeverine Hypochloride or Domperidone
Eucarbon herbal
Activated dimethylpolysiloxane
Laxative: Normacol plus
I perform nedded Hiatus excersices & Ocasionally drink Herbal tea made of Cardamom, ginger, cinamon, Carum, Anise, Lacrice, Black Pepper.
1- I wake up ocasionally with abdominal pain and gas.
2- Mostly diareia
Did endoscopy with negative result.
Your article helped many sufferers.
I wish to be one of them.
Best wishes.
Mousa