Many people don’t think of GI or skin issues as hormonally related…but they are! When your pathways of eliminated are congested, your body cannot get rid of toxins as well as the natural buildup of hormonal by-products that occur with normal metabolism. Now pile on the issues of mismanaged blood sugar and adrenal fatigue, which further interfere with your body’s ability to Swiffer it’s own system, and you’ve got an open invitation for hormonal imbalance.
Your stool isn’t the only way your body gets rid of toxins but it’s a key one that we’ll focus on in this post. To do this, we will focus primarily on the liver and large intestine. Think of your liver and large intestine as your internal garbage processors, compacting and moving the big stuff such as digested food, toxins, chemicals, and hormonal waste every single day.
When you wake up in the morning, have a glass of water and you should feel the urge to have a bowel movement within about 20 minutes of waking. If it’s longer than that or if you require a cup of coffee in order to go to the bathroom, then you’re constipated – yes, even if you go later that day. This is because the liver goes into self-cleaning mode daily from 3 pm to 3 am. Your first bowel movement should happen soon after waking because the liver has been working for the past 12 hours to get rid of yesterday’s waste.
Also remember that the lining of the large intestine is osmotic in nature, meaning that things can travel in and out through the membrane. If you don’t have an efficient transit time because your liver or large intestine is congested or you’re lacking the necessary nutrients for them to perform their functions efficiently, the toxins and other chemicals working their way through this pathway can become reabsorbed into your bloodstream and continue circulating throughout your body.
Your natural prescription for constipation
Address your diet. The first most important thing to get things moving consistently is addressing your diet, which causes most constipation.While chronic stress and antibiotic overuse can mess up your gut, a diet that is high in processed foods and sugars does great harm and promotes constipation. Eat whole, real foods in their unprocessed forms. This is the first and easiest and healthiest first step to healing.
Get lots of fiber: Women need at least 30-35 grams of fiber EVERY day. Most of us are lucky to get in 8 grams a day. Fiber helps swiffer the lining of the large intestine and stimulate bowel movement. Fiber comes from plant foods.Try adding 2 tablespoons of flax seed a day to your smoothies or salads for an easy fiber boost. Nuts, seeds and beans also contain high amounts of quality fiber; however, remember that beans can cause insulin spikes – so go easy if you are prone to blood sugar imbalances.
Support the liver's natural detoxification processes: Fill your diet with foods that naturally aid the liver's detoxifying processes. These include good-quality protein [supplement with amino acids if you're a vegan], glutathione [found in carrots, broccoli, avocado, spinach, apples, asparagus, and malon], selenium [found in oats, brazil nuts, poultry, eggs], and plenty of cilantro [which contains linalool, a compound that works to cleanse the liver] - add it to smoothies, salads, and other dishes for powerful liver detoxification.
Avoid foods that cause constipation: Dairy tops this list, and gluten is a close second. I challenge you to give those up for at least three weeks and see how your digestion and overall health improve.
For the large intestine: Be sure to consume plenty of soluble fiber, found in psyllium husk, oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and peas. Avoid treatments such as colonics. They're disruptive to your intestinal flora and are a short-term quick fix that can mask symptoms indicating an underlying hormonal issue that needs to be addressed. They're also potentially dangerous and can rupture the lining of your intestine.
There are lots of other ways to support healthy digestion! Need help addressing stubborn constipation issues? Schedule a free one-hour consultation with me to find out how I can help!
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