How do I overcome constipation?

I've been on a new food plan for the last couple of weeks and I'm getting a bit constipated, and missing a few workouts which isn't good - any suggestions?

Constipation can be caused by a range of different things, for this question we'll look at the things that don't require a doctor.

Firstly a change in diet to higher protein can often bind people up, so you might like to see if you can decrease some of the protein amounts in favour for carb or fat calories.  In addition have a look at the amount of water you are having with your protein supplement.  Sometimes we use protein to mix in yoghurt or in pancakes so will have less water with it.  Every time you have a protein supplement, make sure you have at least 1 cup of water with it. 

Have a look at your protein source also, some supplements do not agree with us so you may need to change your brand of powder, or switch to a rice or soy protein or you may need to avoid powders altogether.

Secondly, fibre and water are the "transporters" of number 2's.  These 2 vital nutrients work together to "pull" waste through the colon for elimination.  Too much fibre will block us up and too little fibre means there is nothing for the water to get drawn into to help the transportation.  Ensure your food plan has enough soluble and insoluble fibre (fruits and veg as well as grains, nuts and seeds).  Make sure you're drinking around 3-4 "Pump" Bottles per day.

A change in diet can often mean less food, and that means less bulk as it moves through to elimination, adding a fibre supplement will help with this, as will switching to a food with the same nutrition but more weight (eg, 125g potato vs ¼ cup cooked rice)

Sometime's our fat level can influence the movement of number 2's, so ensure your food plan has a couple of TBSP of flaxseed oil per day - trying increasing to an extra TBSP to see if this makes a difference.

Physical and emotional stress can constrict the passage of elimination, so if you are finding yourself a little uptight over anything then make sure you are dealing with these things properly - if you let go emotionally, it is far easier for your body to let go physically also.  From a physical perspective, ensure you are breathing deep and not shallow with your shoulders hunched up around your ears and that your posture is upright and not constricting any area of your body.

A gentle tummy massage in a clockwise direction may possibly help also as this is the direction that food through your large colon travels in - start at the lower right hand side, working up the side of the abdomen across the top and down the left hand side.

It is definitely uncomfortable going to the gym when constipated, but it is most important not to miss these sessions as exercise is vital for good bowel health.  Keep it to something like an incline powerwalk or crosstrainer.  Running can be a little uncomfortable when we're constipated, and cycling closes up the abdominal area, so you may want to avoid these activities.  There's no reason you can't continue to lift weights, but again things like squats, deadlifts, crunches etc close in the abdominal area and may be uncomfortable.

Magnesium is a wonderful supplement for constipation as this does 2 things it relaxes the muscles and it draws water into the bowel to help with elimination.  Depending on how much magnesium you use, will determine how loose things will be when you finally go.  Follow the RDI on the bottle as a starting point.  Large amounts of Vitamin C will also have the same loosening effect.

Some good Fibre supplements include: psyllium husk (plain or as a preparation like Metamucil) or Slippery Elm and can be included in shakes or on food or by themselves.

Pro-biotics are also important for good bowel health so you may want to look at this also to populate the good flora in the gut.

Give each of these remedies time to work (around 3 days max) before heading off to the doctor, constipation is a funny ailment and is hard to diagnose.  When visiting the doctor about this, it would pay to have a food diary and also a record of what remedies you have tried and also a good idea of any other symptoms you have (eg upper abdominal pain, headaches, nausea etc)

Avoid taking laxatives for a long duration as it is possible for the bowel to become reliant on these and we end up with long-term problems.