Hi Friends,
Unfortunately, constipation is a common problem that can affect your mood 😞, energy ⚡, hormones (causing Estrogen Dominance), metabolism 🔥, and even immune system!
Here are some of my tips for optimizing your bowel habits:
1️⃣ High Fiber Diet 🥦: Aim to eat 1 lb of vegetables a day! This is very doable if you incorporate vegetables at every meal. Fruits 🍎 are another great source of quality fiber and antioxidants that can help your bowels. Adding chia seeds and flax seeds to your smoothies can also help ramp up the fiber content! I’ve included my Gut Health Smoothie recipe below ⬇️.
2️⃣ Drink plenty of water! It’s been a really hot summer! ☀️ Drinking water with Electrolyte Powder can be more hydrating than plain water and the refreshing lemonade flavor helps you to drink more!
3️⃣ Exercise regularly 🏃♂️, which helps promote motility throughout your GI tract.
Helpful supplements Include:
1️⃣ Essential Magnesium works as a natural osmotic laxative to pull water into your colon. Most people are deficient in magnesium so it also helps improve sleep quality, muscle recovery, and can alleviate anxiety! Take 2-4 capsules at bedtime.
2️⃣ Motility Activator is a patented formula of ginger that promotes waves of motility in the small intestine. It helps to “sweep” food and bacteria out of your small intestine while you’re sleeping. It can make a big difference in bloating! Take 1-2 capsules at bedtime.
3️⃣ Probiotic 225 Billion is our strongest and most effective probiotic, offering 5+ strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium at a high dose to improve the health of your gut microbiome.🦠 Mix 1 packet with a glass of water and drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
4️⃣ Prebiotic Fiber has a combination of green banana flour and Larch arabinogalactans that helps to soften and bulk up your stools. Use 1 scoop daily (great for smoothies).
5️⃣ Aloe Pro 🌵 is made from the dried leaves of the aloe vera plant and works as a natural stimulant laxative to move the bowels. It can be used as needed at bedtime for extra help to move the bowels.
To learn more tips on how to overcome constipation, please watch my video on YouTube.
If your constipation is not improving with these suggestions, it may be due to an often overlooked condition called Methane Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), also known as Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth. To learn more about how to test and treat this condition, please check out my video on my Herbal Protocol for SIBO.
High-Fiber Gut Health Smoothie
🍌 1 frozen banana: Softens stool and makes it easier to pass.
🥬 1 cup of baby spinach: Nutrient-rich leafy greens.
🥛 16 oz unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or water
1/4 cup walnuts
1 scoop of Collagen with Hyaluronic Acid: Great for hair, skin, nails and joints!
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1 pinch of salt
Optional Fiber Boosts:
1 scoop of Prebiotic Fiber to feed all the good bacteria in your microbiome!
🥄 1 tablespoon of chia seeds: A soluble fiber powerhouse that helps you feel full.
🥄 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds: A great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Blend all the ingredients together in a high power blender.
Enjoy your fiber-packed, gut-healthy treat! 🎉
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. Please share it with a friend or family member who may need help with their bowels!
Warm regards,
Rajsree Nambudripad, MD
Dr. Rajsree is a caring and compassionate physician, who is board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Integrative/Holistic medicine. She is passionate about helping patients optimize their health through a preventative approach involving healthy lifestyle, dietary changes, targeted nutritional supplementation, and optimizing hormones. Her practice is unique in the personalized attention she devotes to each and every patient.