“This, too, shall pass.” We say it to encourage one another, but after my gut held out on me for three weeks, this expression took on new meaning. Suffering from impacted stool required me to trust this, too, shall literally pass. Like bowel movements, sometimes the timing of certain life changes is more of a choice than we realize. I learned this lesson the long way.
Join me for today’s deep dive into gut talk.
I was 19, I’d prayed, yet my pain wasn’t passing.
I explained my situation to my nurse practitioner, Amy, and stiffly followed her instructions to lie down.
Her cold stethoscope tickled as she listened to my insides.
“Mm, you know wh--? Huh. Weird….”
Maybe I’m pregnant. Thinking up jokes helped distract me.
“...There’s nothing moving.”
“Is that a good thing?”
She laughed, “No! Your intestines should always be moving as they’re digesting food. You said it’s been 5 days?”
“6.”
I convinced her to unprecedentedly prescribe the saline drink typically ordered before a colonoscopy (a 4-hour intestine-evacuation-drug that floods fluid into your intestines, designed for already soft stool). I’ll spare you the details on how that went with an impacted gut... Suffice it to say, not well. We did get things moving in the end, but better ways exist to treat constipation. I learned them, eight months later, when my intestines were inert for 9 days while working at an orphanage in Guatemala City. And then a few more, too, in Korea years later, when my gut held out on me for three weeks. Three weeks, folks.
Here’s the thing: Everybody poops.
There’s no shame in that. Especially in this new internet age, it’s silly for anyone to silently suffer alone.
Although I am happier and healthier today than I’ve ever been, a “daily passing” is new for me...
Constipation? I’ve been there.
Diarrhea? I’ve been there, too.
Oscillating back and forth between the two? Folks, you’re in good company.
Cramping? Suffered for years.
Gas and bloating? There’s no discomfort quite like it, is there?
For the past two months, many of us have felt stuck-- in furlough, at home, in toxic relationships, with leaders (or subordinates) we don’t respect, with too many hours with our crazy (delightful) kiddos. And finally, our nation is beginning to open up! As our outside worlds start moving again, our guts better be, too.
With access to accumulated global knowledge, finding answers to many questions grows easier by the decade.
Snap out of it.
Get healthy.
It’s time to get your priorities straight:
Your body is your home.
In this post, I’ll share what I’ve learned through my 28 gritty years of gut struggle: the importance of fermented and probiotic foods, what to do when things are on the fritz, and six steps to cultivating a happier, healthier you.
It’s time to start pooping, people.
Systems Thinking
Your body is a whole system that needs to work together. Our pill-taking culture acknowledges this. How can a pill stop pain in your arthritic knee? Well, the pain in your knee is being communicated to your brain via your nervous system, so to get the pain to stop, we either need to address the arthritis, or mute your nervous system. When you take an ibuprofen pill, the medicine enters through your digestive system, is absorbed into your circulatory system, and changes chemical balances throughout your body that impact your nervous system’s pain receptors, thus providing you with relief in your knee. It’s silly to parse up your body and think one part doesn’t impact another part. That’s just silly. We are adults. Let’s think like adults.
(Un)surprisingly, our guts play a very important role in our bodies. Our guts facilitate nourishment to every cell. This means that when our guts aren’t working well, this malnourishes every cell in our bodies. This is not good! (For more on this, I highly recommend Emeran Mayer’s book The Mind-Gut Connection).
The Importance of Probiotics
Gut issues affect your whole system – your body, your mind, and your spirit. Science is beginning to reveal that disease, gut health, and mental well-being are all interconnected. Ends up food is a bigger deal than we realized. We’re learning that there is a strong connection between your brain and your gut via your nervous system (did you know, there are about as many nerves in your gut as there are in your brain?!). Most importantly, we’re learning the importance of your microbiome’s role in this mind-gut connection.
The Microbiome
Your microbiome, collectively called the gut microbiota, is a community of good microbes, that is bacteria, archaea, fungi (including yeasts), and viruses, that live on the lining of your gut. I like to think of my microbiota like a forest that I’m keeping alive (for all my men out there - did you know that you, too, are sustaining life inside your belly? You’re in the ingroup now!).
Fun fact: there are 100,000 times more microbes in your gut alone as there are people on Earth! That’s a lot of life to sustain.
Our microbiota do very important things for our health:
Assist in food digestion
Train and regulate the immune system
Regulate our metabolism
At any given time, you’ve got good bacteria and bad bacteria in your body. Your body naturally tries to keep a balance between good and bad. However, by regularly eating good bacteria, you help your body keep the good/bad balance in check. If not, the bad bacteria can more quickly take over. Because we all know exposure to infection is inevitable, it’s just good practice to keep your body fit by consistently ingesting good guys so that we’re ready to tackle a buildup of bad guys from time to time.
Probiotics
When we isolate these “good guys” from our bodies and intentionally consume them for their health benefits, we call them probiotics. Foods you can eat that make those bacteria really happy inside your gut are called prebiotics. While many companies and scientists have cultivated probiotic/prebiotic pills for daily ingestion, eating them in food form is even better for you:
Probiotic Foods:
Yogurt
Kombucha
Fermented Pickles
Kimchi
Fermented Sauerkraut
Miso soup
Sourdough bread
Prebiotic Foods:
Grains
Beans
Most fruits and vegetables
Foods high in fiber and resistant starch
By not regularly ingesting probiotics and/or foods that support them, you are much more likely to experience increased digestive issues, increased illness, and problems with weight and hunger cues, especially if you regularly take antibiotics during flu season, which seriously disrupt your gut microbiota!
This is really important.
Over the past fifteen years, almost every specialty of medicine, including psychiatry and surgery, has begun to incorporate gut microbiome research. This isn’t surprising, because of the gut-brain connection. Research is revealing that changes in gut microbiota are linked to changes in mental health and even neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. (Do keep in mind that the vice is also versa -- if you’re struggling with anxiety and also finding your gut is going crazy, before becoming vegan consider talking with a therapist. Remember, your brain, nervous system, and gut are intricately connected!)
Six SIDES Steps to Health
If you’re struggling with mental health, digestive health, or physical health, consider the following “Six SIDES Steps to Health” (see what I did there?) as potential avenues to seeking relief.
1. Take a probiotic or eat fermented or probiotic foods daily.
Maintaining high gut biodiversity is crucial in guarding your body against disease and keeping the brain-gut-axis fluid and agile. I take this one, and I love it! (I have not found success with many over-the-counter probiotic supplements. Dr. Ohhira’s survives the high acidity in your stomach and contains probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics, allowing for a self-sustaining microbiome system to quickly thrive in your gut. Expect mild digestive discomfort for the first 3 months as your body adjusts to the new organisms you’re eating.).
2. Develop rhythm.
Your body functions best when it knows when to expect energy inputs and energy outputs. You’ll notice more energy if you start to wake up and go to bed around the same time each day, and eat regularly every 3-4 hours (I repeat, a healthy metabolism needs input every 3-4 hours!)
3. Move (at least 2 miles daily is recommended)
Research shows that daily exercise also helps to promote a healthy gut by fostering regularity and a diverse microbiome! Again, a healthy microbiome comes with a slew of benefits including increased energy, a stronger immune system, and even improved athletic performance! Daily exercise is also associated with better quality of life, improved mood, and sustained long-term health.
4. Drink water (at least 2 liters daily)
Adequate water intake plays a significant role in maintaining overall body health. Researchers suggest that if your urine is darker than golden yellow (#4), you need to drink up!
5. Listen to your food
You’ve got about as many nerves in your gut as in your brain. We spend plenty of time listening to the nerve firings in our heads, but what about those of our guts? How do you feel when you have ice cream? Broccoli? Pasta? Onions? Wheat? Chips? Asparagus? Chicken? Burgers? Sweet potatoes? Beginning to pay attention to how your body responds to certain foods will empower you to flexibly give it what it needs in life’s different seasons. Each person’s microbiome is as unique as their fingerprint, so the food that your gut is requesting won’t be the same as mine. For me, the gluten-free, dairy-free Mediterranean diet with occasional meat is my dream - my gut and brain are healthier than they’ve ever been (I like that it’s pretty cheap, too). For you, dairy and gluten might be vital for maintaining your energy and reproductive health. Your body is your home. Only you know what it needs to stay strong and healthy. Listen up!
6. Stretch
Ever since I started practicing yoga for 20 minutes each night, I’ve been more in tune with my body, its needs, and my digestive health. Taking time to breathe deeply and stretch out built up lactic acid has prevented soreness, strengthened my scoliosis-ridden back, enabled me to run 5 miles without pain, and helped me stay grateful and happy. It’s amazing. Don’t just take my word for it, though! Mayer writes, “Mindfulness-based stress reduction can also help you get in touch with your gut feelings.” There is astonishing research coming out about how our gut microbes impact our emotions and our emotions, in turn, influence our behavior. Becoming more aware of your emotional state could lead to breakthroughs that help you (1) start pooping regularly, and (2) start making decisions that will lead you to a more fulfilling life.
When Things Get Fritzy
If you’re struggling with constipation:
You’re probably either not drinking enough, not eating enough, not sleeping enough, or your carbohydrate/fiber balance is off (paleo diet folks struggle a lot with constipation). I recommend doubling your water intake and eating lots of rice (brown might work better than white) paired with lots of fruit and vegetables. Reduce your meat intake. Other foods that can help you go: lentils, kale, apples, sweet potatoes, bananas (1 per day), oatmeal, nuts, probiotic and prebiotic foods.
If you’re struggling with diarrhea:
This could be due to a number of factors. Many people struggle with diarrhea because of stress, anxiety, food intolerances, food poisoning, oily/spicy foods, an infection or parasite, and occasionally, too much fiber with not enough carbohydrate. Keep drinking lots of water (you’re losing a lot of water if you’ve got diarrhea). Add soft, whole foods into your diet regularly like rice and potatoes. Limit your oil intake. If the problem persists, see a doctor!
If you’re struggling with both:
Sounds like your system is out of whack. Adding some routine to your life will help you diagnose if there are any underlying issues going on. If you’re experiencing both constipation and diarrhea, I’d focus on three things: (1) balance, (2) rhythm, and (3) food. Start paying attention to any connections you’re noticing between mood – sleep – food – gut problems. Likely, you’ll discover some trends. Consider making a food/poop/water log. Our memories are not as trustworthy as we like to believe so having a record can help you better discern what’s going on.
Diversity Helps
I leave you with the systemic perspective of Dr. Mayer:
“The health of any ecosystem can be expressed as its stability and resilience against insults and perturbations. Major factors that contribute to this health are the diversity and abundance of organisms making up the ecosystem. The same considerations apply to our gut microbiome ecosystem.”
Eat diversely.
Socialize diversely.
Read diversely.
Thrive in diversity.
When we do, we will find that this, too, shall pass.
Please share this resource! Many people don’t know this information. If someone vulnerably opens up to you about their gut struggles, please send them this link or another resource to help support and educate them!
Lots of things keep us from asking for help.
Let’s not let a lack of education be a reason our pain can’t pass.
Please note: There are some digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome/disease, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease--to name a few--that won’t be solved by the habits or tips above. However, before assuming you have one of these extreme conditions, examine how your lifestyle might be impacting your health. If you find you’re doing most of these things and still experiencing problems, consider meeting with a dietitian! Abbie Womack is an empathetic listener, skilled dietitian, and dear friend. Without her, I would not be in the healthy place I am today.
[Abbie has also graciously provided her stamp of approval for the content included above].
Abbie Womack got her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nutritional Sciences from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
She has her own private practice, Mindful Eats Nutrition, where she specializes in intuitive eating, overexercising, disordered eating, eating disorders, and a non-diet approach to weight management.
She helps her clients create meal plans, brainstorm meal ideas, work through principles and skills of intuitive eating, and heal their relationships with food and their bodies.
She currently takes Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance and will soon be contracted with United Health, Cigna, and Aetna. Additionally, she employs a sliding scales for those who require it. Though located in Houston, TX, she is able to meet virtually with any interested clients.
She can be reached at (806) 886-1301 or abbie@mindfuleatsnutrition.com.
Abbie Womack, MS, RDN, LD
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Mindful Eats Nutrition
abbie@mindfuleatsnutrition.com
Cell: 806-886-1301