Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Constipation and Diarrhea Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Every week I get calls asking about how to deal with digestive issues such as constipation or diarrhea. In fact, constipation and diarrhea are the 2 most common concerns that people have when it comes to health. But what …
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. CONSTIPATION: EASY TREATMENTS THAT ARE SAFE, INVITEⓇ HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 659 Hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health …
Written by Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND digestive
For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]†
I have covered the most common digestive concerns that occur. As I went through this series, I wanted to get the point across that digestive health doesn’t just mean diarrhea or constipation. The digestive tract is one of the most important systems in our body. Not only does it process the nutrients we need to live, it also affects our immune system. Our digestive tract is impacted by every part of our daily life from what we eat to stress and even if we aren’t sleeping enough. Often times when we start to feel sick, we feel it in our digestive system first. That is why it’s important to “listen to your gut,” as they say. If there is any changes in our digestive system, it’s important to find out what’s going on. The symptoms and risk factors for the topics I discussed in this series have similar symptoms. Knowing what exactly is going on can help pinpoint exactly what will be helpful. Additionally, stress has a huge impact on the digestive system. If you’re undergoing stress, treating the digestive symptoms won’t be helpful in the long term. The same is true if there is any systemic medical concern such as diabetes. Doing a food log and matching it to a symptom log can help a lot. Every day for at least 1 week, write down what you eat and how you feel. Were you constipated? Felt gassy? Mark it down and it can help us determine if there are any food triggers. This is a fantastic tool to bring in with you when you sit down with a nutritionist. Along with a food log, bring a list of any and all medications, supplements that you are taking and any blood work you have. While every individual digestive issue has its own slightly different protocol, there are some things that are just important in general. It is important to know what’s going on since some things can have very different protocols. These are some suggestions I believe can be helpful.†
ICYMI: DIGESTIVE HEALTH PART 13: SIBO>>Read Now!
An elimination diet can be helpful in determining if there are any food sensitives causing the underlying concerns. I like to recommend doing an elimination diet after a 10 day food log.†
Castor oil packs are amazing for reducing inflammation and pain in the digestive tract! (1) †
Reducing stress with L Theanine (2) , magnesium (3) and even Hemp (4) which have all been found in studies to reduce stress ! Since stress is such a common risk factor when it comes to digestive concerns it just makes sense that eliminating or reducing stress would help the digestive system! See Invite’s L Theanine, and our extensive line of magnesium and Hemp products!†
NUTRIENTS FOR STRESS AND SLEEP SUPPORT – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 507>>Listen Now!
Healing herbs such as the Demulcents have been found in studies to help with inflammation, pain, and even healing the digestive tract. These demulcent herbs can include the following: DGL, Aloe Vera, Slippery Elm and Marshmallow root. (5) Please see Invite’s G.I Maintain, Min Acid and DGL.†
Probiotics are so important and came up over and over again in this series! Probiotics have been found to have so many benefits in varies studies. Please see Invites Probiotic Hx, weight and our newest probiotic, Probiotic Women! (6)†
Digestive enzymes have been found to help with gas and bloating and breaking down food. In studies they help with symptoms of constipation among other concerns (7)†
As I said this series was made to discuss the most common digestive concerns. In some cases an individual may have gone to many doctors and still isn’t sure what is going on. Or you may have a concern that was not covered by any of the topics in this series. In that case feel free to email me or call me so we can discuss what is going on in more depth and find some suggestions that will help you feel better!†
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND continues her series on digestive health covering the topic of constipation of the digestive system.
Constipation is a major problem in this country. Our diet plays a major role into this. Here’s what you need to know in order to combat this.
Gas build-up is as natural as it gets. Your diet is of course a major factor. Bacteria from the food we eat during the course of the day ferments in your intestines. So the more fermented foods you eat, the more gas you’re going to have. If gas is being produced in the small intestine and colon, it tends to move down through the system and come out as flatulence.
If you’re getting gas more often than before, however, you may be experiencing a bacterial imbalance. The best way to resolve this is to avoid highly fermented foods, especially carbohydrates.
Over time, your ability to digest lactate products can change. So, if once upon a time you were able to enjoy tons of dairy and suddenly you’re getting cramps and extra gas, it may not be able to handle the enzymes as well as before. If gas is becoming an issue, speak to your doctor on other alternative remedies for good digestive health.
By: Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND of InVite® Health
Constipation is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about. What exactly is constipation? Many people believe that having a bowel movement every other day or even every three days is okay. But the truth of the matter is you should have a bowel movement every day. Think of your body as your home – do you take the trash out, or do you let it sit and fester? Well, moving your bowels every day is like taking out the trash, and it’s just as important to clear the trash from your body as it is from your home!
If you are not having a bowel movement every day, you have constipation. Another sign of constipation is having trouble with a bowel movement. Additionally, if there is pain, gas, bloating, and a “smell” associated with having a bowel movement, there is most likely what I usually term “low-grade constipation”.
Low-grade constipation is where you have a bowel movement every day, but it is either hard, small, or leaves you feeling as if you still have to go. Let’s return to the trash analogy – low-grade constipation is when you take out only part of the trash and leave some behind. To sum everything up: In order to be healthy you should have a complete, pain-free, non-smelly, non-gassy bowel movement every day.
What can cause constipation? There are many things that can factor in – lack of water, lack of fiber, low thyroid function, anxiety, cancer, and physical changes to the intestines can all affect regularity.
The “Bad Guys” are things like yeast, bad bacteria and parasites. According to research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (which is characterized by constipation) have a higher diversity of fungus in their GI tract. In other words, there is a higher diversity of “bad guys”. The overall goal is to kill the “bad guys”, put the “good guys” back, and build up the body’s natural army – the immune system. In order to do that, the following vitamins and supplements may help – Magnesium Citrate, Goldenseal, Berberine, Oregano, Grapefruit Seed Extract, and Caprilic Acid, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium (Probiotics), and Saccharomyces, Colostrum, Milk Thistle, NAC, Dandelion, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Green Tea, Spirulina, Chlorella.
Click here for more information on the Importance of Probiotics, the “Good Guys”!
All of these things help address constipation by addressing the most common cause – the “bad guys”. They can grow because of stress, poor diet, certain medications, or even travel. Speak to one of InVite®’s professionals to determine what aspects of this protocol will be most helpful for you.