Welcome to Ask Whole9 Canada, where Summer Innanen and Sarah Ramsden answer all of your health and nutrition questions. In this week’s episode, Summer and Sarah discuss what you can do about constipation.
We want to start this post by asking you a personal question: How many times a day do you visit the bathroom for a bowel movement?
If you didn’t answer, “1-2 times a day,” then this means you are likely constipated. Relieving your bowels at least once a day is sign of good digestion. In addition, your bowel movements should move along fairly easily (no magazines required) and be well formed. You can check the Bristol Stool Scale to see how you measure up. Constipation is a very common problem that is not always solved by a healthy diet.
In this episode of S&STV, we talk about what it means if you are constipated and give you tactics to get things moving.
For more Whole9 Canada-specific blog posts, videos, and resources, visit the Whole9 Canada Facebook page or Whole9 Canada blog here on the Whole9 site.
Resources mentioned in this video for constipation relief:
- How to overcome food sensitivities
- Squatty Potty (Natural Bathroom Relief Through A Toilet Stool
)
- Strategies to manage stress cravings
- Stress Addiction Part 1 and Part 2
- What can you do about nighttime leg cramps? (where we talk about magnesium and more)
(Photo Credits: Butz.2013 and D()MENICK via Compfight cc)
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How much magnesium do you need to take for constipation ? …thank you
Cara, choose a magnesium bisglycinate and start with 1 capsule (usually 150-200mg) before bed. Increase your dose every couple of days until you get to about 600mg or looser stools. Remember though, magnesium isn’t a “cure” for constipation. It’s one part of a larger approach to resolving the issue, so make sure you also tackle the other points we mention too.