Digestive health is key for hormonal health. Having a daily bowel movement is so important for your overall health and your hormones since we only eliminate toxins and hormones via sweating, breaking out, or going to the bathroom.

If you are not having a movement at least once a day then you are officially constipated. Even if you are eating lots of nutritious foods you may not be absorbing all of the key nutrients that you need. I see a direct relationship between better bowel movements and a HUGE improvement in my client’s PMS, their periods, sleep and energy levels.

Why do I see improvements in hormones when my clients’ digestion improves? Well our hormones play a major role in digestion, as your hormones fluctuate throughout the month you could experience different types of digestive issues.

For example, during the second phase of our cycle, the luteal phase perhaps you might have some constipation as progesterone slows down digestion while estrogen during the first phase of our cycle is higher and can speed up digestion causing more loose stools.

Depending on what is going on with your hormones you could be having lots of ups and downs with your digestion based on the delicate balance and important role both estrogen and progesterone play with digestion.

There are also specific hormones in your body that regulate your digestion and the brain gut connection as well so when we are stressed it can directly impact our bowel movements which you might have experienced at some point in your life or even more frequently.

Are you having a daily bowel movement?

“I’m pooping everyday now”! My client shared this fun tidbit with me recently and I did a little happy dance… because when my client’s digestion improves so does their period and their PMS symptoms!! Which it has, my client just updated me today that her period has drastically improved too, no more cramps, PMS or bloating.

If you have never checked out the Bristol stool chart before, this is a great resource as you start to pay more attention to your bowel movements. For example ideally you want to have smooth sausages like number three and four on the Bristol stool chart. If you are having lots of ones aka you are probably constipated and not drinking enough water.

Whereas number seven you are experiencing lots of diarrhea and perhaps there is a specific food or foods that are bothering your stomach or you are not eating in a way that supports your body and it’s time to investigate this further. Check out the Bristol stool chart below to get a better understanding.

Looking to experience better periods?

If you are having irregular bowel movements, feel gassy or constipated often you might also be experiencing lots of breakouts, irregular periods and lots of PMS. Today I’m sharing a few ways you can start to improve your digestion as a way to support your hormones, let’s first take a closer look at what’s on your plate.

Eat More Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber is way easier to digest than insoluble fiber, think more cooked vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, squashes like butternut squash and beets. When you are starting to heal your gut, ideally we want to eat foods that are easiest to digest. Insoluble vegetables are great to eat, but if you often feel bloated and gassy when consuming lots of broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and all insoluble vegetables try switching it up a little bit for a few weeks to see how your gut responds.

Drink Enough Water

I know that drinking more water might sound simple, but chances are especially if you are not having a daily bowel movement that you are still not drinking enough water. Try to double your water intake and not only will you start to move towards better bowel movements but you will also notice better energy and clearer skin. I just suggest not drinking while eating if you are experiencing lots of bloating, as that can contribute to more bloating.

Eat More Magnesium Rich Foods

Magnesium is my favorite, because it’s the anti-stress mineral. Unfortunately most of us are deficient in magnesium which is not only affecting our bowel movements, but also how we cope and manage stress plus the quality of sleep we get.

Not only will consuming more magnesium rich foods help us have more energy and feel less anxious in our body, but it can support our digestion. Try to include more dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds, beans or you can even try a supplement.

I take Calm an hour before bed every night and it helps me get into a deep sleep. I wrote an entire blog post about the importance of magnesium for your hormones, check it out here for lots of additional information.

Drink Bone Broth

Bone broth is a staple in my diet. I sip on bone broth almost daily as a way to support my digestion as well as my hormones. Bone broth is super helpful for digestion because it contains gelatin. The gelatin in bone broth protects and heals the mucosal lining of the digestive tract and helps aid in the digestion of nutrients which is why it helps a leaky gut. (Leaky gut is a condition affecting the lining of the intestines which overtime untreated can cause digestion issues.)

This amazing healing broth also helps support your hormones because it’s very high in the anti-inflammatory amino acids glycine and proline. Amino acids are essential for hormone production and for the hormone detoxification process.

I sometimes make bone broth at home in my crockpot, you can get the recipe here. When I don’t have time to make my own I love the brands Kettle & Fire and Epic bone broths. You can get 15% off of the Kettle & Fire brand when ordering online using code KatieBressack on checkout.

Slow Down To Support Your Digestion

Taking a closer look at what’s on your plate is a great place to start improving digestion for hormonal health, but we also need to take into consideration how fast we might be eating. The faster we eat, the more likely we are to swallow more air, but also larger pieces of food.

If you are a fast eater plus often feel gassy, constipated and are not having a regular bowel movement let’s take some time to slow down while eating to improve your digestion.

If you eat under five minutes, try to eat a meal in ten minutes and work your way up to 15 to 20 minutes. Avoid eating in front of your computer, phone or the television as we tend to eat faster when we are distracted.

When eating try to chew your food until it’s almost a liquid before swallowing. Many of us are not chewing our food properly which leads to a decrease in digestive enzymes in our mouth which help us break down our food.

When we don’t chew our food enough often this leads to digestive issues and it can be one of the best places to start, even before adding things into your diet to start improving your digestive health.. Most of my clients see drastic improvement in their digestion just by slowing down, taking time to chew their food, and stepping away for a break to enjoy their meal.

Next Steps

Try some of these digestive health tips to see how your digestion improves, but also eventually notice how your period, energy, sleep and PMS significantly improves. Give yourself time but as your digestion improves your period and most of the PMS that comes with it will also improve.

Note that I didn’t mention food intolerances, food sensitivities, or a lot of supplements today. This is something we can work on together if you are looking to improve your digestion. This would be a much more personalized approach, but a good place to start for everyone is a food journal where you write down everything you are eating and how your body responds.

If you are looking for personalized support you can schedule a consultation call here to find out more about my three and six month programs and check out my Instagram page with more fun tips on supporting your hormones.

Sources
Role of GI Hormones on Gut Mucosal Growth

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Information in this post and on this web site is provided for informational purposes only. The information is a result of practice experience and research by the author. This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Do not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem.