Root Cause Series #4: Motility

Do you go to the bathroom but feel like it’s just rabbit pebbles? Or, do you go days without having a bowel movement only to then go and feel like there’s no way “that’s it?”

You could be experiencing slow gut motility. 

So many of our clients experience slow motility and that is one of the “root causes” making them feel bloated, unwell, and frustrated every time they go to the bathroom. 

I know it’s awkward to think about how much and how often you are going to the bathroom, but here’s the deal – everyone poops!

After you go to the bathroom, you should feel satisfied, relieved and like there’s nothing else that could come out. 

If you have slow motility it could be because of: 

• A previous food poisoning incident: this damages the nerves helpful for the migrating motor complex
• Chronic stress: this will slow gut motility due to being in a chronic fight or flight state
• Gut dysbiosis: too many “bad bacteria” in your gut will slow down your gut motility
• Low stomach acid: if you food is not being digested properly, this will slow gut motility 
• Hypothyroidism: if your thyroid is slow, your gut will be, too! Your gut bacteria impact your thyroid function and vice versa. It’s important to address both.

When gut motility is slow, here is what can happen:

1. Your bowels are slow, so you aren’t having a full and complete bowel movement every day.
2. Food is sitting in the digestive tract longer than it should, so it ferments and causes gas to be produced.
3. This gas is not only uncomfortable, but can also slow down motility even further.

…and the vicious cycle continues.

One of the first steps we take with clients is to help them have full and complete bowel movements each day. 

If you don’t feel relieved after having your daily bowel movement (or if you aren’t having one), then here are some action steps you can take: 

• Implement the “I love you massage” daily (see this Instagram post for information on how to do it)
• Try humming “Happy birthday” twice before you eat to stimulate your vagus nerve
• Drink ginger tea between meals 
• Gentle movement, like walking after meals, can also stimulate gut motility 

If you haven’t taken my root causes quiz yet and you want to learn more about what could be contributing to your bloat click here 

If you want to know more about your root causes AND what you can do to address them be sure to click here and be added to the waitlist for an exciting offer being released on Cyber Monday – you’ll want to save the date and mark your calendar as this offer will only be available to 150 people!