Care2 Healthy Living/Jordyn Cormier: How Stress Impacts Your Number 2s

Care2 Healthy Living | How Stress Impacts Your Number 2s
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How Stress Impacts Your Number 2s
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    By: Jordyn Cormier
    October 23, 2018

    About Jordyn

We all poop, and, unfortunately, we’ve all experienced constipation at one point or another. But does stress cause constipation?

Generally, most of us are very content to blame unpleasant constipation on sudden dietary shifts—like too little fiber, too many beans, too much sugar, or dehydration. Or, we just shrug and pop a laxative without giving it another thought. But it’s not all about food. When it comes to digestion, how you feel while you eat is just as important as what you eat.

That’s right, stress levels can have a massive impact on your numbers 2s—or lack thereof. But how exactly does something like mental stress directly lead to constipation? You can thank your surprisingly intelligent brain-gut axis.
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Stress, Constipation and Your Enteric Nervous System

There is practically a secondary brain in your gut—it’s known as the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS contains between 200 and 600 million neurons, mostly contained within the lining of the gut. It communicates to the brain through your central nervous system and is responsible for the powerful connection between your mind and our digestive tract, kind of like a two-way walkie talkie. It sends signals to the brain telling you to launch an attack when you’ve eaten something unsettling, but it also sends reverse signals to your gut when your brain is feeling on the fritz.

That’s when digestion can get a little out of whack.

The fact is, you wouldn’t be able to poop without your enteric nervous system. It is the ENS’s job to control the contractions of your GI tract, helping to make room in your stomach and move digested foods down to your colon.

When the ENS senses that you’re in danger, overly anxious, worried or stressed, it can slow this reflex halt it altogether—as sort of a protective failsafe. That means as long as you stay stressed, no more poo.

Does Stress Cause Constipation?
What Does That Mean for Your Poo?

The unfortunate truth is you don’t even have to be that stressed out to experience stress-induced constipation. You could just be busy, rushing around in a frenzied state and eating too fast. If you’re experiencing urgency or stress around food,  it can profoundly influence your digestive process.
How Can You Avoid Stress-Induced Constipation?

Well, for starters, it is crucial to change how you eat. Sitting down for your meals and chewing slowly and thoroughly is a valuable way to show your digestive system that you aren’t in any immediate danger. It may seem really simple, but it makes a massive difference to your body.

If constipation and stress continue despite mindful eating habits, consider adding that holy grail of remedies—meditation—into your digestive health quiver. Why meditation? You can’t trick your gut. If you’re stressed, you need to start dealing with the stress itself, and meditation can help you with stress management.

Plus, better bowel movements and better stress management surely won’t be the only upsides to a regular meditation practice, so it’s a win-win.

Of course, always seek out professional support for prolonged bouts of constipation, but instead of buying a bulk pack of laxatives wholesale, maybe it’s time to start managing your mental wellness to keep those number 2s flowing.
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19 comments
Elizabeth H
Elizabeth Habout an hour ago

I would have thought the opposite would apply.
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Lisa M
Lisa M1 hours ago

Thanks.
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Lisa M
Lisa M1 hours ago

Thanks.
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danii p
danii p1 hours ago

Thanks for posting
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danii p
danii p1 hours ago

Thanks for posting
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danii p
danii p1 hours ago

Thanks for posting
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Larry McDaniel
Larry McDaniel2 hours ago

Thank you
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HEIKKI R
HEIKKI R3 hours ago

thank you
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Ann B
Ann B4 hours ago

exercise and plenty of water do a lot for bowel movements..and NOT eating a pound of cheese on a pizza lol
SEND
RK R
RK R5 hours ago

Timely and digestible information.
SEND
view all 19 comments
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