Feeling sluggish, tight in the stomach, nauseated, always full and irritated? It’s time to listen to your gut instincts. It’s telling you that your daily lifestyle is working against you and need to know how and why.

Some of the most common causes of constipation are:

Lack of physical activity

It is a fast-paced life and we are constantly juggling between tight-packed work schedule, jam-packed commute and junk-packed intestines. Fast food is a convenience that we all picked up in our busy lives but now it is making our digestion slow. One way out of this is to include physical movement that aid digestion, like daily walks or brief jogging sessions.

Excessive stress

Stress can be a condition of overwhelmed physical and mental state. It can often trigger hormonal imbalance which slows down digestion. Although it is common to experience stress in our daily lives but prolonged bouts of stressful situation can alter your gut biome. Research also indicates that stress can reduce good bacteria in your gut, further escalating gut issues.

Wrong eating habits

Eating fatty foods and less fiber-rich vegetables can contribute to constipation. Fiber, both soluble and insoluble can help ease the moment of stool in your colon. Missing out on fibrous diets leads to complete absorption of water from the digested food, making the waste components harder to pass. Oily substances further increase the layering of waste products on intestinal walls worsening the situation.

Sudden changes in routine

Changes like travelling disrupt your normal life and affect bowel movements. Other changes like pregnancy, change in diet or sleep schedule can disrupt the hormonal balance within. All these changes often contribute to temporary bouts of constipation.

Overuse of laxatives

Laxatives when consumed as a part of a treatment are effective but their abuse can lead to complications. Laxatives are often consumed without proper direction by people suffering from anorexia, bulimia or as weight loss remedies. Dependency on laxatives often causes guts to lose their natural ability to function without aid, causing issues in the long run.

So what’s the way out?

A simple tweak in your lifestyle can go a long way. Switching your habits to include simple exercises, fixing eating habit and taking up measures to reduce stress can significantly regulate your bowel movement and aid in healthy digestion. However, certain situations like travelling and laxative-induced constipation are typically out of your direct control. In this case, you can always rely on probiotic foods and high-fiber fruits that can be readily consumed.