CONSTIPATION + ESTROGEN DOMINANCE: ARE YOU POOPING ENOUGH FOR GOOD HORMONE HEALTH?

According to social media, every hot girl has stomach issues. This was quite a surprising discovery considering the idea that girls don’t poop has been a major theme among young women for decades. So why has #HotGirlsHaveIBS suddenly taken the internet by storm?

For some gals, rebranding tummy troubles as something that happens exclusively to hot girls may seem empowering. After all, we’re finally telling the truth about what’s really happening in the bathroom . . . maybe for the first time ever. Also, all this tummy talk means gut health is starting to get the attention it deserves.

But is it more helpful or harmful for us to normalize constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, gas, and other digestive problems in this way? Hot girls with stomach issues might be trending now, but if we keep it up—pretty soon the most popular hashtag is going to be #HotMessLadiesWithHormoneIssues.

WHAT HORMONES CAUSE CONSTIPATION? AND WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR HORMONAL CONSTIPATION RELIEF?

Many women experience constipation during certain times of their menstrual cycle due to hormonal changes that can affect both the uterus and gastrointestinal tract. The rise in progesterone levels before and during your period can be a contributing factor, and some women may also experience constipation around ovulation.

There are several hormones that can play a role in causing constipation. Here are a few examples:

1. Progesterone: Progesterone levels naturally rise during the last half of your menstrual cycle and during pregnancy. Higher levels of progesterone can slow down the movement of food through the digestive tract, leading to constipation.

2. Thyroid hormones: Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, can cause constipation. These thyroid hormones regulate your metabolism, including the speed at which food moves through the intestines. When thyroid hormone levels are low, it can result in slower bowel movements and constipation.

3. Stress hormones: Stress can affect hormone levels, including cortisol. High levels of stress and cortisol can disrupt normal digestive function, leading to constipation.

Don’t reach for the Benefiber, Metamucil, or Miralax though. Just keep reading . . .

If you experience constipation caused by hormonal changes, there are a few strategies that may help provide relief. Here are some tips:

1. Increase your fiber intake: Consuming a diet rich in fiber can help soften stools and promote regular bowel movements. Make sure you’re eating plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet to keep things moving smoothly.

2. Stay hydrated: Drinking an adequate amount of water can help soften the stool and make it easier to pass. Aim for 64 -128 ounces of water per day.

3. Exercise regularly: Physical activity can stimulate the muscles in the intestines and promote bowel movements. Walking, jogging, or doing yoga can help alleviate constipation.

4. Manage stress: Stress can contribute to constipation, so finding effective stress management techniques can be beneficial. Try deep breathing, meditation, or spending time outside in the sun.

CAN CONSTIPATION CAUSE IMBALANCED HORMONES? OR IS IT ALWAYS THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

At Magnolia Wellness, digestion concerns are typically the first thing I get complaints about because people don’t have a way to truly know if their hormones are out of whack on a day-to-day basis . . . but we do all go to the bathroom. And when the gut isn’t completely healthy, the list of compounding side effects will quickly start to build up and make themselves known.

Bottom line: It doesn’t necessarily matter why you aren’t pooping to know that if you’re not pooping, your hormones WILL get wonky.

Even though progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and estrogen are all partially eliminated through your bowel movements—estrogen is the hormone that gets the most attention. All your hormones can be a bit dramatic. And everything isn’t always estrogen’s fault, but it is typically estrogen that causes the biggest scene.

Your hormones are chemical messengers in your body. Think of them like text messages happening between glands, tissues, and organs that tell everyone what to do. And unless those hormones start texting in ALL CAPS, you’ll more than likely be completely oblivious to the group chat that’s taking place within.

But your stomach has a direct line to call you personally. And for many of you, it has your number on speed dial. So while hormonal imbalances can certainly make stomach problems worse, in my experience (especially working with women in my fertility program)—the gut is the start and center of it all. That’s why you’ll likely notice digestive issues long before realizing what your hormones are up to. If you address it early on, you can save yourself from a lot of future discomfort.

However, if estrogen does become too high—which will inevitably happen if you’re not pooping enough—you won’t be getting a simple ‘text message.’ Communication from estrogen is more like one of those annoying Nokia walkie talkie phones from the early 2000s chirping and shouting on full blast at the worst possible time.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE

The most common symptom of estrogen dominance is weight gain around the hips, waist, and thighs. Estrogen dominance happens when there’s an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone levels in the body, with estrogen being higher.

Some other signs and symptoms associated with estrogen dominance are:

1. An irregular menstrual cycle: Estrogen dominance can lead to changes in the length, timing, and flow of menstrual periods.

2. Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding: Women with estrogen dominance may experience heavy or prolonged periods.

3. PMS especially breast tenderness and mood swings: Increased estrogen levels can cause breast tenderness, swelling, or discomfort. It can also contribute to mood swings, irritability, anxiety, or depression.

4. Fatigue: Some individuals with estrogen dominance may experience fatigue or low energy levels.

5. Decreased sex drive: Elevated estrogen levels can impact libido and lead to a decrease in sexual desire.

6. Fibrocystic breasts: Estrogen dominance can contribute to the development of benign breast lumps or fibrocystic breasts.

7. Headaches: Some women with estrogen dominance may experience more frequent or severe headaches.

8. Sleep disturbances: Estrogen imbalance can interfere with sleep patterns, leading to difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep.

YOU CAN’T FIX YOUR HORMONES WITHOUT FIXING YOUR GUT

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the gut is the central focus in every aspect of your health because it plays a crucial role in transforming the food you eat into the nutrition you receive. We call it your Postnatal Qi. If you don’t have an efficient gut, your blood won't get all the nutrients you need for the rest of your body to flourish. As a result, you’ll be operating from a place of deficiency.

Your gut gives you energy. It’s also 80% of your immune system. As the core of your being, it affects every single system in your body. That’s why it’s so important to treat the whole person as opposed to just a specific area of concern. This is especially true when it comes to fertility since the reproductive organs sit right next to each other. Gut issues, inflammation, and poor nutrient absorption go hand-in-hand.

If you have gut issues, you’re not properly absorbing the micronutrients in your food. This causes deficiencies which can show up in one or more of the following ways:

• Fatigue, weakness, and an overall lack of energy

• A pale complexion, dry or rough skin, acne, brittle hair, hair loss, and weak nails

• Digestive issues such as diarrhea, bloating, gas, constipation, and abdominal pain

• A difficult time managing your weight

• Muscle weakness, cramps and spasms

• Poor immune function and slow wound healing

• Cognitive function, memory, and the ability to concentrate

• Mood, sleep, and behavioral issues

• Declining vision

• Infertility

• Changes in the appearance of your tongue

The most common thing I see while running Functional Fertility Labs on women in my Overcoming Infertility program is antioxidant deficiencies. Almost every single person has them.

But what’s the connection between micronutrient deficiencies and antioxidant deficiencies?

Micronutrients are what support the antioxidant activity in your body. They act as cofactors and precursors for the production of antioxidants. So if your gut isn’t functioning properly, you’ll be deficient in micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, phytonutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics. And if you’re deficient in these micronutrients, you won’t be able to produce adequate antioxidants.

Your body is a temple, but for the sake of a good metaphor—think of it as a very popular nightclub. Antioxidants are the bouncers at the door making sure no troublemakers get in.

They act as a barrier safeguarding your cells, defusing conflict, and maintaining a peaceful environment. If the bouncers in your body are weak, your defense system is weak—leaving you susceptible to cellular damage and DNA damage.

When your body lacks sufficient antioxidants to combat DNA and cellular damage, several negative effects can occur. Here are some potential consequences:

1. Increased Oxidative Stress: Without enough antioxidants, the balance between harmful molecules and antioxidants in your body gets disrupted. This leads to a state called oxidative stress, where the harmful molecules outnumber the antioxidants.

2. DNA Damage: These harmful molecules can directly attack the DNA in your cells, causing mutations and structural alterations. This DNA damage can interfere with proper cell function and replication, potentially leading to the development of diseases like cancer.

3. Cellular Dysfunction: Insufficient antioxidants can result in cellular dysfunction and impaired signaling pathways. This can negatively affect various cellular processes, including energy production, metabolism, and immune response. Over time, it may contribute to chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and premature aging.

4. Weakened Immune System: Antioxidants play a crucial role in supporting the immune system by protecting immune cells from oxidative damage. Inadequate antioxidant levels can weaken the immune response, making you more susceptible to infections and illnesses.

5. Inflammation: Free radicals can trigger inflammation within the body, leading to tissue damage and chronic inflammation if not counteracted by antioxidants. Prolonged inflammation has been linked to various health issues, including autoimmune diseases, allergies, infertility, and chronic pain conditions.

When I do the Functional Fertility Labs for women in my Overcoming Infertility program, I test for vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, Alpha Lipoic Acid, CoQ10, glutathione, and plant based antioxidants. I’ve never seen a single test where all these antioxidants were in the green. Think of it like a traffic light with a green, yellow, and red method of measuring.

This is why I almost always recommend people take CoQ10 and glutathione—as well as magnesium and digestive enzymes. I’m also a huge fan of ION by Dr. Zach Bush. But this isn’t meant to be medical advice, and it’s rarely a good idea to start taking a bunch of supplements without talking to a medical professional. There are, however, several foods high in antioxidants you can begin very safely adding to your diet right away.

Foods that are high in antioxidants include:

• Dark chocolate

• Pecans

• Blueberries

• Strawberries

• Artichokes

• Goji berries

• Apples

• Avocado

• Berries (such as cranberries, blackberries, and raspberries)

• Cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and kale)

• Green tea

• Nuts (such as walnuts and almonds)

AND WHAT DOES THIS ALL HAVE TO DO WITH NOT POOPING ENOUGH?

All this is to say that these hot girl stomach issues are doing way more harm than most people realize. You can’t break your body down into individual systems. Everything is connected. By tolerating weird stomach issues, you’re essentially consenting to a future of hormone imbalances, antioxidant deficiencies, and a wide variety of unpleasant symptoms. You can’t just start taking probiotics, antioxidants, or digestive enzymes hoping they’ll fix your bloating, gas, constipation, and other gut issues.

And if you already know your hormones are out of whack, you also need to know that all hormones aren’t created equally. There’s a hierarchy of hormones and to effectively get everything in balance, you have to treat it from the top down—meaning it’s absolutely imperative to fix the body’s signaling and anything that is affecting the HPA axis first.

I know this all sounds complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. The body tends to prioritize healing processes in a specific order, and hormones are usually at the bottom of the list. But it doesn’t have to be confusing or take forever.

I can help you with this entire cycle starting with your gut. If you’re looking to have a baby sometime soon, schedule a Fertility Consult to get started. I’ll answer your specific questions and explain the different options for additional support and in-depth Fertility Labs. And if you have no plans of growing your family but want to get healthier, book some time with our resident Naturopath to meet virtually. You’ll have the opportunity to discuss lab work to know exactly where your hormones stand as well as someone holding your hand to get them back in harmony.