One of the first things I ask my clients is when their last bowel movement was…

It usually goes like this~

Me: “Hi, I’m so excited to work with you! Let’s get to know each other better. Do you have a significant other? Kids? What do you do for work? Also, when was the last time you went number 2? Tell me about it!”

I explain to them beforehand that we will be getting REAL personal, but I think it still catches them off guard.

Often it takes them a minute to think about it, or they can’t remember at all, and then I know we have some work to do.

See, how your body digests food tells us so much about the gut and how you are nourishing it.

Your gut LOVES bacteria. It needs bacteria. It needs trillions of bacteria, actually. And it needs a diverse amount of both probiotic bacteria and prebiotic bacteria. If it doesn’t have a plentiful amount of both, it won’t work right.

One of the first indicators that it isn’t working right is slow digestion.

This bacteria your gut loves comes from food, primarily plants.

Fiber, found in real food plants, is the prebiotics. And probiotics come from supplements and fermented foods. Your gut needs fiber and fermented foods to get the bacteria it needs. And it needs fiber and fermented foods to help push things through.

If we aren’t getting fiber (prebiotics) our digestive tract doesn’t have anything to help push things through, clogging up your digestion and making regular BMs (bowel movements) difficult.

Your digestion backs up and your gut struggles to function properly, creating bigger issues like IBS, leaky gut, skin issues, inflammation, and allergies or food sensitivities. It also can make us super tired.

Want to get your digestion moving so your gut can start to flourish?

Start with fiber!

Try increasing your real-food fiber intake slowly by having one new meal a week that has a bit more fiber than usual. How many plant foods can you get in that one meal?

A reminder- plants aren’t just fruits and veggies, though those are great. They also include nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, sea veggies, and whole grains like oats and rice.

Then start taking notice of how your BMs change. Hopefully they become more consistent!

If you are ready for even more help to get your digestion going, snag my free download- 5 Tips to Top Notch Digestion!

I hope this quick tip helps your digestion and gut, and the next time I ask you when the last time you took your big bathroom trip, you will be able to tell me without hesitation that it was earlier in the day and that it went very smoothly. 🙂