Bowel movement right after your morning coffee? Demasking a hidden constipation

Yes, let‘s talk about our bowel movements - not your favorite topic? Well, it should be since they are such a vital part of our health, showing us where we might have some weaknesses that need our attention before they develop into more serious conditions. 

Regular bowel movements, for most people 1-3 times daily would be ideal, help us to get rid of toxins in our body, expel any waste products from our digestion and support our body in keeping clean and healthy. If we suffer from constipation we normally recognize that by a bloated stomach, abdominal pain, hard stool or the inability to entirely clear out our bowel. These are such important signs since it is our body speaking to us about how it feels.  

Your black stimulant - The laxative effect of caffeine

The caffeine in your daily coffee actually has a laxative effect on our system. It puts our body in a state of artificial stress which triggers the release of stress hormones that irritate our intestinal mucosa and result in an unnatural bowel movement right after drinking coffee. You might have realized that some day if you had some more cups than usual and suffered from diarrhea afterwards. I myself could never really warm up to the taste of coffee but when I tried it once in a while, I experienced this effect instantly.  

Below the surface - How our daily coffee can hide constipation

Here comes the problem if coffee is a daily habit for us: In case our body suffers from constipation, we wouldn’t even recognize it, since the laxative caffeine gives us a regular bowel movement. Should be all fine then, right? Far fetched, since the underlying problems that caused the constipation in the first place do still exist and might lead to bigger issues in the long run if they remain unnoticed. 

Furthermore, regular intake of coffee and other laxatives stimulate our peristalsis (the muscle contractions that move our food through the intestines) and our intestinal system soon gets used to this and forgets its own reflexes. In addition, the feces is discarded too fast, so that the large intestine doesn’t have enough time to perform its task of reabsorbing water and minerals from this mass, which might lead to mineral deficiency or dehydration.  

The source of discomfort - Common causes of constipation

Many causes for constipation can be eliminated by a change in our eating habits and lifestyle choices, like the following list of possible conditions shows: 

• Drinking insufficient amounts of water   
• A lack of dietary fibers in the diet (e.g. berries, pears, flaxseeds, avocados or leafy greens)
• Not enough physical exercise
• Consuming too much refined sugar and white flour products
• Not chewing enough or eating too fast
• Certain medications causing constipation

These dietary and lifestyle habits might lead to a variety of health issues and should not be overlooked. But to take action, we would have to realize that there is actually a problem. This is the first step to more health and can avoid any bad surprises later in life.  

Affected, but not helpless - Empower yourself to heal naturally

So, is there a chance your body is also burdened with a hidden constipation? Just take a look at the timing of your bowel movements, do they occur right after your cup of coffee? If that should be the case, you might want to get away from coffee for a while to see if constipation symptoms develop. If your body should be affected, empower yourself with deeper knowledge about constipation and the vast possibilities to sooth the symptoms naturally. 

This can be done for example by eating dried plums or figs (choose unsulfurated, organic produce and soak them in water over night) and of course by tackling the common causes for constipation listed above. If possible, try to avoid taking any medications for constipation though, since they often just treat the symptoms without really healing the causes of your problems and might even add some new issues to your current condition. And, who could have guessed, you might want to keep away from the coffee till then.  

Early birds on mushroom tea - How to move away from coffee

The brand Four Sigmatic has actually some great mushroom teas in its portfolio that in my opinion taste similar to coffee. I drink their Chaga Mushroom Elixir daily and since I don’t enjoy the coffee-like taste, I do it solely for the health benefits it offers. Apart from that, if you can't seem to get going without your morning coffee, a good stretch and a glas of water with lemon juice can support you towards more wakefulness on a longterm basis - as well as, of course, the powerful effect of a good nights sleep.  

We should move away from just treating our symptoms and turning to stimulants like coffee to feel better in the short run, but take a look at the underlying causes of our health conditions. Our dietary and lifestyle choices often play a huge role in this and can therefore make a big difference if we adapt them according to a healthier way of living. There is so much to gain from embarking on such a journey towards more health and vibrancy, we just have to start listening to our body and take advantage of the powerful healing possibilities of nature.

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Have a wonderful day and a fruitful journey ahead! 

Yours, Anais 

Nomadic adventuress since 2018 | Raw foodie | Health enthusiast | Minimalist | Freedom seeker | Passionate believer in a life full of bliss.

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Disclaimer: I am not a registered dietitian, doctor or trained detox expert. My goal is to share my knowledge from conclusive research and personal experiences to inspire you on your own raw adventure. I do not give medical advice and am not liable for any negative consequences you might face by following any information from this post - even if it is too much energy from a newly gained vibrant health and no idea how to deal with it. Always do your individual research when it comes to your precious health, it is absolutely worth the extra effort!