10 Tricks to Help You Poop: Yes, We're Going There!

Let's talk about constipation - and I mean the kind where you haven't had a proper bowel movement in days, your favorite jeans won't button because you're so bloated, and your stomach is cramping with discomfort. If you're tired of planning your outfits around bloating, canceling plans because you feel heavy and sluggish, or spending uncomfortable hours in the bathroom with no results, I've got you covered.

These are real, practical solutions that have helped my clients finally find relief from stubborn constipation and get back to feeling comfortable in their bodies again!

The key is getting to the root and adding in small daily habits that will help your digestive system run smoothly! So let's jump into 10 tricks to help you poop!

10 Tricks to Help You Poop

1. Add Frozen Cauliflower to Your Smoothies

Sneaking veggies into your day doesn’t get easier than this. Frozen cauliflower is a fiber-rich addition to your smoothies that’s virtually tasteless. Fiber helps bulk up your stool and keeps things moving through your digestive tract.

Cauliflower contains a specific type of fiber called glucosinolates that undergoes a unique transformation in your digestive system. When broken down, these compounds convert into bioactive isothiocyanates that have been shown to support detoxification pathways and reduce inflammation in the gut.

Plus, its high insoluble fiber content (about 2g per cup) works synergistically with its sulforaphane content to enhance motility through mechanical stimulation of the intestinal walls. The prebiotic fiber, specifically the oligosaccharides, selectively feeds beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species, which produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that help maintain proper gut pH and strengthen the intestinal barrier.

And the best part is that when cauliflower is frozen and blended, the cellular structure breaks down in a way that makes these nutrients even more bioavailable, while remaining virtually undetectable in taste!

Pro Tip: Blend a handful into your favorite smoothie for a creamy texture without even tasting it.

2. Snack on Chickpeas or Add Them to Meals

Let me tell you why chickpeas are one of my favorite foods for digestive health! These little powerhouses pack about 12.5g of fiber per cup - both soluble and insoluble types. The soluble fiber (especially compounds called beta-glucans and arabinoxylans) acts like a prebiotic, feeding those good gut bacteria we want more of, like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. This helps keep your gut barrier strong and your bowel movements regular.

Here's something cool - chickpeas also contain what we call resistant starch. This special type of starch actually makes it all the way to your colon undigested, where it ferments and creates the perfect environment for your beneficial bacteria to thrive. Plus, their amazing protein content, with essential amino acids and special bioactive compounds, helps maintain and repair your intestinal tissue. All of this working together is why chickpeas are such superstars for keeping your digestion running smoothly!

Pro Tip: Roast chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and paprika for a crunchy snack, or toss them into salads, soups, or pasta dishes.

3. Hydrate Like a Pro (LMNT Electrolytes for the Win!)

Let me tell you why staying hydrated is SO important when it comes to keeping things moving! When you're dehydrated, your body tries to conserve water by pulling extra moisture from your stool - which is exactly what we don't want! This leads to those uncomfortable, hard-to-pass bowel movements that nobody wants to deal with.

The good news? Simply staying hydrated (especially with electrolytes like LMNT or Cure Hydration - seriously, these are a game changer!) helps maintain the perfect balance of fluids in your digestive system. The combo of sodium, potassium, and magnesium in electrolytes is like a little hydration dream team that keeps everything flowing smoothly.

Pro Tip: Sip on electrolyte water throughout the day, especially after exercise or first thing in the morning.

4. Take Magnesium Citrate for Overnight Relief

Magnesium citrate is a powerful yet gentle solution for constipation that works through multiple mechanisms in your digestive system. It functions as an osmotic laxative by attracting water into your intestinal lumen through osmosis, which helps soften stool and increase intestinal pressure. Additionally, magnesium ions help relax smooth muscle tissue in your intestinal walls by modulating calcium channels and neuromuscular signaling pathways. This dual action - increasing water content while promoting muscle relaxation - creates ideal conditions for comfortable, natural bowel movements without the harsh effects of stimulant laxatives. Studies have shown that magnesium citrate is particularly effective because its citrate form is highly bioavailable and gentle on your digestive system.

Pro Tip: Take 300–400mg before bed to wake up feeling lighter and more comfortable.

5. Slow Down and Breathe

Stress can literally stop your digestion in its tracks. When you’re in fight-or-flight mode, your body prioritizes survival over digestion. Taking a few deep breaths before meals or practicing mindfulness can signal to your body that it’s safe to relax and digest.

Pro Tip: Try a simple breathing exercise: inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 8 counts. Do this for 1–2 minutes before meals.

6. Incorporate More Healthy Fats

Healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, and nuts play a crucial role in digestive health through multiple mechanisms. These fats stimulate the release of cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that triggers bile release from the gallbladder. Bile acts as a natural emulsifier, helping break down fats and creating a smooth passage for stool through the intestines.

Additionally, these fats are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) that help reduce inflammation in the gut lining and support the production of prostaglandins - compounds that help regulate intestinal muscle contractions. The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in these foods also support the integrity of your intestinal barrier and enhance the absorption of essential nutrients. Plus, these healthy fats are key players in balancing sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which directly influence your digestive motility through their receptors in your gut!

Pro Tip: Drizzle olive oil over roasted veggies, snack on almonds, or add half an avocado to your meals for extra support.

7. Optimize Your Posture on the Toilet

Your bathroom posture matters more than you might think! The position of your body during bowel movements can significantly impact the effectiveness of elimination. When you elevate your feet using a stool (like a Squatty Potty), you're actually helping to straighten your puborectalis muscle, which is part of your pelvic floor. This muscle normally creates a bit of a kink in your colon - think of it like a kinked garden hose - to help maintain continence. When you squat, this muscle relaxes and straightens out your rectum, creating a straighter pathway for stool to pass through.

This position also engages your iliopsoas muscles and helps relax your external anal sphincter, reducing the amount of straining needed by up to 50%. Plus, the squatting position increases intra-abdominal pressure in a way that naturally assists with complete evacuation. Research has shown this position can significantly reduce symptoms in people with chronic constipation and even help prevent conditions like hemorrhoids!

Pro Tip: Keep a small stool by your toilet to elevate your knees slightly above your hips while sitting.

8. Focus on Relaxing Your Body

Your pelvic floor muscles play a crucial role in bowel movements through their interaction with your enteric nervous system (ENS). When these muscles are tense - often due to chronic stress activating your sympathetic nervous system - it can disrupt the natural migrating motor complex (MMC) that coordinates intestinal movement. This tension can also compress the pudendal nerve, which controls the external anal sphincter, leading to incomplete evacuation.

The good news is that targeted relaxation techniques can help regulate the vagus nerve's communication with your ENS, promoting what we call the gastrocolic reflex. Gentle stretches, specific yoga poses (like happy baby or malasana), or pelvic floor physical therapy can help release this tension by activating your parasympathetic nervous system - your rest and digest mode. This helps restore the natural rhythm of your digestive system and can significantly improve bowel movements.

Pro Tip: Try child’s pose or seated forward folds for 5–10 minutes to release tension.

9. Add Fermented Foods to Your Diet

Fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi are powerhouses of beneficial bacteria that do more than just add flavor! These foods contain diverse strains of probiotics that help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, nourishes your colon cells and helps regulate gut motility. They also help break down fiber through fermentation, creating beneficial postbiotics that strengthen your intestinal barrier function.

What's really fascinating is how these fermented foods work with your enteric nervous system (your "second brain") to promote healthy gut-brain communication through the vagus nerve. This improved signaling helps coordinate smooth muscle contractions in your intestines, leading to more regular and comfortable bowel movements. Plus, the beneficial bacteria help maintain an optimal pH in your gut, which is crucial for proper enzyme function and nutrient absorption!

Pro Tip: Add a spoonful of sauerkraut as a side to your meals or mix yogurt into a smoothie.

10. Don’t Ignore the Urge

When you feel the urge to have a bowel movement, it's crucial to listen to your body! This is because your digestive system operates on something called the gastrocolic reflex - a natural process where your colon contracts in response to stomach activity. Delaying these signals can actually weaken the nerve pathways that coordinate this reflex over time, making stool harder and more difficult to pass as your body reabsorbs water from the waste material.

Pro Tip: Set aside time after meals to relax and allow your body to naturally respond to the urge—this is when your digestive system is most active.

Ready to Fix Your Digestion for Good?

While simple constipation can sometimes be resolved with basic lifestyle changes, chronic digestive issues often have deeper root causes that require professional investigation. Functional nutrition can help uncover these underlying factors, which may include hormonal imbalances affecting gut motility, gut microbiome disruptions, bacterial overgrowth, nutrient deficiencies, and chronic stress affecting the gut-brain connection.

Through comprehensive functional lab testing, we can identify these specific imbalances and create a personalized healing protocol. When we look at your digestive health holistically, we consider factors like the health of your gut microbiome and its impact on motility, the connection between your nervous system and digestion, how your pelvic floor muscles and stress levels affect bowel movements, and the role of hormones in maintaining healthy digestive function.

Don't let chronic constipation control your life. My 1:1 Functional Nutrition Coaching program provides the targeted support and clear action plan you need to restore your digestive health and feel confident in your body & skin again.