Constipation – What’s causing it and how to feel better
Did you know you can be constipated, even if you go to the toilet every day? Constipation often shows up in not feeling an urge to open your bowels, having to strain for a long time to get anything out, or hard dry stools like rabbit droppings.
NB: If your constipation is new or has suddenly worsened, always check in with your doctor first to rule out anything more serious.
There are different types of constipation and it can be caused by poor diet, pelvic health issues, microbes in the gut or nervous system issues.
Does your bloating creep in slowly through the day, or do you feel full and swollen almost as soon as you eat?
That difference can tell us a lot about what’s going on in your gut.
NB: If your bloating is new or has suddenly worsened, always check in with your doctor first to rule out anything more serious.
What’s causing your constipation?
There are three main types of constipation:
Normal transit
This type of constipation shows up with straining, difficulty with evacuation, bloating, abdominal pain or discomfort and hard stools. Typical causes are a low fibre high fat diet, not eating enough food, or medications.
Slow transit
Slow motility means the muscles of the intestine and large bowel don’t work properly leading to slow movement of contents through the bowel down to the rectum. You might not often feel an urge to poo, and could get hard stools. Slow transit time could be linked to issues with low serotonin or high levels of methane gas.
Pelvic floor dysfunction
If the pelvic floor muscles are unable to coordinate with the surrounding muscles and nerves you can’t produce a normal bowel movement. A pelvic health physio can be useful. Testing the strength and weakness of the anal muscles is necessary for a diagnosis of dyssynergic defecation.
What constipation really feels like
Is this you?
- You need at least half an hour on the toilet each morning to have a poo, and you still don’t feel like you’ve properly emptied your bowels.
- In the mornings you rarely feel hungry and can wake up feeling nauseous.
How food could be playing a role
Gas-producing foods are one of the most obvious triggers. That’s why the low FODMAP diet can be so effective — it removes the carbohydrates most likely to ferment and cause gas.
Bloating isn’t just about what you eat, it’s also about how your digestion is working. If food restriction alone hasn’t helped, it may be worth considering whether SIBO, constipation, or even stress are part of the picture.
If you’d like to dig deeper into SIBO, head over to my SIBO page
Do you have enough digestive ‘power’?
To break down food properly, you need:
- Stomach acid to start protein digestion and protect against microbes
- Digestive enzymes from the pancreas and small intestine to break down carbs, proteins, and fats
- Bile flow to digest fats and keep bacteria in check
These important digestive juices can be reduced by stress or ongoing anxiety, PPI medication, SIBO, or hormone changes.
I explain this more in my 3 month Gut Reset programme
Everyday habits that make bloating worse
Are you:
- Swallowing too much air when eating or drinking
- Eating too fast – big chunks of food are harder for your body to digest.
- Chewing gum or smoking
- Drinking with a straw
- Consuming fizzy drinks (anything with gas bubbles)
- Wearing tight waistbands
If you sit for long periods, shallow breathing and tight clothing can affect the diaphragm and abdominal wall tone, creating a bloated sensation even without much gas.
Persistent bloating unrelated to food or bowel changes can occasionally relate to gynaecological issues such as ovarian cysts or endometriosis.
Undereating & bloating
A lack of food in your digestive system can slow it down. This can make you feel more bloated, and if you’re underweight you might also notice a more visible change in the abdomen after eating a big meal.
Undereating is one of the most common causes of bloating that I see, and one that people don’t always believe at first because it might feel counterintuitive to eat more to beat bloating. When my clients eat a normal amount of food, with regular meals I have seen positive improvements in bloating.
Could constipation be the hidden culprit
If you’re not having daily bowel movements, or if your stools are hard, dry, or incomplete, food and bacteria can sit in the gut longer than they should, leading to bloating and discomfort.
Some people think they’re “not constipated” because they go every few days. In reality, this is one of the biggest drivers of bloating I see.
See how constipation and bloating are connected
What you can do next
❌ Myth: Bloating is just something I have to live with
✅ Reality: Once you understand the cause, you can expand your diet and start to get back to activities (and clothes) you love.
If bloating is holding you back from enjoying meals out, wearing what you want, or feeling comfortable in your own skin.
