Being the beginning of the year, many of you are determined to live a healthier life & lose weight, so I thought I’d talk about one of the huge factors that may be standing in the way of getting rid of the ole’ tire around the waste. Yep, we’re getting real. We’re getting personal. We’re talking about poop! In nursing school, I was taught that anywhere between having a BM (bowel movement) 3 times per day to every 3 days was considered “normal”. Sorry nursing school, but that just can’t be right. Think about it. How many times do we eat??? ATLEAST 3 times, and for most people it is 3 meals and 3 snacks. How does it make sense for us to eat that much food and only eliminate once every 3 days? That’s just silly! The truth is, optimally, we should be going to the bathroom atleast 3 times per day. I know…I know…you’re thinking, Jessica Angelina Lopez, you are CRAZY! I promise I’m not trippin guys. It’s true! For OPTIMAL health, to feel your best, have lasting energy, clear skin, a healthy liver, a flawless digestive tract, this is what should be happening.

______________________

Here are the TOP 10 reasons our tubes get clogged…

1. Magnesium Deficiency-

Magnesium is ESSENTIAL for smooth muscle contraction, including the heart and the wave like motion (called peristalsis) that pushes food through the digestive tract. A deficiency leads to poor digestive function including constipation.

2. Leaky-Gut Syndrome-

This refers to an intestinal wall with microscopic holes in it from yeast, fungal, and parasite damage from a poor diet and candida overgrowth. Small particles of food and toxins get through these holes causing a myriad of problems in the body, and one of them being constipation. Unfortunately constipation also causes leaky gut syndrome, and it must be dealt with immediately- This is where my epic health programs come in!!

3. Lazy Colon-

Have you ever tried laxatives or even natural herbs and herbal teas such as cascara sagrada and senna leaf? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but all of those options are no good for solving the problem of constipation. Unfortunately back in the day I was a victim of these teas and colon cleanses that force the colon to expel. When you use these methods, especially over a long period of time, your colon basically says “screw you”, and stops working on it’s own, hence the term “lazy colon”. The only way to retrain your colon is through a series of colonics or colon hydrotherapy.

4. Lack of fiber-

You MUST get in loads of fiber on a daily basis. We are NOT talking about Metamucil or the average fiber chews you get at Walmart. I’m talking about REAL FOOD FIBER! Chia seeds, flax seeds, the 4 seed-like grains (quinoa, millet, amaranth, buckwheat), lots of vegetables and some low-sugar fruits, and some approved fiber products from trusted sources such as Renew Life, Garden of Life, or Dr. Mercola.

5. Lack of fat-

“But Jessica, I’m trying to lose fat!”, Oh I know! BUT EATING GOOD FAT IS KEY TO LOSING BAD FAT! Especially when it comes to cleaning your colon. Think of it as oiling up the tubes. Let’s just say it keeps things sailing smoothly. 🙂

6. Clogged Liver & Gallbladder

If your liver and gallbladder are clogged up, it will be nearly impossible to have a functioning digestive system and even harder to lose weight. It is CRUCIAL to take care of these organs. In my health coaching programs, such as The Empowered Woman, I safely teach each person how to cleanse their liver and gallbladder. It is built into my programs to ensure each person is ready for this step. Cleansing and detoxing CAN BE DANGEROUS! So, make sure if you do this, you are working with someone who knows your body very well and can tell if you are ready or not.

 7. Hormone Imbalance–

There is alot to know when it comes to hormonal balance and it dramatically affects your metabolism and digestive system. If your adrenal glands are shot and your thyroid is slow, you will nearly always struggle with constipation. It is ESSENTIAL to support these areas, and when you do…whoa nelly will you see an improvement in your life!

8. Candida-

Oh Candida how I loathe thee…I cannot tell you how THANKFUL I am to have all the tools I need to keep candida in it’s place, and that is NOT in my body! Candia Albicans is a bacteria from the devil that can completely take over your body causing you to feel all sorts of bad things from serious digestive disease, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, foggy head, indigestion, severe fatigue, adrenal exhaustion, endometriosis, infertility…I mean really, it’s bad news bears. This is one of the TOP reasons for constipation. Ridding the body of it is a complex process, but can always be beat, I don’t care what your situation is. This is where I come in to battle with you in the trenches. Together we can DEFEAT candida! 🙂

9.Dehydration-

A dehydrated gut will not work. Period. Shoot, a dehydrated body will not work! DRINK WATER PEOPLE! And not just any water. You need to be drinking fresh alkaline spring water to be exact. This is SO important, that I devote an ENTIRE week to water in my program!

10. Stress-

What happens when you get nervous? What do you feel in your stomach? Knots? Butterflies? Sick to your stomach? Think about it, your BRAIN feels nervous and your STOMACH feels sick. See the correlation? Stress depletes your body of magnesium first of all, but it completely shuts down many of your body’s systems to prepare you for something intense. This is why it is called “fight or flight” system. Your sympathetic nervous system is ignited when you are stressed causing a chain reaction of events to occur in your body preparing you to run away from a bear, give you super powers to fight a mountain lion, or lift a car…I know extreme, but get my point? This is NOT the optimal situation to make sure you are pooping properly. Well, for some people I guess it encourages the situation since we have the expression ” I’m going to crap my pants” when someone is scared. But for the most part, it shuts down your systems so all the blood goes to your extremities to give you the maximum energy to do what you need to, to survive. So, slow down and relax to dramatically improve your digestion. PLUS this is crucial for anyone wanting to lose weight. Stress causes that cortisol tire around the waste.

1. Liquid Angstrom Magnesium and/or Peter Gillham’s “Calm” drink

2. Home enemas with fresh spring water or organic coffee

3. Colon hydrotherapy

4. Lemon water

5. PROBIOTICS! There are only a few brands I recommend to my clients, so make sure it’s a good brand!

6. CULTURED FOODS & DRINKS

7. SUNRIDER FOODS!!! I can’t say enough about how these amazing foods have impacted my digestive system & health!

8. Superfoods such as chlorella & Spirulina.

9. Digestive Enzymes

    

There you have it folks. Have fun cleaning out the junk in your trunk! Remember, if you ever would like a FREE consultation for one of my health programs to get on the “Fast Track” to healing your body, mind, & soul for good, you can email me directly at Jessica@JessicaLopezRN.com or use my calendar link here to schedule your appointment and see if this would be a good fit for you!

In Health, Hope, & Happiness,