Constipation is the most common digestive complaint in the US, outnumbering all other chronic digestive conditions, according to epidemiologists.
My dad always said I was obsessed with bodily functions. When I was young, it was just a funny thing to joke about with my siblings, but as I got older I discovered that elimination was a key indicator of my state of health. Knowing this now, I'm even more obsessed than I've ever been (sorry, dad)!
Turning to laxatives
For as long as I can remember, I was never a "good pooper". I considered a good pooper to be someone who went several times a day, like clockwork.
On a good day, I'd have one elimination mid-morning and that'd be it for the day. On a bad day, I wouldn't eliminate at all and I'd feel bloated, sick, and generally plugged up. And forget about pooping during travel, if I had to take a trip I would be constipated for a week.
Without knowing any better, I started using conventional stimulant laxatives to move things along. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that I was making matters worse. I was building up a tolerance to achieve a satisfactory elimination and before I knew it I was using laxatives most days of the week.
I started feeling even more unwell and in my gut, I knew this wasn't a healthy or sustainable solution and it wasn't satisfying or reliable either. This prompted me to look for alternatives. In my research, I discovered I was most likely feeling unwell because I was constantly dehydrating my body, depleting my electrolytes, forcing the elimination of essential vitamins and minerals all while ingesting the toxic ingredients in the conventional stimulant laxatives.
Constipation is the most common digestive complaint in the US, outnumbering all other chronic digestive conditions.
Discovering probiotics
Years later on my journey to health, after modifying my diet to whole, organic, plant-based foods, I still felt like my elimination wasn't what it should be. I was most likely still recovering from years of using and abusing laxatives, and then I stumbled upon probiotics.
Probiotics are a health buzzword for good reason. The right probiotic can do amazing things for your gut, your health, your body, and your brain. Unfortunately, not all probiotics are created equal. I discovered this when I started taking whatever probiotic I found at whatever store I was at.
Some probiotic pills don’t actually do anything at all because the bacteria strains aren't live and some contain nasty fillers or ingredients that are counteractive like glycerin (which can be animal-based) or soy lecithin (artificial and typically genetically modified). This can happen when in-genuine companies just want to jump on the latest health craze to make money. Even worse, some of my then favorite probiotics, like Garden of Life, were bought out by big untrustworthy corporations like Nestle, so I lost all faith in the quality of the product.
Gut goldilocks
The right probiotic — one that ACTUALLY works and that can be trusted — was like finding that proverbial needle in a really big (and expensive) haystack. I FINALLY found a probiotic that I love, trust, and is truly effective and I want to tell the world!
I'm now an avid believer in the quality of the products I consume as well as the mission of the company creating the products I consume. Where our food comes from matters to our bodies and our health so it matters to me. I only use Truvani's Glorious Gut probiotic because I love the company's mission of having total ingredient transparency and using the highest quality ingredients on the market. This stuff is THE BEST. These probiotics use organic ingredients and are also vegan, non-GMO, gluten free, soy free, and dairy free, and it actually works!
I'm now a great pooper and I couldn't feel better about it. Sorry again, dad, but I'm a well-oiled machine and happy to share my story if I can help others who may also fantasize about becoming a better pooper.
Cheers to a healthy, happy, and glorious gut in the new year!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sources:
1. Sonneberg, A., Koch, T.R. (1989). Epidemiology of constipation in the United States. Disease of the Colon and Rectum (32)1, 1-8. doi: 10.1007/bf02554713