The Constipation Code

Your gut does so much more than digest food.

Many people think of gut health only when they have bloating, constipation, or stomach pain. But your gut is also home to a large portion of your immune system, communicates constantly with your brain, and plays a role in nutrient absorption, hormone signaling, and inflammation throughout the body.

That doesn’t mean every case of fatigue, anxiety, ADHD, thyroid disease, depression, headaches, asthma, joint pain, skin issues, or autoimmune disease starts in the gut. But if you’re struggling with any of these, your gut health is one piece of the puzzle that’s worth investigating—not ignoring.

When your gut isn’t functioning well, it can influence far more than your digestion.

If you’ve been chasing symptoms without getting answers, it may be time to ask a different question:

What’s happening in my gut?

📚 If you’re dealing with constipation, bloating, or other digestive issues, my book The Constipation Code walks you through the hidden root causes and practical steps to improve your gut health.

💬 Which symptom surprised you the most? Let me know in the comments.

You finish dinner, finally get comfortable on the couch or climb into bed…and suddenly your stomach feels worse than it did when you were sitting up.

More pressure. More fullness. Maybe burning, burping, or that uncomfortable feeling that your food is just sitting there.

What’s going on?

When you’re upright, gravity helps keep stomach contents where they belong. When you lie flat, it becomes easier for stomach contents to move back toward the esophagus, especially if you’re prone to acid reflux.

A larger or higher-fat meal can also slow stomach emptying, leaving you feeling full longer. And if you’ve been grazing, drinking alcohol, or eating a little bit of everything at a barbecue, you may simply have more in your stomach than usual.

But here’s the important part: not every uncomfortable feeling after eating is reflux. Gas, bloating, delayed stomach emptying, and other digestive issues can create similar sensations.

💡 Gut health pearl: The timing of your symptoms matters. Feeling worse when you lie down is a useful clue to share with your healthcare provider.

Try this: Give yourself 2–3 hours between a larger meal and lying down. If you’re uncomfortable, stay upright and take a gentle 10–20 minute walk instead of heading straight to the couch or bed.

If this happens frequently, especially with burning, regurgitation, difficulty swallowing, or persistent pain, don’t just keep reaching for antacids. Get it evaluated so you understand what’s actually causing it.

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⭐️ 5-star gut behaviors that deserve more credit.

You don’t need a complicated morning routine or 17 supplements to start supporting your gut. Sometimes the most helpful habits are the ones we overlook.

⭐️ Don’t ignore the urge to p**p.
⭐️ Take a walk after meals.
⭐️ Chew your food thoroughly.
⭐️ Put your feet on a stool when you p**p.
⭐️ Pay attention to what your p**p is telling you.
⭐️ Look for the root cause instead of constantly chasing symptoms.

None of these is a magic fix, and what works depends on the person. But the basics matter more than we sometimes give them credit for.

Which one are you already doing, and which one needs a little work? 👀

Follow for practical gut-health education that goes beyond “just take a probiotic.”

You know how it goes. A burger, a little potato salad, chips and dip, some corn, a drink, and then someone brings out dessert. 😂

You didn’t necessarily eat one enormous meal. You just spent the last two hours eating a little bit of EVERYTHING.

And now your stomach feels like it’s working overtime.

Here’s what may be happening.

Your digestive system can handle a variety of foods, but continuous grazing can add up to a larger total volume than you realize. And barbecue foods often combine several things that can contribute to digestive discomfort.

Higher-fat foods can slow stomach emptying, leaving you feeling full longer. Certain carbohydrates are fermented by gut bacteria, producing gas. Carbonated drinks can add gas, and alcohol may irritate the digestive tract or worsen symptoms for some people.

If you already struggle with constipation, slow gut motility, IBS, or frequent bloating, that combination may be especially uncomfortable.

💡 Gut health pearl: It’s not that your body can’t digest different foods together. Sometimes it’s the total amount, the pace of eating, and the combination of digestive triggers that leaves you feeling miserable.

Try this: Make yourself a plate of the foods you really want, sit down, and enjoy them. Then give yourself some time before going back for more instead of grazing continuously.

And after the meal? Take a 10–20 minute walk. Gentle movement can support digestion and may help gas move through more comfortably.

You don’t need to eat perfectly to enjoy a barbecue. But if you regularly experience significant bloating, pain, nausea, or reflux after eating, it’s worth looking into the pattern rather than assuming you simply ate too much.

Follow this account for answers to more embarrassing gut health questions no one wants to ask.

You were completely fine at home. Then you get in the car, walk into a store, or get somewhere without an easy bathroom nearby—and suddenly your gut decides NOW is the time. 😳

This can be a perfect example of how closely your gut and nervous system communicate.

Your colon doesn’t operate independently. Stress, anticipation, changes in routine—even worrying about whether you’ll have access to a bathroom—can affect intestinal contractions and make urgency feel much stronger.

And once this happens a few times, your brain can actually start anticipating it. You leave the house → your nervous system remembers what happened last time → your gut responds.

Try this: Before leaving, give yourself a minute to slow things down. Take 5–6 long, slow breaths with an especially long exhale. And if the urge hits, remind yourself that urgency doesn’t always mean an emergency.

If sudden urgency is happening frequently, though, it’s worth looking deeper at what may be making your gut so reactive in the first place.

Follow this account for answers to more embarrassing gut health questions no one wants to ask.

Because bloating isn’t always about how MUCH food you ate.

That uncomfortable, stretched, “how can my stomach be this big?” feeling can come from gas production, slow movement through the digestive tract, constipation, or difficulty actually moving gas out.

And here’s something people often miss: you can be having bowel movements every day and still have stool moving too slowly or incompletely — which can contribute to bloating.

Try this: Take a 10–20 minute walk after meals, especially dinner. Gentle movement can help stimulate intestinal motility and help trapped gas move along instead of accumulating.

And if you’re regularly bloated after eating very little, don’t just accept it as normal. Your gut may be giving you a clue worth investigating.

Follow for answers to the gut health questions nobody wants to ask.

One minute you’re perfectly fine.

The next minute your gut is basically saying: Bathroom. NOW.

That sudden bowel urgency can happen when your colon gets a strong signal to contract and move stool toward the re**um quickly. One of the biggest triggers is the gastrocolic reflex — the natural communication between your stomach and colon that can kick into gear when you eat or drink.

For some people, that reflex is simply much stronger.

But if you regularly go from “I might have to p**p” to “I need a bathroom RIGHT NOW,” there can be other pieces worth looking at too: intestinal motility, food triggers, caffeine, stress and the gut-brain connection, changes in the gut microbiome, IBS, or even stool that has been sitting higher in the colon before a stronger contraction finally moves things along.

And here’s something people don’t always realize:

Urgency doesn’t automatically mean diarrhea.

You can have formed stool and STILL experience an incredibly strong, sudden urge to have a bowel movement.

Try this: Start noticing when the urgency happens.

Is it right after breakfast?
After coffee?
After a large meal?
When you’re stressed?
When you get home?
At roughly the same time every morning?

Those patterns can give you valuable clues about what’s triggering your bowel movements.

And if you regularly have severe urgency, accidents, blood in your stool, unexplained weight loss, persistent abdominal pain, or a significant new change in your bowel habits, that’s something to discuss with your healthcare provider rather than assuming it’s just your “normal.”

Your p**p habits can tell you a surprising amount about what’s happening in your digestive system.

Follow this account for answers to more tough gut health questions nobody wants to ask.

If you’ve ever sat on the toilet thinking, I know I have to go…so why is absolutely nothing happening? — don’t turn it into a 20-minute battle.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they’re constipated is sitting there longer and pushing harder.

Straining doesn’t necessarily mean your stool is simply “too hard.” Difficulty having a bowel movement can also be related to stool consistency, slower movement through the colon, pelvic floor coordination, positioning, or simply trying to go before your body is ready.

And the longer you sit there trying to force it, the more likely you are to start holding your breath, bearing down and straining.

Try this instead:

If nothing is happening after about 5 minutes, get up.

Walk around for a few minutes. Move your body. Have something warm to drink if that tends to help you. Then wait for a stronger urge before trying again.

When you do sit down, put your feet on a small stool if you have one, lean slightly forward and breathe instead of holding your breath and pushing hard.

Your bathroom rule should NOT be:

“I’m staying here until something happens.”

Sometimes the better strategy is to stop trying and give your body another chance later.

And if this happens to you regularly—especially if you frequently strain, feel like your p**p is stuck, or never feel completely empty—there may be more going on than simply needing more fiber or water.

Follow this account for answers to more tough gut health questions nobody wants to ask.

You know that weird feeling when you have a bowel movement and think…

Why did that p**p feel WARMER than usual?!

You’re not imagining it—and there are several reasons a bowel movement can suddenly feel hotter, warmer or even a little burning on the way out.

First, remember that stool has been sitting inside your body, so it’s naturally close to body temperature. Most of the time you don’t really notice that temperature difference.

But sometimes the tissues around the a**s become more sensitive or irritated, which can make an otherwise normal bowel movement feel noticeably warmer.

And what you ate can matter.

🌶️ Spicy foods contain capsaicin—the compound responsible for that burning sensation. Not all of it is broken down during digestion, so yes…what burns going in can sometimes burn coming out.

💩 Loose stool or diarrhea can also cause a hot or burning sensation. Faster-moving stool may contain more digestive substances, and frequent wiping can further irritate the delicate skin around the a**s.

🔥 Hemorrhoids, tiny a**l fissures or irritated skin can make you much more aware of sensations during a bowel movement, too.

Gut health pearl: Sometimes the sensation you’re attributing to the p**p is actually coming from the tissue the p**p is passing over.

Try this: Notice the pattern. Does it happen after spicy meals? With loose stools? After you’ve been going more frequently? Or when the area already feels irritated?

Patterns give us clues.

An occasional warm or mildly burning bowel movement usually isn’t something to panic about. But persistent burning, significant pain, bleeding, black or bloody stool, or a major unexplained change in your bowel habits deserves a conversation with your healthcare provider.

Your p**p tells you a surprising amount about what’s happening with your digestion, bowel movements and gut health—if you know what to look for.

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