Weight Gain, Bloating, and Constipation, Oh My!

Weight gain, bloating, and constipation… not “pretty” topics, but relevant and important nonetheless! I get a lot of questions on these topics including…

• What causes these problems?
• What can I do about them?
• What should I eat / what should I avoid?
• Why do I have specific problems when I eat (insert food here)?

Lots of women also come to me with conditions such as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or issues related to indigestion, weight gain, or even weight loss. No matter the health condition, when our digestive systems aren’t functioning properly, it can have a huge impact on our daily lives!!

The good news is that we can absolutely make changes to improve our gastrointestinal wellness! When we begin to understand what our bodies are trying to tell us, we can better respond. In fact, when it comes to our symptoms, we can start to be proactive instead of reactive!

Let’s start by breaking down each of these main concerns.

Weight Gain

Quite frequently, clients come to me with complaints of weight gain. They’ll say that they’ve tried calorie counting, fasting, increasing their exercise, and other lifestyle changes. They express concern that they’ve resigned to the “fact” that they’ve simply got slow metabolism due to illness or aging, and state that they’re ready to admit defeat! If this is you, allow me to give you some hope!

While often mistaken as a result of “slow metabolism,” Anthony William has shared with us that the true cause of weight gain is “usually a sluggish, stagnant liver overburdened from a diet too high in fat/protein combined with toxins such as toxic heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, plastics, and other petrochemical byproducts, solvents, old pharmaceuticals, air fresheners, scented candles, colognes, and perfumes. Low-grade viral and bacterial infections inside the liver can also be a factor, causing someone to over-exercise to constantly battle pounds adding up on the scale.”

Quite simply, the LIVER is where those experiencing weight gain should be focusing!

Bloating

Bloating is another common concern and can range from mild discomfort to abdominal pain that interrupts the flow of people’s days! Some clients come to me and can specifically pinpoint which specific foods cause them to bloat, while others have no success with isolating anything specific. It is often believed that food intolerance is linked to certain foods (including apples, onions, garlic, etc.) and many assume they are allergic to those foods or need to avoid them as well as any raw vegetables. Quite the contrary!! Often times healing foods are actually killing off pathogens in the gut! Other foods (such as dairy, eggs, corn, soy, etc) are feeding them!

It’s important to recognize that common causes of bloating usually include a diet too high in fat/protein (whether unhealthy or healthy fats), poorly digested foods, and pathogens causing liver burnout. Anthony has also shared that “when an overworked liver must constantly overproduce bile to accommodate a chronic, long-term high-fat/high-protein diet, the stomach must in turn produce more hydrochloric acid to compensate for the reduction in bile reserves over time. Eventually, this causes the stomach glands to become depleted and produce less hydrochloric acid to break down and digest proteins, all while the liver is becoming more sluggish and stagnant. As this happens, one or more strains from the over 50 groups of Streptococcus bacteria can begin irritating the intestinal wall linings and causing mild gastritis as well. At times, overabundant stress can also account for bloating, with the adrenals becoming overworked from either constant low-grade stress or extreme stress conditions. Excess adrenaline tends to affect the intestinal linings, causing irritation there, while tiring out the liver and contributing to its sluggishness and stagnation.”

It sounds complicated, but once again, it boils down to the LIVER!

Constipation

When talking about constipation, it’s important to compare what you are experiencing to what is considered “normal.” A healthy schedule of bowel movements typically includes 1-3 per day, ideally happening soon after meals. The consistency also matters as does the ease of elimination. If the BMs are hard to pass, cause pain or bleeding, or simply don’t happen, these are red flags for constipation.

Causes of acute constipation can include dehydration, emotional stress, or nervousness creating overtightening or spasming in the abdominal muscles around the small intestine and colon. Additionally, long car rides and long plane flights coupled with foods that are not friendly to regularity can also lead to short-term constipation. Long-term constipation is absolutely more of an issue. People often try quick over-the-counter remedies, including fruit juices (prune comes to mind), laxatives, and more, but it makes much more sense to get to the root of the problem… You guessed it…the LIVER!!

The true cause of constipation is “a chronically sluggish, stagnant liver from a range of factors such as toxic heavy metals, various other toxins, and low-grade viral or bacterial infection in both the liver and the intestinal tract. When present in the gut, pathogenic infection can cause narrowing and/or expanding in both the small intestine and colon. Viral neurotoxins can also cause inflammation of the nerve endings around the intestinal tract, resulting in peristaltic slowdown and even gastroparesis.” (Thank you, Anthony!)

Another cause of chronic constipation is food that feeds viruses and causes a buildup of unproductive bacteria in the small intestinal tract and colon, creating inflammation there. The culprits are most commonly milk, cheese, butter, eggs, and gluten. The condition can progress due to a high-fat/high-protein diet.

What You Can Do

So what does one do if experiencing these symptoms?

1. Think about the foods you’re eating. It is best to eat a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables. Fresh celery juice is a fantastic addition to your day! Work in up to 32 oz daily.
2. As discussed above, consider reducing the amount of protein and fat in your diet to see the best results. Also consider avoiding foods that can be a strain on your liver including dairy, gluten, and many others. More information about foods to avoid can be found in Anthony’s post, Foods to Avoid for Healing Chronic Illness.
3. Particularly with constipation, hydration is key! Ensure you are drinking enough water (ideally, living water) to keep your body hydrated and things moving properly.
4. Consider liver-supporting supplements such as celery force, 5-MTHF, aloe vera, amla berry, ashwagandha, barley grass juice powder, burdock root, cat’s claw, Chaga mushroom, curcumin, dandelion root tea, EPA and DHA (fish-free), ginger, hibiscus, lemon balm, licorice root, magnesium glycinate, milk thistle, nascent iodine, nettle leaf, peppermint, raspberry leaf, rosehips, Schisandra berry, spirulina, vitamin B12 (as adenosylcobalamin with methylcobalamin), vitamin C (as Micro-C), wild blueberry powder, and zinc (as liquid zinc sulfate). **More information about these supplements can be found in Cleanse to Heal. Seek medical advice from your healthcare provider before adding any supplements to your routine. The idea is not to take ALL the supplements listed, but to determine what your body needs specifically. Healing is a very individualized process.
5. Start thinking about any less-than-ideal exposures in your environment , and realize that you have control over many of them! This may include skincare, cosmetics, detergents, air fresheners, scented candles, and colognes/perfumes. It also includes plastics that are used to contain foods and drinks. While we have slightly less control over dangers such as toxic heavy metals in our environment, pesticides, herbicides, and old pharmaceuticals, just being more aware can help guide decision making moving forward.
6. Support your lymphatic system with activities such as dry brushing, massage, salt baths, gentle exercise, and more. (All this and so much more are featured in my upcoming 8 Day Reboot course! See the bottom of this post to learn more.)

Closing Thoughts

Ultimately, we’re coming up on the Thanksgiving holiday where some of us may choose to follow a less strict eating routine or sneak in a few goodies that aren’t part of our regular diet. While some of us may be able to bounce back from this departure, others find themselves uncomfortable and regretful. However, understanding why our bodies react in certain ways can help us feel more in control of the situation, and better equipped to take action! This is an important time to remember that short-term action can lead to long-term results.

Moving forward is about giving your body what it needs in this moment to tap into your natural ability to heal. You have the rest of your life to eat more foods. Right now, you’re working on fixing what you’re living with in the moment. Until you fix that, you won’t be able to benefit from wide variety in what you eat. -Anthony William

Reboot Your Health for 2021!

If this topic intrigues you, please check out my 8 Day Reboot in January! I am eager to provide the education, support, and encouragement you need to transform your liver, your digestion, and your life!!

One more thing – per popular request! Gifting our course (or even having it gifted TO you) is definitely an option! What a great way to wrap up 2020 and start preparing for a fabulous 2021! (Just a note that the person buying the course must use the recipient’s name and email address when registering.)

As always, I am here to support you via consult as well.

Learn More About the Reboot

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