Why do I get constipated when I quit drinking coffee?

Why do I get constipated when I quit drinking coffee?

Posted on April 17, 2015

The Coffee Conundrum by Stephanie Kimura Kato

Recently I decided to quit drinking coffee…again! I have quit and started drinking coffee so many times I’ve lost count. Why put myself through this? Well, as a blood type O+, coffee is not the healthiest thing for me to be drinking. According to my doctor, it is dehydrating, can negatively impact my adrenals, can create kidney stones and bladder sand. So why did I drink it? That’s easy – it’s delicious, it’s warm, it smells great and it gives me this nice little kick in the morning. Oh, and it moved my bowels.

For some blood types, coffee isn’t really a problem. I have to say that I don’t just drink coffee – I USE coffee. Like I said, it moves my colon in the morning and that’s always fun. But I use it as a way to be a bit…lazy. For example, I tend to be a night owl so there have been times when I stay up too late, and don’t get enough sleep because I know that cup o’ joe is waiting for me in the morning to get me going. Recently I noticed that my bladder felt a little funny, almost like I was beginning to develop a urinary tract infection. I knew that coffee was the culprit and so after a particularly harrowing experience of food poisoning, I decided to quit. I mean, I had been unable to drink it for a few days as a result and I already dealt with the headache so it seemed like the perfect time. After my system had some time to deal with the food poisoning, I noticed that because I wasn’t getting my caffeine intake, my colon really slowed down. Oh dear me, what to do?

As a colonic therapist I am not a big fan of laxatives and as such, I decided not to take any and instead challenge myself to find healthy alternatives to transition my bowels from the coffee habit. First up – water! Since coffee is so dehydrating, drinking more water is a natural solution. I notice that some people really have a hard time getting in enough water. When it comes to drinking enough water, I believe that mindfulness can really help. When you awake in the morning, drink a glass of water. Then, every hour throughout the day, drink a glass of water. By the time you retire in the evening, you will have had enough. Second, diet! Removing all the usual suspects – flour, corn, fried foods, dairy, sugar, and any other foods you know that tend to bind you up – can really help. Third, exercise your core. This can directly help when constipation becomes an issue. Some exercises include Pilates, yoga and rebounding (jumping on a mini trampoline). Fourth, I believe that enzymes can play a major part in relieving constipation. I use and like the Transformation Enzymes that I sell at the office. Enzymes break down food and this alone has been helpful for me when I needed to shift the temporary constipation I had been experiencing after giving up the coffee. Fifth, deep breathing!!! I cannot stress this one enough. I notice that when I feel stressed, I tend to hold my breath. This isn’t so great on any level. Deep breathing moves my bowels and clears my lungs. Did you know that in Chinese medicine the lungs and the colon are directly related? Also, deep breathing acts as a suction pump for the lymphatic system and I observe the clients I work with that deep breath usually experience a lower incidence of constipation. Deep breathing grounds us, helps our circulation and moves the lymphatic system. (For more on this, please visit – https://www.iyasucolonics.com/the-lymphatic-system/). Sixth, bio electric lymphatic drainage can be helpful. A client recently took a session and she reported having a greater increase in her bowel movements and her kidneys were releasing more as well. Seventh, elevate your feet and legs when having a bowel movement. You may have seen and used the little stool I have under the toilet in the restroom. My clients have reported that this helps them release their colon much easier. I believe this is because it supports the bowels in a way that helps the body with a larger and more complete bowel movement. Eighth, colon hydrotherapy can help. After I quit, I took a couple sessions and I noticed that the colonic helped to strengthen my peristalsis and my colon regulated itself. I personally believe that the water during the session hydrated me and it also helped produce better bowel movements.

Since I quit coffee, I have been drinking green tea, which is great for my blood type and I love it. I find that it is much lighter, I don’t have to add anything to it (cream, milk, etc) and it satisfies that morning hot cup of something, you know what I mean? Sometimes the thing we want is the habit and not necessarily the coffee itself. If you have decided that it’s time to kick the coffee habit and you would like some help in getting your colon back on track, give me a call. After using the above suggestions for myself, my colon is moving well and I don’t miss coffee at all (well…maybe a little)!.