"I've been constipated for so long I've accepted it as normal." I hear a version of that constantly, and the honest answer is: the fastest relief usually isn't a new supplement, it's working with a reflex your gut already has, one almost nobody's ever explained to you.

We don't talk about this. If it comes up at all, it's disguised as "I'm feeling a little bloated," which usually means something closer to "I haven't been in 5 days."

Why "Everyone's Different" Is Nonsense

You've probably heard some version of the official line: "3 times a day to twice a week can be considered normal." That's the actual advice, and it's nonsense.

Dr J. Wesley Jones, MD, FACP, AGAF, puts it more usefully: you should be going multiple times a day, not once every 3. He puts it more memorably than that: you were designed to poop more like a cow than a cat.

If that number sounds nowhere close to where you're at, there's a good chance what you're calling "just a bit bloated" is actually this same problem showing up under a different name.

The Reflex Nobody Explains

I didn't learn about this from any of the doctors I saw over 10 years, not one of those conversations properly addressed the cause. I found it buried in the research while writing my book, GUTWISE: The Secret to Healing That Pain in the Arse.

Here's the direct answer: your body has a built-in signal called the Gastrocolic Reflex, triggered the moment food hits your stomach. Stretch receptors fire, a hormone called gastrin releases, and your colon gets the message to contract and move older waste along to make room for what's coming in. That's why you sometimes feel the urge to go shortly after eating, it's not coincidence, it's your own plumbing working correctly, and it's exactly why "once every 3 days" was never a reasonable target. It was not how your body was designed, and it's complete NONSENSE.

Fibre Does More Than You Think

A 2022 review of multiple clinical trials confirmed fibre significantly improves chronic constipation. But the more useful finding sits underneath that: the same fibre that gets things moving also reshapes the bacteria living in your gut. Constipation and your gut microbiome aren't 2 separate problems, fix one properly and you start fixing both.

And this reflex matters beyond just frequency. Haemorrhoids are notoriously hard to resolve without also fixing the constipation driving them, the pressure and straining compound every time this reflex gets ignored instead of used.

Most people I talk to don't believe they have a gut problem at all. So I ask them one question: do you actually understand how your gut microbiome is pulling the strings across nearly every part of your life, your mood, your memory, your mental health, your metabolism, your immune system, even your athletic performance? Most don't.

Two Simple Places to Start

First, use the reflex you already have. For the next 7 days, sit on the toilet within 30 minutes of your first proper meal, even if you don't feel the urge yet. Sit for a maximum of 5 to 10 minutes, and try to relax. If nothing happens, don't worry, try again later in the day after your next meal. Your body responds to routine, not to one perfect attempt.
BUT I'm constipated now and need help immediately !
This article focuses on chronic, ongoing constipation, the kind that's been part of your life for months or years. If yours came out of nowhere and you need relief NOW, here's a different fix. Reach for an osmotic laxative, anything with PEG or Macrogol in the ingredients label. Take 1 or 2 sachets immediately and if nothing's happened in 4 hours, take another, just don't exceed the maximum 24-hour dose on the packet. For the really brave, there's the warm water enema, I break through the hype and the stigma on enemas properly in my GUTWISE book.

Second, why I started teaching breathing for gut health covers the part almost nobody connects to constipation at all. GUTWISE: The Secret to Healing That Pain in the Arse ties the whole framework together, reflex, fibre, microbiome, and breath, in one place. Look for the cover below, and you've got the rest. If videos easier there is also my GUTWISE Course, which includes an entire section on your gut microbiome.