Beautiful Margot was 24 when she came into my office disappointed in her inability to lose excess weight after trying numerous diets. From her waist up, she fit the profile of a normal weight 5’ 6″ woman. However, from the waist down, it was a different story. It was as if her lower body belonged to another person. Her hips, thighs and buttocks were extremely swollen, turning her body into a pear shape. I suspected hormone replacement therapy — that included estrogen. I found that she had taken birth control pills for eight years. She attributed to the pill her weight gain and, in addition, an ill-temper. In particular, the latter had not been conducive to work efficiency among her employees at the candle factory she runs. Managing 80 manual laborers was not easy.
I scanned Margot’s intake form for information about her bowel movements. She had left that section blank. “How many bowel movements did you have last week?”
“I had one bowel movement last week. That’s usually my normal.” I have observed that women with a long history of birth control usually develop constipation.
Poor Margot was misinformed that one bowel movement a week was normal.
Her flaring temper is characteristic of the body’s physical tension building up. Constipation means her body was unable to release toxins and waste. Severe constipation can turn heaven’s angels into irritable demons nobody wishes to be around. No wonder her employees were always on edge around her.
Margot shared that she used the occasional laxative. However, when she used them too often, her body developed a tolerance and they were no longer effective. Regular bowel movements are very important and one of the easier issues to resolve. I assured her that elimination of toxins would normalize her weight. These stored agents were internally polluting her body. There is a saying, “The body’s solution to pollution is dilution.” Margot’s body was retaining water systemically as a defense mechanism.
Constipation is a symptom of poor elimination health, like a clogged toilet that will never flush. These residues stick to the colon and lymph tissues. If the constipation can be relieved, unwanted waste will be freely flushed down the toilet. Detoxification of any birth control pill residues and other toxins would come next. Margot, like many other clients, was not quite ready to hear that FDA approved drugs need to be detoxified from the body.
