Ayurvedic Home Remedies

Constipation

Constipation is a vata condition expressing such vata qualities as dryness and hardness. It is caused by insufficient fiber in the diet, insufficient water intake, lack of exercise, heavy meat eating, and numerous other factors. Constipation may create distension and discomfort, flatulence and pain, headache and bad breath, and may lead to absorption of toxins from the colon. Thus it is best to prevent constipation by keeping vata in balance.

FOLLOW THE VATA-PACIFYING DIET. One of the best ways to prevent constipation, especially if you have a predominantly vata constitution, is to follow the vata-balancing diet (see chapter 8). Stay away from cold foods and drinks, dried fruit, salads, and most beans; favor warm foods, warm drinks, and well-cooked vegetables. Some oil in the diet is helpful.

TRIPHALA. Probably the best Ayurvedic remedy for constipation is triphala, a combination of three herbs beneficial for all doshic types (see appendix 2). Most problems with constipation can be corrected by taking ½ to 1 teaspoon of triphala at night. Steep the herbs in a cup of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, and drink.

Some people find that taking triphala at night creates a diuretic action and they have to get up several times to urinate. If that happens to you, you can steep the triphala in a cup of warm water overnight and drink it first thing in the morning. Actually, the best time to take triphala is in the very early morning, around 4 or 5 A.M., but do your best within your daily schedule.

Here are some further recommendations to help relieve constipation:

SNACK ON FRUIT. Many varieties of fruit can help remedy constipation. So in between meals, eat some fruit. A banana, for example, is a mild laxative. Two ripe yellow bananas, taken between meals, will help relieve constipation. (But don’t eat the bananas with meals. They don’t combine well with other foods. See chapter 8 for tips on healthy food combining.)

NOTE: Bananas should be eaten when ripe. You can tell a ripe banana by its bright yellow skin. The inside will be studded with tiny black dots. Green bananas are constipating and should be avoided. Also avoid eating bananas once the skin turns black. They are overripe.

AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY. There is a lot of truth in this old folk saying. Apples are effective both to help regularize the bowels and to clean the tongue and teeth. To combat constipation, peel and thoroughly chew a raw apple about an hour after a meal.

Also effective:

EAT MORE FIBER. Fiber in the diet, such as wheat bran, oatmeal, or oat bran, will help keep the bowels regular. Don’t forget that fresh fruit and vegetables as well as whole grains are high in fiber, too.

MILK AND GHEE—MILD AND EFFECTIVE. Taking 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of ghee in a cup of hot milk at bedtime is an effective but gentle means of relieving constipation. This is especially good for vata and pitta constitutions, but it may be too kapha-increasing for kapha types to use regularly.

CASTOR OIL. Castor oil can also be used, but only when the constipation is more obstinate. At bedtime, make yourself a cup of ginger tea (either by boiling some fresh, sliced ginger in water, or adding some powdered ginger to a cup of hot water), and then add 2 teaspoons of castor oil to the tea and drink it.

If 2 teaspoons don’t bring the desired result, try the procedure again the next night, increasing the dose to 3 teaspoons, and then go to 4 teaspoons if necessary. Adjust your dose according to what works.

SUGGESTION: Use this castor oil laxative treatment on weekends, when you can stay home!

Castor oil tends to create dependency, in the sense that once you use

it, other purgatives rarely work. That is why it is recommended to use castor oil for constipation only in severe cases or in emergencies, as a last resort, but not on a regular basis.

However, there is one way to avoid this dependency. Take 2 teaspoons of castor oil with 1 cup warm milk. This will give a good bowel movement without creating dependency.

FLAXSEED. At night, boil 1 tablespoon of flaxseed in a cup of water for at least 2 to 3 minutes. Then drink the whole cupful, including the tea and the seeds.

FOR CONSTIPATION IN CHILDREN. Give the child 3 figs soaked in warm water.

FOR SEVERE CONSTIPATION. If there is absolute constipation for three days, don’t use purgatives. The use of drastic purgatives when constipation is severe can create an intestinal obstruction or even perforation, which can be dangerous. A better approach is to do an enema and then take steps to regulate the system.

Do the enema with plain warm water, or you can use triphala tea or dashamoola tea instead of plain water. That will relieve the immediate problem. Then, to regulate bowel movements, follow the suggestions in the following section.

PREVENTION. Here are several suggestions for avoiding constipation in the future.

appendix 3).