One can find tons of articles citing homemade cures for constipation but there is deficiency of some essential minerals having scientific evidences behind constipation issues.

If we understand reason for constipation, then it is very easy to deal with this issue.

Most prominent reasons for constipation recommended by many people are as below:

1. Less fibre in the diet
2. Dehydration: Deficiency of water content in body
3. Medications (Medicine for diabetes cause hormonal imbalance which can lead to constipation)
4. Immediate change of place / routine leading to change in food items and habits
5. Stress / anxiety
6. Regular intake of antacids / anti depression medications

But below mentioned reasons are related to deficiencies which lead to constipation

1. Vitamin C deficiency
2. Iron deficiency
3. Magnesium deficiency
4. Calcium & Potassium (Imbalance of calcium and potassium leads to thyroid disorder which in-turn is one of the reasons for constipation)
5. Copper
6. Iodine

All above mentioned vitamins and minerals are required in small quantities for relaxing our muscles which help to relieve us from constipation

Foods to include in diet:

Triphala: Triphala is very effective in relieving us from constipation as it contains all types of vitamins and minerals mentioned above. This mixture can be consumed daily in morning or before sleeping at night. Daily dose should not exceed more than 5 gm.  

Papaya Shake: Mix 5-10 pieces of pealed Papaya with water in mixer and have it after water in the morning. Continue this for 4-5 days initially and then twice a week for good results.

Bananas: Bananas are rich source of potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, various antioxidants, phytonutrients and lot of fibre. Approx. 100 gm of banana in daily diet helps in relieving of constipation in morning.

Nuts / Sprouts / Seeds / Milk: All these are rich source of magnesium which should be included in morning diet to fight off constipation issues. Some examples are as below:

Jaggery + Saunf: One teaspoon of this mixture after each meal should be taken to get relief from constipation issue.

Prebiotics and Probiotics:

To get relief from constipation, many people take PREBIOTIC AND PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS.

You will be surprised that topmost probiotic is CURD which should be included one in your daily diet.

Similarly, top most prebiotics are ONION and GARLIC along with their green part.

As per definition, PROBIOTICS are live microorganisms (good bacteria) which helps in proper digestion / absorption of food in our gut

Similarly, PREBIOTICS are non-digestible fibers which help good bacteria to grow in our gut. Since these fibers cannot be digested / absorbed, our body excretes them along with other toxins and cures us from constipation issues.

NOTE: FRUITS CONSUMED IN EARLY MORNING BEFORE BREAKFAST ARE VERY BENEFICIAL. LOCALLY AVAILABLE FRUITS SHOULD BE USED

Mindful eating: During meals we should chew the food enough to mix with saliva. If we gulp the food without proper chewing, there will be deficiency of saliva and food will not be properly digested leading to constipation

Exercise: One of the prominent reason for constipation is weak pelvic muscles and less movement in small & big intestines. Exercise plays a major role.

Stretching exercises (Taad Aasan, Bhujang Aasan, Bazr Aasan etc) helps strengthen our muscles and relieve us from constipation.

PRECAUTIONS:

1. Tea / Coffee should be avoided in morning. Best time to have tea / coffee is one hour after breakfast. Tea / coffee with meals or immediate after meals hinder absorption of iron and calcium in our body leading to deficiency.
2. If possible, sit on ground for having meals
3. Chew each bite to mix saliva effectively as digestion starts in mouth
4. Take only 2-3 sips of water during meals. Drink water after minimum of 30 minutes
5. Don’t watch movies / serials or do your office assignments while eating meals

CONTENT FOR NEXT POST:

After having water and clearing your bowels, the next step is exercise.

In my next post I will discuss the types of AASANS to be performed daily to make our muscles strong and rejuvenate our body. Next series will be exercise sessions.