Prevention of constipation

Prevention of constipation

Of course! Prevention is always better than cure! Follow these tips to prevent constipation:

·         Consider eating fruit and vegetable salad mix as part of your lunch or dinner.

·         Consume lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole wheat, corn (bran), cauliflower, raisins,                  cabbage, berries, green leafy vegetables, celery, beans, guava, figs, dates, flax seed, spinach,                orange, mushroom, and so on, which provide fibre in your diet.

·         Drink good quantities of water throughout the day. Note that, in a normal person, Ayurveda                advises to drink water only when thirsty. But in a disease condition, such as constipation, the              patient can have good amounts of water. Water along with fiber rich diet softens bowels and                prevents constipation.

·         Avoid excess of coffee and tea. However, some patients do not get bowel movement urges                    unless they have their coffee or tea. Then this advice is not applicable to them.

·         Avoid excessive spicy food, heavy non-vegetarian food, and fried food.

·         Exercise. Consider walking for at least 15 minutes in a day.

·         Yogasanas for constipation: Pavana Muktasana, Uttana Padasana, Yoga Mudra, and those                  asanas and exercises that put pressure on the abdomen are very useful in its treatment.

·         Do not hold the urge. The science of Ayurveda teaches that a natural urge is a signal to the                  person to act. It needs to be attended immediately. Regular holding of urge eventually will                  lead to constipation.

Surely, constipation is something that we shouldn’t just ignore. Like a thief in the night it’s a sickness that waits until our guards are down. Prevent it from happening by keeping our doshas in balance. Treat it right away if you have the first sign even if it’s mild.