Ayurvedic Home Remedies for Constipation
(Constipation 2)

Setareh Kiumarsi

How can we cure a constipation that is caused by too much dryness…
(Vata-type constipation and Pitta-type constipation)?!

Here are some great Ayurvedic home remedies for constipation:

• Minimize the consumption of drying foods in your diet. Most of legumes and beans, potato, quince, raw apple, mint, mint tea, ginger, raw cold and dry vegetables such as lettuce, kale, cilantro, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, … (you can find a complete list of binding foods in previous posts!)
• Have a light and early dinner; for example vegetable soup (around 7PM). Before bed (around 10PM) have a warm cup of milk + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon + 1 pinch nutmeg + 1 pinch rose + 1 teaspoon olive oil or ghee + 1 teaspoon honey.
• Soak 1 tablespoon Teff seeds or chia seeds + 2 teaspoons whole flaxseeds + 1 teaspoon psyllium husk + 2-3 dry apricots + 1 dry prune in ½ cup hot water before bed; then in the morning, add ½ hot water + 1 teaspoon lemon/lime + 1 teaspoon honey + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon + 1 pinch rose to this mixture and drink it on an empty stomach (you don’t need to chew the seeds, just swallow them).
• Make a cup of cinnamon/rose petal tea (1 cup hot water + 1 teaspoon cinnamon sticks + ¼ tea spoon rose petal). Add 2-3 tea spoons castor oil + 1 teaspoon lemon/lime + 1 teaspoon honey to it. Have this mixture before bed.
• Include laxative and moist foods in your diet (you can find the list of laxative foods in previous posts!)
• Include grape juice, mango juice, pineapple juice and prune juice in your diet!
• Have 2-3 soaked apricots as a snack during the day!
• Start your day with Sun salutation! The movements of this yoga asana encourage the downward movement of feces in your colon!

How can we cure a constipation that is caused by undigested mucus… (Kapha-type constipation)?!

• Minimize the consumption of heavy, greasy, mucusy foods:
  Breads and pastries that are cooked with white wheat flour, pasta, noodles, spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, steamed rice, cheese, yogurt, sour cream, cold milk, cream, etc.
• Include fresh greens and salads that are made with raw heating vegetables (such as carrot, parsley, basil, spinach, and tomato) and cooked and spiced cooling vegetables (such as celery and zucchini). The ratio of the heating vegetables to cooling vegetables should be three to one (you can find the recipe of digestive salad in previous Ayurvedic-Persian cooking posts).
• Have a cup of fresh carrot juice or beet juice daily!
• Include spinach, beet, parsley and basil in your diet!

Did you know that “Agni sara” is one of the most effective yoga techniques for curing constipation?!

In Sanskrit “Agni” means fire and “Sara” means energy!
“Agni sara” is a strong yoga technique that kindles the digestive fire and encourages the downward movement of feces in colon.
(Do not practice this technique if you are pregnant or menstruating!)