Q: I am chronically constipated. I pass bowels maybe once in 3 days. My energy is low, there is a constant feeling of bloating, and I am burping all the time. It’s getting irksome and embarrassing. I don’t want to take strong medications. Can you suggest a natural, scientific cure that would actually work, not just any old nuska? Thanks in advance. – Nikita Sharma, Marketing Executive.
D: This is becoming a very common urban ailment. Fast and hectic lifestyles leave little time and attention to what we eat (and don’t eat). Add to it the abundance of fast food (fibre and nutrition deprived) which has become ubiquitous. These are a few main causative causes of constipation in adults today. Note and put to practice the measures bullet-pointed below, and your problem would be cured in a fortnight:
Start the day with a warm, whole breakfast. No instant cereals with cold milk, please. Whole grains (oats, dalia, brown rice) are rich in fibre, and fibre is what moves your food through the colon and out of your system. If you want to have fruits (also rich in fibre), make sure it’s at room temperature and not sour. Ripe papayas and bananas are excellent antidotes to constipation. Add chaat masala or plain jeera powder to this if you like – helps promote taste and digestion of anything raw.
Eat at least 2 fruit-meals per day, in between your major meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). A plate of 4-5 slices of guavas for instance, is one fruit meal. Devour the fruits at least 60 minutes before or after a main meal, as fruits and food eaten together could lead to more gas and burping!
Eat your meals, especially breakfast and lunch, at a regular time. Keep the dinner light – clear soups with green veggies and herbs like ginger, lemongrass and black pepper would work like a miracle for constipation. Regular eating habits make things more predictable for your digestive system, so it can function like clockwork.
Consume warm milk with a teaspoon of organic ghee at bedtime, if cholesterol is not an issue. Otherwise, take 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil early morning with warm water. It has a mild laxative effect. Besides, you would also get your doze of essential fatty acids (omega 3 and 6), needed for your nerves and brains!
Finally, stay calm and breathe away stress. Stress constricts the colon and leads to constipation sooner than coke, fries and burgers!
Dimple Duangthip Arora is a Diet and Nutrition Adviser (SAC Dip., London), and an Advanced Ayurveda Practitioner (IAA, Pune). She has authored the book “A New Age Manual for the New Mother, Postnatal and Beyond” selling at Asia Books/Bookazine in Bangkok, and over 50 outlets in Singapore. She has contributed to various local and international publications and has been featured on television. She is a visiting lecturer and consultant at Assumption University and TRIA Integrative Medical Institute respectively.
Dimple runs a private clinic, and has helped over 100 patients reclaim their health naturally in the past two years. To see testimonials or to book an appointment, you are welcome to contact her at www.goldenawareness.com ; EMAIL : arora@goldenawareness.com.