What Ayurveda says
Easy daily elimination is one of the classical markers of health. Constipation usually means Vāta has dried and slowed apāna vāyu (the downward-moving energy of the pelvis). Treatment is warmth, oleation and rhythm, not stimulant laxatives.
Possible dosha pattern
Almost always Vāta — hard, dry, pebble-like stools, gas, dryness in the body. Pitta constipation comes with heat and irritability; Kapha constipation is heavy and sluggish but rarely truly dry.
Foods to favour
- ·Soaked prunes, raisins or figs first thing in the morning
- ·Warm cooked food with ghee or sesame oil
- ·Stewed apples with ghee, cinnamon and a clove
- ·Plenty of warm water through the day
Foods to reduce
- ·Cold, dry, raw food (crackers, salads, leftovers)
- ·Excess coffee, alcohol and dehydrating foods
- ·Skipped meals and eating on the move
Daily routine
- ·Warm water with lemon on waking
- ·Self-oil massage (abhyanga) with sesame oil 3× a week
- ·Squatting toilet position or footstool
- ·Sleep before 10:30 p.m.
Herbs (with cautions)
- TriphalaFull guide →
½–1 tsp in warm water 1 hr before bed; build slowly
Caution: Avoid in pregnancy, diarrhoea, IBS flare
- Castor oil
1 tsp in warm milk at bedtime for occasional reset
Caution: Not in pregnancy or with abdominal pain
- Haritaki
¼ tsp at bedtime in Vāta-dry constitutions
Caution: Avoid in pregnancy and acute fever
When to see a doctor
Sudden change in bowel habit after 40, blood in stool, unintended weight loss, severe abdominal pain or vomiting — see a GP promptly.