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How often should you poop? Ayurveda suggests that one bowel movement in the early morning followed by a possible second bowel movement later in the day is appropriate. Your stool should be more or less the shape and texture of a ripe banana, easy to pass, formed, and somewhat bulky. Less than one bowel movement a day, or if the quantity is very small count as constipation.
The importance of healthy elimination in Ayurveda is summarized by the phrase "You are as healthy as your colon." Poor bowel health results in fermentation of fecal matter, which irritates and ultimately degrades the lining of the intestines. Fermentation also creates toxins that are absorbed into the blood. Daily evacuation of stool prevents a cascade of potential health problems.
Constipation by Constitution
In Vata constipation, the stools are dry and hard. A bowel movement may consist of a group of small hard stools, likened to rabbit pellets, dry pieces, or lack of a bowel movement altogether. This dryness of the stool has several causes. It may be due to frequent urination that results in chronic dehydration. It may be due to toxins that disrupt the nervous system, causing asynchronous contractions. Similarly, stress and anxiety can disrupt peristalsis, causing constipation.
In hot Pitta constipation, the stools are smelly and sticky. It may come out in pieces and be difficult to clean. This is due to an excess of hot, oily foods your diet. Fried food and red meat in particular are culprits - they are hard to digest, therefore taking a long time, and create excess oil in your stool while heat dries out the water. What remains is sticky, somewhat dry, and difficult to pass. You may feel incomplete after visiting the bathroom.
Kapha constipation consists of large, infrequent bowel movements. This is due to a lack of mobility in the colon, resulting in sluggish bowels. When there is finally enough energy to stimulate peristalsis (the wave-like motion of your intestines which expels stool) the result is a large quantity. This slow metabolic rate may be associated with depression and hypothyroid.
Treatment by Type
Adding a pinch of salt to water can help a Vata person stay hydrated. Adding more oils and fiber in your diet can also help. Foods with sour taste can soften stools. Belly breath releases tension in abdomen. A short walk massages your intestine.
Vata type constipation is sometimes remedied by gentle, nourishing laxatives like milk with ghee or marshmallow tea, as well as calming herbs like ashwagandha and kava kava. Nourishing, sweet, oily foods like sweet potatoes with ghee, oatmeal, cooked apples and pears all encourage smooth elimination in Vata types.
Hot, sticky Pitta constipation requires cool, soothing herbs and foods to reduce inflammation and encourage hydration. A favorite Ayurvedic herb that fits the bill is amalaki, one component of the famous colon detoxifyer- triphala. Aloe vera juice or gel cools down your digestive tract while helping to hydrate your intestines. Drink plenty of coconut water, too.
Kapha constipation is caused by poor bowel tone, a complication of hypothyroid. Sluggish Kapha type constipation requires bitter greens, roughage and fiber in the diet to keep the bowels clean and moving. Taking mild laxatives, like triphala, gently scrape your colon clean and keep you regular.
Stimulant laxatives like senna and castor oil are a last resort, and not to be used without guidance of your health practitioner.
Food is medicine, and well-designed recipes function as gentle herbal formulas.
The recipes below highlight biocharacteristics and ingredients that may support Constipation
from a Classical Metabolic Theory perspective*.
Because every person is unique, certain recipes may support your body more effectively than others.
Choose according to your constitution.
Suggestions are not strict, reflecting the real world need for variety and balance in diet.
As always, please consult your medical doctor before making any changes to your diet or wellness plan.
Augment your diet with these specially chosen ingredients below which may be useful for 'Constipation'.
Individual results vary depending on the cause of your imbalance and by constitution.
Please research the ingredients below to find which are most helpful for you, and check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.
A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The large size of the stool stimulates peristalsis so the stool can pass more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydr
Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.
Stimulant laxatives induce bowel movements by stimulating peristaltic movement (the contraction of smooth muscle in the intestines). They are effective when used on a short-term basis. On a long-term basis, they can create dependency. Aka irritant laxativ
In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
The term "bland taste" refers, in Chinese medicine, to food containing few macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy. These may be compared to negative calorie foods.
Stimulant laxatives induce bowel movements by stimulating peristaltic movement (the contraction of smooth muscle in the intestines). They are effective when used on a short-term basis. On a long-term basis, they can create dependency. Aka irritant laxativ
Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.
Acts as a colon stimulant laxative and osmotic stool softener. Stimulates inflammatory prostaglandins in the colon. Calcium channel blocker that relaxes smooth muscle tissue. It is the active ingredient in senna, turkey rhubarb, cascara sagrada, etc.
A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The large size of the stool stimulates peristalsis so the stool can pass more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydr
In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body.
The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care.
Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.
Balance Your Body with Diet, Herbs, & Lifestyles Having These Virtues (Biocharacteristics)
Everything you eat has an effect on your body, which Personalized Medicine Systems (Ayurveda & Greek Medicine)
categorize in a simple and easy way, using biocharacteristics.
Biocharacteristics are vital qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the metabolic effect a food or herb has on your body.
Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism.
Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism.
For 'Constipation', consider foods with the following biocharacteristics.
Individual results will vary, based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance.
BIOCHARACTERISTIC
FOODS TO FAVOR
MATCH WITH YOUR WELLNESS PROFILE
CLEAR
ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC
Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.
Take these quizzes
to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Gooey' guna
OILY
ABOUT OILY BIOCHARACTERISTIC
In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.
In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.
A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The large size of the stool stimulates peristalsis so the stool can pass more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydr
Stimulant laxatives induce bowel movements by stimulating peristaltic movement (the contraction of smooth muscle in the intestines). They are effective when used on a short-term basis. On a long-term basis, they can create dependency. Aka irritant laxativ
Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.
Acts as a colon stimulant laxative and osmotic stool softener. Stimulates inflammatory prostaglandins in the colon. Calcium channel blocker that relaxes smooth muscle tissue. It is the active ingredient in senna, turkey rhubarb, cascara sagrada, etc.
CONSTIPATION IS IN STAGE OF DISEASE #1 - AFFECTING DIGESTION
If you have symptoms in this category, your body is sending you a warning sign.
Since digestion is so metabolically intensive and sensitive to stress and emotions, the earliest warning signs of imbalance usually appear in the digestive tract first.
You may have gas and bloating, for example, or acid reflux.
Ayurveda recommends paying careful, close attention to warning signs.
They indicate that an imbalance is starting to accumulate.
Correct these warning signs before they accumulate further and weaken your body's resistance.
This is usually accomplished by removing diet and lifestyle habits that aggravate your imbalanced doshas and biocharacteristics.
(See all disease stages on JB)
AVOID DIETS, LIFESTYLES & HERBS THAT AGGRAVATE THESE BIOCHARACTERISTICS
According to Personalized Medicine Systems (Ayurveda and Greek medicine), aggravation of any of these
body types
and biocharacteristics may lead to 'Constipation'.
Reduce the foods and lifestyle habits that aggravate these qualities (when dystempered).
Click on the biocharacteristic to learn what foods and
lifestyle habits should be reduced.
Symptoms Tell A Story
The first step to healing is learning patterns from your symptoms.
Symptoms are clues that reveal underlying imbalances.
Symptoms show you where your body is weakened.
Ultimately, all disease has a root in tissues too weak to defend itself.
Ayurveda describes these patterns of weakness using doshas & biocharacteristics.
If you notice a biocharacteristic or dosha appears next to many of your symptoms,
it helps you establish a pattern that may be systemic.
The following symptoms & habits may be related to 'Constipation'.
See your quiz results for a computerized assessment of your body type.
Please click on the symptoms below to learn more about them.
Risk Factor: 50% more often Complication: +1.5 times as often
Please login or create a free account to see statistics filtered on Constipation and Mucus on stool.
Biocharacteristics of 11,486 People Reporting Constipation
On average the biocharacteristics
of people reporting Constipation were less aggravated than 60% of other symptoms.
From the 11,486 people who reported Constipation
average deviation in biocharacteristic levels were the following:
Please login or create a free account to see statistics filtered on Constipation and Pungent.
13.3% avg client level
17.9% (2,054) of cases
6,802 have Pungent constitution
Risk Factors of Constipation
Below you will see general risk factors as well as the greatest risk factors, i.e. those who were also more likely to report Constipation.
Overall, 31.02% of people surveyed reported Constipation.
Please login or create a free account to see statistics filtered on Constipation and Interstitial Cystitis.
344 cases with both
+1.3 times more likely
3% of cases
2.27% (878 cases)
DISCOVER YOUR BODY WITH YOUR FREE INDIVIDUALIZED BODY MAP
Find ideal foods, herbs and lifestyle tips.
See your imbalances, and locate intervention points.
Your body map contains a complete analysis of your Ayurvedic imbalances, organ by organ.
Give your chart to your functional medical doctor or any alternative health practitioner.
Ayurveda strengthens the body while opposing disorders. It takes a holistic,
systemic approach that looks at the whole body. Ayurveda
shows how to interpret signs and symptoms of imbalance, and how to address them
using diet, lifestyle adjustments, and herbs. It shows a person how to optimize their health on a continual basis. You can't
take the doctor home with you, but you can take Ayurveda home with you.
Ayurveda is the most advanced and easy to use home system for self healing.
HOW DOES AYURVEDA WORK?
Ayurveda starts by identifying your body type,
which identifies certain tendencies in your body to get sick (as well as identifying your strengths).
It uses body type to determine the likely root causes of your disorders.
Next, Ayurveda analyzes the nature of your disorder.
It fits all your signs and symptoms into a pattern, expressed as a combination of biocharacteristics (gunas).
For example, you may have a heat disorder, a cold disorder, or an oily disorder, etc.
This simple categorical approach shows you how to correct systemic imbalances and strengthen your body as a whole.
On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalanced biocharacteristics.
By eating an optimal diet that balances your biocharacteristics, your whole body is strengthened
and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease
are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies -
such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance
your healing.
GET STARTED
To get started on your Ayurvedic journey, we first recommend that your find your body
type by taking our free quiz. In Ayurveda, every solution is based on your unique body type, so
by taking this quiz, you’ll get the best results.
5 WAYS TO HEAL YOUR BODY WITH AYURVEDA - FREE REPORT!
New to Ayurveda? Not sure how Ayurveda can help you?
This free report shows you 5 simple ways you can heal your body with Ayurveda.
It shows you simple, practical ways manage your health.
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, offers
professional clinical training
in personalized diet, lifestyle and herbs through Classical Metabolic Theory (Ayurveda & Greek Medicine).
His approach is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful.
John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders,
classical Christian philosophy for mental wellness, languages (French, Arabic, Bengali), cooking & botany.
He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
John, his wife Natalie, and their 8 kids live in Asheville, NC.
Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
Comments & Questions
How does 'constipation' affect your quality of life?
What aggravates it? What has helped you? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'constipation'?
“I have enema dependency. I just can't poop without enemas ---
I had a Barium enema yesterday at the hospital to try and get some help and answers.
The doctor thinks I might have Hirschsprungs Disease. (never heard of this until yesterday). Has anyone heard about this? I'm a Veta type"
“Thank you with all heart for getting back to me (truth is I am new to understand Ayurvedic ---(a friend sent me this site). I 'think' I am Vata (now -at age 61) ---but I think I might have been more Pita at one time when younger --(and may still some Pita parts in me). Is this how these things work? I will try to do a private call --but right now --I am so very overwhelmed. I *DO* have Hirschsprung Disease -- (the doctor confirmed this yesterday) --and I am being sent to a specialist -- I was born with this. (had problems my entire life --but kept trying many different things). I'm exhausted -drained -sad- fearful --etc. I try to eat very clean (organic- cook at home --but I 'am' making wrong choices --AND some days I 'lose' it ....(revisit my distorted eating --some binge eating --- a panic solution which 'always' never helps ---but sometimes I just cave. (not helping the problem). NOT often --as years ago ---but a little.
Amazing online sites like this are here --THANK YOU!!!!!!!"
“Dima, what we can offer here is more of a general approach to constipation. You might consider booking a one on one consultation with one of our practitioners to get help with your specific issue."
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* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
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Ayurvedic Perspective on Constipation
Related Symptoms
Stage of Imbalance (Samprapti)
Live Report: Biocharacteristics
Diet Remedies by Dosha, Biocharacteristics, Action, etc.
Live Report: Risk Factors
Herb Remedies by Dosha, Guna, Action, etc.
Live Report: Complications
Biocharacteristics & Herb Actions to Favor
Comments and reviews
Biocharacteristics to Avoid
Example 1: 
