DESCRIPTION

CAUSES

REMEDIES

DIET

STATS

Are you prone to a problem with 'Constipation'?
Find your imbalances and create a diet for your Poop by taking the free poop quiz.

TAKE THE POOP QUIZ

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.

DIET REMEDIES FOR 'CONSTIPATION'

Answer some questions about how foods make you feel. Then you'll receive a full food report customized for you.
COMPUTE MY DIET FOR CONSTIPATION
OR, GET A GENERAL DIET FOR BALANCING CONSTIPATION

Augment your diet with these specially chosen ingredients below which may be useful for 'Constipation'. Individual results vary depending 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.

HERBS & PRODUCTS FOR 'CONSTIPATION'

POOP TIPS

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.

AVOID DIETS, LIFESTYLES & HERBS THAT AGGRAVATE THESE EFFECTS

According to Ayurveda, one or more of the following doshas and biocharacteristics may aggravate 'Constipation'. If you have an excess of one of these doshas or biocharacteristics below, Ayurveda recommends reducing foods and lifestyle habits that aggravate them. Click on the biocharacteristic to learn what foods and lifestyle habits should be reduced.

BIOCHARACTERISTIC	FOODS TO AVOID	DO YOU HAVE THIS IMBALANCE?
VATA	AVOID VATA FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE CONSTIPATION	FIND OUT Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Vata' dosha.
KAPHA	AVOID KAPHA FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE CONSTIPATION	FIND OUT Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Kapha' dosha.
COLD ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD	AVOID COLD FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE CONSTIPATION	FIND OUT Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Cold' guna.
DRY ABOUT DRY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis. LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY	AVOID DRY FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE CONSTIPATION	FIND OUT Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Dry' guna.
TOXIC ABOUT TOXIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC A substance that causes toxicity in the body, or that harms the body. LEARN MORE ABOUT TOXIC	AVOID TOXIC FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE CONSTIPATION	FIND OUT Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Toxic' guna.
ASTRINGENT ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying. LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT	AVOID ASTRINGENT FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE CONSTIPATION	FIND OUT Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Astringent' taste.

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SEE A DIET WHICH REMOVES THESE CAUSES

Are you prone to a problem with 'Constipation'?
Find your imbalances and create a diet for your Poop by taking the free poop quiz.

TAKE THE POOP QUIZ

FAVOR DIETS, LIFESTYLES & HERBS WITH THESE MEDICINAL EFFECTS

Everything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in a simple and easy way, using biocharacteristics (gunas). Biocharacteristics are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the 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', you should select foods with the following biocharacteristics. Individual results will vary, based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance.

GUNA	FOODS TO FAVOR	CONDITION IN YOUR BODY
CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR	CLEAR INGREDIENTS CLEAR RECIPES	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Clear' guna
GOOEY ABOUT GOOEY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Gooey is identified by anything gelatinous (such as oatmeal), or by mucus congestion. LEARN MORE ABOUT GOOEY	GOOEY INGREDIENTS GOOEY RECIPES	Status Unknown 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. LEARN MORE ABOUT OILY	OILY INGREDIENTS OILY RECIPES	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Oily' guna
SALTY ABOUT SALTY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Salty refers to anything with salt, or high mineral content. LEARN MORE ABOUT SALTY	SALTY INGREDIENTS SALTY RECIPES	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Salty' taste
SOUR ABOUT SOUR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic. LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR	SOUR INGREDIENTS SOUR RECIPES	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Sour' taste
SWEET ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET	SWEET INGREDIENTS SWEET RECIPES	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Sweet' taste

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Bowel Health:

General Laxative

GENERAL-LAXATIVE

Promotes a bowel movement. General laxative is an umbrella term that refers to several different types of laxatives...

LEARN MORE ABOUT GENERAL-LAXATIVE

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High Fiber Laxative

HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE

A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The size of a stool stimulates peristalsis and the stool passes more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydrating.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE

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Stool Softener

STOOL-SOFTENER

An herb that softens stool that is hard and difficult to pass. They are the safest and most gentle type of laxative. Some foods are even stool softeners, such as warm milk with ghee.

LEARN MORE ABOUT STOOL-SOFTENER

Cleanse & Detox:

Detoxicant

DETOXICANT

An herb that eliminates or metabolizes toxins from the body.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DETOXICANT

BUY YOUR FULL AYURVEDIC BODY CHART

ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE 1

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.

REDUCE THESE RELATED SYMPTOMS & HABITS

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.

Biocharacteristics of the 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 in this research study of 74,671 individuals, average deviation in biocharacteristic levels were the following:

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