Your stool is probably the number one place where you will find signs of your internal health. Your elimination can tell you things from indigestion, dosha balance, amount of toxins in your body, dryness of your body to whether you are chewing enough.
But most of us don't get taught to look behind us before we flush the toilet. Nor what it would tell us if we did.
Therefore I decided to write this blog post so you will know what to look out for 😃.
First of all, we speak of a healthy bowel movement when we pass stool first thing in the morning and preferably at least once more during our day (Without the use of coffee or other laxatives).
However, for so many of us, this would feel like a luxury. Most of us are starting our day with a bloated and painful constipated belly.
When you pass stool less than once a day, we consider your bowel to be constipated, and we advise you to reach out for help.
Other signs to look out for are:
- Sinking stools = toxins in the body
- Loose stools = excess pitta dosha
- Small hard lumps = Dry colon or excess vata dosha
- mucus in your stools = excess kapha dosha
- yellow, green or red stools = excess pitta or kapha dosha
What is causing your constipation
You have probably tried everything from eating superfoods to drinking tons of water, but nothing seems to eliminate your constipation for very long.
In Ayurvedic terms, our constipation is caused by an excess of vata dosha, which is one of the three vital energies that we have in our bodies.
Things that can cause this imbalance are:
- Taking food supplements (vitamins, protein powders, etc.)
- Ignoring the signs that your body needs to pass stool
- Too much stress (physical, emotional)
- Too much exercise
- Sudden changes in lifestyle (pregnancy, work)
- Traveling
- Certain drugs and medications
- Anesthetics
- Literally not being able to digest a particular situation in your life.
- Consumption of certain foods like junk food, over-processed foods, and an excess amount of alcohol.
- (Over) Eating meat
- Not enough fiber in the diet
Constipation is a widespread phenomenon, and quite a lot of people struggle in silence, which, in our opinion, is not necessary. Change the above, and you are well on your way to a happy and healthy body and mind!
Natural remedies
In our healing approaches, we prefer to find the root cause and heal from the inside out so you will never have to struggle with these symptoms again.
However, for those of you who need some natural remedies for symptom relief, here are a couple of things you could try:
- Take 1-2 tsp castor oil orally on an empty stomach.
- Incorporate healthy oils in your meal at least 1-2 tbsp (sesame, olive, mustard, sunflower)
- Practice yoga pose Viparita Karani (the one where you lay on your back feet up against a wall)
- Chew on a piece of ginger
Preventing constipation
Preventing is always better and easier than curing, and no matter what your constitution or your state of health is like, the following are all equally important to implement into your life. Even when you are already struggling with constipation implementing the steps below will help you get things moving.
Implement a daily routine
Our bodies work best when we follow a schedule. Each bodily function takes a specific time frame to finish its task. When this time frame keeps on getting interrupted, we cause the disturbances in our body. This includes the times we sleep, when we work, when we eat, when we relax, and when we are physically active.
If you are a person who typically doesn't enjoy following a routine, try to start with something that feels easy to commit to. For example, the times that you go to bed and when you wake up — keeping it the same, whether it is a weekday or weekend.
Then slowly work your way to setting a meal, exercise, relax, meditation, yoga, shower time, etc.
Start a meditation practice
Very often, the cause of our constipation is contributed by "emotional constipation." When we literally have a hard time digesting a particular situation. Meditation practice will help you release suppressed emotions so they won't start to clog your channels
Walk after your meals
Going for a walk (1000-1200 steps) after your meal will kindle your digestive fire-making digestion a lot smoother. Make sure it's an easy walk; otherwise, it will have the opposite effect.
Eat appropriately
Ideally, when your meals are balanced, you don't need more than three meals a day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Digestion takes anywhere between 4-6 hours to complete, and when we interfere with this process early on, we will imbalance our system. Therefore keep at least 2-3 hours between each meal.
Use healthy oils
Recently oils have gotten a bad name and are said to create fat tissue is the body. However, we need healthy, raw oils in the right way to be able to create healthy tissue and prevent the body from drying out on the inside.
Stop drinking coffee
Even though this may sound the wrong way around, because "hello" passing stool goes so much easier after your daily cup of coffee, am I right? Well... Yes, this is the short term effect. But then, in the long run, it will dry out your colon and cause constipation.
Include spices in your food
Most spices aid digestion. Think of spices like mustard seeds, fresh ginger, cardamom, coriander, turmeric. Include these in each meal
If you need any further help, please let us know through the comments below or reach out through the contact form!