Constipation
BODY ORGANS
colon
lungs
gall bladder, sometimes (too much bile causes diarrhoea whilst too little causes constipation)
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS
miserliness
holding on/tight-fisted
not letting go
EMOTIONAL ASPECT
apprehension
If you are constipated you are not emptying your bowels properly. In the process of evacuation you initially pass water, followed by stools. A sign that the bowels have emptied is a second passing of water. If this does not occur then your bowels are not completely empty. Drinking lots of water will clear constipation in most cases.
From a psychological perspective, constipated people can be regarded as misers. They are trying to hold onto things, including their own waste. I encourage my constipated patients to get rid of an object that they have not used in the past five years so that they can begin to think in terms of 'letting go'. This often results in the bowels moving again.
Many people take laxatives. Habitual use of laxatives forces the body to perform its necessary functions unnaturally. Laxatives are quite unnecessary if you can eat sufficient roughage and drink enough water. The natural way to overcome the problem is to eat foods which have a naturally laxative effect - such as onion soup, pears, plums, bran, linseed oil, green vegetables and minerals - and avoid starchy foods and white flour products.
Diet suggestion
BREAKFAST
2 tablespoons of bran
2 tablespoons of linseed oil mixed with 1 rotten overripe black banana
orange juice or apple juice
LUNCH AND DINNER
eat green vegetables rather than root vegetables
eliminate starchy puddings
drink sufficient water to flush your system
The colon can quite easily be restored to normal functioning within 21-28 days. Insufficient exercise combined with long periods of sitting can often cause constipation because of the lack of movement. If your work is sedentary, you can help yourself by performing regular abdominal exercises. Singing is also most helpful.
FRESII JUICE RECIPE
Make 500ml from equal amounts of the following juices:
carrot
cooking apple
spinach
grape
Drink undiluted on an empty stomach. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper and eat 1 raw courgette. While drinking this juice, practise 'eating the drink'.
Chronic constipation
From time to time fast for 24 hours, drinking only warm water.
RECIPE
l00g almonds (skinned)
2 cardamoms (small)
1 tablespoon jaggery
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
4 cups soya curd milk
25g pork fat
Grind the ingredients into a paste and fry together. Drink slowly and the bowels will move within half an hour. Jaggery is unrefined sugar from sugar cane and can be obtained from most Asian foodstores. If you cannot buy soya curd milk, you can make it yourself in the same way as you would make yoghurt from cow's milk. Soya bean milk can be purchased from most healthfood stores and large supermarkets.
