Healthy elimination is important. If your kids are constipated, look to Ayurveda to get things flowing again.
Elimination may not be the top priority in your child’s day, but if they don't have healthy bowel movements, their system will start showing signs of imbalance very quickly. Constipation can creep up, especially in kids, leading to poor appetite, gas and discomfort, irritability, and even fear of going to the bathroom. Chronic constipation in kids is very common, but that doesn’t mean it’s normal.
A healthy person should have approximately one to three bowel movements daily with the consistency of a ripe banana; healthy elimination starts with a bowel movement in the morning. Because chronic constipation is usually an indication of imbalance, it’s important not to ignore it or rely on frequent laxatives. It can be difficult for kids to explain what they feel and where and why they feel discomfort. So, it is really important to pay attention to their bathroom habits and help them identify links between food and water intake and physical activity.
For some children, constipation resolves with drinking more water. But for many, it’s not as simple as that. Let's look at some of the foundations of healthy bowel movements and some of the more specific insights from Ayurveda that offer gentle relief while reminding the body to do what it needs to do.
Contributing Factors
Diet
- insufficient water consumption
- lack of healthy fibre
- excessive intake of dry and processed foods, or lack of healthy oils
Lifestyle Habits
- ignoring the urge to eliminate
- fear of going to the bathroom (or pain caused by hard stool)
- lack of physical activity
- ongoing worry, stress, or anxiety
Medical Conditions
- food sensitivities such as gluten, dairy, eggs, etc.
- anal fissures or hemorrhoids
- hypothyroidism
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- nervous system disorders
Ayurvedic Remedy for Constipation
Elimination is governed by apana vayu: The force that expels things from the body. This force regulates the “urge” to go and can be easily thrown off by stress, anxiety, overthinking, and poor eating habits. According to Ayurvedic treatment, if you know your body type, you can understand your strengths and weaknesses in your digestive system. Depending on your child’s constitution, you can come to understand their tendencies in elimination as well.
Vata Constipation
The nervous and digestive systems are deeply connected. When your kiddo is relaxed and at ease, it’s much easier to digest and eliminate. When they are in fight-or-flight mode (i.e., stressed), however, blood and energy shunt away from their digestive system to the muscles, allowing them to flee from what the body perceives as potential danger (this is true for both adults and children). Chronic constipation develops quickly in individuals who have a Vata imbalance and is characterized by a dry colon with hard, dry stools. Eating excess fibre and dry snacks such as crackers and nuts can worsen constipation. Children tend to snack on dry food and forget to drink water, leading to dryness in the intestines.
Tips:
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Increase your child’s water intake and healthy fats to help lubricate the intestinal passage. A warm cup of milk—or plant-based milk with ghee—is a great Ayurvedic remedy for kids.
- Make time in the morning to eliminate without rushing. Don’t suppress the natural urge to go to the bathroom, and avoid eating on the go. The nervous system plays an important role in the digestive system, so eating in a relaxed environment and at regular times can improve regularity.
- Soothing demulcent herbs like slippery elm, chia seeds, and marshmallow help with this type of constipation.
Pitta Constipation
Elimination issues with this body type manifest from excess heat within, particularly in the colon, leading to mucus, inflammation, burning sensation, and hemorrhoids. People with this body type tend to be “doers,” often pushing their bodies’ limits to get work done and ignoring natural urges.
Tips:
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Hydration and slowing down are key for Pittas.
- Following a Pitta-balancing diet with cooling foods such as abundant leafy greens, salads, and fruits can help treat constipation.
- Cooling herbs such as aloe vera work well to soothe the intestines and work as a natural laxative.
- For kids with this type, giving them cucumbers for a hydrating snack with avocadoes or juicy grapes is a great way to support healthy elimination.
Kapha Constipation
This type of constipation is characterized by sluggish bowels and mucus. Bowel movements tend to be large and oily. Eating heavy foods such as deep-fried, oily, or cheesy and creamy foods or eating late in the evening can be aggravating to the colon. Lighter foods rich in fibre and vegetables are helpful for regularity. If constipation is not addressed in Kapha body types, toxins can accumulate quickly and lead to weight gain, fatigue, and disease.
Tips:
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Exercise and gentle self-massage or dry skin brushing can help stimulate movement in the colon.
- Fibre and dry foods support elimination and reduce mucus and heaviness in the intestines.
- Warming digestive spices such as ginger and black pepper can help as well as drying, astringent foods such as leafy green veggies.
- Triphala is a great herbal formula to address constipation in all types, including Kapha constipation.
Constipation Tips and Home Remedies for Everyone
Regardless of body type, there are some foundational factors to ensure that the bowels move well.
- Adequate water intake and hydrating fruits and vegetables (grapes, cucumbers, celery etc.)
- Healthy fibres such as vegetables, fruits, and chia seeds
- Probiotics to restore healthy gut flora
- Healthy oils such as fish oils, ghee, coconut, grapeseed, and olive oil
- Food sensitivity testing: Many people suffer from food sensitivities to dairy, wheat, and other common foods. Identifying which foods are triggers for digestive health can make it easier to treat constipation.
- Castor oil tummy massages
- Posture: The colon is meters long, and muscle tension and poor posture can obstruct the route for healthy elimination.
- Letting go: Identifying emotional blockages or areas where you feel "stuck" in your life—in relationships, career, etc. Working with your practitioner with counselling, herbs, homeopathic remedies and body work can help you release unprocessed emotions, which often coincide with physical symptoms such as constipation.
If constipation is a chronic issue for your children (or you), work with an Ayurvedic practitioner or naturopathic doctor to identify imbalances and customize a treatment. It’s important to address constipation early on, especially in kids, to ensure a healthy digestive system—which is critical for their development. Healthy elimination means the body can dump out toxins and help your body work much more efficiently.
