Fruits

Fruits and fruit juices are very useful in preventing and curing constipation and piles. Fresh fruit juices are better than tinned juices or concentrates. Grapes, particularly, raisins and prunes are very useful. Raisins and prunes have a mild laxative effect. These are better taken in the morning after soaking them in water overnight and then making a paste.

Regular intake of ripe papaya and its preparations, apples, pears, mangoes, guavas and plums do not make a person constipated. They promote urination and secretion of digestive juice and bile from the liver. Use of jaggery or brown sugar or treacle in the place of white refined sugar is very useful. Walnut, almond and almond oil are also very useful. Groundnut and its preparations are, on the other hand, harmful as they cause constipation and sluggishness of the liver.

Taking Warm Milk at Bedtime
Habitually taking a glass of warm milk at least two hours after dinner and before going to bed makes a person free from constipation. Buffalo's milk and pasteurized milk sometimes cause indigestion and gas formation in the intestines. It is better if a glass of boiled fresh milk either cow's or goat's milk preferably is taken at bedtime.

In western countries, people prefer to take cold pasteurized milk. Cold milk is heavy to digest while boiled and warm milk is light for the digestion. It simultaneously induces good sleep.        .
If fresh cow's or goat's milk is not available, then pasteurized milk of other animals can be boiled by adding fresh ginger or dry ginger powder or saurif powder (Foeniculum vulgare) and taken. This processed milk is light for the digestion; it does not produce wind and it prevents as well as cures constipation.

Buttermilk is Ambrosia

Milk and milk products such as ghee, butter, cheese, cream, yoghurt (curd) and buttermilk are commonly used as a part of food. These animal products are used in preference, even by vegetarians lacto-vegetariansf-the milk of several animals is in use, cow's, buffalo's and goat's milk is commonly used. In places such as Mongolia, the milk of the mare and the camel is extensively used. The former is considered more nutritious and several medicinal properties are attributed to it. At high altitudes and in cold places milk of the dri (female yak) and several hybrid animals is used. In order to prepare buttermilk, the milk should first of all be boiled and get into curd which should not be allowed to become sour. To this, one fourth or half the quantity of water should be added and then churned to remove the cream. The thin buttermilk that remains should be taken preferably by adding cumin seed powder and salt. Those who do not like salt may add sugar to it. In Mongolia and in the U.S.S.R. buttermilk prepared from mare's milk is called Aiarik (Russian: Qumis). Experimentally, this has been found to be very useful as a corrective for liver disorders and chronic colitis.

Ghee, butter and cream can be consumed according to each one's digestive needs and power. But food ingredients fried with ghee and so on should be strictly avoided.

A Glass of Water Early in the Morning
In spite of all care, the individual is likely to commit some errors which might cause constipation. To counteract such minor errors and both to prevent and cure constipation, a glass of cold water should be taken early in the morning after getting up from bed and having a wash. Water stored the previous night in a copper untensil is very useful in this connection.

One teaspoonful of the powder of triphala (fruit pulp of haritaki or Terminalia chebula, bibhitaki or Teimuwlia belerica and amalaki or Emblica officina/is) should be soaked in a glass of water in the evening, kept overnight, strained through a thin and clean cloth and taken early in the morning on an empty stomach. This is rejuvenative. It cures constipation, piles, hyperacidity, diabetes and high blood pressure, and promotes good eyesight.
That apart, a normally healthy person should take four to five glasses (2 ltrs.) of water per day during, before and after food. In summer more water should be consumed to help avoid constipation and piles.