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Helpful foods
Our Dr suggested including spinach, ladyfinger, papaya, figs and methi leaves in our daughter's diet to help constipation. These along with lots of water helped a lot and slowly we stopped her lactulose.
Coconut water
I find giving my daughter coconut water really helps with constipation. I buy it in cartons from health food shops.
Apple juice does the trick
A glass and a half of fresh – not concentrated – 'cloudy' apple juice works amazing quickly on constipation. Drinking plenty of water really makes a difference too.
Softer stools
My daughter was chronically constipated, and prunes and roughage seemed to make stools larger and more painful. To soften the stools, I used child-sized glycerin suppositories from America when she had a serious bout. Secondly, I tried Dulcolax Perles, which just soften enough to make a nice painless bowel movement. Finally, I steadied her bowel patterns using the skins of fruit e.g. pears with skin, peaches with skin and carrots every day.
Paw paw / papaya
For constipation, try the reddest of paw paw (also known as papaya). Really helps with digestion generally.
Natural movement
My daughter has Sanfilippo Disease & is very prone to constipation. I don't like relying on medication, so I found that giving her raisins and prunes every day, really helps to get things moving!
Marion's constipation remedy
Ingredients: 300 gm tin prunes (stoned) plus the juice; 3 large, ripe bananas; 1/2 pound mixed dried fruit (or 1/2 pound of unsulphered dried apricots); 200 ml water
Method: Liquidise the ingredients and divide into 10 portions which can be individually frozen. The sauce can be put on breakfast instead of (or as well as) milk, used as a drink or a pudding (if too thick to be used as a drink). Begin with a small amount – 15 ml a day of & work up to a regular 100 ml per day. Expect to wait up to a week for results.
Rosemary's bowel blaster recipe
Overnight, soak a portion of prunes, a portion of unsulphured apricots, some sultanas and raisins. Then slowly stew until soft, puree and keep in fridge. This can have powerful effects, so go slowly at first.
Blow bubbles
If someone you're caring for is having problems with constipation or "holding in" sit them down on the toilet with a bottle of bubbles and ask them to blow some bubbles. The steady breathing technique will help them relax and should get things moving.
Organic apricots
To manage constipation, use organic apricots (NOT the orange ones, they must be brown, which means they have no chemicals in them). They are lovely stewed with apples, raisins and sultanas, maybe to add to a breakfast cereal as a natural sweetener.
Ortisan fruit cubes
For constipation try Ortisan Fruit cubes. We have tried everything and these are the best. You can get them at chemists and health food shops.
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