Simple tips for bowel movements in children and adults.

 Recently a friend was telling about his 1 year son being constipated.  It reminded me of working at Children's Hospital as a student and the paste we used to make for constipated babies. It was a mox of prunes figs and raisins.  Also an Ayurvedic recipe my teacher taught me was soaking 4 prunes in 1/2 cup of water over night and blending it with a cup of fresh pineapple chunks and eating that in the afternoon as a snack. The digestive effects of the prunes and the enzymatic action of the pineapple seems to get things moving.

Besides fiber, water and exercise being useful for good bowel movements we also need the bile produced by the liver and held in the gall bladder.  Bile is what causes "Peristalsis" of movement of food along the alimentary canal.  Cooked beets are beneficial for bile production and peristalsis. Also anything bitter like greens.

A gentle massage of the belly  starting at the lower right hand side going up to the navel and across and down the left side also helps move things along.

Sometimes you might need to use a Glycerin suppository to get things going. They sell them in paediatric size in most pharmacies.

So don't wait until days go by without a bowel movement not only in children but in everyone we need at least one or two bowel movements a day.  Eat your veggies, greens, some beets, and prune-pineapple smoothie and then sit and wait eveyr morning after you drink your hot water with lime.