Monday Post

With Covid 19 cases crossing 14 lakh+ cases in India, it looks like the pandemic is reaching its peak here. As for last few days daily cases are creating records, and yesterday it broke the barrier of 50,000 cases per day when  it achieved the figure of 50,300+ cases. In last 2 weeks India has added more than 5.6 lakh cases. In Maharashtra , 9000+ new cases for the straight 5^th day. The total cases in Maharashtra touching the figure of 3.75 lakh+, with Mumbai contributing 1.09 lakh+ cases. Only plus point for Mumbai is that during last days the number of cases  per day are reducing, and where as once Mumbai was contributing more than 70% of state’s cases, now its contribution has come down to 11.7 % yesterday.

Now coming to my other topic of the day:

The modern eating styles , where junk food intake is increasing day by day and this leads to digestion problems in young and adults alike. CONSTIPATION is problem which is  prevalent in people of all age group, and predominantly seniors are affected more by this problem. There are enough statistics around to prove, that the older you get, the more the chances are that of you getting constipation.

What is constipation:

If you have less than normal bowel movements, or if the stools are hard, and it becomes painful and tough to pass them, then you are having constipation. The normal bowel movement is what you have had for many years, and may change from person to person. So it could be one, twice or thrice.

Causes

One of the most common causes of constipation is not having enough fibres in the regular diet. Including the whole grains, fruits and vegetables in the diet can help with this to a extent. Also few foods like dairy products, sweets, and high fat meat can aid constipation as well. Eating processed foods rather than freshly cooked meals is also not suitable for this condition. Apart, from this people do not drink enough water will also end up with constipation. Another reason could be lack of regular exercise, and even few medicines can cause this condition. And also, it is important to try and pass stool when you feel the urge and not hold it back. This alone in the long run can cause constipation.

Treatment and prevention

It is always better to prevent constipation, rather than having it and taking medicines for the same. To prevent oneself from getting constipated, here are few steps that can help:

• Drink lots of fluids, including water on a regular basis, this will keep the stools from hardening and will also aid in passing the stool.
• Ensure to have some regular exercise for at least 15 to 30 minutes, like yoga, or walking to keep fit and active. This will also help in in having regular bowel movements.
• Include lots of high fibre foods in your diet on a regular basis. Eats lots of fruits and vegetables, along with oats, and whole grains.
• Avoid alcohol consumption as well as smoking.

With all these, if you consistently face the situation of being constipated, then please consult a doctor. The doctor will conduct necessary checks and probably suggest some laxatives that can help ease the condition. However, it is important to note that, it is not good to take laxatives for a long period as that too can, in the long run, cause constipation. Hence it is best to follow the preventive measures.

Home remedies

If you have mild constipation, then please feel free to try some Indian home remedies that can relieve the condition.

• Warm water with a tea spoon of lemon and teaspoon of honey and pinch of salt can help. Lemon helps indigestion and honey act as laxative.
• Triphala Churna or tablets are an age old Ayurvedic remedy that has been effectively used by people for relief from constipation. This can be purchased as an over the counter medicine in many Ayurvedic shops.
• Use ghee- Use more ghee in the food, as that can act as natural laxative. Unless you have been advised by doctor not to consume ghee, this can be used regularly in the diet.

Friends, if you watch Bollywood films then I hope you must have watched PIKU, a 2015  movie  on this subject. The movie starred Amitabh Bachchan, a elderly man with Deepika Padukone as his daughter. The father is suffering from constipation, so his conversations with people around, especially his daughter usually revolves around the subject of constipation. Movie is quite hilarious, and if you have not seen this, please do watch when it comes next time on TV.

Awaiting your views/comments/feedbacks.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

27^th July 2020.