In recent years colon cleansing has become one of the most popular natural health topics. 

Colon cleansing has become almost popular in today’s culture.

Colon cleansing elements are now standard issue in most diet “systems.”

Infomercials have made cleansing and detox household terms.

Hollywood stars have known this for a long time. Losing weight and keeping energy levels high require a quick trip to the health spa. The first thing you do is a cleansing diet and colon cleanse.

I knew about colon cleansing ten years before I actually did my first one. Even though I knew I needed a colon cleanse I waited and waited. Like so many people I was afraid to do a colon cleanse. Who needs more diarrhea anyway? That is what I thought!

If you are thinking about doing your first colon cleanse please don’t wait. Here are seven good reasons to do one now.

1. When you do a colon cleanse you will most likely lose 2-5 pounds within a two week period. Most of that weight will be impacted feces containing toxins that were recirculating in your blood and liver. Most people who do their first colon cleanse say they just feel lighter. Other people say they feel years younger.

2. Because you eliminate toxins from your system you have more energy. You do not feel lethargic. Your body is not constantly recirculating the toxins in the blood and liver. Much of your body’s energy is devoted to cleansing impurities via the blood and liver. Your body makes glucose. No glucose, no energy. Your liver dumps into the colon.

If the colon is not cleansed the liver and blood can’t do their jobs. Also, when the digestive tract is cleansed it is easier for nutrients to be absorbed. The body calls for less calories. Digestion of those calories takes a lot of your energy stores, especially after forty.

3. Feel more clarity and focus. Many people report feeling physically lighter and mentally sharper. I can say for sure that my long term memory improved significantly. Clarity means power. Indecisiveness means inaction and being lethargic.

4. Improve your immune system. More than 50 percent of the immune system is located in or around and pertains to the digestive system, especially the large intestine.

Because you eliminate toxins your body has more energy to fight other invaders. Nobody is doubting that there are more toxins in our environment today than fifty years ago. There are also more cases of cancers. People who cleanse on a frequent basis experience fewer colds than they have in the past. Your liver also helps you prevent disease. A clean colon help the liver to function better.

5. Cleansing helps decrease and eliminate cravings for salt and sugar. In my experience with cleansing I always crave fresh fruits and vegetables more so than sugar and salt. Your body is telling you it wants to rebuild. Less impacted fecal matter leaves less for parasites and toxins to thrive on and adhere to. Many people also experience less depression.

6. Cleansing also helps eliminate bad breath, acne, bloating, PMS, headaches and allergy symptoms.

7. Most cleanses cost under $30.

Thirty bucks for more energy, better immunity and healthy weight loss…what a good deal!

The nervous system is closely related to bowel health. This can be seen from the fact that if we are nervous – such waiting for an interview – this can easily translate into loose bowels.

More problematic are long term stress and nerve weaknesses which sometimes produce chronic inflammatory bowel conditions. These are most commonly:
* IBS or irritable bowel syndrome
* Diverticulitis
* Colitis

All these are inflammatory conditions of the colon. They are most predominantly found in people who are ‘high stress’ types. In other words, the constitution of such people is that they don’t deal well with stress. You might be a person who reacts with stress to many situations for all to see; or you might be someone who ‘bottles up’ their stress. In either case, the colon can be affected and inflammation can be easily caused. Also, any inflammation already present – such as that caused by waste food becoming stuck in a small diverticulum, or pocket – can be made worse.

The long term answer in all these conditions includes colon cleansing which almost invariably helps improved bowel function. However, this may be too much to start with on its own, so measures to calm the bowel down must be used either alongside, or before colon cleansing is begun.

The prime methods to ‘calm down’ the colon are:
1. Supplements to build the nervous system. An example would be a 3 month programme of herbs which are known to build nerve health. For some people this will easily product a dramatic improvement. Other options are a course of homoeopathic treatment or acupuncture.

2. Behavioural and lifestyle measures to deal with, or reduce,stress.

There are various possibilities when considering behavioural and lifestyle changes:
A. If you can see you are producing stress in your life, take measures to reduce this. These commonly include:

i. ‘Martyr syndrome’; that is, spending too much time on others. Answer: spend more time on yourself. After all, if you are ill you are no good to yourself or others

ii Overwork; Answer, clearly, is to somehow make it OK to work either less, or less stressfully

B. If you are not quite sure why you produce your stress, ie it ‘just happens’, you need to break the habit. Valuable aids, if pursued diligently, are one of the various types of meditation, or NLP. The latter is best followed with qualified assistance; however, it can be studied from a book too, and some of its methods are fairly easy to learn, and might produce good effects quickly. To help you practice it on yourself, videos are available. (In the UK you can rent these from the company ‘The Anglo American Book Company’, located in Wales.)

Regularity Is Essential

Behavioural methods combined with nerve building measures – eg with a 3 month nerve programme – will work very, very well IF you do them regularly, daily, assiduously… for 3 months or more.

As always, the help of alternative practitioners as well as your doctor’s advice are invaluable.

Temporary – But Welcome – Relief
Palliative measures – to give relief while the above are taking effect, include:
* Slippery Elm – a miracle aid for colon inflammation. Best is the pure powder (no sugar please!) where you mix a teaspoon to a paste with a little cold water, and add hot water to make a mugful of a drink resembling a thin porridge. This wonderful drink, which can be drunk 2-3 times a day if you wish, will often give relief to inflammation of the bowel within the hour. If the drink sounds awful it is available in additive-free capsules. But… the drink is much better if you can possible take it.
* Cayenne Pepper if there is any bleeding present. Again, a ‘specific’ herb, in this case to stop bleeding. This works well internally. Best taken with food or a drink – or with the slippery elm drink, to avoid any slight burning.
* Wild yam, a herbal ‘antispasmodic’ which is sometimes combined with bayberry and agrimony (‘astringent’ herbs these are anti-inflammatory for the bowel) and other herbs. If you can find this formula, 6 capsules a day have achieved dramatic improvements, and can be used ‘symptomatically’, ie as and when required, until deeper measures as described above are taking effect.

With a careful plan, colon health which has been compromised by your nervous system has a very good chance of improving with the above measures. Do apply them every day for at least several months. After this time, you will have a good idea of what works for you. This is valuable knowledge which will help you for a lifetime.

Excerpt from Brenda Watson’s HOPE Formula (PBS Special) where Brenda Watson, CNC shows you what happens when someone has chronic constipation.

Colon cleansing is the process of introducing gentle jets of water into the large intestine for washing away waste matter and toxins. But is colon cleansing safe and what exactly does it involve? Preserving colon health is imperative for many reasons, with the most important being the role of the large intestine in evacuating organic waste from the body. Roughly the shape of a large letter “M”, the colon ranges in length from between four and a half to five and a half feet and is about two and a half inches wide. While the small intestine is wedged between the stomach and liver, the colon stops at the anus.

For more info. go to www.captaincolon.com or http Steps to Colon Hydrotherapy. 1. Exercises the Colon Muscles: The build up of toxic debris weakens the colon and impairs its functioning over time. The gentle filling and emptying of the colon improves muscular contraction activity by which the colon naturally moves material outward. 2. Cleanse the Colon: Toxic material is broken down so it can no longer harm your body or inhibit assimilation and elimination. Even debris built up over years is gently, but surely removed in the process of a series of colon hydrotherapy treatments. Once impacted material is removed, your colon can once again begin to cooperate as mother nature so intended. 3. Stimulates Reflex Points: Every system and organ of the body is connected to the colon by reflex points. Colon hydrotherapy stimulates these points, thereby affecting the corresponding body parts in a beneficial way. 4. Reshapes the Colon: When problematic conditions exist in the colon, they tend to alter its shape which over time causes more problems. The gentle action of the colon hydrotherapy session in combination with the massage techniques by the colon therapist will help to eliminate bulging pockets of waste and narrowed, spastic constrictions finally enabling the colon to resume its natural state. City of Lithgow, Australia Solomon Islands, Honiara Cape Coral, Florida Washington, District of Columbia Shepparton, Victoria New Zealand Montenegro, Podgorcia Iraq, Baghdad Palau, Koror The Hague, Netherlands www.captaincolon.com

You may have constipation if you experience difficulty in passing stools and have infrequent bowel movement. Constipation has been linked to insufficient fiber intake, dehydration, lack of exercise, pregnancy, taking certain medicines, excessive use of laxatives, old age or a change in routine. However, more often than not, it is your diet that may be the cause of your constipation. Of late, more people have been afflicted by constipation as a result of fast food choices and an unhealthy diet. If you regularly consume anything that is deep fried or loaded with sugar, you stand a good chance of clogging your colon leading to constipation. Most people turn to medications to get relief from constipation, but laxatives are merely short term relievers. Since constipation is viewed as a mere symptom or sign of a poor health condition, you may have to consult a doctor for proper treatment. In addition to prescribing medication for occasional relief, your doctor will most likely advise you to incorporate more fiber into your diet, get into a physical fitness program, and drink lots of water. The discomfort that comes with taking laxatives means that this solution is not for everyone. More often than not, when taking a laxative, you may experience stomach pain and uncontrollable bowel movement. This can interfere with your ordinary routine as you may have to stay home to avoid social embarrassment. An alternative to laxatives is a natural method of cleansing the colon using a combination of soluble fiber such as psyllium and traditional herbs. A major component of most effective colon cleansing products, psyllium is plant-based and comes in a powder form which when added to water, transforms into gel. Once this gel-like substance passes your colon, it absorbs waste build-up and other toxins that have lodged in your colon and pushes it out of your colon without the pain that laxatives are known for. Unlike over-the-counter laxatives, regular intake of psyllium is not harmful to the body and is, in fact, essential to preventing constipation. The path to long lasting constipation relief is in taking preventive measures. This may mean making lifestyle changes. Give fried foods a wide berth and reduce the amount of alcohol and caffeinated drinks you have. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Exercise regularly. Everyday drink at least eight to ten glasses of water and get into the routine of regularly cleaning your colon. There is no need to suffer constipation any longer.