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.

Certain medicines and herbs may not react well together and this is where your homework comes in. In this article I will do my best to give you the most accurate information I can but if you are unsure, consult a medical practitioner.

Here are lists of herbs that may help to detox and feed the body:

Wormwood- cleanses the colon of worms and also works as a mild sedative. (Should not be taken by women who are pregnant or nursing).

Black walnut husk- cleanses the intestines of parasites, helps in digestion, works well in fungal infections.

Cloves- Also aids in digestion, clears out parasites.

Cascara Sagrada- works as a laxative to help people who suffer from constipation, a great colon cleanser. (Do not use on a regular basis as it can be habit forming. Follow manufacturer instructions.)

Cayenne Pepper- a wonderful herb that does many things including; helps the heart, kidneys, lungs, stomach, aids in digestion and is good for sinus problems, colds and sore throats. Cayenne is rich in folic acid, vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6, vitamin A and C.

Burdock Root- is a very good blood cleanser and helps the immune system, helps the liver and gallbladder to function better. (Do not take iron and burdock at the same time. They cancel each other out).

Corn Silk- aids the intestines, bladder and kidneys. Corn silk is one of those herbs that work well in combination with other kidney cleansing herbs.

Milk Thistle- for liver problems this herb is a must. It restores liver cells and is a great antioxidant. Milk thistle also aids the kidney and digestive disorders.

Cats Claw- good for intestinal disorders and enhances white blood cell action. (Pregnant women should avoid cat’s claw).

Cranberry- great for the urinary tract as bacteria cannot survive in cranberry’s acidity.

Horsetail- contains silica which is absolutely necessary for bones, hair and skin. It’s wonderful for strengthening the heart. It flushes out toxins when taken with a lot of water.

Pau-d’arco – A very good blood cleanser, has antibacterial properties and strengthens the immune system.

Rosemary- Helps to prevent liver toxicity has anti-tumor properties and stimulates circulation and digestion.

Yellow dock- cleanses the blood, cleans the colon and is good for liver disease. Also good for all types of skin disorders.

Yerba mate- cleanses the blood, helps with allergies, constipation and inflammation.

Parsley- This herb does many good things for the body such as stops tumors from multiplying, helps the kidneys, bladder, stomach, liver and lungs. Helps the thyroid function better, helps in lowering blood pressure, aids in kidney and prostate conditions.

A good multi vitamin and mineral supplement is recommended to help reduce free radical damage and give important nutrients to the body. NOTE: minerals should be taken at a different time from vitamins because some minerals will cancel out some of the vitamins.

Intake of clean fresh water is vital in not only in the cleansing process, but also in necessary hydration for the body. This is so important that if you did nothing else than drink eight glasses of water per day, you would be much farther ahead. You would not expect a toilet to flush without water, so it is with your body. You need water to flush toxins and waste from the body.

Foods that help you detox and alkalize the body:

Most vegetables
Most fruits
Maple syrup
Molasses
Soy products
Most vegetable and fruit juices, preferably raw fresh organic made from a juicer.
Water and lots of it.

(vegetables and fruit that are acid forming are: Asparagus, brussel sprouts, chickpeas, cranberries, canned or glazed fruit).

To keep indoor air clean you can get a good ion air purifier and a good vacuum with a Hepa filter. (Spraying the air with perfumed air cleaner products is not recommended because it does not take pollutants out of the air).

Ionic foot baths are also good for helping the body to detox and assist in the reduction of pain of all sorts.

Negative ions are very beneficial for a body and are in abundance in forests, fast moving rivers and water falls or just strolling down the beach. (The footbath mimics this) Get out of the city once in a while and rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit and get well!