Sunday 30 January 2011

Natural Colon Cleansing


The insides of most of our digestive tracts is a menagerie of filth that is infested with worms, amoeba, dry faeces and in general, things that most of us would rather not know about. The irony is that most of us pass our entire life thinking we are eating right, so nothing can go wrong with our digestion. The fact is, even if nothing goes wrong, dirt is adding up, undigested dirt that should have been out of our body is lining our tracts and slowly choking the colon. While this may not bring our digestion system to a grinding halt, it will considerably cut down on its efficiency. In addition, a clogged colon can cause other diseases like allergies, obesity and even arthritis. Recurring gas, bloating and even adult acne can be considered signs of this state of the digestive tract.

As in almost all body improvement processes, natural colon cleansing is the best process and there are even therapies available to keep it as natural as possible. A change in diet, for a temporary period of time, may be enough for most cases of colon congestion. Intestinal cleanup is all it needs. Of course, there are sufficient number of pharmaceutical medicines available, natural colon cleansing over a long run works best. Besides, colon cleaning should be a part of a detoxification plan, one that cleans up the plumbing and at the same time gently replenishes the nutrition that the changed diet may drain out. It helps keep the body’s liquid balance intact too. That is one reason why doctors recommend that any colon cleansing programs, even holistic body detoxification should be done under medical advice or supervision.

The good news is that one can start the general detoxification program by doing something everyone enjoys – steam sauna and skin brushing. This gets rid of filth accumulated on the skin and the negative effects of the chemicals that we so liberally lather ourselves with, in the name of cosmetics. Sweating alone eliminates most toxins that accumulate just below our skin surface; these are spill over from our digestive waste.

For intake, easiest and simplest method that is most effective too, is to develop a routine wherein there is a certain amount of liquid intake for every time of the day. This could later be supplemented by juice fasting or water fasting but then again, water fasting should be supervised by doctors, least we lose more than the filth in the intestines. The whole idea is to, over a period of time, get rid of toxins accumulated in the digestive system, and short of scrubbing physically, the best thing to do will be to increase the liquid intake so drainage of the intestine works well.

Another method of colon cleansing could be to change the dietary pattern slightly. Adding some extra supplements to the daily diet can make a difference. For instance, increase the quantity of fiber in the food, may be by adding more fresh fruits, greens and some nutrients that are present in herbs may also help. Garlic, cayenne, red clover, these greatly add to the detoxification process.

In addition, one could bring about a change in the diet pattern, substituting with fried foods, meats and milk products with liquids and fresh, raw or semi-cooked fruits and vegetables in the daily meals. Cutting back on breads, refined sugar and other fatty products and piling on more whole grains, specially sprouted, and more alkaline inducing foods such as veggies, can also detoxify in the long run. These, however, are not quick fix methods of colon cleansing. Fresh fruit juices are also alkaline in nature and help fight toxic acidity. Over a period of time that great solid filth that we have spent a lifetime accumulating inside our intestines, will start eroding, fibers can even help scrub, and then it can be eliminated from the body. Continuing with a diet of fiber rich vegetables and more liquids will also prevent a repeat of a similar buildup. Most nutritionists agree that though water and any liquid is good, juices of fresh fruits or more healthy juices like wheatgrass juice, does wonders for cleaning the colon and the intestines in general. It replenishes while cleaning and additives like Spirulina powder add to the nutrition content.

The best colon cleansing way of eliminating waste and keeping it so from the colon is to have a bi-annual detoxification program that lasts a couple of weeks, usually 2 to 4. Most naturopaths agree that even a three to seven day program can help your system clean up. Anything longer should be properly supervised. This could be a period of raw food diet. Raw foods are not for everyone, especially without prior warning but for most people, a raw food diet is quite filling as well as satisfying, not to mention extremely healthy. Of course, this only means a fresh fruits and vegetables diet. One could have fruits, accompanied by loads of sprouts and greens. Sprouts of wheat, alpha alpha, sunflower and even soaked or sprouted nuts, are a good idea for a few weeks on a bi-annual basis.

Having said that, it is imperative that no new colon cleansing diet is introduced into the system, nor continued without the supervision of a qualified doctor or even a holistic naturopath, who can ascertain your body’s reactions to this sudden change, and guide you to handle the trauma it may face.

There is really no substitute for spring cleaning, and our body is just a small part of the universe. Detoxification is a natural process, which should be a part of our routine, and it is only when we forget that our system is a part of a greater, much greater whole, that we feel the need for detoxification programs. Colon cleaning should be a top priority in our dietary selections, throughout our lifetime.