A Case For Cleansing

Unless you have children you might not be altogether comfortable with an open discussion about your bowels and what comes out of them.  Thankfully, I had already potty-trained one child by the time I met with a Naturopath who spent at least 10 minutes asking me questions about and around this very subject.  Thank goodness our meeting wasn’t over lunch!

This was about 5 years ago when my problematic uterine fibroids and inability to conceive had left me discouraged, desperate and frustrated.  Along with many other diet changes, she highly recommended a 5-day colon cleanse and fast followed by a 30-day cleanse using herbal supplements and then 2 hydrotherapy colonics on top of that.  Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled but I was also highly motivated.  The fibroids were getting bigger and more painful by the day and I didn’t want surgery.  I had also spent two years unsuccessfully trying to have another child.  Seeking treatment with a Naturopath was my last hope.

A Google search on colon cleansing will result in about 3 million hits and yet there still seems to be some mystery around the act of cleansing, its benefits and whether or not it’s just plain health quackery.  The earliest documented use of colon cleansing occurs in Ancient Egypt around 1500 BC and since then has been passed down through the ages as a way to fight off various maladies, weight loss and increasing a person’s lifespan by building up the immune system.  In the 1930’s its popularity faded only to experience a comeback in the last decade due perhaps to the increase in medical information accessibility and a growing interest in alternative medicine.

What Is The Colon and Why Does It Need Cleansing?

The colon refers to a 6-foot long section of your large intestine.  Its job is to absorb water from the liquefied food that the large intestine receives from the small intestine.  It also works to disintegrate waste, which is then eliminated from the body.  It is a natural process that, if our body is in a state of relative health, works well and without any intervention on our part.  But this is only the case if we’ve spent a lifetime eating foods that are dairy-free and meat-free and unprocessed.  Processed foods bring with it preservatives, refined sugar and extra fat.  Overtime, this leads to a build-up of waste and bacteria on the walls of the colon.  In an effort to protect itself from unhealthy foods, the colon produces mucus and sludge, which accumulates on the colon wall.  This build-up is a fertile breeding ground for parasites and can lead to a release of toxins into the bloodstream.  Warning signs of an unhealthy colon might include hemorrhoids, muscle pain and stiff joints, lethargy and fatigue, bloating and loss of appetite, headaches and even bad breath.

How Do You Go About Cleansing The Colon and How Often?

Colon cleansing is a practice, accomplished either through ingesting materials that stimulate bowel movements or by irrigating the bowel with liquid, which effectively empties the colon of waste material.  The latter requires equipment and a trained professional.   These regimens can take anywhere from 1 to 30 days to complete and it is often advocated that you make changes in your diet, such as a temporary liquid-only fast or essentially allowing your digestive system to rest by giving it simple clean foods(no sugar, alcohol, processed foods, coffee, etc.) and LOTS of purified water.

The general recommendation for how often to cleanse is once a year.  A healthy colon requires a balance of healthy bacteria along with a reduction in waste products and mucous and so cleansing too often could potentially interfere with that balance.  In other words don’t overdo it.

How will you feel during the process and then afterwards?

I’m not going to beat around the bush here.  Colon cleansing isn’t altogether a pleasant experience during the process and this is even more so with a longer cleanse and depending on how much you manipulate your diet.  Some people feel great and a sense of lightness and clarity of thought since they’re giving the digestive system a kind of vacation but generally you’ll probably have days where this isn’t the case and you just need to push through it.

But push through it you should.  Some benefits include an increase in energy and feeling of well-being, clearer skin, a stronger immune system, improved memory and mental acuity.  And while cleansing does not directly leads to weight loss it certainly aids the body in doing so.  Most people find it easier to lose weight after cleansing because their digestive system is functioning more effectively.

Is It Worth It?

Personally speaking, I would say yes.  Not only did I reduce my fibroids but I was also able to conceive and carry to term my precious daughter.  And I felt fantastic grew a lot through the process.  If you did the research you’d find millions of personal testimonies similar to mine. On the other hand, conventional medical practitioners would say that there is no scientific basis for this, cautioning also that ingesting cleansing products could bring on dehydration, fatigue, dizziness and nausea but are likely not harmful so long as you don’t do it too often.

So like so many other health choices, you’ll have to decide for yourself.  Choose your products wisely, making sure that its high quality and seek counsel from a reputable Naturopath Practitioner if you have special concerns.

by Melissa Sanborn of Nutritional Brands, PureVegan

 

References

http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/treat-yourself-to-a-colon-cleanse-and-feel-the-difference-125685.html  by Jim Mcdonald

http://www.coloncleansingpoint.com/coloncleansingdiet.php

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/detox-diets/AN01334 by Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

http://www.blessedherbs.com/resources-educational-information-colon-cleansing.aspx

Prescriptions of Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, pages 799-800

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