Sickness & Disease
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Colon Cleansing

Why Clean the Colon?

Believe it or not, the colon seems to be where most, if not all, sickness begins.  What?? Yes, I know I sound "looney", and I know this does not make sense to a physician, but it is one of the "king pins," a foundational root cause, of all sickness and disease.

Cleansing the colon is probably a must for all Americans. There are many cleansing products available in America today. The most common, and probably the easiest way to at least begin this process is by greatly increasing fiber intake.

Adding Fiber: Step One

Many grains contain fiber. Unfortunately gluten and other components of grains also can become like glue in the intestines. In addition, many people with intestinal problems develop allergies and/or have problems digesting many grains. White flour is almost solely starch, gluten, and some protein. There is absolutely no fiber at all and very few nutrients. When white flour is added to white sugar you have a nutrient depleted product that is foundational to "gumming up" the digestive tract.

Vegetables and fruits contain fiber. Unfortunately many people have Candida or other pathogens in their systems and are instructed to stay away from fruits. And most people can not get enough fiber if they are solely relying on vegetables. These foods are very important to a persons health, but they are often not a complete answer to cleansing the digestive tract.

Psyllium seed husks are a common supplement recommended for people who need to add fiber to their diet. Unfortunately, psyllium husks absorb a great deal of water - up to 40 times their original volume. People with sluggish bowels often find psyllium husks "stop them up." In the end they have even worse problems than they did before adding the fiber to their diet. Since water is continually being absorbed out of the intestines and back into the body and since psyllium husks absorb lots of water, if they move through the system too slowly and that water is taken back they will turn to "concrete". Other soluble fibers from grains can also do this to a person who have bowel movement problems. Most fiber sources in the american diet contain predominantly water soluble fiber.

Coconut Flour is a good source of dietary fiber that is predominantly not water soluble. It contains 14% coconut oil and 58% total dietary fiber. The fiber found in coconut flour is all but a few percent insoluble. It is made from fresh coconut meat. This means, for people who struggle with sluggish bowels, they can still add fiber to their diet and they can still cleanse. Insoluble fiber does not absorb water and will not solidify in the intestinal tract, even if it is slow. Coconut flour is a natural high quality ingredient used as an excellent source of dietary fiber. It is available from several places on line and Dr. Bruce Fife has published a book entitled: Cooking with Coconut Flour which allows people to use coconut flour to make baked goods without the addition of any other flours.

Adding Flora: Step Two

Good bacteria in the digestive tract are vital for intestinal health. They are critical to digestion and help with peristalsis. When good bacteria are killed off by antibiotics, mercury from vaccines and dental amalgam fillings or chemicals in our food such as preservatives, pesticides and herbicides, then the bowels become unhealthy and peristalsis is hindered. (peristaltic waves are the muscle contractions that move the contents of the intestinal tract through the body). For an in depth understanding on the relationship between digestive health and probiotic bacteria please check out these pages:

Normal Gut Flora

First Signs

Next Signs

Prebiotics

Why Eat Cultured Foods

Making sure you get enough liquids: Step Three

I place this as a third step, because for most people fluids are not the cause of the problem. However, it is true that if a person is not taking in enough fluids the body will absorb as much water as possible from the bowels making fecal content very hard and greatly effecting movement. Some say you should take your weight, divide that number in half, and drink that volume in ounces each day. I am not certain that this is necessary, as fluid intake will vary with exercise, the temperature of a persons environment, the types of foods in a persons diet (for example soups and raw foods vs. cooked foods and baked goods). This is however, a consideration for anybody looking at the colon and cleansing.

Removing Toxins : Step Four

This is the last step, but maybe the most important. It takes the longest time and is only dealt with gradually over time, but it is very, very important. For children and healthy adults who do not have mercury amalgam fillings, who have not been exposed to chemicals, and who only have minor problems in their gut the three F's may be all they need: Fluids, Fiber, and Flora. But for others their intestinal tract is just too toxic and they need to remove those toxins.

To remove toxic metals (heavy metals) from the tissues the best products at present seem to be things such as Metal-X and Metal-magnet. These products are made from peat moss. They bind with contaminants such as mercury and arsenic or lead and help to eliminate them from the body and the digestive tract. In the gut the two best products currently available are bentonite clay and activated charcoal. These substances will bind with the toxic substances in the digestive tract and not allow them to be reabsorbed in to the body. According to research, when a person has amalgam filling much of the mercury is absorbed into the gums, the lining of the digestive tract, the liver and the kidneys. This creates a very toxic environment and kills off normal flora. Only unfriendly micro0organisms can survive this toxic environment. And these toxins appear to be the root cause of the decline in intestinal health, which occurs over a period of many years.

There are so many products, what should I do?

You are right about that.  Every naturopath and nutritional counselor as well as every supplement manufacturer has their product to put you on.  Everybody has their own idea of what to use to cleanse.  But it should not be that complicated.  It should be simple. If you can remember the 3 F's (fluid, fiber, and flora) and the one T (toxins), then you can put these products in proper perspective and understand what types of issues they are addressing. No program is totally complete without addressing all of these areas.

How do I cleanse my colon?

There are basically 3 things you want to accomplish.  There may be many products out there that will accomplish these goals.  All you have to do is keep in mind what you are wanting to do and you will be able to easily decide how you want to do it.

1. You want to clean out any old fecal material that has become deposited along the walls of your colon. 

   I know it sounds nasty, but the cells that line your intestines secrete a mucosal lining.  This mucosal lining can mix with fecal material and turn into a rubbery substance that "coats" the walls.  If this occurs the fecal material that does move through the digestive tract moves through the middle. This creates a hollow "tube" made of rubbery old stuff.  Unfortunately, this makes fecal movement more sluggish, and the person loses "muscle" tone.
   
   Another complication is that the body now has a great "toxic" place for pathogenic organisms to live.  They just love that area between the cells that line the digestive tract and that rubbery old "fecal tire" that sticks to it.  This "breeding ground" promotes pathogens and is the root cause of poor absorption of minerals and vitamins, poor elimination of toxins by the body, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut and a host of other problems.  You see, this "lining" of old fecal material blocks toxins from being eliminated by the body.  These toxins, as they are excreted through the walls of the large intestine can actually bounce back into the body and be reabsorbed.  Cleansing the colon of old fecal material is the first step in regaining health.  High fibrous things are usually used for this purpose, chief of which is psyllium seed husks. If water soluble fiber is a problem for you then you will want to substitute coconut flour.

2. Once the old fecal material is gone, you need to absorb toxins as they are dumped into the intestinal tract.
   
   This will insure that none of them are being reabsorbed back into the body.  Clays are often used for this purpose, especially bentonite clay. Clays do taste like dirt, though most people do ingest clays because they are so good at taking care of the toxins needed to be eliminated. Another option is activated charcoal. Activated charcoal does not have any taste at all. The only complaint my children have about activated charcoal is its color. We simply add it to water, stir and drink. It makes the water black.
    
3. You need to eliminate pathogens such as parasites, bacteria, and yeasts, and replace them with good "pro-biotic" organisms that will help you digest your food and keep the pathogens away.
   
   Pathogens living in your body zap your nourishment and your energy.  In return they leave all their metabolic waste products for you to deal with.  They irritate the lining of the digestive tract, they cause bleeding, ulcers, inflammation, etc.  You need to clean them out and get good organisms that will help you to maintain a healthy body. 
   
   To do this some people use aloe vera juice or freeze dried aloe vera. Aloe vera not only helps to eliminate pathogens, but it also soothe the intestinal lining and helps it to heal.
   
   Coconut oil is another good food to incorporate in the diet. It has been shown to help the body eliminate pathogen including pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. It also is a good energy source for the cells lining the digestive tract which helps the to repair and heal.
   
   Herbs such as wormwood, cloves and black walnut hulls can be used to eliminate parasites and fungi in the digestive tract. Go to How to get rid of parasites with herbs.
   

Note: You are now reading my ideas only.  I am not a doctor, just a friend who researches and meditates on things.  I am throwing out my ideas for you to think about.  Your health is yours, your body is yours.  You need to research everything and make your own decisions as to what you think the best things are for you to do.  Please check out everything I say.  Make your own decisions.

My recommendations?

1. Purchase a Psyllium/Bentonite Blend

   Psyllium alone will cleanse the old fecal material, but with a highly inflamed intestinal tract, it can be too irritating.  The bentonite softens the scrubbing action, and as the old fecal material is lifted, the bentonite is there to absorb any toxins that are behind it.
   
   Alternatives: make your own blend using coconut flour/fiber and the clay or charcoal with either psyllium or coconut flour.
    

2. Make good probiotic foods.

   Yes, you can take probiotic capsules, but the number of organisms you get and their ability to inhabit your digestive tract will not be as good as if you eat probiotic food. Some capsules have larger numbers of organisms than others, but it is not so much the number of colonies as it is the virility and strength of the bacteria. In a capsule the organisms are is a dormant state; they are hibernating.  They have to go through the stomach acids and enter into a polluted environment to begin living. Strong virulent organisms have no problem getting though the digestive process, weaker colonies do not make it. However, there are probiotic capsules the contain very strong organisms and probiotic capsules do have their place.  I recommend using them as a supplement, when you do not have access to probiotic foods, or as an additional way to increase healthy flora numbers when you are regularly consuming probiotic food.  They are convenient and are very portable. If a person is really struggling with digestive health and they can not make cultured foods then I usually recommend they take large quantities of capsules. For example they might use 7 capsules 3 times a day. At this dosage with good organisms, they should see good results.
   
   Probiotic foods are the ideal way to get healthy organisms into your body, and it is less expensive to use than probiotic capsules.  When you eat a probiotic food, the organisms begin their existence in your body as already "awake" living, rapidly dividing organisms that are already thriving in their current environment.  They come into your body (along with media that they have been living in) and "hit the ground running" so to speak.  Most people see superior results using living probiotic food versus using probiotic capsules.
   
   The importance of cultured foods is widely recognized: The living foods that I recommend making are (with either raw milk or coconut water), cultured vegetables, and yogurt.

Do I need to do cleanses very often?

There are people who live to be well over 100 years old, with little sickness and they never do colon cleansing.  Yes, there are people out there who say you need to colon cleanse every 3 months, or once a year, or whatever.

I personally did colon cleansing yearly for several years. What I learned and what I see in others, is if you have good flora you will not get a buildup of old fecal material again.  It just doesn't happen.  I believe the presence of bad flora and the absence of good flora, coupled with a diet filled with processed, nutrient-poor food is the root cause of all colon problems.  People today who live to be over 100 years old regularly eat food with good flora/probiotics.  They do not eat processed food.  They have pure water and air, etc.

If you are not eating pizza, sodas, and hamburger helper meals (highly processed foods), then there is a good chance that probiotic foods and whole foods will keep you from having to do any more cleansing.

If you continue to eat processed foods, eat at restaurants, etc., and do not include probiotic foods, then yes you will need to periodically do colon cleansing.

How long do I need to take probiotics?

Because of all the preservatives in our diet, because it is almost impossible to make everything from scratch, because our environment is so polluted, and because we are constantly bombarded with pathogens, you will always need to include probiotic foods in your diet.  If you take them out, depending on your diet, you will notice an effect within six months to a year.  In a purer, different world this might not be so.  But even with the traditional people groups that have good longevity, they have probiotic foods as a regular part of their diet.

We recommend Wilderness Family Naturals products because of their integrity and quality. However, other online retailers and natural food stores may also carry similar goods. Whenever, possible we have tried to give you information on how to recognize superior products. Wilderness Family Naturals products can be found at: www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com or by calling (800) 945-3801.