Colonics

Cleansing and fasting are wonderful healing opportunities. When you fast, your body uses the energy normally required to digest food to eliminate toxins instead. But fasting may not eliminate the toxins, yeast and other harmful elements quickly enough to promote the healing you are attempting to achieve. Colonics expedite the elimination of these toxins.

Norman W. Walker, PhD, a nutritionist and researcher, has called constipation "the number one affliction underlying nearly every ailment." He was an early proponent of fresh, raw vegetable juices, positive attitude and regular colon cleansing (twice a year) as the way to become younger and stay healthy. He wrote, "There is no ailment, sickness or disease that will not respond to treatment quicker and more effectively than it will after the administration of a series of colon irrigations."

A colonic offers a gentle cleansing of the last five feet of the digestive tract. Performed by a certified colon therapist, it's a safe, non-medical procedure that helps strengthen a weakened bowel. Unlike laxatives, it's non-addictive.

Colon cleansing therapy was used as far back as the Egyptians. During the early 1900s in North America, colonics were performed right in the doctor's office, generally by nursing staff. It's a healing modality that conventional modern medicine has turned its back on. Now colonics are once more gaining popularity as a wonderful tool that can enhance any health program.

Regular cleansing rids the body of impacted fecal matter, parasites, mucus, yeast and unwanted bacteria. Benefits include an improved inner ecology, a better absorption of nutrients, a reduction in toxins, healthier blood circulation and a general feeling of well-being.

Cleansing Regimen

The reclining client is usually clothed in a pair of colonic pants that provide comfort and privacy. The gloved therapist will insert a small disposable speculum gently into the rectum. If you prefer, you may insert the speculum yourself. Warm filtered water is gradually allowed to enter the bowel. The therapist monitors the temperature and pressure of the water, making adjustments to precipitate productive releases.

The colonic unit is a closed system in which waste material is eliminated through the speculum and tubing directly out the drain line. There is no odour or mess. Mild cramping may be experienced occasionally when the water comes into contact with blocked gases, but this passes quickly and is generally followed by a release of material. The procedure generally takes 30 to 60 minutes.

I encourage my clients to take a course of acidophilus before, during and after a colonic to help re-establish a healthy colony of bacteria. These products are available at health food stores.

The entire digestive tract benefits from a clean bowel. When the bowel is overly burdened, your eliminatory systems are stressed. Your liver, kidneys, lungs and skin all work hard to keep your body free of toxins. The tell-tale signs of toxic overload in the body include bloating and other bowel disorders, halitosis, skin eruptions, frequent headaches, persistent cough, fatigue, poor memory and body odour.

The portal vein conveys blood to the liver from the spleen, stomach and intestines. If the bowel is in distress with diarrhea, constipation or chronic conditions such as spastic or irritable bowel syndrome, the blood circulated through the portal vein is toxic and disease-laden. Colonics improve the quality of blood by reducing the toxins being circulated throughout the body.

Colonics help identify foods, vitamins and minerals that are not digested and absorbed. Most everything that goes through the "view tube" can be identified and analyzed. Easily identified materials include yeast, parasites and mucus. The "view tube" is a clear plastic section of tubing which is part of the evacuating tube leaving the bowel. It will be obvious to you and the therapist what is working for you and what is not.

Don't further compromise your colon and your overall health with processed non-foods. Rather treat yourself well with the nutrients your body needs to build healthy cells.

For more information on keeping your colon healthy, read Good Digestion: Your Key to Vibrant Health by Ken Babal, CN, number 25 in the alive Natural Health Guide series, available at your health food store (or call alive books-800-663-6513).

Colonic Prep Diet

Eat plenty of fresh, organically grown fruit and greens and increase fibre intake before a colonic to make it a more productive treatment. You'll minimize the addition of toxins and help soften stool.

• Cleanse with a simple fruit fast.
• Add one tablespoon of psyllium powder to half a cup of water and drink quickly. Follow with another full glass of water.
• Avoid all refined carbohydrates, meat and uncultured dairy products.