Colon Cleanse
Everything You Need to Know

A colon cleanse is the process of using various tactics to help clear the large intestine and/or digestive tract of accumulated waste.  It may involve a specific diet, taking nutritional supplements or even getting colonic hydrotherapy.

Some believe that due to poor diet and other environmental factors, a colon cleanse can help remove unwanted, accumulated toxins and waste to feel lighter, more energetic and, in some cases, even lose weight.  Is this for real?

Why do a Colon Cleanse

In today's modern world, most people are busy working, running businesses, helping kids with school and extra curricular activities, and managing their homes all at the same time.

When it comes time to take care of ourselves, we think of exercise, personal hygienve, sleeping and keeping up with medical appointments.

And unless you have a special problem, diet, nutrition and digestion are often on the back burner until something happens and then we are forced to rethink these important aspects of health.

The Sad Reality of Toxins and Health

Toxins do invade our bodies.  We drink them, eat them, breathe them, and even absorb them through our skin, the whole time thinking our bodies are perfectly capable of clearing these substances without additional thought on our parts.

But, according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC), all participants in their study entitled, National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, toxic chemicals were present in the blood of all participants of the study.  What does this have to do with a colon cleanse, you may ask?

One way your body can deal with these types of toxins is to cleanse them out. While your body's preferred way of detoxing these environmental toxins is to sweat them out, they also must be transported out through bile.

Bile is a body fluid that travels mainly through lymphatic vessels, liver and gallbladder.  It has many different metabolic functions, however, we are only concerned with the fact that your body helps remove these toxins with the help of bile.

While the process is long and involved, we can break it down to a general outline.  Your body takes some metabolic toxins to your liver.  Bile should pick it up here and transport them to the gallbladder then the small intestine to the large intestine (colon) and then out.

When any of these organs are overworked, your body can store these same toxins in adipose tissue (fat).  If your small intestine is not moving the chyme (semi-digested food) through your digestive tract efficiently, a buildup can begin here - and thus your entire system may become sluggish.

Instead of working the way your organs are supposed to, all systems slow down.  This may take years before you notice anything.  But once you do notice, it is often a slow road to reverse the process.

Signs You Need a Colon Cleanse

As the processes above happen, you may notice changes in your body.  Due to environmental and lifestyle factors, we all have various manifestations of toxic or waste buildup.

Here are some of the sigsn that your body may be storing waste and toxins instead of moving them out or detoxing them efficiently;

  • Weight Gain
  • Foggy Thinking
  • Skin Eruptions or problems
  • Headaches
  • Edema
  • Fatigue
  • Abdominal Bloat
  • General Achiness
  • Foul Smell (breath, body odor, flatulence)

Cleanse or Detox?

Cleansing and detoxing are both practices that can help the above problems.  You will benefit from doing either, because your body works as one unit.  As you cleanse the colon all of your organs and body systems benefit.

Of course the process of what, exactly, takes place is much more detailed, but the lymphatic system brings waste to the liver, which transports to the gallbladder, which then dumps to the small intestine which all leaves via the colon. A colon cleanse is much like taking the plug out of the septic system allowing the above processes to work more efficiently.

It is possible to focus on a colon cleanse by using a colon cleanse supplement and a change in diet.  This will benefit all areas of your body.  But you can also focus on clearing environmental buildup from your blood and lymph by eating a diet that supports your organs of detoxification while taking supplements that are shown to attract toxic substances, thereby allowing your body to remove them easier.

Colon Cleansing Diet

A colon cleansing diet can vary from person to person.  This is because cleansing is a process that your body goes through; not something that is done to you.  Because of this, some people's body may begin cleansing by simply cutting out meat and dairy while others may require eating mostly raw fruits and vegetables.

Some people may need more if they have health issues.  For example, they may need to cut out wheat from their diets and consume vegetable juices to help their bodies heal.  This is because since your organs do the work, they must be strong enough to cleanse. If they were already strong enough, they would have been able to do so without our help.

Foods that generally help a colon cleanse are; fresh organic fruits and vegetables, alkaline, whole grains such as amaranth or quinoa, fresh juices, herbal teas, water, organic animal or vegetarian proteins, and probiotic foods like saurkraut.

Foods to avoid include; sugar laden foods, junk foods, highly processed foods, food dyes and those with pesticides, white flour foods, processed meats, alcohol and desserts.  (Remember this is temporary so if you like desserts wait until after your cleanse then make them - but use healthier ingredients so you stay feeling well!)

Colon Cleansing Supplements

Colon cleansing supplements come in many varieties.  They consist of a combination of herbs, supplements and fibers to help remove the buildup in the intestinal tract.  

Some herbs are meant to help the digestive tract heal due to the combination of nutrients contained in the herbs.  Some herbs may help kill of pathogens while other herbs help waste move out quicker.

Oxygen Colon Cleanse Supplements are extremely popular these days.  This is because the effect is very dramatic; which should be no surprise because many people who take this are attempting to cleanse their bodies for the first time.  The dramatic results are often due to normal buildup being released quickly from the laxative (oxygenated magnesium oxide).  

While this supplement may be good for short term use, use caution.  Both magnesium oxide and Germanium-132 are both compounds that can be problematic for those with kidney issues.  Also magnesium oxide in any form may dehydrate the body and there is a possibility your body may come to rely on it.

Intestinal Cleanse Powders are more common and work by helping the body soften and remove built up waste.  What makes them different from plain fiber supllements is the addition of herbs that help kill pathogens or bacteria as well as add extra nutritional support for the organs that all take part in cleansing and detoxification.