In the final part of the cleansing series, Nutritionist, Belinda Rennie focuses on how you can start a colon cleansing program with food, herbs and supplements.

Taking some time away from Dubai during the hotter summer months can give you a fabulous opportunity to refocus your energy on health. Beginning a colon cleanse is a great way to start and although it sounds daunting, it is a slow gentle process that can reap big rewards over three to six months. If you are feeling heavy, lethargic, bloated or constipated, a cleansing program will help to rid your body of accumulated wastes, increase overall wellbeing and importantly, reduce your risk of disease such as colon cancer.

Laxatives and colonic irrigation are popular quick fix approaches to an unhealthy bowel. Even though introducing water under pressure can remove some of the residue in the colon, it does not address the underlying dietary problems and can reduce the amount of beneficial bacteria in the colon. Laxatives only act as an irritant and can ultimately make the bowel sluggish.

Here is a step-by-step approach to colon cleansing using food, herbs and supplements. Once you have incorporated one change try another and aim to maintain them.

Food

1.    Start drinking more water (2 litres per day) and cut back on tea and coffee. Start your day with warm water and a slice of lemon to encourage a bowel movement.

2.    Include a freshly squeezed fruit (non-citrus) or vegetable juice daily and herbal teas.

3.    Base your eating on fresh, lightly cooked vegetables eaten twice a day such as broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots, beetroot, green beans and spinach. As digestive strength and bowel action improves, increase the amount of raw vegetables to 50% with a leafy green salad at lunch.

4.    Combine vegetables with grains like brown basmati rice and millet. Avoid wheat and wheat bran which can aggravate constipation and substitute with 100% rye bread and oats as a breakfast cereal.

5.    Eat pulses like chick peas, mung beans and lentils and have fish and eggs as protein alternatives. Minimise animal products and their fats.

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6.     Substitute cows milk for organic soy milk, live yoghurt or sheep and goats milk products.

7.    Eat 3-4 pieces of fresh fruit a day to carry biological water to the colon encouraging cleansing. Soak dried fruit in water and use it as a sweetener.

8.    Grind sunflower, pumpkin and linseeds daily and add to cereals/drinks/salads. As your cleansing routine progresses soak the ground mixture in water overnight as this has an improved cleansing action.

9.    Avoid sugary, salty and fatty, fried processed foods and foods which contain large amounts of artificial additives.

10.  Cook with onion, garlic, leeks and ginger using a minimum of olive oil.

Once you have made these important dietary changes you can start by gradually including some supplements into your routine starting with psyllium husks and bentonite clay.

Psyllium husks are seeds from the plantain that swell when added to water and produce a soft, thick gel that helps to clear mucous, toxins and hardened material from the colon. It also helps to heal ulceration and inflammation and treat diarrhea and constipation. Start with 1 tsp in two glasses of water first thing in the morning then add another teaspoon at night. As psyllium absorbs so much water you need to focus on getting plenty of fluids. In some cases psyllium can cause bowel obstruction if the colon is very congested. It is important to have your cleansing program supervised by a health practitioner.

Bentonite clay water is not broken down or absorbed by the body but acts as a magnet attracting, neutralizing and removing toxins from the bowel. Start with 1/2 tsp in water in the morning and drink straight after psyllium. Gradually build up to 1 tablespoon per day.

A variety of herbs can be very helpful in digestion, cleansing, soothing and infection-resistance in the colon. The most important ones are: slippery elm bark, aloe vera, cascara sagrada, burdock root, golden seal, red raspberry and black walnut.

Once the cleansing program begins, people often experience a “healing crisis” where the body starts to eliminate toxic wastes. You might experience headaches, fatigue and irritability or aggravation of existing health problems like candida as your body withdraws from food chemicals. But if bowel movements are improving, this is a sure sign your body is on the road to recovery.

Other supplements can assist in the healing process like Vitamin C which acts as antioxidants to protect the body from pollutants and vitamin B complex to help digestion and metabolism. Calcium and magnesium are vital for muscle contraction and relaxation and therefore for good bowel tone. Digestive enzymes can support digestion and help to destroy parasites. Probiotics like Lactobacillus Acidophillus can be introduced once the cleansing program is underway to restore the balance of friendly bacteria in the colon.

Once you experience the profound physical, psychological and emotional changes that cleansing the colon can produce you will understand Hering’s Law of Cure formulated by a nineteenth century European homeopathic physician. “All cure starts from within out, from the head down, and in the reverse order as the symptoms appeared.”

 Recommended reading, Dr Jensen’s Guide to Better Bowel Care by Dr Bernard Jensen, Avery, 1999.

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