Post by Neversatisfied on May 20, 2007 20:52:41 GMT -5
When considering ways to make weight for a meet, keep in mind that a colon clogged with impacted matter may, when purged using herbal and mineral cleansers, result in a significant (5-13 lbs. on average) reduction in weight. While not a quick process, as many of these products take 1-3 weeks of regular use to yield effective results, they are gentler to the system than harsh laxatives and rarely disrupt electrolyte balances, when used as directed.
"Colon Cleanse" or "Bowel Cleanse" or "Intestinal Cleanse" or "Intestinal Therapy" are terms referring to a therapy which has as its main goal having a clean bowel. During a lifetime, one consumes approximately 90,000 pounds of food and 55,000 quarts of liquid. For a majority of Americans, a large percentage of these totals consists of hamburgers, sodas, candy, cakes, cookies, pastries, potato chips, pizza and ice cream. It is no wonder that almost one in every four of us suffers some type of digestive illness. A diet rich in meats, fats, and sugar and low in fiber slows down intestinal transit time which is the time it takes from the ingestion of food until it is passed in a bowel movement. When one eats this type of diet, transit time can range from two days to nearly one week.
Peristalsis is a distinctive pattern of smooth muscle contractions that propels foodstuffs distally through the esophagus and intestines. Fiber, herbal and mineral products found in health food stores and online through specialty marketers, often labeled as Colon Cleansers, work primarily through the process of peristalsis.
Herbal colon cleansing using psyllium
Available commercially under the brandnames Metamucil, Fiber-Psyll, and many others
Dietary fiber, formerly unrecognized for its health benefits, has received much attention as of late. It is widely accepted as playing a significant role in reducing total blood cholesterol, thereby decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease, and in helping to alleviate numerous bowel disorders.
Dietary fiber can be divided into two basic categories, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, and insoluble fiber, as the term describes, does not. Both soluble and insoluble fiber provide bulk in the large intestine and encourage bowel regularity. However, there are, it seems, some quite important additional benefits to be derived from the effects of soluble fiber on the digestive system and on cholesterol.
Psyllium is a natural, water-soluble, gel-reducing fiber which is extracted from the husks of blond psyllium seeds (plantago ovata). Psyllium is a member of a class of soluble fibers referred to as mucilages. Mucilages, which retain water, tend to be rather thick and jelly-like in nature. Also in the mucilage family is guar gum, an ingredient in most beans.
Another commonly used dietary fiber is wheat bran, which is, for the most part, insoluble and classified as a cellulose fiber. Also widely used are oat bran, a hemicellulose fiber, and apple pectin, both of which are water soluble.
The water-soluble fibers such as psyllium, oat bran, apple pectin, and guar gum have demonstrated an ability to lower blood cholesterol levels. Theories concerning how this is accomplished include the ability of water-soluble fiber to increase the excretion of cholesterol through the bowel, to inhibit its synthesis in the liver, and to bind to and absorb bile acids in the intestine. The water insoluble fibers, wheat bran, for example, have not exhibited the same success in lowering cholesterol as have water-soluble fibers.
Psyllium Helps With Various Digestive Problems
Psyllium is popularly used to combat a variety of digestive complaints such as constipation, diarrhea, diverticular disease and colitis. In addition, it is being utilized as part of many colon "cleansing" programs and even in the prevention of colon cancer. During a lifetime, one consumes approximately 90,000 pounds of food and 55,000 quarts of liquid. For a majority of Americans, a large percentage of these totals consists of hamburgers, sodas, candy, cakes, cookies, pastries, potato chips, pizza and ice cream. It is no wonder that almost one in every four of us suffers some type of digestive illness.
A diet rich in meats, fats, and sugar and low in fiber slows down intestinal transit time which is the time it takes from the ingestion of food until it is passed in a bowel movement. When one eats this type of diet, transit time can range from two days to nearly one week. People of cultures where diets which are high in fiber are popular have transit times closer to one day, which is a great deal more healthful.
The positive effects that dietary fiber has on intestinal transit time are consequences of its stool-bulking and stool-softening properties. Psyllium, for instance, swells and forms a viscous gel when exposed to water. A stool which is larger, softer, and bulkier moves through the intestine more easily and quickly and requires less exertion to be expelled. Hence, less force is applied to the intestinal wall. This prevents the creation of pockets in the intestine, which can result in the development of diverticular disease, and also lowers the incidence of hemorrhoids and varicose veins.
Since psyllium acts primarily by absorbing water and adding more bulk to the stool, it encourages the normal peristaltic (contracting) action of the bowel. Stimulant laxatives, on the other hand, contain chemicals which cause the intestine to increase the secretion of water. They can often create strong contractions of the colon and, if used in excess, can lead to a loss of normal bowel peristalsis and tone. A dependence on them may also develop, as can a tolerance to them in which more laxatives are needed to produce even the slightest bowel movement. Diarrhea, stomach discomfort, intestinal irritation, gas, bloating and even weight loss are additional side effects of stimulant laxatives.
The average recommended dosage for psyllium is about one or two tablespoons with meals once or twice daily. Start with a lower dose and gradually working up to this level. One or two glasses of water should be taken with each dose. Whereas stimulant laxatives tend to create an immediate and sometimes violent response, the positive effects of psyllium on constipation are usually more gradual. It can take up to a few weeks for a change to be noticed. However, when the change is felt, it is a result of an actual toning of the bowels rather than simply an irritation and purge of them.
Bentonite clay for internal healing
Available commercially under the brandname Sonne’s No. 7 Detoxificant
The idea of eating clay to promote internal healing will undoubtedly appear to many as farfetched, if not a little primitive. But natural clay, especially the form known as "bentonite clay", has not only been used medicinally for hundreds of years by indigenous cultures around the planet, but has, in recent years, been increasingly used by practitioners of alternative medicine as a simple but effective internal cleanser to help in preventing and alleviating various health problems.
The name "bentonite clay" refers to a clay first identified in cretaceous rocks in Fort Benton, Wyoming. Although bentonite deposits can be found throughout the world, many of the largest concentrations of clay are located in the Great Plains area of North America.
Bentonite is not a mineral, but a commercial name for "montmorillonite", the active mineral in many medicinal clays. The name ""montmorillonite" comes from the city Montmorillon, in France, where the medicinal clay was first identified. Clay is one of the most effective natural intestinal detoxifying agents available to us and has been used for hundreds of years by native tribes around the globe.
Liquid bentonite for elimination
Taken internally, liquid bentonite supports the intestinal system in the elimination of toxins. Liquid bentonite is inert which means it passes through the body undigested. Bentonite clay is made up of a high number of tiny platelets, with negative electrical charges on their flat surfaces and positive charges on their edges. When bentonite clay absorbs water and swells up, it is stretched open like a highly porous sponge. Toxins are drawn into these spaces through electrical attraction and bound. In fact, according to the Canadian Journal of Microbiology (2), bentonite clay can reportedly absorb pathogenic viruses, as well as herbicides and pesticides. The bentonite is eventually eliminated from the body with the toxins bound to its multiple surfaces.
How to take the bentonite
It is generally advisable to start with 1 tablespoon of bentonite clay daily, mixed with a small amount of juice. Pay attention to the results for a week, then gradually increase the dosage to no more than 4 tablespoons daily, in divided doses.
The best way to drink bentonite is on an empty stomach, or at least 1 hour before or after meals. Bentonite typically is available as a thick tasteless grey gel, but it also comes encapsulated, as well as in powder form. Use in combination with a psyllium-based product for best results.
Cascara Sagrada and Senna for colon health
Available commercially under brandnames Health Direct Sculpt'N Cleanse Colon Cleansing Formula, Natural Balance Colon Clenz and many others
As a nutritional support for the eliminative function, the bark of Cascara Sagrada has been used by cultures around the world, including the North American Indians and American settlers. Spanish missionaries noticed its use among the Indians and called it "sacred", hence its Spanish name. Cascara Sagrada helps in painless evacuations. After extended usage, the bowels will function regularly and naturally from its tonic effects. One of nature's most gentle and effective laxatives, Cascara Sagrada stimulates a sluggish colon while producing a tonifying effect. It is one of the most preferred herbal remedies for chronic constipation.
Cascara Sagrada is known as a cathartic (laxative) herb. It contains substances called "anthraquinones" which are responsible for this cathartic action. The anthraquinones in the Cascara Sagrada are oxidized in the intestine. The oxidation process produces a substance which stimulates peristalsis (the moving of the bowels), resulting in the laxative properties. The anthraquinones have also exhibited potent antibacterial properties against intestinal bacteria. Cascara is not thought to be habit-forming and has been shown to restore natural tone to the colon.
Senna is a stimulating and powerful purgative that promotes the vigorous evacuation of the bowels and is very helpful in relieving severe constipation or when an easily-passed stool is recommended after rectal surgery or prior to a colonoscopy.
Senna is a smallish shrub with an erect, smooth, pale green stem and long, spreading branches, bearing lanceolate leaflets and small flowers; and depending upon the geographic location, the plant may grow anywhere from two to six feet. It is a native of Africa, the Middle East and India, and it was first brought into medicinal use by the ninth-century Arabian physicians, Serapion and Sesue, who gave it its Arabic name and employed it as a purgative. The herb was officially listed in both the British Pharmacopoeia and the United States Pharmacopoeia, and the herb is one of the few herbal medicines approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter use and may be one of the most widely used herbal medicines in the United States. In the United States, Senna leaf, fruit and extract are used in over-the-counter laxatives (e.g., Correctol®, ExLax®, Senokot®, Smooth Move®). Some of the constituents in Senna leaves include anthraquinone compounds, including dianthrone glycosides, sennosides (aloe-emodin derivatives), flavonoids, naphthalene glycosides, mucilage, tannin, resin and beta-sitosterol.
Beneficial Uses:
Senna is an effective and potent purgative with its action being chiefly on the lower bowel. The anthraquinones stimulate the bowel and increase the peristaltic movements of the colon by its local action upon the intestinal wall, leading to evacuation in approximately ten hours. The herb has been recommended for people who require a soft, easily-passed stool, especially when following rectal surgery or preparing for a colonoscopy). This active purgative principle (a glycoside) was discovered in 1866.
By cleansing the colon, Senna may have positive results in improving skin afflictions (acne, rashes, etc.) and helping in cases of obesity.
This article should not be taken as medical advice, and these products should be used only by healthy individuals. Follow label directions.
"Colon Cleanse" or "Bowel Cleanse" or "Intestinal Cleanse" or "Intestinal Therapy" are terms referring to a therapy which has as its main goal having a clean bowel. During a lifetime, one consumes approximately 90,000 pounds of food and 55,000 quarts of liquid. For a majority of Americans, a large percentage of these totals consists of hamburgers, sodas, candy, cakes, cookies, pastries, potato chips, pizza and ice cream. It is no wonder that almost one in every four of us suffers some type of digestive illness. A diet rich in meats, fats, and sugar and low in fiber slows down intestinal transit time which is the time it takes from the ingestion of food until it is passed in a bowel movement. When one eats this type of diet, transit time can range from two days to nearly one week.
Peristalsis is a distinctive pattern of smooth muscle contractions that propels foodstuffs distally through the esophagus and intestines. Fiber, herbal and mineral products found in health food stores and online through specialty marketers, often labeled as Colon Cleansers, work primarily through the process of peristalsis.
Herbal colon cleansing using psyllium
Available commercially under the brandnames Metamucil, Fiber-Psyll, and many others
Dietary fiber, formerly unrecognized for its health benefits, has received much attention as of late. It is widely accepted as playing a significant role in reducing total blood cholesterol, thereby decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease, and in helping to alleviate numerous bowel disorders.
Dietary fiber can be divided into two basic categories, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, and insoluble fiber, as the term describes, does not. Both soluble and insoluble fiber provide bulk in the large intestine and encourage bowel regularity. However, there are, it seems, some quite important additional benefits to be derived from the effects of soluble fiber on the digestive system and on cholesterol.
Psyllium is a natural, water-soluble, gel-reducing fiber which is extracted from the husks of blond psyllium seeds (plantago ovata). Psyllium is a member of a class of soluble fibers referred to as mucilages. Mucilages, which retain water, tend to be rather thick and jelly-like in nature. Also in the mucilage family is guar gum, an ingredient in most beans.
Another commonly used dietary fiber is wheat bran, which is, for the most part, insoluble and classified as a cellulose fiber. Also widely used are oat bran, a hemicellulose fiber, and apple pectin, both of which are water soluble.
The water-soluble fibers such as psyllium, oat bran, apple pectin, and guar gum have demonstrated an ability to lower blood cholesterol levels. Theories concerning how this is accomplished include the ability of water-soluble fiber to increase the excretion of cholesterol through the bowel, to inhibit its synthesis in the liver, and to bind to and absorb bile acids in the intestine. The water insoluble fibers, wheat bran, for example, have not exhibited the same success in lowering cholesterol as have water-soluble fibers.
Psyllium Helps With Various Digestive Problems
Psyllium is popularly used to combat a variety of digestive complaints such as constipation, diarrhea, diverticular disease and colitis. In addition, it is being utilized as part of many colon "cleansing" programs and even in the prevention of colon cancer. During a lifetime, one consumes approximately 90,000 pounds of food and 55,000 quarts of liquid. For a majority of Americans, a large percentage of these totals consists of hamburgers, sodas, candy, cakes, cookies, pastries, potato chips, pizza and ice cream. It is no wonder that almost one in every four of us suffers some type of digestive illness.
A diet rich in meats, fats, and sugar and low in fiber slows down intestinal transit time which is the time it takes from the ingestion of food until it is passed in a bowel movement. When one eats this type of diet, transit time can range from two days to nearly one week. People of cultures where diets which are high in fiber are popular have transit times closer to one day, which is a great deal more healthful.
The positive effects that dietary fiber has on intestinal transit time are consequences of its stool-bulking and stool-softening properties. Psyllium, for instance, swells and forms a viscous gel when exposed to water. A stool which is larger, softer, and bulkier moves through the intestine more easily and quickly and requires less exertion to be expelled. Hence, less force is applied to the intestinal wall. This prevents the creation of pockets in the intestine, which can result in the development of diverticular disease, and also lowers the incidence of hemorrhoids and varicose veins.
Since psyllium acts primarily by absorbing water and adding more bulk to the stool, it encourages the normal peristaltic (contracting) action of the bowel. Stimulant laxatives, on the other hand, contain chemicals which cause the intestine to increase the secretion of water. They can often create strong contractions of the colon and, if used in excess, can lead to a loss of normal bowel peristalsis and tone. A dependence on them may also develop, as can a tolerance to them in which more laxatives are needed to produce even the slightest bowel movement. Diarrhea, stomach discomfort, intestinal irritation, gas, bloating and even weight loss are additional side effects of stimulant laxatives.
The average recommended dosage for psyllium is about one or two tablespoons with meals once or twice daily. Start with a lower dose and gradually working up to this level. One or two glasses of water should be taken with each dose. Whereas stimulant laxatives tend to create an immediate and sometimes violent response, the positive effects of psyllium on constipation are usually more gradual. It can take up to a few weeks for a change to be noticed. However, when the change is felt, it is a result of an actual toning of the bowels rather than simply an irritation and purge of them.
Bentonite clay for internal healing
Available commercially under the brandname Sonne’s No. 7 Detoxificant
The idea of eating clay to promote internal healing will undoubtedly appear to many as farfetched, if not a little primitive. But natural clay, especially the form known as "bentonite clay", has not only been used medicinally for hundreds of years by indigenous cultures around the planet, but has, in recent years, been increasingly used by practitioners of alternative medicine as a simple but effective internal cleanser to help in preventing and alleviating various health problems.
The name "bentonite clay" refers to a clay first identified in cretaceous rocks in Fort Benton, Wyoming. Although bentonite deposits can be found throughout the world, many of the largest concentrations of clay are located in the Great Plains area of North America.
Bentonite is not a mineral, but a commercial name for "montmorillonite", the active mineral in many medicinal clays. The name ""montmorillonite" comes from the city Montmorillon, in France, where the medicinal clay was first identified. Clay is one of the most effective natural intestinal detoxifying agents available to us and has been used for hundreds of years by native tribes around the globe.
Liquid bentonite for elimination
Taken internally, liquid bentonite supports the intestinal system in the elimination of toxins. Liquid bentonite is inert which means it passes through the body undigested. Bentonite clay is made up of a high number of tiny platelets, with negative electrical charges on their flat surfaces and positive charges on their edges. When bentonite clay absorbs water and swells up, it is stretched open like a highly porous sponge. Toxins are drawn into these spaces through electrical attraction and bound. In fact, according to the Canadian Journal of Microbiology (2), bentonite clay can reportedly absorb pathogenic viruses, as well as herbicides and pesticides. The bentonite is eventually eliminated from the body with the toxins bound to its multiple surfaces.
How to take the bentonite
It is generally advisable to start with 1 tablespoon of bentonite clay daily, mixed with a small amount of juice. Pay attention to the results for a week, then gradually increase the dosage to no more than 4 tablespoons daily, in divided doses.
The best way to drink bentonite is on an empty stomach, or at least 1 hour before or after meals. Bentonite typically is available as a thick tasteless grey gel, but it also comes encapsulated, as well as in powder form. Use in combination with a psyllium-based product for best results.
Cascara Sagrada and Senna for colon health
Available commercially under brandnames Health Direct Sculpt'N Cleanse Colon Cleansing Formula, Natural Balance Colon Clenz and many others
As a nutritional support for the eliminative function, the bark of Cascara Sagrada has been used by cultures around the world, including the North American Indians and American settlers. Spanish missionaries noticed its use among the Indians and called it "sacred", hence its Spanish name. Cascara Sagrada helps in painless evacuations. After extended usage, the bowels will function regularly and naturally from its tonic effects. One of nature's most gentle and effective laxatives, Cascara Sagrada stimulates a sluggish colon while producing a tonifying effect. It is one of the most preferred herbal remedies for chronic constipation.
Cascara Sagrada is known as a cathartic (laxative) herb. It contains substances called "anthraquinones" which are responsible for this cathartic action. The anthraquinones in the Cascara Sagrada are oxidized in the intestine. The oxidation process produces a substance which stimulates peristalsis (the moving of the bowels), resulting in the laxative properties. The anthraquinones have also exhibited potent antibacterial properties against intestinal bacteria. Cascara is not thought to be habit-forming and has been shown to restore natural tone to the colon.
Senna is a stimulating and powerful purgative that promotes the vigorous evacuation of the bowels and is very helpful in relieving severe constipation or when an easily-passed stool is recommended after rectal surgery or prior to a colonoscopy.
Senna is a smallish shrub with an erect, smooth, pale green stem and long, spreading branches, bearing lanceolate leaflets and small flowers; and depending upon the geographic location, the plant may grow anywhere from two to six feet. It is a native of Africa, the Middle East and India, and it was first brought into medicinal use by the ninth-century Arabian physicians, Serapion and Sesue, who gave it its Arabic name and employed it as a purgative. The herb was officially listed in both the British Pharmacopoeia and the United States Pharmacopoeia, and the herb is one of the few herbal medicines approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter use and may be one of the most widely used herbal medicines in the United States. In the United States, Senna leaf, fruit and extract are used in over-the-counter laxatives (e.g., Correctol®, ExLax®, Senokot®, Smooth Move®). Some of the constituents in Senna leaves include anthraquinone compounds, including dianthrone glycosides, sennosides (aloe-emodin derivatives), flavonoids, naphthalene glycosides, mucilage, tannin, resin and beta-sitosterol.
Beneficial Uses:
Senna is an effective and potent purgative with its action being chiefly on the lower bowel. The anthraquinones stimulate the bowel and increase the peristaltic movements of the colon by its local action upon the intestinal wall, leading to evacuation in approximately ten hours. The herb has been recommended for people who require a soft, easily-passed stool, especially when following rectal surgery or preparing for a colonoscopy). This active purgative principle (a glycoside) was discovered in 1866.
By cleansing the colon, Senna may have positive results in improving skin afflictions (acne, rashes, etc.) and helping in cases of obesity.
This article should not be taken as medical advice, and these products should be used only by healthy individuals. Follow label directions.