CLEANSING YOUR COLON CAN
CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Frank Arrigazzi outlines the benefits of this ancient healing art.
“Flush this waste out and your blood is much
cleaner, which can have profound effects.”
Colon cleansing is a health practice that has been around for thousands of years. A century
ago, it was part of conventional medicine, and in some countries it still is. However, for most people
in the Western world today, the very word “colon” causes such embarrassment they will go to
great lengths to avoid any discussion of this organ or its functions.
I don’t share this squeamishness. Colon cleansing is something I’ve long been passionate about
and was introduced to at a very young age. My father, who had a holistic clinic in Spain, was one
of the pioneers who introduced colonics to the United Kingdom.
In very simple terms, the way we live today causes waste to accumulate in the colon, and the
elimination of this waste is essential for health. Dr Bernard Jensen was one of the world’s foremost
proponents of colon cleansing and toiled until his nineties to spread a message of health and
wellbeing.
He wrote: “People who consume a diet of pure, whole and natural foods usually have a bowel
movement about half an hour following each meal but Westerners who consume many processed
and devitalised foods are happy to attain one bowel movement a day.”
But clearly many are not happy with the number of bowel movements they’re managing. In 2009,
a staggering 14.8 million packs of laxatives were sold in the UK alone. As Dr Jensen also wrote,
“Laxatives, in order to evacuate the colon, are essentially poisons and irritants. They contribute
nothing to the restoration of the normal or natural process of defecation.”
The effects of a clogged-up colon
Cleansing your colon is far more important to your health, beauty and wellbeing than you may
have imagined. In the words of another natural health pioneer, Dr Norman Walker, “The very best
of diets can be no better than the very worst if the sewage system of the colon is clogged with a
collection of waste.”
One reason for this is that it hinders the absorption of essential nutrients. Among other things, this
leaves the body
unsatisfied after meals, which can lead to food cravings and overeating. It also promotes weight
gain in a second way. When waste accumulates in the colon, it ferments and putrefies, which can
slow down metabolism and lead to the accumulation of fat.
As well as weight gain, other early indications of a colon in trouble include a coated tongue, bad
breath, offensive body odour, bloating, headaches and irritability. Problem skin is another common
tell-tale sign. The skin is the largest excretory organ in the body and once you’ve cleaned your
colon one of the first benefits you will enjoy will be a much clearer, brighter complexion with a
healthier colour to it.
But the skin isn’t the only organ to suffer when the colon can’t cope. The liver, kidneys and lungs
also shoulder an added burden, as do entire systems of your body, including the lymphatic and
circulatory systems.
For example, when toxic waste is backed up in the colon, toxins will be absorbed back into the
bloodstream. Flush this waste out and your blood is much cleaner, which can have profound
effects.
It’s no wonder people often report the following happy effects of colon cleansing (among others):
sudden increases of energy, needing less sleep, and greater mental clarity.
How to cleanse your colon
I suggest booking in for a colonic – also called colonic irrigation or colon hydrotherapy. This
treatment uses water to cleanse the entire length of the colon in a continuous flow.
A colonic usually lasts 45 minutes to an hour. A small speculum is inserted into the rectum. This
speculum is then attached to a plastic hose which connects to the colonic machine. The colonic
therapist is able to adjust the volume and temperature of the water coming out of the machine,
through the hose and into the patient’s colon.
Although this may sound alarming if you’ve never had it done, it is both safe and gentle, and a
trained therapist will be skilled at putting you at your ease and minimising any discomfort.
Most people actually enjoy their colonics and are especially pleased with the unaccustomed
sensation of feeling so light, clean and clear afterwards.
The at-home version is an enema, where you use an inexpensive kit to introduce two litres of water
into the bowel. An enema will flush out the rectum and a small part of the descending colon;
however, unlike a colonic, it doesn’t reach the transverse and ascending portions of the colon.
My advice? Combine both of these cleansing methods with a high-raw, whole-foods diet. I
encourage you to research, experiment and find out what works for you.
Frank Arrigazzi
is a London-based yoga instructor who teaches mainly one on one. He is also a health writer and the
founder of the Purple Balance superfood formula. For more information visit
www.purplebalancesuperfoods.com
Article from Get Fresh Magazine - http://www.fresh-network.com