Colonics-benefit Or Harm

Colonics, also known as colon hydrotherapy or colonic irrigation, involve the use of warm, sterile water which is inserted into the rectum through a flexible tube in order to wash out waste products from the colon, the final section of the intestines.

A colonic is simply a large enema designed to cleanse the whole colon from waste products, including stored fecal matter, gas, mucus and other toxins.

Colonics are in vogue as an alternative therapy treatment but have had their share of opponents who do not advocate its use.

However there are strong advocates of the usefulness of colonics and those advocates of colonics believe that when administered utilizing sterile equipment they can be useful to rid the body of toxins built up in the colon and to restore the normal muscle activity of the colon.

The process of a colonic is not meant to be painful but there are many who feel it is indeed uncomfortable, costly and not to mention embarrassing.

During the high colonic procedure, which typically takes about thirty to sixty minutes, a small tube is inserted into the rectum, some clinics suggest interesting the tube up to twenty inches. This tube is then connected to a plastic hose and the hose is then connected to a colonic irrigation machine.

Purified water is allowed to flow through the hose and tubing to flush out all five feet of the colon. The infusion of water causes the muscles that line the colon to contract and expand rhythmically forcing out fecal matter, gas, and mucus through an evacuation tube that leads back to the machine.

Herbs and extracts or coffee can be added to the water to improve the efficiency of the procedure. After the first infusion of water has been expelled, the procedure is repeated until twenty to thirty gallons of water have been flushed through the bowel thoroughly washing out the colon.

Whether a colonic is for you or not is a decision only you can make.

There are many anecdotal stories the both support and negate colonics.

Only you can make the decision that is right for you. It is important to remember that currently there is no evidence that exists to support the use of colon therapy, and treatment can cause infection and mineral and electrolyte imbalances that can be dangerous.

The Benefits of a Cleanse

Taking a break is something we could all use. But when life doesn’t allow us the luxury, we need to make sure that we’re doing something to help our bodies keep up. With a cleanse, you can enable your body to withstand the rigors of your busy life, while also protecting it from the damage that you might have already caused. Our bodies aren’t made to last forever, but they can certainly last longer when we think about a detox cleanse.

Why you need to detox from time to time

Think about the trash can in your home. When it gets to be too full, you empty it. That seems simple enough. What you might want to consider is that your body acts in much the same way, storing trash and toxins until it gets too full and needs to be emptied. Some of us react to this build up by having digestive troubles, while others of us can become tired and lethargic. Instead of waiting for your body to react, you can be proactive by doing some sort of detox body cleanse plan that will help the trash be taken out more frequently.

When toxins accumulate in our bodies, a number of things can occur. For one, you might notice swelling in your extremities, you might see that your face is puffy or that your digestion is slower. While these seem like smaller problems, without a detox cleanse routine, these toxins will back up into vital organs like the kidneys and colon, causing more problems than just simple fatigue.

Cleansing gives you energy

When you embark on a simple cleanse, you will see the increase in your body’s energy nearly immediately. Because your body isn’t adding to the problems it already has, your body is able to start working on the problems that are present and solving them. For example, simply fasting for one day (assuming that your doctor approves it) will allow your digestive system to rest and work on the food that is still in there. It’s a known fact that most of us have days worth of food in our intestines, so every now and then, they need a detox cleanse. Or you can buy a footbath cleansing systems such as the Ioncleanse that will help you rid your body of impurities that build up over time.

Cleansing lets your digestion be more efficient

Instead of having constipation, a colon detox program can help move things along at more normal pace. By following a detox cleansing diet, for example, you can introduce foods that digest easily as well as deposit fiber in the digestive tract, helping to scrape away any residue in the large intestine that might be slowing things down. You might also want to try a colon detox supplement that will help to compact the remaining fecal matter in your intestine so that it is removed entirely from your body.

Cleansing removes harmful chemicals

Due to the processed foods that we love and eat, our bodies can need a detox cleanse routine more than you can imagine. These chemicals can build up in your body and start to damage the DNA in your cells, possibly causing cancerous cells to form. When you create the time for a detox body cleanse on a regular basis, you will prevent his kind of chemical build up and possibly head off more dangerous diseases. Of course, you can help this process by limiting the chemicals you take in as well.

Colon Cleanse your Way to Health

The health & wellness arena has been a popular subject in recent years. Perhaps because of the growing problem of obesity, many people have been taking personal responsibility for their own wellness. Many natural heath professionals advise that colon cleansing is the first step to wellness.

Those squeamish like me don’t like to think about our colon and bowels. One of those nasty things that is disgusting to say the least. Yet with all the talk of cleansing your way to good health, this subject deserves a serious eye.

While conducting some online research, I was surprised to discover the wealth of information on the subject of colon cleansing. Many unbiased sources speak highly of the vitures of a clean colon. We should take notice.

Fecal matter often remains on the walls of the intestines. (Even that last sentence makes me cringe, but this information needs to be discussed.) The fecal remains draw parasites of all kinds. Those not averaging one bowel movement a day are more at risk. But even with a daily bowel movement, these parasites can build up.

Parasites in your bowels are obviously harmful to your body and form the foundation of many health problems. Just imagine what happens to rotting food in your garbage can and you’ll get an idea of the seriousness of fecal matter that remains for a lengthy period of time in your bowels.

Health professionals advise that a complete colon cleanse should be conducted yearly if not seasonal. A number of diets and products may be used in the colon cleansing procedure. A few involve fasting, and most involve the intake of one or more natural products. Depending upon the process used, it can take a week to a month to complete your colon cleanse.

Colon Cleanse: Why, How And When?

The colon has an important function in the body. This is to reabsorb the nutrients and water into our bodies and expel toxic matter through bowel movements. When the bowel becomes overwhelmed with toxic build up, problems can surface such as constipation, hemorrhoids and even colon cancer. The most common symptoms of a toxic overload in the body are bad breath, fatigue, allergies, bloating, irritability, depression and infections that occur frequently.

What actually happens is the body absorbs the toxins in the colon and poisons the body. By cleaning the colon regularly, a variety of health-related problems could often be avoided. This type of cleansing is often referred to as detoxification. In order to detoxify your body, reducing the amount of chemicals taken in by the body is a necessity. Reduce the sugars, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco from your diet to help the process along.

Probiotics are also important in the colon cleansing process and will help produce the good bacteria in your intestines that are needed to fight illness and disease in the body.

Colon Cleansing The Natural Way
To cleanse your colon naturally, you will need to begin a cleansing diet, including some natural herbs. Some of the most beneficial herbs to take are psyllium husk, flaxseeds, slippery elm and cascara sagrada.

Other Colon Cleansing Techniques
There are several other ways to clean your colon of toxic build up including colon hydrotherapy, which must be performed by a professional for safety reasons. Colon hydrotherapy will clean the large intestine only. For a full cleansing, an oxygen-based cleanser is also needed. An oxygen-based cleanser application does not require a professional.

Enemas are more commonly associated with the treatment of constipation. Enemas generally only clean the lower colon, so are not always as effective in a complete colon cleanse. Laxatives can be helpful in clearing out the colon, although they do very little in the way of cleansing. Laxatives are also considered to be the most dangerous types of treatments for constipation and cleansing and should not be used regularly.

Colon cleansing is considered to be a very important part of keeping your body healthy and free from disease. Natural supplements, used regularly, will help keep your colon clean and well maintained without the use of harsh chemicals that are likely to add to your toxification problems. Those who are experiencing constipation should make it priority to cleanse their colon, as constipation means that the body is storing the toxic waste, generated by food eaten, in the body for dangerous amounts of time.

If you intend to begin any colon cleansing treatment, especially if you are changing your diet or taking new medications, it is best to consult a health care professional to make sure that the changes will not harm your health.

How To Find Relief From Ibs Constipation

A person, who suffers from irritable bowel syndrome, primarily suffers from one of three symptoms.

1. Diarrhea
2. Alteration of diarrhea and constipation
3. Constipation

Although, it is less common for a person with IBS to suffer from predominant constipation than diarrhea, for those who do, there are ways to find relief from constipation, abdominal pain and bloating.

There are different treatment options – both medicinal and alternative remedies -for those who suffer from constipation. The following is information regarding diverse treatments and what you need to know about each.

Diet
Constipation symptoms may be caused by specific foods that are being ingested. Therefore, try keeping a food diary to find out what foods may not only be making constipation worse, but may help to relieve your symptoms.

For instance, gluten is recognized as one of the leading causes of constipation in IBS sufferers. Therefore, a gluten-free diet may help alleviate symptoms. In order to eliminate gluten from your diet ensure you read food labels to see if gluten is among listed ingredients. However, keep in mind that gluten-free foods tend to be low in fiber. Therefore, you may require other sources of fiber such as eating more fruits and vegetables.

If you are considering a gluten-free diet it’s a good idea to consult a dietitian to find out how effective this diet control is for constipation.

Fiber supplements
Fiber supplements are designed to add bulk to the stool so that waste can travel faster through the intestines. That being said fiber supplements need to be taken with great care, as problems can occur.

For instance, inundating the boy with fiber without sufficient water intake, can cause bloating, gas and make constipation worse. It is imperative to drink plenty of water when taking fiber supplements because fiber absorbs water.

Furthermore, natural fiber sources, such as bran, can aggravate the stomach of an IBS sufferer. This is because bran contains high amounts of wheat and gluten which are not tolerated well by an IBS stomach.

Nonetheless, the right fiber supplement taken as recommended may be helpful in relieving constipation in some sufferers. Fiber supplements such as Metamucil, Konsyl or Citrucel can be found in pharmacies, but it is a good idea to talk to your doctor first and learn more about supplements before starting treatment.

Laxatives
Laxatives are an effective short-term solution for relieving constipation. However, there are different types of laxatives and some are stronger than others. Although laxatives may work in the body differently, depending on the type, each is designed to soften stool so it can slide easier through the intestines. One such laxative that is often recommended to IBS sufferers is milk of magnesia. This is a gentle laxative that is known as a hydrating agent and causes the intestines to retain more water to soften stool.

Laxatives are not recommended for long-term use and can be habit forming. If laxatives are taken for long periods of time, the body will eventually develop immunity and require stronger laxative methods. Prolonged used of laxatives can also make constipation worse and make the body laxative-dependent. Furthermore, be advised that stimulant laxatives such as Ex-lax are powerful and very hard on the system.

Make sure you investigate different over-the-counter laxative products, and speak to your doctor about laxative treatment before using this remedy.

Prescription drugs
Consider talking to you doctor about prescription medication for relief of constipation. Zelnorm is one of the newer drug treatments for IBS constipation and works by increasing stool movement in the bowels. Zelnorm has been found to effectively alleviate abdominal pain, bloating and constipation, and is only prescribed for short-term use.

Finally, regular exercise and drinking plenty of water helps to relieve constipation, and are natural remedies that can be used with any form of constipation treatment.

Recovering From A Heavy Meal With A Good Colon Cleanse

* The Meal. Usually, when you overindulge in food, it is going to be a meal heavy in meat, potatoes, fats (in the meal and dessert). These are all items that are harder for your body to break down, digest and remove.

* The Impact. The initial impact of these types of foods is an impact that you are going to immediately feel. You will be bloated or stuffed and even get cramps and gas as your body tries to break it all down. 

At this point it is important to understand that it takes your intestinal tract two or even three days to process the foods that you eat. Putting a lot of food in, lots of rich foods, can clog up the system and it may even take up to a week to get some of the foods through your intestines. 

Another snag you have caused is that for the most part when people are out and having a great time with good food they eat too quickly. That means there is less chewing than there should be and you will swallow larger than advised pieces of food that will make your body work even harder to break them down.

* Recovery. Once you have over indulged, you may try an easy way out, such as taking an anti-gas medication. While that may relieve the bloating, just removing a little discomfort is not going to really help your body recover from the meal you have taken in.

To really make a difference, you need to help your body in the removal of the food that is backing up in your digestive system.   This is where a colon cleanse comes into play.  You don’t want to let your system clog up and keep the food sticking inside longer than it needs to.  As the food sits in your digestive system it starts to break down and rot. Toxins come off of the breaking down food and can pile up inside your colon. As these toxins are gathering in your system, they can spread into your body and blood and make you ill.   Getting a colon cleanse is a way to give your body aid in removing that rich food and the toxins coming from it. Many people like to wait.  They wait a day or so then finally decide to get a colon cleansing to help their body get rid of all the food remnants.  But the best option is to do this more quickly.    Ideally, it would be best to begin your colon cleanse when you get home the same night you have had the over indulgence.   A gentle, natural colon cleanse is a good way to relieve your system while you sleep.

Best Herbal and Ayurvedic Home Remedies for Constipation

Constipation is the name given to the condition in which a person finds difficulty in passing stools. Ideally, a person must void the wastes of the digestive tract one or two times a day. But in people suffering from constipation, this elimination of wastes becomes highly reduced, or may even be absent for several days together.

Constipation can be the reduction of the normal volume of feces voided, the complete absence of discharge or sticky discharge that the person has difficulty in passing out. In all cases, there is Ayurvedic treatment. Constipation is not a very dangerous ailment if treated properly in time. But if let be, then constipation can become chronic. Especially in elderly people, constipation for a prolonged period can be fatal.

From an Ayurvedic point of view, constipation is a disease caused particularly by the vitiation of the vata dosha. It is called as Anaha in Ayurveda. But the other two doshas can also be responsible for constipation. Constipation caused due to a high pitta dosha is characterized by dry stools. It is felt mostly in the hot months. Constipation caused due to a high kapha dosha is accompanied by pains in passing out the feces, which are sticky. In people with kapha vitiation, the excessive mucus may block the rectal passage which will obstruct the elimination of the wastes.

(1) Useful Herbs in the Treatment of Constipation

- Bael fruit (Aegle marmelos) The fruit of the bael is an effective laxative. The ripe fruit is better at this than the raw one. It has to be used for two to three months. It can be taken in the form of a sherbet. This will dissolve the wastes of the intestines and flush them out of the body.

- Belleric Myroblan (Terminalia belerica) The half ripe fruit of the belleric myroblan is a purgative. It is used in treatment of chronic constipation. However the fully ripe fruit may be disadvantageous to the treatment.

- Cassia (Cassia fistula) The pulp of the ripe fruit of the cassia tree is an effective laxative in the treatment of constipation. This remedy is popular because it has no side effects even when taken by children and pregnant women.

- Castor (Ricinus communis) Castor oil is effective as a purgative. This treatment also has no side effects. It can be taken safely, irrespective of the physiology of the patient and the climatic conditions.

- Chebulic Myroblan (Terminalia chebula) Chebulic myroblan is a mild laxative. Its pulp is taken with rock salt, or flavored with cloves and cinnamon. Regular use of this decoction relieves the person of constipation.

- Chicory (Chichorium intybus) Chicory has natural laxative powers. It can be used in the treatment of chronic constipation problems.

- Isphagula (Plantago ovata) This is the traditionally used remedy in the treatment of constipation. The seeds of this plant have a soothing effect on the mucus lining of the alimentary canal. The seeds must be soaked in water and then taken. Isphagula seeds act by binding the wastes in the alimentary canal and bringing them to a consistency in which they can be eliminated from the body.

- Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Licorice is a laxative. In order to get better benefits, licorice powder is taken with water and jaggery.

- Rhubarb (Rheum emodi) Rhubarb is also commonly used in allopathic medicine for its purgative properties. Rhubarb contains several tannins that are beneficial in voiding the wastes from the alimentary canal. But rhubarb can be used only in simple cases of constipation, and it has no effect in chronic constipation.

(2) Dietary Treatments for Constipation

There are many dietary guidelines for people suffering from constipation. The following are some of them:-

- Water is very important to keep the intestines working well. Drink a glass of water early in the morning. For better results, keep the water overnight in a copper vessel and drink it when you wake up in the morning.

- The food that you consume should not be too dry. It should be vata pacifying. Hence it must contain adequate amounts of oil or ghee in it.

- Take a glassful of warm milk with a teaspoonful of ghee in it when going to bed.

- Avoid rice. Take wheat instead.

- Fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables must be an integral part of the diet. Papaya and sugarcane are especially beneficial. Tomato and beetroot salads are also very beneficial.

- Avoid beans, legumes, grams, cabbages, mushrooms and such foods which are difficult to digest.

(3) Ayurvedic Treatment for Constipation

- The Triphala Choorna is commonly prescribed. It contains a mixture of the three important fruits of amalaki, belleric myroblan and chebulic myroblan.

- Medicines such as Agastya Rasayana, Pancha Sakara Choorna, Abhayadi Modaka, Madhu Yashthayadi Choorna, can strengthen the intestinal valves and hence improve their functions. These treatments are even prescribed in cases of chronic constipation.

- There are some special therapies Ayurveda uses in order to treat the condition of constipation. These therapies are:- a) Vashthi Karma (enema therapy) b) Virechana Karma (purgation therapy)

- In addition, a massage of the abdominal muscles, known as the Udavartana, is also employed if the constipation is chronic. This makes the intestinal muscles stronger and work better in dispelling the wastes.

(4) Home Medications

- Every morning when you wake up, eat two apples. Bite them with the teeth instead of using a knife to cut them into slices.

- Drink a glass of water with a teaspoonful of honey in it at night before going to bed.

- The best and simplest medicine is to drink a glass of lemon juice in water with a pinch of salt in it. This will treat any kind of constipation that may be present.

Treating Infant Constipation Gently And Safely

In this article we will look at infant constipation treatment and how best to deal with constipation when an infant is suffering from it.

The best way in which any parent could treat an infant who is suffering from constipation is by changing the child’s diet. The constipation will not improve without a change of diet and they will also probably be using stool softeners as well.

The goal of any infant constipation treatment is so that the child has 1 or 2 soft stools each day. So why not give them 2 to 4 ounces of water or diluted fruit juice once or twice a day. Or you may want to swap the formula they are drinking at the moment for a soy formula instead.

If however your infant is older than 4 months and suffering from constipation then you may want to try feeding them lots of fiber which are contained in cereals, strained prunes, apricots or spinach.

A great way of helping an infant suffering from constipation is by massaging their stomach. Begin at the belly button and then massage outwards in circles in a clockwise direction. Put some baby oil or cream on your fingers as this will help with the massage. However if your child becomes upset or uncomfortable with the massage then stop it.

Or you try moving your infant’s legs in a cycling motion whilst they are laid on their backs. Just hold their legs and then gently move them in a quick cycling motion. This will cause the stomach muscles to move and this in turn will put gentle pressure on the infant’s intestines and make them move.

Another great way of helping an infant suffering from constipation is to give them a warm bath which will help them to relax and thus their stools will be passed more easily. After the bath and when your infant is more relaxed you could try massaging their stomach again. Also after a bath apply some cream or Vaseline to the area around the infant’s anus. It is important that you do not put a thermometer or anything inside your infant’s anus to stimulate bowel movement as this will only cause damage to your child.

There are a number of different ways as shown above which can be used for infant constipation treatment and as long as you watch what they eat and ensure that they have plenty of fluids they should not suffer with this problem too much.

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