Colon Cleanse » healthy diet

How can you safely cleanse your colon?

Beth — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:29:37 +0000

The colon is a tube shaped organ that starts at the end of the small intestine and extends down to the anus. It can measure approximately 5 feet long. It has the important job of removing water and nutrients from your food and store the rest as waste, moving it out of your system.

Woman Eating Vegetable

As the colon’s job is to remove waste, you may also need to perform a cleanse to keep your colon clean and remove excess waste.

A cleanse is used to flush your system of all toxic waste that may have accumulated in your colon. It has also been shown to help improve your immune system, help you lose weight, and improve your general well being.

The best way to keep your colon cleansed and the most natural way is to eat a healthy diet. In adding fiber, such as cereal and whole grains, bran, fruits, vegetables or oatmeal, you can help with many of your gastrointestinal problems. It is also important to drink plenty of fluids, but limit the use of alcohol and smoking.

After changing your diet, there are many other natural ways to cleanse your colon, which include:

enemas or colonics
laxatives
strong herbal teas
enzymes
powders

An enema or a colonic is a procedure that forces water in through the rectum into the colon and flushes it out. With an enema, the force of the water cleanses the colon and allows you to remove the excess waste on your own. With a colonic, the excess waste is forced through your body and exits by tubing inserted into your bowels to remove feces. If you prefer a colonic, you will need to see a physician for this procedure.

Laxatives may be another way to cleanse the colon. Laxatives are usually a medication taken by mouth and will soften stool and contract the intestinal muscles to lead to a bowel movement. This method is usually helpful for constipation. Consistent use is not recommended, as it may lead to dehydration or in the extreme eating disorders.

In a more natural approach, you can try natural supplements. There are various supplements that help naturally. First, you can try fennel, which is a natural diuretic. It can rid your body of excess water and strengthen the walls of the bladder. Another possibility is birch extracts, which are also detoxifying. Birch can be taken in a pill form.

Lemons can also be used to cleanse the colon. The lemon contains natural enzymes and vitamin C. This combination can neutralize bacteria already in your body and strengthen the immune system.

As stated above, fiber is one of the most important parts of your diet. If you are unable to get enough fiber in a regular diet, there are ready-made fiber drinks that can add extra fiber. There are also powders that you can add to your drink to add extra fiber. Again, the extra fiber helps with bowel movements.

How Can Foods Heal Your Colon

Beth — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:51:45 +0000

Blackberries

One of the best techniques for thoroughly and healthily healing your colon is to watch what you’re putting into your belly. There are several different approaches to colon cleansing through food. You must choose the healthiest choice, which fits your particularly individual lifestyle.

Lack of certain types of foods will help to clear out your colon. This is referred to as fasting. Some experts refer to this part of a colon cleanser as a detox phase. This method typically refers to being on a juice diet for approximately one week. Some people will stay on a juice fast for two to three weeks, but this is a matter of personal preference. You can typically use either fruit juices or vegetable juices or a combination of both. Most people cannot handle the thought of going on a pure juice fast for a week, let alone a couple of days.

The best foods to stick to when cleansing your colon and detoxifying your body are foods that are packed full of fiber, like whole grain foods and green leafy vegetables. These types of foods are naturally packed full of fiber. Flax seed is especially good for colon cleansing and can be added to cereals, drinks and yogurt. Make sure you eat plenty of fresh green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli and salad greens.

Fruit is absolutely delicious when it comes to cleansing the colon for healing. Blackberries are an excellent choice! They have eight grams of fiber per cup! This type of natural fiber does wonders for cleansing and healing the colon naturally. Prunes and prune juice are also very beneficial and an age-old cure for constipation! Since constipation prevention is part of colon cleansing, you should be able to see why you would benefit from eating prunes and drinking prune juice.

By choosing the correct foods and liquids to eat throughout your colon cleansing, you will be choosing a healthy diet that will benefit your entire body. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water, at least six to eight glasses of water a day. For added benefit, try adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to each glass of water. This will also help to release additional water retention from the body and to cleanse and detoxify the whole body. Apple cider vinegar is excellent for getting rid of fungi and other infections and is overall healthy for everyone. It is somewhat of an acquired taste, but if you eat vinegar-based salad dressings, you can get used to drinking vinegar water.

Finally, make sure you are getting plenty of regular exercise. Exercise is an important component to not only losing weight and staying healthy, but also for cleansing the colon and ensuring that the body is working correctly.

Foods and Your Colon: What to Avoid and What to Eat

Beth — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:43:21 +0000

Salad

The foods and liquids you put into your body are important. Making the wrong choices can cause colon problems, constipation and an array of health issues. No one wants to deal with those types of issues and they can be disrupted throughout the day.

Your colon is important and vital to your overall health. Unfortunately, some of us do not realize the significance of a healthy colon. By incorporating certain healthy foods into your day-to-day diet, you’ll be doing your colon a favor.

Believe it or not, a raw egg yolk is probably one of the most effective ways to cleanse your colon. The egg yolk contains many different important vitamins and minerals, which your body requires to stay healthy. Try eating just one egg yolk a day and see if it doesn’t make a difference. If your body is responding positively, try increasing the amount of egg yolks you are eating a day.

Fish oil, coconut oil, cod liver oil and olive oil are excellent for cleansing your colon. Spread it over a serving of green salad greens. Begin with a gradual amount and work up to eating more and more.

Yeast flakes are almost as good as raw egg yolks. There are many important vitamin B in yeast flakes. If for some reason you cannot stand the thought of eating a raw egg yolk, use yeast flakes instead.

Incorporating a healthy diet and a lot of exercise is also part of a good colon cleansing program. Sometimes, talking to your doctor about what medications you can switch away from can also be helpful. While cleansing your colon, you may feel fatigued, sluggish and tired. This is completely normal as your body releases toxins back into your body as it is fighting getting rid of the negative stuff!

Your diet should primarily consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds and beans. These particular foods are rich in fiber and soluble water. They will also help prevent constipation, which is extremely important. Green foods are especially wonderful for a colon cleansing diet. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water too. You should be drinking at least six to eight glasses of water a day.

You also might try doing an enema at home. This can help to completely detoxify your colon. Enema water helps to flush out the toxins. Adding coffee to your enema water with make it even more useful and beneficial to you. A coffee enema is an excellent detoxifier for your liver as well. Make sure you stay away from a lot of dairy products, fried foods and foods that are high in protein. Plan your diet carefully and exercise regularly.

Can you Cleanse your Colon with Diet Alone?

Beth — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:30:52 +0000

Young Woman Eating a Pear

The colon is in charge of elimination of waste. It is thought that as your colon works to digest all the bad foods that we eat, it is unable to digest everything. This causes a build-up. This build-up produces toxins or bad bacteria, which can enter further into the body through the blood circulation causing even more problems. Therefore, the colon can be overtaxed and in need of a thorough cleansing. However, a colon cleanse does not have to be drastic, such as an enema or a starvation diet.

There is a simple way to cleanse your body and begin a healthy diet at the same time.

This type of cleansing starts with eating all raw, frozen, or lightly steamed fruits and veggies. Drink only water, raw fruit juices or green tea. And eliminate breads, pasta, dairy products, meat, coffee and alcohol.

While normally with a diet, you are told what to eat with a colon cleanse, it is helpful to tell you what not to eat. In the beginning, you should spend at least a week beginning to eliminate foods.

These foods and beverages are vital to cleansing your colon. You should immediately eliminate the following:

Alcohol
Caffeine
Candy and chocolate
Soft drinks
Sweeteners (sugar, fructose, dextrose, and artificial sweeteners)
Processed foods
Deep fried foods

In simply making these small changes, you may start to feel better including more energized and even healthier.

The next step is to add in the right foods. The best foods you can eat are all organic fruits and vegetables. Fruits are a great option, as they contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The inside of the fruit is soluble and the skin is insoluble. Therefore, the best fruits you can eat are ones with skin, such as:

Apples
Pears
Raspberries
Blueberries
Peaches
Apricots

When eating vegetables, raw vegetables are usually your best source. However, you can cook your vegetables, just be sure not to overcook to the point where the vegetables become soft, as they might lose some of the benefits. Good cooked vegetables are:

Cabbage
Broccoli
Celery
Corn
Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Onions

And of course, snacks, which are very important to a diet. There are many healthy snacks that are also high in fiber. These include:

Popcorn
Nuts
Peanut Butter
Sunflower seeds

While you may not want to sustain a diet of vegetables and fruit only, you can eat fiber filled cereals such as bran or natural oatmeal. You can also still eat meat, but possible cut your intake. You should eat a small piece of meat with the above vegetables and fruits or a salad. This fiber will help regulate the meat that you are eating. These changes can help to cleanse your colon and aid with digestion.

Can my diet help control Candida growth?

Beth — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:58:44 +0000

Young woman picking at a bowl of nuts

Candida is a fungus that grows in the mouth, throat, gastrointestinal tract and vagina. When Candida overgrows in the body, it can cause illnesses such as thrush and candidiasis, which is essentially a yeast infection. There are ways to avoid Candida growth, including changing your diet.

If you suffer from Candida or yeast infections, you should avoid certain foods.

First, cut out all sugars and sugar-containing foods. Yeasts feed on and derive their energy from sugar. The yeast can ferment the sugars to produce ethanol or alcohol, as well as a more serious toxic chemical, acetaldehyde. By reducing the amount of sugar in your diet, you will be able to reduce the amount of sugars available in your intestines. Starches, carbohydrates, and alcohol, which also break down into sugar in the body should be avoided.

In purchasing foods you should be aware that there are many different substances that are high in sugar. You should avoid the following ingredients: fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, mannitol, sorbitol, and sucrose, along with honey, maple syrup, and molasses.

Many processed and packaged foods, since as readymade meals, canned dinners also contain an exorbitant amount of sugar and should be eliminated from your diet.

Other products that should be avoided are food items that already contain yeast or mold. If you already have an intestinal overgrowth of yeast, your immune system reactions will not be able to deal with the intense levels of yeast. These yeast containing products include:

Alcoholic beverages
Cheeses, buttermilk, sour cream, and sour milk products
Condiments – vinegar and vinegar-containing foods such as mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, relishes, and soy sauce
Dried fruits – apricots, dates, figs, prunes, raisins, etc.
Edible fungi – all types of mushrooms and truffles
Malt products – candy, cereals, and malted milk drinks
Packaged fruit juices (may contain mold)

The following should be eaten in moderation only:

Grains – corn, barley, millet, oats, rice, wheat
High carbohydrate vegetables – beans, parsnips, peas, potatoes, squashes, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, and turnips
Fruit juices

So with all these limitations, what are you supposed to eat? While it seems like you are removing many things from your diet, there is many stuff you can eat. Stick with the healthy foods:

Vegetables
Nuts and seeds
Whole grains
Eggs
Yogurt (one of the best kind for this case might be Dannon Activia)
Meats, poultry, and fish
Butter
Fresh fruit

As this is a normal healthy diet, it may be something you want to stick with. However, to reduce yeast overgrowth, it is important to remove yeast inducing products for at least three to four weeks. In doing so, along with removing the immediate yeast infection, you may also be able to eliminate the underlying problem which makes your infection reoccurring.

A healthy diet and a healthy colon

Beth — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 05:13:46 +0000

Young woman eating apple

The best thing you can eat to keep your colon healthy is fiber. Fiber aids in easy digestion, along with regular bowel movements, which leads to a clean colon.

As fiber is a staple item to good colon health, you should read labels and choose the right foods. A woman should eat 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day and a man 30 to38 grams a day.

How much fiber is in the typical foods you eat?

The best foods for a high fiber diet include fruits, vegetables, and grains. In making the right combination of foods, you can very easily sustain a high fiber diet.

Here are some examples of common foods and their total fiber in grams:

Apple with skin 4.4 grams
Strawberries (1 cup) 3.3
Banana 3.1
Orange 3.1
Raspberries (1 cup) 8.0
Spaghetti (1 cup) whole wheat 6.3
Bran flakes (3/4 cup) 5.1
Brown rice (1 cup) 3.5
Bread, whole wheat or rye 1.9
Split Peas (1 cup) 16.3
Black beans (1 cup) 15.0
Artichokes (cooked) 10.3
Sweet corn (1 cup) 4.6
Broccoli (1 cup) 5.1

As you can see with these numbers, in just adding some of these food items to your diet, you will already be a step ahead of the game. If you have a strong diet consisting of mostly fruits and vegetables, you can be on your way to a healthy colon.

There are many arguments that suggest that a vegetarian diet is the best for a healthy colon. Meat is hard to digest, while vegetables are easy to digest. You can see from the numbers above, this may be true as the high fiber foods are all vegetarian.

Although these foods are good for you health, you cannot move immediately to an all fiber diet or you may have the opposite results, such as bloating and cramping. You should gradually increase fiber in your diet over a period of a few weeks. While doing this, your body and your digestive system can adjust. Along with changing your diet, you also need to increase your water intake. Fiber works better when it absorbs water. With the water, your stool will be soft versus without water, it can lead to constipation.

As always, you should consult a doctor if you have any problems, but if you gradually ease into a healthy diet with high fiber components, you can be on your way to a healthier colon.

Colon Cleanse » healthy diet

How can you safely cleanse your colon?

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How Can Foods Heal Your Colon

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Foods and Your Colon: What to Avoid and What to Eat

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Can you Cleanse your Colon with Diet Alone?

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Can my diet help control Candida growth?

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A healthy diet and a healthy colon

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