CLEANSE
YOUR GUT: HEAL YOUR BODY
(BENEFITS
OF A 4-PRONGED APPROACH TO BODY DETOX)
The gut is the primary gateway as well as a vital protective
barrier for the body. It is the access for all nutrients as well as a
protection against toxins and harmful organisms like bacteria and fungi. The
toxins the gut must contend with are not only those that we take in our foods
and drinks but also toxins produced in the gut itself as well as those dumped
into it by the liver through the bile.
Not only is the gut the gateway to all nutrients it also has
to be able to efficiently carry out the digestive process that gives rise to
the absorbable nutrients as well as synthesize some of the vital nutrients
themselves.
In addition the gut contains some 100 trillion bacteria
(more than there are body cells) that make up the gut flora. Most of these
bacteria are good and are therefore called probiotics, whilst some of them are
harmful and disease-causing. One of the roles of the probiotics is to keep the
harmful bacteria under check. These
probiotics also have many other roles to enhance health, prevent disease and
bring about healing. They help complete digestion in the colon and get energy
out of yet undigested carbohydrates. They synthesize vitamins like B1, B2, B12
and K. They play a role in metabolism as in cholesterol balance. They also play
a role in cancer prevention and modulation of inflammation. They even impact
our mental and emotional state.
The gut is also very rich in immune cells that curb
injurious organisms, keep allergic and inflammatory reactions under check and
play a role in the in the prevention of cancer.
The gut indeed, when you come to think of it, plays vital
roles in all the routes to total wellness according to Dr Pizzorno namely: 1.
Strengthening the immune system 2. Decreasing Toxicity 3. Normalizing
inflammation 4. Optimizing metabolic function 5.Balancing regulatory system 6.
Enhancing regeneration and 7. Living in
harmony with your life force.
Little wonder then it has been said that health begins in
the gut and a Chinese saying goes thus: “Death begins in the colon”
Vital as the health of the gut is to
our health, however, we have allowed a lot to go wrong there. Our
modern lifestyle has taken its huge toll on our digestive, absorptive and all
other know functions of the gut... Refined, processed, foods with low-fiber and
low nutrient contents and loads of toxic substances are some of the culprits.
So are excessive animal fats and markedly out of balance Omega-6 to Omega-3
ratios. Lack of exercise from a
sedentary lifestyle and overwhelming stress also add their quota to our present
gut ill health and overall health crisis.
Consider that a sluggish bowel
can retain pounds of old toxic fecal matter (2--3 pounds is common, 10--20
pounds is not as unusual as you might think, and up to 65 pounds has actually
been reported in exceptional cases). Often, the real cause behind sickness and
disease is this retention and reabsorption of built-up toxic waste.
The result of the ill health of
the gut is most readily seen in the colon with the polyps, pouches (diverticula),
with or without inflammation, and sometimes even prolapse of the colon itself.
A 4-pronged approach is
therefore recommended for gut cleansing and restoration of gut health with
resulting body detox and healing.
1. Dietary approach that
avoids or at least minimizes refined, processed foods like white flour, white
sugar and also dairy, alcohol and coffee. Certain foods are known to help with
detox as they contain sulphoraphanes
that help the body in detoxification. Examples include the brassica family
vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Other
detoxifying foods are rich in chlorophyll that reduces absorption of toxins and
also increases their elimination. These include dark green vegetables including
spinach, kale, wheatgrass and seaweed. Also food high in fiber are vital for gut
health and detox like: Apples, berries, brown rice, flaxseed and green
vegetables.
2. Judicious use of natural laxatives and fiber
supplements. Examples of natural laxative are Aloe cape, Aloe Vera (both of
which contain anthraquinones), and also senna and cascara sagrada. Some very
useful supplements that are sources of fiber are psyllium husks, flaxseed and
apple pectin. The fiber in these supplements help absorb proportionately huge
loads of toxins and enhance the movement of the contents of the gut for better
excretion of toxins.
3.
Use of
probiotics. These probiotics owe their health-promoting roles to their
abilities to: enhance digestion and absorption, synthesize vitamins B and K, lower cholesterol and
triglycerides, lower BP, lower stress, produce natural antibiotics, keep bad
bacteria and fungi under check, detoxify cancer-causing agents, maintain the
integrity of the gut lining and enhance immune function.
Many things can harm these probiotics and
disrupt their function, however. These include antibiotics, pesticides and
stress itself. .Just like stress can adversely affect these probiotics so can
an imbalance in their population and a disruption of their function also cause
stress. This is because of the reciprocal connection and influence between the
brain and the gut. When due to inflammation or damage in the gut some immune
signaling chemicals called cytokines are released, these chemical get to the
brain. There they set off processes that are known to affect our mental and emotional
states. Also the nervous transmissions going on in the gut and which depend on
the balance of neurotransmitters and other factors, get communicated to the
brain. This way they also powerfully affecting our mental state, mood and
emotions. In support of this gut-brain influence is the fact that stimulating
the vagus nerve, for example, is known to alleviate depression. Further, it has
been clearly demonstrated that the supplementation of certain probiotics has
been known to reduce stress.
Supplementation with probiotics therefore
constitutes one of the pillars of gut health and overall health and with some
specially formulated probiotics products for stress modulation and brain health
specifically (Forever Active
Probiotic ProBrainBiotics)
4. Washing out the colon: From
time to time great relief comes from actually washing out the colon and ridding
it of the huge toxic load that it sometimes carries in our day and age when as
said above 10-20 pounds of fecal matter content in the colon is not uncommon!
Some of the commonest immediate experiences of
those having colonic irrigation include: feeling light, having more energy,
sleeping better, clearer thinking, odd aches and pains disappearing, glowing
skin, sparkling eyes and the relative ability to keep the weight down easier.
Colonic irrigation has been a very good adjunct
to the management of many diseases.
