Homemade Formulas for Bowel Cleansing

Bowel cleansing helps reduce compacted feces in the bowels, eliminates toxins and kills bacteria and parasites that develop from foods you consume. Many bowel and colon cleansing formulas are on the market. These cleanses are designed to help you restore your bowels to optimal functioning so that you can feel more energetic, alert and maintain better health. You don't need to spend a lot of money on pre-made bowel cleanses when you can create effective cleanses at home.

Advocating Colon Cleansing

• When you should perform a bowel or colon cleanse is a matter of opinion. Alternative medicine advocates recommend cleansing your system monthly and to use diet and supplements as a regular way to keep up colon health. Thorough cleanses often require a fasting cleanse that eliminates solid food consumption for up to 10 days, as in the Master Cleanse or Fruit Juice diets.

  Doctors such as Michael Picco at the Mayo Clinic warn of the dangers of fasting cleanses. These cleanses are not clinically proven and can cause extreme medical reactions or conditions. Your body may go into starvation mode and you may develop low blood sugar, anemia and dangerous electrolyte imbalances that can lead to cardiac arrest and coma.

  Many advocate a cleanse that helps stimulate the liver, includes foods that are easier to digest and scours the colon to help eliminate compacted feces and toxins, helping the body absorb nutrients more effectively and increase metabolic function. It is feasible to incorporate this type of cleansing as a regular part of your diet.

Homemade Formulas

• Because not all colon cleanses are the same, the type of cleanse you are doing will determine your homemade formula. A fasting cleanse that eliminate solid food will require a homemade juice mixture. The Master Cleanse uses 12 tbsp. of lemon juice, 12 tbsp. of maple syrup and a pinch of cayenne pepper in 2 L of water for your daily supply. The Fruit Juice Diet requires fresh-squeezed juices from a variety of fruits (and vegetables) to diversify nutrients and maximize antioxidants.

  Herbal formulas will use a variety of natural herbs designed to do more than eliminate the stress on the liver and colon (the case with fasting cleanses). These herbal formulas use milk thistle, psyllium, licorice, peppermint, fennel and senna to help the liver produce bile and digest food. Herbs such as wormwood, black walnut and cloves help kill parasites. These formulas work best when consuming a raw diet (unprocessed foods) with moderate protein and high fiber consumption.

  These formulas should be done in moderation, as psyllium and senna in high quantities can be toxic.