Detox With Colonic Cleanse

Detoxification involves removing toxins from the body that come from exposure to environmental toxins, heavy metals such as fluoride in drinking water and the pesticides sprayed on many vegetables, grains and fruits. Using a colonic cleanse can help remove these toxins.

Types

• Using a colonic cleanse can help remove toxins from the colon before they are absorbed into the bloodstream. You could get a colonic by going to a hydrotherapy clinic where a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) or a licensed hydrocolontherapist will use special machines to introduce liquid into the large colon to prompt bowel movements, thereby removing waste.

  Colonic therapies often cost $110 or more per visit, and several visits are often needed for optimal results. Using commercial detox teas that are directed at cleansing the colon are easily available online and at health-food stores. There are also colon-cleansing supplements that often contain senna and other herbs designed to clear the colon of lingering waste products.

Health Concerns

• Consult your doctor before doing any colonic cleansing if you have a personal or family history of chronic irregularity; eating disorders; colon cancer; diverticulosis; or chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, leaky gut syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome or liver problems.

  If you elect to use a professional colonic, make certain they use filtered water to reduce the risk of waterborne parasites such as giardia (which is common in tap water) as well as disposable tips for the colonic machine, which are inserted into the body for each client.

  If you use commercial detox teas or colon cleansers, do not exceed the recommended dosage to prevent diarrhea and dehydration.

How Often?

• Some people make it a practice to do colonic cleanses between the seasons during the spring, summer, fall and winter equinoxes in order to clear the body. This is also one way to also help improve digestion of seasonal foods that vary with each change of season: for example, eating winter squash in December or cherries in July.