How Often Should One Cleanse the Bowel?

Bowel cleansing, also known as colon cleansing, is essential, if not foundational, to any natural-healing protocol. Regular bowel cleansing causes people to lose unwanted weight and increases circulation. It relieves pressure from other internal organs and aids in their proper function. The natural ingredients found in good colon-cleanse products draw out old fecal material, metals like mercury and aluminum, and even old prescription-drug residue. If you are willing to spend the time and effort to do a really good colon cleanse and then keep your body "clean" afterward by adopting a healthy lifestyle, you will have more energy, will look and feel better, and many diseases can be prevented.

An alternative to herbal cleanses is colon hydrotherapy. The procedure is different from colon-cleanse products, but the results are no less effective.

Please seek the advice of a trusted health-care professional before attempting any form of self-treatment.

• Lose Weight and Gain Health with Regular Colon Cleansing

How Often for Herbal Cleanses?

• Obviously, you will do a colon cleanse at least once. The best, and most effective bowel cleanses on the market take at least a month to do properly. Once you have completed your initial bowel cleanse, you have a choice of either repeating the same cleanse immediately, or doing it seasonally for "maintenance." You will have to change your diet and lifestyle along with cleansing, or you will not see any benefit of colon cleansing at all.

How Often for Colon Hydrotherapy?

• Colon hydrotherapy, or colonic irrigation, is usually performed in a series of ten visits to be really effective. Clients can make appointments daily, two or three times a week, weekly, or whenever they can find the time. Each visit takes about an hour to complete.

Which Is Best?

• This is entirely up to you. There are benefits to both forms of colon cleansing, and you may find that doing both in tandem is most effective. Try one type of colon cleansing and then the other, and see which one you like best.

About Herbal Cleanses

• Really great herbal cleanses usually take a month to do, and include two parts: an intestinal stimulant, which causes an increase in the peristaltic action of the large intestines, and a series of shakes, which combine herbs and bentonite clay, which draws old, dried fecal material and toxins out of bowel pockets where they can become trapped.

  One company describes the stages in a thorough bowel cleanse this way:

  1. Stimulate peristaltic action of the large intestines. Assist the breaking up of waste material. Rid the body of mucoid plaque. Cleanse the blood, tissues, lymphatic system. The person moves to a high fiber, high raw fruit and vegetable, preferably vegetarian diet, eats three meals a day, and begins drinking at least a half gallon of water daily. This stage takes one-to-two weeks to accomplish.

  2. Balance energy. During colon detoxing, many old toxins are released that can go into the bloodstream. Many people report feeling tired or having low energy on a colon cleanse, and they quit. The top colon cleanses use herbs to give more energy during the detox.

  3. Add probiotics to nourish and balance the digestive tract. L. acidophilus, L. salivarius and bifidobacterium strains attach better to human cells.

  4. A "P and B shake" is essential to "vacuum" old, dried fecal material out of bowel crevices and pockets. The "P" stands for psyllium husks and seeds, which act like an herbal scrub brush. The "B" stands for bentonite clay, which is a form of volcanic ash. It acts like a sponge to soak up toxins. Some companies substitute herbs in the place of clay. Other herbs are added to the shake to soothe and heal the colon during the detox.

About Colon Hydrotherapy

• An excellent resource for colonic irrigation is The Colon Therapists Network. Cheryl Ashby, C.C.T., states that "the average American does not have a healthy colon." She blames the typical American diet of high trans fats, low fiber and junk food as the culprit behind an unhealthy colon. She says the classic sign of colon toxicity is a potbelly. A toxic colon can lead to all kinds of serious diseases, including cancer. Fortunately, cleansing the colon is very easy with a series of colonics and a new health regime. This includes a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthful fats, getting plenty of exercise, fresh air and sunshine, drinking lots of purified water and avoiding stress.