Cleansing & Detox Archives – Page 3 of 4

What’s the Most Gentle Colon Cleanse?

Nobody on this earth, in all sincerity, wants to do an enema. I repeat: nobody wants a shove water up his/her you-know-what. If you’re looking for a colon cleanse, I’ll bet on the house you fit in with this category. Luckily, colon cleanses come in all shapes a sizes, but most of them aren’t gentle. They’re usually pretty rough on your body.

Product mentioned in this post:

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My Gentle Cleanse: Bowel relief with a gentle touch.

If you’re new to colon cleansing, WELCOME! You may need to catch up, so here are plenty of useful sources for colon cleansing: How Your Colon Works The Best Colon Cleansing Methods How Colon Cleansing Helps the Skin Great. You’re still here, so I assume you’re an expert at colon cleansing :). My Gentle Cleanse, the product in the image below, is the product I’m going to be talking about. In fact, it’s probably the most gentle cleanse available, and it’s 100% natural.

Normally, colon cleanses work by inducing your body to release its contents–to “flush” your colon out in hyperspeed, kind of like when you eat Indian food and you know you can’t handle the spice. But My Gentle Cleanse works a bit differently: it works alongside your body to help it function better. Technically, it helps your body’s peristaltic actions perform more smoothly by feeding your body helpful, natural herbs. (If you need a reminder, peristalsis is the wave-like movements your bowels perform to push items toward the colon–kind of like doing the worm.)

The Ingredients in the Cleanse

These herbs I’m talking about are, of course, 100% natural. They wouldn’t be called herbs otherwise! Cascara Sagrada, a powerful herb that targets the peristaltic action of the colon. Senna Leaf, a leaf that helps in the gentle alleviation of occasional constipation. Fennel Seed, a seed with antioxidant capacities, which can help reduce bloating and flatulence. Dandelion, a widespread plant that helps contribute to digestive health. Aloe Vera, a famous [and miraculous] plant that helps as a soothing aid in occasional constipation. Because–as I’m sure you know by now–that your body craves natural ingredients. What happens when you feed it meat, potatoes, and Twinkies non-stop? Diarrhea, loss of energy, fatigue, poor skin, etc. We, you and I, know damn well that to treat our colon gently, we also need to drink plenty of water.

Doing a colon cleanse without enough water is like descending a waterslide without water: it will be a raw ass-burn.

You know how to treat your body gently:

Eat fruits and vegetables.
Drink plenty of water.
Exercise moderately.

But for a true colon cleanse, sometimes you need some extra help. Why not treat yourself to a gentle colon cleanse? Treat that body.

Are Probiotics Good for a Colon Cleanse?

You’re looking for the best way to cleanse your body, while trying to sift through the dozens of options–like colon cleansing, juicing, enemas, teas, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, etc. And then you run across this word you’ve seen at least ten times: probiotics. If you think they are bacteria…you’re almost there!

Product mentioned in this post:

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What is a probiotic?

A probiotic is a type of microorganism (a tiny, microscopic organism) that helps your body function in various ways. Its name is of Latin origin, meaning “for life.” These microorganisms aren’t a rarity: they are everywhere in nature. But even though they are bacteria, that doesn’t mean they are “harmful germs.” Despite the word association, people are beginning to favor these bacteria. Data from a 2012 national health survey showed that about 4 million adults had used probiotics in the last 30 days. That’s a lot of people who like bacteria! With that many people interested in probiotics, we must wonder: Are probiotics even good for a colon cleanse?

Yogurt is considered a great source of probiotics.

In the context of a colon cleanse, probiotics are loosely related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). While sellers of supplement-based probiotics would never claim they solve IBS, they’ll place a litany of asterisks next to claims to be safe. There has been quite some research on the relation between probiotics and colon cleansing, but scientists say it’s far from conclusive. Let’s sift fact from fiction about probiotics.

What do probiotics do?

Many look to use probiotics to allieviate a host a health problems, such as…

Digestive disorders like diarrhea or IBS
Allergic disorders like eczema or hay fever
Liver disease
The common cold

The full list is far more exhaustive than this one, but regardless of the length, it’s important to note one thing: Not all probiotics are the same. I’ll show you what I mean. Take this hypothetical example of an advertisement:

See the list of links to the different products at the bottom? Those are Google Adword site-link extensions, and they’re intended to give you multiple options when you see an advertisement. The problem is… you don’t know the difference between Probiotics A, B, or D. While realistically, the advertiser would have differentiated each of them with a unique product name, we can’t know which probiotic does what for which problem. In other words, we’re not sure if the problem we’re trying to fix will be solved by A, B, D, or none of them.

Here’s why:

Depending on the probiotic we use (because there are 10x as many probiotics as there are cells in our body), researchers are unsure which does what, and if it does what they think it does. One type of probiotic may do nothing similar for the body that another probiotic does. It’s like saying since a Corvette and a Buggy are both just vehicles for transportation, they’re the same.

Even if the probiotics look the same, have the same source, and are touted to treat the same ailment–they aren’t. We could be [figuratively] washing our car with dish soap. According to the FDA, no probiotics have been approved as demonstrating substantive treatment of any health problems. In other words, the FDA, the grand arbiter of claims, is not giving us a verdict: so don’t get high hopes about probiotics.

How do probiotics respond to the colon?

As mentioned above, probiotic benefits vary from spectrum to spectrum–but do they interact with the colon? In order to answer what probiotics target, we have to learn [briefly] about process of cleansing the colon. If you look at your body’s digestive process, there are five main processes from start to finish:

1. First, you ingest food or liquid through the mouth (obviously). 2. Second, the food or liquid travels to the stomach to become digested as chyme. 3. Third, the chyme travels through the small intestine for the bulk of its nutrients to be absorbed. 4. Fourth, the chyme travels through the large intestine where the water or any liquids are absorbed. 5. Last, the chyme, now pretty much a ball of waste, is situated in the colon for ejection.

For a fun, interactive look at the colon process, see it here. Probiotics’ role is located in the gut, the stomach. They are responsible for the “gut micro-biota,” some scientists call the “forgotten organ.” When probiotics are used for a colon cleanse, they target these microbiota, which are responsible–or at least largely contribute to–your gut health. But what determines our gut health?

Your gut health at infancy

When you’re first born (oh the good ol’ days), your intestinal tract was sterile. You were CLEAN. Then, your gut was colonized by maternal and environmental bacteria, and then was populated by feeding and other contacts.

You don’t just get your genes from your mom; you get your gut health.

As you age, and as you come into contact with different bacteria, your gut health can decrease. However, because of the motility of your colon–from the pushing function of peristalsis, from bowel movements, and from the various acids in your stomach–your gut is actually quite bacteria free. Relatively, of course. Some studies have demonstrated a possible link between probiotics and long-term impacts to your colonic microbiota–as scientists have long thought that positive effects on the microbiota were transient (that your microbiota always fully recovered). This means there may be a foundation for the gut health from using probiotics.

Should I take probiotics, then?

That is your choice, but I wouldn’t bet on a significant improvement for your colon. If you are looking for something closer to “gut health,” then there are plenty of free alternatives for probiotics. You can eat…

Yogurt
Miso soup
Kefir (fermented milk)
Sourdough
Kombucha
Dark chocolate

But if you’re looking for colon health or a colon cleanse, we highly recommend one of these two natural cleanses: My Gentle Cleanse, a gentle colon cleanse formula made of natural herbs, designed to help alleviate bowel discomfort and irregularity, or… My Gentle Detox, a gentle, herbal detox made for those who suffer from bowel irregularity and need an extra push to achieve bowel relief.

Sources

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/probiotics/introduction.htm https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/NHIS/2012 http://probiotics.org/amazing-facts/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3983973/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664199/

Best Colon Cleanse Methods

As there are many types of toppings for pizza, so are there many, many preferences for a colon cleanse. Some people like plain Jane, run-of-the-mill cheese-only pizza. Some like fishy, briny anchovy pizzas. Some like a farm’s worth of vegetables on their pizza. And some like pineapple on their pizza, but we don’t talk to them. But there are also many types of detox/cleansing methods that we can do to help us live healthier lives. We have to be careful, though, because some of the methods are better than others. You’re catching my drift with the pineapple thing… Let’s talk about some colon cleansing methods to see which one you should or shouldn’t do. Even if it’s touted on a television show or featured on a website with an aptly-worded title, practice healthy skepticism. Before you pursue any one method of detoxing, check here first because, well… You don’t want to be mid-enema and change your mind.

Types of Colon Cleansing

This list does not include home remedies that our moms would force us to do, like using castor oil. Those days are over. THANKFULLY.

Hydrotherapy

Also known an “irrigation cleanse” or “high colonics,” hydrotherapy is a method that will require you to leave your house but take your wallet with you. A colon therapist will use a plastic hose in the rectum to softly flush out waste and determine the health of your colon mostly by assessing the color of the excreted feces.

This procedure, while lasting only an hour, runs the risk of potential perforation in rectal tissue. Not only can the process be damaging, but the fix is not long-term: You would need to punctuate your schedule with frequent visits to the colon therapist, and that rectal ritual gets costly. There are better colon cleanse alternatives to hydrotherapy.

Diet-based

This category hosts the widest array of options: there’s plain ol’ fasting, fruit detoxing, various drink detoxing, fiber-filled diets and more. Diet-based colon cleansing is the most natural of methods, with the caveat that it’s going to be, for most people, one of the most demanding methods. Getting the right diet in this day and age is difficult.

(Then again, there are more vegetarian restaurants in Portland, Oregon than anywhere else in the U.S. You might have an easier time up there.) The easiest method here is seeking out a something that’s already in your food, albeit in lesser amounts: fiber. Commonly called a “bulking agent”, Fiber is often one of the first suggestions by a doctor for a colon cleanse. Fiber is a natural laxative, and it acts as a peristaltic agent that helps move contents in your colon to their porcelain demise. The best sources of fiber as a whole will be grain foods, fruits and vegetables, legumes, and nuts. You can pack your lunches with oats, beans, and fruits for soluble fiber; and by adding wheat and earthier vegetables like carrots or cucumbers you’ll get insoluble fiber. Regardless of the digestive method, it is a healthy way to help you cleanse your colon.

Herbal

An herbal cleanse, may it be under the alias herbal detox cleanse, herbal colon cleanse, colon cleanse supplement, etc., is the act of using naturally formulated pills packed with natural colon cleansing agents to achieve your detox.

Some of the popular ingredients you’ll find in these supplements are Cascara Sagrada, Senna, Dandelion, Artichoke, Fennel, and Milk Thistle; and, for gentler formulas, alleviating agents such as Aloe Vera. The biggest perk about this colon cleansing method is that it’s safe, natural, effective, and can be adjusted to the doses that work best for both your body and your wallet. Vis-a-vis detox methods that must be performed on a schedule, herbal detox supplements allow your colon to be under the auspices of your will: you control your colon health, and your body doesn’t have to be invaded by a tool.

Laxatives

Laxatives, also known as purgatives or aperients, both induce bowel movements and soften the stool, but they are notably artificial and may evoke the imagery of a fire hose. As a colon cleanser, laxatives are less a solution to colon health and more an ad hoc fix.

Because laxatives generally use chemicals to flush out the colon, they are often associated with unforeseen and deleterious effects when used without proper caution. This has caused the FDA to publicly warn consumers of taking over-the-counter laxatives because of the number of people who aren’t reading the Drug Facts labels, which can result in some pretty dangerous consequences.

Enema

Enemas do deserve a mention, but they are not in the same category as methods above. Because they are not performed on a frequent basis and are rather invasive, we don’t consider them a substitute for a detox supplement, for example.

Credit: justdoc.com

Enemas, for some reason not called outemas, involve the placement of water deep within your colon that it may take gravity’s ride back out and flush out the build-up in your colon. Since the tool used for an enema colon cleanse is cheap and accessible, many people use this method as an at-home remedy. The price may be compelling, but I guarantee you the experience isn’t.

Our recommended method

We recommend a mix of two methods for a colon cleanse: a healthy and varied diet consisting of fiber from different food sources, and herbal supplements. It is always vital to make healthy decisions when it comes to your health, but sometimes it gets difficult and we miss the dietary mark. Using herbal supplements help you “supplement” your efforts and cleanse your colon from both sides… figuratively. If you’re scared of the invasive methods, don’t worry: You can try a gentler solution today.

Should I Do a Digital Detox?

Remember when nobody was addicted technology and people didn’t have their phones out during dinner; when people would converse with one another about their day and use… wait for it… eye contact? Yeah, those days are over.

The faux social media detox

If you are a Facebook fiend or a social media mogul (or just someone who browses social media all day long), you have probably seen a post like this:

Hey guys. I’m taking a hiatus from social media. Txt me if you need to get a hold of me. See you soon! <3

Gag me with three spoons. And, if you’re an astute person–no, you are Sherlock manifest–you are counting the minutes until that person who pledged to surrender social media for him or her to break the pledge and post a status or picture.

Haha. You lasted 7 hours, dude. C’mon.

But you must admit that it is a bit fatuous of us to declare to the social world we are taking a break from it. We do this, though, because we are in so much thralldom to the social web that traps us and feeds on us. This isn’t Charlotte’s Web anymore. What I’ve described above is what we’d call the formal announcement of a digital detox: a break of social media for the sake of prioritizing your own health, may it be physical, emotional, spiritual, et cetera. With phones at our sides and in our hands at all times, maybe it’s wise to consider one for ourselves?

Digital meets body detox

Is a digital detox worthier than a complete body detox or a colon cleanse? It depends. Chances are, if you live in America or eat like a normal person and have a conventional diet that consists of 3-5 vegetable servings a year, you definitely need an herbal detox. And since your diet probably won’t change significantly unless you transform your ways, you might want to stick with daily detox supplements. As for the digital detox, you might need that one too. We are addicted like never before. Now I want to use the word “addiction” cautiously, because it is a psychological term, and flippantly diagnosing people is unwise. Mike Masnick at Techdirt notes that “addictions” for social media are less captivating addictions and more symptoms of underlying health problems, such as depression. Our tendency to shy from interpersonal communication and seek respite on the web or through technology can be a coping mechanism, especially when we are not satisfied with the depth of personal interaction we receive on a daily basis–if any. I’ve always thought it would be cool to have a genuine, candid conversation with a barista or someone. She may be busy, so there are times when it doesn’t work. But the trite exchange of “How are you? “Good. And you?” “Good.” has got to go. It’s a reflection of a text-based world we live in where everything is truncated, optimized, and streamlined to make saying or doing anything completely effortless. Phone calls are replaced with text messages, and coffee dates are superseded by swift Skype calls in bed. With groups in the generation Y, for example, logging an average of 20-21 hours of social media per month, there’s no wonder face-to-face interactions are suffering.

A bane or a boon?

It’s true that the majority of this generation feel technology makes their life easier, with many saying they feel closer to friends and family. But at what cost? You don’t have to delete your social accounts or make binding vows, but are a few practical ways you can begin a digital detox from social media.

Delete the apps

When your muscle remembers your thumb movements, it will go to that same place on your mobile screen every time without fail. Make it harder for your muscle memory and just delete the app. You can always download it later; you can even stay logged in. Sometimes if an app isn’t readily there for your thumbs to tap, you may look up.

Choose off-grid times

Set certain hours, or even whole days, like the weekend or certain weekdays, to guard your heart from social compulsion and not check anyone’s posts or blogs or selfies. If someone needs to contact you, he/she can find a way; or you can notify important people in your life that you may be unavailable through certain media.

Tell a friend

I knowww… I mocked that one person with the digital detox disclaimer above: but seriously, tell someone. It doesn’t have to be announced to the world, but when you tell someone you have made a vow, you gain an accountability partner. Accountability is very potent. If nobody knows you made yourself a promise, it’s a whole lot easier to say, “Ah, who will know anyway?”

Call more than text

This is kind of a life hack. It actually works wonders for getting to know people better than before. Since so much of social media involves text input and on-screen interaction, hearing someone’s voice over the phone removes the artificial distance you feel in social media. You hear someone’s intonations, and each of you are beautifully revealed like never before–no longer behind a screen or app.

Put it in your pocket

Not only will incessantly holding your phone in your hand increase the chance of dropping that thing that’s near pricier than your car, it will also make it way too easy to lift up your phone and check it for some notification. Simply keep your phone in your pocket, and if you can keep it on vibrate, just wait for the buzz to check it. Buzz.

Charge your phone in the other room

“Hey, well it’s charging over there so I guess I’ll check social media on my laptop now.” NO. Let it charge; let it be forgotten. It needs its sleep. Much like you and I need our deep, recuperative slumber to make us pretty and functional, so does your phone (this might be just an analogy). These tips for a digital detox will get you started. They might even allow you to be neighborly as never before! What are some successful ways you have detoxed yourself from media?