4-Part Plan to Clean Your Colon and Lose Weight
Stop in any natural food store and you will see the aisles crammed with every type of colon cleanse product imaginable. Some include supplements to bolster an already healthy diet while others promote fasting, sometimes for up to a week or more, to “reset” your body and prepare it for the actual cleanse. While the practice of detoxifying the body is centuries-old, today’s marketplace is cluttered with products promising more energy, more glowing skin, and easy ways to lose weight.
The reality is that many of these popular cleanses, especially those that involve extended periods of fasting, can actually be dangerous, robbing the body of vital nutrients essential to optimal health. Other side effects can include fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and even damage to your colon.
Isn’t that what you’re trying to prevent?
It has been said that disease begins in the colon. Indeed, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide and is the third most common type of cancer in the United States.
With that in mind, we are going to learn what causes poor health in the colon and GI tract in the first place, then a 4-part plan to keep your colon clean and healthy. One of the best side effects of a colon cleanse is that the participant will also experience weight loss.
What causes poor colon health?
• The medicines we take – Antibiotics are the main culprit, as they kill not only bad bacteria that cause illness, but ALL bacteria, including the beneficial bacteria that live in our digestive tract. Birth control pills, or any other medicine that affects hormones, can create an environment favorable to excessive yeast growth.
• The foods we eat – This includes white flour, sugar, yeast, GMO-engineered food, processed junk food, refined oils and grains, especially corn, soy, and wheat. These are present in literally all fast and processed foods.
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Four parts of a healthy colon diet:
One: Eat plant-based, high fiber foods that do not promote yeast growth.
A diet that does not feed yeast is one that is naturally low in sugar (yeast’s favorite food) and processed foods and gets the majority of its calories from plants.
A plant-based diet does not mean plant-exclusive, although it is recommended that you avoid any meat for the first three days to a week. Meat, while not necessarily bad for you, is more difficult to digest and will slow down your digestion.
Eat meals that have generous amounts of fiber-rich foods like vegetables, beans, seeds, and nuts. If you have a problem with yeast, avoid fruits at first because of their high sugar content. After any yeast-related problems subside, eating fruits can be resumed, as they are full of plant fiber and vitamins. Also remember to drink at least 2 liters of fresh, filtered water daily. These can be infused with fruit and herbs to make the taste more exciting.
Fiber-rich plant foods act like a broom, scouring your colon clean as they pass through, and water keeps your body flushed out. Avoid alcohol and limit caffeine.
Two: Take in herbs with antimicrobial properties
Fortunately, this is super-easy to do and doesn’t involve purchasing yet another supplement. The best antimicrobial herbs are the very same ones that we love to cook with. Learn to use them in their raw, fresh state for the maximum benefit.
These include garlic, onion, cinnamon, and ginger. Others include basil, oregano, sage, and peppermint. Use them in salads and to make infused teas to drink.
Three: Take in probiotics to heal your gut flora
Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria cultures that live in your gut and are said to be responsible for everything from efficient nutrient absorption and improved digestion to enhanced immune function.
They, too, can be found in the foods that we eat, and should make up part of your daily routine. Sources include yogurt, kefir, and fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and kim chee, a spicy Korean condiment.
Four: Consume food and supplements that promote intestinal repair
Now that we’ve cleansed with fiber-rich foods, rid our guts of harmful microbes, replacing them with beneficial bacteria instead, the last step is to repair any earlier damage.
Now is the time to begin to add meat back into your diet in the form of fish and eggs, as the proteins will help to heal any damage to the intestinal lining, and the zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, also known to heal the gut and lose weight. Also include supplements such as L-glutamine, which is available in powder form, and aloe vera juice, available in health food stores.
Part of your daily life rather than a quick fix
You’ll notice that with few exceptions, everything here was simply a modification of what you eat and drink. It really is that simple.
The key to a successful cleanse is to understand that the body already knows how to keep itself clean and in a state of optimal health. A cleanse is simply a tool to help facilitate that state and lose weight. Not something to be used for a few days to try to undo a week of drinking and eating out.
