Colonic Matters

By Karen Devine

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global health and wellness industry is now worth $4.2 trillion. The industry has been growing with a 12.8% growth between 2015 and 2017 and represents 5.3% of global economic output.

The Health and Wellness industry encompasses all activities which promote physical and mental wellbeing: from yoga to healthy eating, personal care and beauty, nutrition and weightloss, meditation, spa retreats, workplace wellness and wellness tourism.

People are seeking out alternative ways to improve their health and wellbeing, and for good reason. We are living in a fast-paced, stressful world right now, and this is having an impact on our health, as our reserves are depleted and rarely replaced fully unless we make constant lifestyle changes, from what we put into our mouth to how we live our lives.

Older naturopaths understood that a sick and under-functioning body was a toxic body and at the very core of any detoxification programmes had to be bowel (colon) cleansing. This need is even more fundamental today than it was then as we are now exposed to thousands of chemicals from our foods, drinks, air, plastics, hormones, drugs, heavy metals, and more.

We are experiencing more chronic conditions than before, which affects our overall vitality physically, mentally and emotionally. Many people are seeking help from naturopaths, nutritionists, bodyworkers, etc. However, many more are looking for a more natural pill for their illnesses. I have lost count of the times I have witnessed people looking for a supplement for their symptoms.

We must cut through the fog of symptoms and not get drawn into the same way of thinking as conventional approaches. For instance, giving

The Human Liver Structure

a supplement to support joint health may only be temporary, it is not as damaging as a medical drug can be. Still, the approach is not holistic - more allopathic. We need to think – a toxic burden, and what is not being eliminated efficiently (bowel, lymph, kidney, liver, etc.). We should not lose sight of the bigger picture, and the focus should be on detoxification, removal (waste), moving lymph, organ strengthening and regeneration first.

You cannot detoxify fully if you do not eliminate well. What is happening is similar to a still pond looking clear in your view, but once anything is stimulated from the bottom of that pond, up comes the muck. This is the same when detoxifying; using valuable cell energy and vitality to draw toxins/wastes up, but if you do not have the pathways open to eliminate them, then they will circulate and end up back in the system. Elimination routes include lung, kidneys, lymphatic system, skin, and of course, the colon, which is where my focus is in this writing. The liver is the organ that chemically changes toxins making them water or fat-soluble and distributes them to the best organs for their elimination, for example, bile to the colon (fat-soluble) and kidneys (water-soluble).

We need to have at 2-3 good bowel movements a day, anything less then you are constipated. If you eat 2-3 meals daily with added snacks, your bowels when functioning well will eliminate the waste a couple of times per day. The digestive system is a long tube with an opening (mouth) at the top and bottom (anus), it is under the autonomic nervous system, so we do not feel the wavelike contraction called peristalsis that is moving food and waste along the tract.

Our diet past and present affect bowel function, so too can past use of antibiotics and other medical drugs as well as stress, past infections, endocrine gland issues such as underactive thyroid and much more.

If we have indulged in a diet of highly processed lifeless foods, then our bowel health and strength will be diminished. Processed meats, refined grains, sugars, excess caffeine, alcohol and poor-quality protein (or excess animal proteins), dairy products etc. are not only acidic and mucous forming but many lack fibre, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients and therefore, cannot be eliminated efficiently nor help regenerate and build healthy tissues and cells. Yes, dairy and animal flesh contains protein, calcium and other nutrients, but for many, it is highly mucous forming and hard to digest.

Undigested/incomplete digestion of food ending up in the colon is very

Our body is constantly communicating with us especially when it has a level of toxicity that is trying to find a route out, it will show us with symptoms which can be wide and varied –• Skin eruptions (acne, spots, blackheads eczema) • Joint pains • Immune issues • Low Energy • IBS • Constipation/Diarrhoea • Nausea • Headaches/migraines • Weight gain/difficulty putting on weight • Sleep issues • Irritability • PMS, heavy periods, infertility and much more

common. This can be caused by the type of food people eat too much of such as meat, dairy, eggs or lack of enzymes, low stomach acid, improper chewing and stress. It is a breeding ground for unfavourable microbes; it creates, gas, bloating, mucous and can lead to inflammation and a diseased colon.

An impacted bowel that is not taken care of can weaken the bowel wall leaving it misshaped and can lead to a prolapse of the bowel in places, diverticular disease, bowel spasms and much more.

My approach is always is to look at what is not being removed and a good case history of the past such as diet and medications, before I look at supplements unless they are working to help get the waste out initially.

Colonics are my first choice so long as the client is ready, willing and able. Each colonic hydro-therapist would determine this.

Colonic hydrotherapy dates to Egyptian times, internal cleansing has been passed down the centuries as a therapy to clean the colon for vibrant health and purification.

The colon is 5 feet in length with a vast network of neural pathways as well as lymphatic tissue. Therefore, it is no surprise that when the colon is impacted, this may affect our nervous system and overall wellbeing, as well as cause the lymphatic system to become backed up and clogged.

The heat of the body is around 37 °C which is a warm environment for old waste to dehydrate and stick around longer. Unless we focus on hydration such as water, raw fruits and vegetables as an integral part of our diet to support healthy transit of food waste out of the body, a layer of waste residue on the colon walls will be left.

People book for a colonic to support their unwanted digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, reflux, constipation/ diarrhoea or feelings of sluggishness.

Before during and after juice fasting or a raw food cleanse/detox is a time where colonics are enormously helpful, as the amount of alkalinity from the veggies and fruits will draw toxins up ready for elimination, as well as re-hydrating the old waste in the colon which needs to be removed efficiently.

Colonics are a gentle way of removing old waste matter and helping to tone and re-train the bowel as well as supporting: • The growth of friendly microflora • Better absorption of nutrients through the bowel wall • Improvement of other digestive organs including the liver • Increased energy • Clearer skin • Improved immunity • Overall sense of wellbeing • Ease of gas pressure helping the upper digestive tract (small intestine) and much more

After a series of colonics, it’s essential to look at ways to aid the natural flow of the body, which is key to improved bowel health and wellbeing. Focusing on hydration as well as hydrating foods such as fruits and vegetables in their raw form, are an ideal way to keep things moving. This is not a suggestion for going 100% raw with our diet. It is to encourage people to eat at least 50-60% raw foods, with intermittent detox days they can do at home during different seasons, along with cooked foods and a reduction/avoidance of the processed foods as well as lifestyle management.

How do colonics work?

• I use a gravity method which is a 25L tank on a wall, water is taken into the bowel fed by gravity. • This water (filtered) distends the bowel which stimulates ( via nerve sensors) peristalsis, the wave contraction to help the bowel empty its waste. • Delivers warm or cool water into the bowel – warm for soothing/calming, cooler for stimulation; this all depends on the bowel condition. • The water will re-hydrate the waste/stool for ease of release. • Helps to remove the pathogens and toxins – these may be responsible for skin and joint issues and more.

• Stimulates the neurologic reflex points found with the bowel, many find a sense of overall wellbeing and lightness after a colonic • Improves blood and lymph flow – better immunity and nutrient absorption

The colon will always have waste ready to leave the body when we are eating, but it is when the waste outstays its time in there that we encounter problems. When the is waste moving daily, we are more likely to experience better function, nutrient absorption, good nerve and muscle tone.

Karen Devine

Karen Devine is a Registered Nutritionist (Mbant), Colonic Hydrotherapist (ARCH), as well as practising naturopathy functional medicine and bioregulatory therapy. She has been in practice for 20 years. She runs her own clinics and has facilitated many detox retreats around the UK and Europe. Karen also teaches small groups the principles of naturopathy and cleansing, as well as raw food workshops.