Colon cleansing: Tips & Guidelines

When you want to cleanse and detoxify your body, the colon should be the first organ to start with. Many people make the mistake of starting with the liver or the kidneys. But unless the colon is cleansed first, the toxins which are flushed out from other organs can not be eliminated from the body and may get back to the blood stream. An unhealthy colon may lead to diseases like constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and even cancer.

While cleansing your colon and flushing off toxins from your body, you may suffer from some minor side effects. You may temporarily feel worse. The side effects may include -- weakness, nausea, fatigue, pain in the muscles etc. The following tips may be followed to reduce these side effects:

• Drink plenty of water and other fluids.
• Take vitamin C supplements regularly. It will boost up the immune system.
• Take some detox baths. Do moderate exercise.
• Take some probiotics. These are supplements which supply good bacteria to the system.
• Take small amounts of food. Do not over eat.

While cleansing the colon, relaxing of the muscles is necessary. It facilitates the passage of the waste materials from the colon. Yoga is a great way to relax yourself. Some stretching exercises also help to relax the muscles. A nice massage is also useful.

For cleansing of the colon and to keep it healthy afterwards, our diet should contain foods rich in fibers. A high fiber diet helps to flush out the toxins and the fecal matters from the colon. Fiber is of two types -- soluble and insoluble. Flax seeds, psyllium, legumes, beans, peas, rice, barley etc. are good sources of soluble fibers. It eliminates bad bacteria like E.Coli and helps to increase the amount of good bacteria.

• Insoluble fibers help to reduce constipation. Good sources of such fibers are whole wheat, brown rice, vegetables like cabbages, beets, carrots etc.
• The normal requirement of fiber is 20 to 30 grams per day, per person. It can also be taken in the form of supplements. But natural fibers are the best.
• You should also eat a lot of green foods that contain chlorophyll. It helps to heal the damaged tissues of the digestive tract and provides oxygen to the cells.
• Fermented foods like yogurt, Sauerkraut etc. are useful as they maintain the health of the digestive tract by increasing the number of good bacteria and removing toxins.
• You should drink at least ten glasses of water a day. You can also drink fresh fruit juice. Try to avoid alcohol, tea and coffee.
• A good colon cleanse with proper ingredients would make your body free from any toxins and help you to lead a healthy life.