Get Slim Naturally! Colon Cleanse for Weight Loss

by Andrew Meyers, Naturopath

Many people don’t realize that the typical Western diet is low in fiber and the enzymes that promote healthy digestion. Insufficient fiber prevents your large intestine from being able to clean itself, resulting in a buildup of toxins and other waste. This toxic buildup in your digestive tract may eventually lead to serious illness.

Fortunately, the toxic matter in the colon can be removed with a colon cleanse. After having a colonic irrigation, your large intestine will function more effectively. Your entire digestive tract and immune system will be strengthened after cleansing your colon, and significant weight loss often results.

The Master Cleanse

The Master Cleanse is truly an easy colon cleanse. You only need three ingredients: fresh lemon juice, pure maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Mix these with pure mineral water and drink several glasses a day whenever you feel hungry. Also known as the Lemonade Diet, the Master Cleanse helps to detoxify your body.

Thee Master Cleanse was invented by health guru Stanley Burroughs as a fasting and detoxification program. By eliminating toxins and internal wastes brought on by poor diet, lack of exercise, and negative thoughts, better health can be achieved. Celebrities like Beyonce have used the Lemonade Diet for quick weight loss.

What is a Detox Cleanse?

A natural detox cleanse can help rid the body of toxins which may be the source of fatigue, mental sluggishness and low energy levels. Over the years, putrefied fecal matter in the colon decays and releases toxins into the bloodstream and surrounding organs. The body wants to remove these toxins, but it needs the tools to do so.

While doing a detox cleanse, it is very important to make sure your body is still getting adequate nutrients and electrolytes. This is accomplished by drinking fresh vegetables juices, vegetable broths and plenty of pure mineral water with a bit of fresh lemon added.

To ensure adequate vitamin content, it is important to use a wide variety of fresh organic vegetables and fruits to make your juices and broths. Herbal supplements and bentonite or psyllium drinks can also be taken during your detox cleanse to support the removal of toxins from the body.

Not having to break down any solid food during your cleanse allows your digestive system to get a complete rest. Your body is able to focus on cleansing at a cellular level by eliminating toxins and built-up fecal matter. During a detox cleanse your body will repair and heal itself on many levels: physically, emotionally and spiritually.

As toxins are being released, you may experience a variety of cleansing reactions. Some common cleansing reactions are headaches, nausea, fatigue, aches and pains, constipation or diarrhea, intestinal disturbances (gas, bloating, cramping) and flu-like symptoms. On a psychological level, you may very well experience mood swings, intense emotions, strong food cravings during the day and strange dreams while asleep.

To get the most out of any detox cleanse, it is always best to begin with a pre-cleanse stage and to finish with a post-cleanse stage. For example, the day before and the day after doing a detox cleanse try to eat very alkalizing foods, like fruits and vegetables. Avoid acid-forming foods such as cakes, cookies, breads, pastas, fish, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, cheese, coffee, artificial sweeteners, refined sugar, sodas and candy.

Try a Cleansing Juice Fast

One of the best ways to detoxify your body is with a juice fast. Buy a vegetable juicer and some juicer recipes and then go to the grocery store and purchase a basket full of organic vegetables, especially carrots, wheatgrass, celery, kale and beets.

Put the vegetables through the juicer and drink the fresh juice several times a day for a great-tasting drink that also detoxifies.

Colon Cleanse, Naturally

Poor eating habits are the main reason so many people have problems with their intestines. In particular, a lack of fiber in the diet means that the intestines cannot cleanse themselves. One of the best ways to cleanse the colon naturally is with a raw foods diet.

By eating raw and uncooked vegetables, you are filling your colon with lots of vitamins and just as important, lots of fiber. Don’t waste your money on laxatives – a diet of colon cleansing foods will serve as the best constipation cure you could ever find, and improved colon health will be the result.

Colon Cleansing for Weight Loss

Because the walls of the intestines are loaded with undigested waste, a colon cleanse can lead to quick weight loss. How much weight can you lose with a colon cleanse? Some people have reported up to 20 pounds lost, but the average is closer to ten pounds.

More importantly, by restoring your colon to a more natural and functioning state, your body is more able to digest foods properly. When the colon absorbs essential nutrients as it should, and eliminates toxins on a regular basis, the result is a more stable and healthy weight.

Food cravings are often the result of poor absorption of food, as the body struggles to receive the proper balance of vitamins and minerals. After doing a colon cleanse, your digestive system will more readily absorb nutrients and digest them better. Your body will therefore need less food to get the nutrition it needs. The best colon cleanse will rejuvenate your entire body and give you a new outlook on life!

(published April 16, 2011)