Life has been busy with the twins both starting Kindergarten, trying to get Nolan settled in school, starting my two-year stint at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition, and soon Clover Clean will be for sale. I thought Halloween would be an appropriate time to share a great blog on a topic that some people might find gross. Gross it might be – but it is a topic that is very important to all of our well beings. I just finished my third course at school and have started Anatomy and Physiology which has proven to be an intense course load. I will conquer!
The class that I just completed was The Fundamentals of Nutrition and there were many great things that I walked away with, but what stood out to me the most was the connection between our wellness and how well we take care of our bowels. Yep…you heard me. Sadly this topic has almost become a forbidden conversation or something to be ashamed of, but it is something that I believe we should talk more about because it is making many of us sick.
Many of us experience bloating, gas, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, low back pain, fatigue, headaches, allergies, skin manifestations and many other symptoms. What is interesting to me is that many people think these symptoms are normal or they are so used to them that it becomes part of their everyday life. I am here to tell you that all of the symptoms above are NOT normal! I have personally experienced many of the above symptoms for years and have learned that diet and lifestyle can – and does – make all the difference in the world. I did the food panel blood test and found out that I was sensitive to dairy, gluten, eggs and more. If I eat any of these foods or the stress in my life goes up, so do my symptoms.
I loved the book I read for class, it is called: Dr. Jensen’s Guide to Better Bowel Care. He is an amazing man that continued to teach, travel and learn well into his nineties. He said “The greatest healing powers comes from within and found lifestyle to be the most important thing in the world.”
Many of us tend to want the quick fix as we are always on the go from one activity to the next. But is the quick fix the right fix? Some think that a laxative will do the job but unfortunately laxatives will clean out all of the bad bacteria and the good bacteria as well. We need the good bacteria to control the growth of bad bacteria by competing for nutrition and attachment sites in your colon.
It is believed that up to 90% of people experience bowel problems on a daily basis and because of embarrassment, suffer quietly. So what are the main causes of bowel problems that so many of us are experiencing? A deficient diet, an unhealthy lifestyle and neglect of the natural urge to defecate. It is very important that we “drop the kids off at the pool” or “release the hounds” as well as eating your fiber and drinking lots of water in order to avoid constipation.
Improper bowel function leads to intestinal toxemia (increase in bad bacteria) and autointoxication occurs (when the body absorbs too much of its toxic waste). What happens is that we become constipated and our body continues to pull the water from our feces (hence the very hard pebbles) and with that comes toxins. Not good! May people don’t realize that constipation is much more than feeling uncomfortable, bloated and gassy, it also means filling our bodies with toxins (the ones that were meant to exit our bodies).
Dr. Jensen said “Of great clinical importance is the fact that daily movement of the bowel alone cannot, contrary to popular belief, be considered evidence of proper bowel function. Dr. Jensen did a study where autopsies were performed on 300 bodies. According to the histories of the deceased persons, 285 had claimed they were not constipated and had normal bowel movements and only 15 had admitted they were constipated. The autopsies, however, showed the opposite to be the case-only 15 were found to not to have been constipated, while 285 were found to have been constipated. Some of the 285 persons had stated they had as many as five or six bowel movements daily, yet the autopsies revealed that in some of them the colon was twelve inches in diameter. The normal diameter of a colon is two to three inches. The bowel walls were encrusted with material (in one case, peanuts) that had been lodged there for a very long time. The average person does not know whether he or she is constipated.”
Did you know that there is a connection to intestinal toxemia and arthritis?
Did you know there is also a link to the bowel and your mental functioning?
IMPROVE YOUR BOWLEL HEALTH:
• You should be having a bowel movement about every 12 to 24 – one to two times per day
• Beet test – eat some beets, record the time you eat them and see how long it takes for them to come out. That will give you a good idea if your bowels are working in that good 12 – 24 hour range
• Your BMs should have good form…not pebbles and not diarrhea
• Increase your fiber and water
• High fiber foods: Beans, nuts, legumes, veggies, leafy greens, berries, fruit, whole grains
• Exercise
• Eat whole food
• Breathe fresh air
• Something to consider: Colon Hydrotherapy
As I move along my journey and learn more through school and apply it to my life and my family I realize how amazing our bodies really are. We just have to make time to feed them well, exercise, and get outside into nature.
Happy Halloween to you all!
Xo
Shannon
BOOKS
Dr. Jensen’s Guide to Better Bowel Care – Dr. Bernard Jensen
Colon Hydrotherapy: Vestta Whole Health
http://www.vesttawholehealth.com/