A question commonly asked by dieters is, "What can I do to support my healthy weight?" As a digestive care educator, my simple answer to that question is "cleanse & detoxify!" Simple dietary changes such as adding more fiber, and seasonal colon cleansing can help you promote regularity & associated weight loss.



Colon cleansing is often the first thing we think about when we hear the words cleansing and detoxification. Everyday at work I speak with countless individuals who have reaped the benefits of undergoing even the simplest form of colon cleanse.

Think of it this way, if your digestive system is a long tube that flows one-way, then we must prevent occasional constipation from stopping up the works and causing excess retention. Indeed, if your bowels are irregular, then where is all that undigested & constipated food going? So, improve digestion & eliminate constipation, and you will encourage your body to naturally shed excess weight.

According to digestive expert & colon therapist, Brenda Watson, constipation can also lead to "autointoxication," which her book 'Essential Cleansing for Perfect Health" defines as "poisoning, or the state of being poisoned, from toxic substances produced within the body." Brenda maintains that impaired digestion allows harmful microbes in the digestive tract to act on undigested food. She continues the argument by stating that faulty elimination can then allow these toxins to seep from the intestinal tract into the circulatory system, where they can cause numerous hazards to the body.

In her newest book, The Fiber35 Diet, Ms Watson shares with us the 'detoxification factor'. She reminds us that toxins can slow down our metabolism, decrease our ability to burn fat, and even slow down the time it takes to feel full. So, if our goal is to lose weight, then we are encouraged to cleanse and detoxify.

To cleanse naturally, the colon is helped by our consumption of fiber, which promotes regularity and absorbs excess toxins, eliminating them in a healthy bowel movement. Sadly, few Americans are getting the quantity of fiber needed to promote a healthy colon. The American Dietetic Association recommends that adults consume 20-35 grams of fiber every day for optimal health. Most of us are lucky if we consume 12-15 grams of fiber in our average diet. Since our body is not getting the nutritional support it needs to successfully cleanse, then it is unable to eliminate and detoxify properly.

Additionally, even if you consume a fairly healthy diet, our bodies are still being assaulted everyday by toxins and chemicals from the environment. Car exhaust, heavy metals, pesticides, off-gassing from carpets and plastics, even DDT from formerly contaminated soil are all serving to add to the toxic burden that is slowly poisoning our bodies.

There are many cleansing products on the market. When purchasing a program, experts recommend choosing one that addresses your body as a system, because a healthy body will cleanse and detoxify utilizing the seven channels of elimination: liver, lungs, lymphatic system, kidneys, skin, blood, and bowel. You want to be sure that you are giving each organ the support it needs to do its job.

Be sure to take in adequate fiber while cleansing. You'll also want to make sure your bowels are moving regularly. Conducting a periodic total body cleanse will help your body to relieve itself of the extra burden. Partner this with a healthy lifestyle, such as what goes hand in hand with weight management and you will have the greatest success.