How to Take Care Of the Digestive System

It’s said that the stomach is the second brain and that all diseases start from the gut! How much truth is in these two statements? 100%. 

THE COLON

 The colon is the body’s most effective garbage disposal system. The proper removal of the garbage from the body is as vital to the health of the human body as is the weekly emptying of the garbage bins in the house we live in. 

Just as a disease would quickly grow in our wooden or brick home if the rubbish was only occasionally emptied, the disease would quickly spread throughout the human body if the garbage is not emptied regularly. 

Food transit time from entry to exit should be no longer than 24 hours. Ideally, it should be 16 hours. How often should the evacuation of the human organism happen?

• Two intakes of food daily should equal two evacuations. 

• Three intakes of food daily should equal three evacuations. 

Babies and small children regularly run to this routine before the restriction of school life often changes the habits. To encourage regular evacuation, follow these principles that govern the colon: 

1. Consistency – The human machinery runs according to cycles, as does the planet. Thus it responds well to regularity. 

Rise and retire at the same time every day. Eat and drink at the same time every day. This will encourage regularity in evacuation times. The colon loves consistency. 

2. Promptly Answer Nature’s Call –  Resisting this call leads to many colon problems. When the sigmoid section of the colon is full, the feeling to evacuate is felt. If this call is not allowed, the content falls back into the previous section of the colon. Thus the body’s garbage disposal unit has not been allowed to empty, and the contents begin to rot and ferment further. The blood supply to the colon is massive, conveying this putrid condition to every part of the living machinery. 

3. Drink 2-3 litres Water Daily – One of the colon’s primary functions is to take water out so that stools can be formed and passed out of the body. If the human organism does not receive two to three litres of water daily, it becomes dehydrated. 

In a state of dehydration, the body takes more fluid out of the colon than usual to compensate, and so the stools become drier and harder, resulting in constipation. 

4. Eat High-Fibre Foods – Fibre is vital to the colon to ensure that the many folds and bends are swept out. Refined foods turn into a clay-like substance that can easily get caught and wedged in these grooves. Meat, dairy, eggs and all refined foods contain no fibre. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains are all high-fibre foods. But the foods that have the highest fibre content are fruit and vegetables. These are the two food groups of which we should largely eat. 

5. Relax – A Tight Mind Causes a Tight Colon Don’t hurry the visit in the ‘little house’. Relax: emptying the body’s major garbage disposal unit is an essential part of the day. 

6. Breathe with the Abdominal Muscles – The abdominal muscles were designed to aid in breathing. When these muscles are used, the diaphragm presses down on the stomach, pressing into the colon. Thus, both of these major organs are massaged via the breathing process. This massaging gently stimulates peristalsis, aiding the function of the colon. An erect spine encourages this. 

7. Exercise – Walking is the best exercise for the colon. Every step taken causes movement in the colon. 

Walking, swimming and gardening are the best exercises, as they are usually done outdoors, and every muscle and every organ of the body is toned and strengthened to perform its work. The colon needs a brisk half-hour walk daily, at least. 

8. Chew, chew, chew – Thoroughly chew the food to enable the whole digestive tract to utilise the food properly. This produces a substance that is less abrasive and with an easier transit time through the colon. 

9. Cultured Foods – To function properly, the colon requires a correct balance of intestinal flora. Refined foods, especially sugar and antibiotics, destroy this balance. Cultured foods – sourdough bread, sauerkraut, yoghurt, miso and tofu are examples. They encourage the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon, which is essential for a correct balance of intestinal flora. 

A few points will now be added to aid those with sluggish colons: 

1 Place a castor oil poultice on the abdomen overnight, four nights a week. Dampen a double-thickness cloth with castor oil. Place over abdomen. Cover with plastic and hold in place with snug-fitting underpants or adhesive tape. This poultice can be used for a couple of weeks as the oil is not drawing but penetrating to cleanse and decongest. 

2 Once a day, sit in a tub of hot water 40°C for 5 minutes, then sit in a tub of cold water for 15 seconds, if the patient is a little frail, thin, very young or very old. Suppose you are fit, strong and able to bear it, 30 seconds. Always begin with hot and end with cold. Do this three times. 

Have the feet immersed in another hot tub of 40°C for the whole treatment 

3 There are various herbs that one can partake of to initially give the colon a kick-start, but these should be seen as antidotes until the colon begins to run correctly. Advice from a herbalist or naturopath is best here. 

4 Use an enema can when needed.