Let me discuss some real important details of removing toxins out of the body and improving colon health.
I am going to discuss bowel movements, fiber and water and your colon. I could go on and on about this particular topic so you will always hear me referencing this matter because of how important I believe it to be.
You have to go to the bathroom to eliminate waste. And, you have to do so every single day – several times a day.
Yes, I did say every day, not once a day or once every other day but every day. You should eliminate your bowels every time you eat. That would mean a minimum of 2-3 times a day. Anything less is a constipated colon.
Constipation by definition means infrequent and difficult movement of the bowels. How regular are you? Every day? How many times a day?
What texture is it; does it smell like rotten gasoline? If you have to sit on the toilet for more than 15 minutes I would say that your eliminating process and colon health is not desirable.
If you take a magazine into the restroom with you because you know you will be there for a while, something is not quite right. You can say, “I have been this way my whole life,” and I will say to you, it’s never too late to change.
Our bowels should not be hard or pebbly, broken into small hard pieces.
It may vary in color, texture and overall size but we should not have to strain or force a healthy bowel movement.
If we strain, there are some issues to address. I’ll give you the scenario of my friend’s daughter who was constipated. She never went to the bathroom without an ordeal and tears because it hurt so badly.
I told her to give her daughter more fresh vegetables and steamed vegetables on a daily basis. She came back to me three days later and said her daughter didn’t have a problem anymore and she isn’t scared to go to the bathroom.
This is actually common practice for many of us. I always say, what goes in must come out.
Fiber and water are the two main ingredients to promote a healthy colon
If you have been told that going once a day is fine for you because that’s your normal, let me apologize for whoever misinformed you. If you are only moving your bowels once a day then you are constipated. The body needs to move more than that and trust me you want it to.
Note: As we age it becomes more and more difficult for our bodies to eliminate. This is why it is important for you to have optimal elimination now!
Let’s say you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with 2 in between meal snacks. How many times did eat? That is five times! Regardless of what it was, your body still has food in it that has to be eliminated right? Right. So, if you go one time that day, just once, how many meals do you have left in your system? Four, because no matter how big or small the intake, your body still processes food and goes after it as if it were a meal. It takes energy and time to break down foods. What happens to the other four “meals”? Good question and the answer is that what your body can’t use is stored in the colon waiting to be eliminated.
This is why, for many, there is an extra 15-20 pounds extra residing in your colon alone. This makes your abdominal area look distended. Regular elimination can help you feel better and look better.
TIP: Drink half of your body weight in water. Ex: If you are 130 pounds, your daily intake of water needs to be 65 ounces per day.
The only people who need sixty ounces (8 glasses) a day are those weighing 120.5 pounds. The minimum daily requirement is really a guide for individuals to have for a benchmark for which to aim.
- Try using a straw in a cup.
- Add some lemon to your water. Lemon water has many benefits such as stimulating digestive enzymes to relieve indigestion, constipation and bloating. It can be known in the holistic world as a “liver tonic” because it helps the liver excrete more bile which also helps with digestion. Lemons are loaded with vitamins and nutrients to promote immune and heart health (which has its perks for cleaning out toxins); and drink it room temperature if you can stand it that way. Oh, I need to specify that your lemons should be fresh always – not the concentrated stuff ok. Only the best for your body.
- Infuse water overnight lemons, oranges, cucumber or other fruits for a delicious refreshing beverage
- Carry your water bottle everywhere you go
Here is a method in which to calculate your specific fluid needs.
Body weight _____________pounds / 2 = ____________ ounces of water per day
Divide that amount in intervals of 3-6. Example: 65 ounces per day
65/4= 16.25 ounces. (Seems like a lot in one sitting but think about it – most of those smaller bottles of water are 16 oz – manageable and portable.) Therefore you need to drink at least 16 ounces four times a day. You can plan to drink 32 ounces before 1 p.m. and drink another 32 ounces before 7 p.m.
Drinking water is as essential as breathing so schedule it in if you have to.
By increasing your water intake you help your body flush toxins and cleanse and relieve constipation.
You lubricate your bowels and you will notice a change in your elimination texture and frequency. And trust me, your body will adjust to the frequent trips to the bathroom.
The Recommended amount of Fiber per day is 25-35 grams
It always amazes me when people say “you should eat 25-35 grams of fiber per day” but never tell you how to do that. What is fiber and what does it look like?
Eat more Vegetables that are high in fiber
Artichokes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, okra and sweet potatoes are loaded with fiber . Other sources of fiber are raisins, prunes, brown rice, oats, nuts, figs, pumpkin, bran, wheat germ and bulgur. Choose 3-4 of these fiber sources and jot down ones that you like. Fruits with skin contain large amounts of fiber ex: apples, pears, grapes, apricots, mangoes, oranges, melons, guavas.
Eating a half cup of high-fiber bran cereal can add 14 grams of fiber. I don’t care how you eat it, add it to yogurt or eat it dry as a snack. Learn to look for cereals that have more than 3 grams of fiber per serving. There are many brands of cereal on the market that are loaded with fiber. Whatever you choose, make sure it adds up to 30 grams a day.
Again, drink plenty of water.
If you don’t, and you keep eating all of this wonderful fiber, you are going to have another problem… constipation. Fiber gets stuck in the bowels if it doesn’t have a moving force; that moving force is water. Fiber will turn hard in the system and your elimination may be painful causing you to strain.
Think of your body as a sink. Every day we eat and put the dirty dishes into the sink to be washed. Just imagine if you cooked and never washed the dishes, what a mess! If we don’t wash the dishes every day, the smell of rotten food and dirty water will become too unbearable. Well, your body is a sink. Please wash your dishes daily to avoid a dirty mess in your sink. Translation…what you eat has to be cleaned out before it sits, rots, and stinks.
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