Kate Kibarah is dedicated to teaching people that the secret to a full life lies in a healthy diet. The nutritionist and colon hydrotherapist talked to KIUNDU WAWERU
What does a nutritionist do?
I educate people on healthy diets and how to prevent and manage sickness and if already experiencing it, how to manage it.
You see, we have become so westernised that junk food, over-processed food and refined sugars have become our staple. This has led to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, a leading cause of death.
Growing up I was fat, and my classmates would call me a ‘balloon.’ I developed a low self-esteem and I wouldn’t like to see anyone go through the same experience.
That is why teaching people to eat and live healthy is my passion.
What does your job entail?
I hold talks, organise seminars and visit churches. My main target is the woman as she controls the household; does the shopping, prepares the food and generally shapes the lives of the men and children.
I teach them not to adopt drastic weight-loss programmes and crazy diets but rather eat healthy — lots of vegetables and organic food.
What is colon hydrotherapy?
As I said, we take food that is low in fibre and high in sugars, which together with refined foods and lack of exercise lead to clogging of our digestive systems.
Thus, the toxic waste accumulates in the colon, one of the most ignored body organ, but one that is crucial in completing the process of digestion.
Incomplete indigestion could result in acne, fatigue, weight problems and even cancer of the colon. Hydrotherapy is the cleansing of the colon. It is also known as colon irrigation, and is a safe, affordable, non-chemical, and effective method of cleansing the colon of accumulated feacal matter and waste.
Filtered and temperature-regulated water is gently introduced into the colon; the waste is softened and loosened, and is evacuated through natural peristalsis.
How does it work?
Using a hydrotherapy machine, we pass the water in a pipe through a patient’s rectum. While cleansing, you can actually see the ‘waste’ passing through a glass window in the hydrotherapy machine. It is done in three sessions, each lasting 45 minutes. It helps in improving the functions of the bowel.
Who needs colon hydrotherapy?
If you constantly feel fatigued, have low energy, experience flatulence, gas and bloating, have excess weight, irregular bowel movements, irritability, mood swings, bad breath and foul-smelling stools and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) then you need colon hydrotherapy.
Where can one get this service?
Besides me, I know only one other certified hydrotherapist.
Where did you study?
I studied nutrition at Alison Caroline Institute, Kenya and hydrotherapy and natural health degree at theUniversity of Natural and Digestive Health in the UK, where I go annually for refresher courses. Hydrotherapy is popular there.
Why colon cleansing and nutrition?
After detoxifying, you need to eat healthy, as in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. I am also a firm believer of organic foods and encourage people to embrace traditional food like terere, managu, arrow roots and sweet potatoes which all grow naturally without the need for fertilisers.
Towards this, I joined Kenya Organic Agricultural Network (Koan), and founded my company, Kate Organics, under which I run my programmes and sell products that bear a mark from Koan and the Kenya Bureau of Standards. You see, lots of stuff out there is marketed as organic when it has not been certified.
