By Gladys Halima
It is common in clinics, boutiques, beauty and massage parlours and streets to see adverts on colon hydrotherapy.
Popular methods of cleaning the colon include taking supplements, laxatives and visiting cleansing clinics.
However, these could be potentially harmful to your health. If you want to cleanse your body whether through a detox diet or hydrotherapy, ensure it is professionally done.
Due to unhealthy eating practices, we are plagued by a bloated and constipated feeling, making us consider colon cleansing and detox diet.
Without proper nutrients derived from natural whole foods, plenty of fibre and water, the digestive tract doesn’t function optimally.
To improve your colon’s health try the following:
Increase the vegetables and fruit servings in your diet. Aim for between eight to ten servings daily. This may sound a lot, but is doable if spread out from breakfast to bedtime.
Consume more whole grains. A lot of brown bread is filled with colour and we get fooled to thinking it is whole grain. For instance, substitute white rice for brown, tea for oats, millet with porridge and amaranth for kales.
Have the food pyramid as your diet guide. Grains are the foundation of a food pyramid, but during detoxification, fruits should be at the core followed by grains and then proteins.
Speed up your laxation by sprinkling flaxseeds to your cereals, salads or yoghurt. Flaxseeds help move stool out of your system. It is one of the single most effective ways to improve your body’s ability to eliminate waste.
Drinking eight glasses of water or more daily is recommended. The colour of your urine is the best guide — If pale yellow you are getting enough water, if dark drink up. This should be plain water with no additives.
— The writer is a nutritionist specialising in health