OneHealthyGirl.com - Carla Golden's Get Healthier! Blog

DO YOU HAVE SHITFERBRAINS?

Do you know that there is a direct correlation between what is in your colon and what is on your mind? Foggy thinking, confusion, and headaches are all signs of constipation or sluggish colon.

Having shitferbrains is not an accidental phrase!

Welcome to your colon:

Reflex points are more commonly known on the feet, hands and even ears, but have also been noted over the centuries on the colon. As you can see on the chart, different areas of the colon correlate to different areas of the body. A stagnation in one area can cause stagnation in the other.

Because we are such a thinking oriented society, we tend to realize when our brains (as opposed to our spleens) are not functioning optimally. When fecal matter builds or the mucous lining of the colon wall thickens, the toxic environment affects the whole body. 

One of the best ways to elevate your overall health is to focus on the health of your colon. Eating foods high in fiber and low in refined sugar like fruit, vegetables and whole grain products are desirable. Including any fermented foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, or kombucha will assist the good bacteria in your colon in fulfilling their roll of breaking down and assimilating colon matter.

Colon cleansing has become more popular as people have become more comfortable talking about the colon, it's functions and understanding the benefits. There are many ways to do this and here are several that I have tried:

• colon hydrotherapy (colonics)
• The Master Cleanse
• Blessed Herbs

Kevin Trudeau in his very interesting book (which I found for $2 at my library shop!) titled The Weight Loss Cure "They" Don't Want You to Know About emphasizes colon cleaning and recommends colonics as well as these cleanses:

• DrNatura.com
• TryAlmightyCleanse.com
• PBIV.com
• QNLabs.com 

No one can tell you which is the best method for you. Some professionals hold that manually cleaning the colon (colonics) first is best because if the body's drain (the colon) is clogged, taking cleansing powders or pills orally could exacerbate the problem. Fasting is definitely recommended while cleansing because adding more bulk while trying to clean it out is counterproductive.

A study was recently released linking coffee intake to decreased risks of Alzheimer's and dementia. I don't think that the substance of coffee (caffeine or otherwise) is the key element, but that coffee often instigates a bowel movement. It's the regularly moved colon that reduces the degeneration of the brain. I don't advocate the use of coffee as a colon stimulant because it carries too many negative side effects, but a more mild green tea and/or an improved diet can work together to prevent a sluggish colon.

A clean colon is imperative to sound health. Cleansing is not easy nor necessarily fun and that's why most people don't do it. But being mindful of a clean colon is far more pleasant than having shitferbrains!

Live Light, xo-C.

PS - Find a local colon hydrotherapist or a nutritional counselor in your area by visiting OneHealthyGirl.com's favorite Alternative Healthcare Directory: WellnessDestinationsCentral.com!

J&J#24: 1 pitcher matcha tea • coconut water • dried goji berries • 1 can of chickpeas • 5 Ezekiel tortillas • 3 veggies patties (a sampler!) with 1 avocado and apple sauce • 2 ears of corn (w/o butter - that was a first!)

J&J#25: 1 pitcher matcha tea • 2 bananas • matinée snacks: garden cucumber, walnuts, dark chocolate, green salad with Bragg dressing, black bean hummus with carrots, some organic blue corn tortilla chips, 30 minute swim

J&J#26: 1 pitcher matcha tea • black bean hummus • tortilla chips • whole wheat pasta w/ black bean hummus, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil • 3 ears of corn • Ciao Bella Blood Orange sorbet with crystallized ginger dark chocolate (a decadent combo!)

J&J#27: 1 pitcher matcha tea • 30 minute jump • oatmeal w/banana • Japanese restaurant: veggie roll with brown rice, 2 seaweed salads, miso soup, edamame, green tea • 30 minute swim • dark chocolate

J&J#28: 1 pitcher matcha tea • 3 Ezekiel tortillas • juice: grapefruit + carrots • whole wheat pasta with fresh pesto + tomatoes • 4 pieces Ezekiel toast with organic apple butter • 3.5 mile jog

True Confession: I've not been very consistent with my jumping or juicing, but I've been stellar with my vegan commitment!

HOW WILL YOU FEEL AFTER A DETOX?

From WellnessJunction.com:

One of the biggest confusions in the natural health movement is the lack of understanding of the benefits of a nutrition or detox program and so I’d like to clear some of that confusion up by explaining here what you may feel after a body detox.

Remember, every body is different and so reacts differently to a detox but some of the things you will feel are similar and here I will explain them.

A detox is simply a cleansing program that cleans up a particular aspect of your body. A liver detox for example cleans up the toxins in the liver so that the liver can function properly and do a better job.

During the detox it is likely that you will feel tired and may exhibit other symptoms such as heightened body odor, headaches, increased urine coloration amongst other things and this will usually happen in the initial few days simply because your body is cleansing.

Remarkable things happen in your body (as well as your mind) once this initial period is over. The amazing intelligence present in every cell of the body and the wisdom of the body in its operation immediately becomes manifest.

After a detox, you will feel cleaner both physically and mentally. You may also feel more alert and energetic and you will feel better after digestion of food because the process has been better than when you’re insides were clogged. 

It’s important that you kick-start life after the detox with healthy and conscious eating. Choose your food wisely and try to adapt new simple habits to keep you healthy. For example, commit to drinking more water, eat a big salad with every meal, eat fruit at least 30 to 60 minutes before a meal and avoid fizzy drinks, snacking and junk food.

The real excitement and test of your body begins after your detox and after the cleanse is complete. But a simple detox doesn’t completely cleanse the body, it’s how you eat after that defines your body’s new path. 

Put simply, when the quality of the food coming into the body is of higher quality than the tissues which the body is made of, the body begins to discard the lower grade materials and tissues to make room for the superior materials which it uses to make new and healthier tissue.

OMG! I AM SPEECHLESS! (gross factor warning)

OK. Well, you know I did the BlessedHerbs.com Colon Cleansing kit for 5 days. Ahem. Well, if you've been to the website, you've seen photos of THE STUFF. Well, yup. Me. Just now. Egads, I don't know whether to jump for joy or barf.

I really wasn't expecting it. Kinda like when you're pregnant (sorry, guys) and you pass the mucous plug. You know it's going to happen, you know it's going to be gross, and well, it's all still a surprise. The timing, the appearance, and the experience of all that. 

Yes, I took photos. No, I'm not going to post them. If I did, you'd just think I stole them from the BlessedHerbs.com site. 

So, the kit works. I can't imagine what else would or could come out after THAT had I stayed on the cleanse for the recommended 9 days. 

Maybe since I already eat fairly well and based on the fact that I just did the Master Cleanse a couple of months ago, I didn't need that much time on this cleanse to produce.

Wow. I'm still in shock. That thang was alien!

Live Light, xo-C.

Day 5 PE/F2N CLEANSE!

I'm hungry!!!!!

Started the Toxin Absorber routine at 9 am. Took 12 pm and (oops!) 4 pm doses - was supposed to have been 3 pm, but I was in the bathtub!

My blood sugar is starting to dip, so I'll probably eat something before the night is done. The glittery stars out the corners of my eyes and my inner trembling is indication that my blood sugar is on the decline.

8:45 pm: Skipped the 6/7 pm dose and calling it quits. Ate a man sized salad and some dry Kashi cereal to celebrate. Woo Hoo! I have a full day tomorrow and a busy week. I can't risk a blood sugar crash.

BlessedHerbs.com is an excellent kit - very powerful. It's not for the weak-willed or cleansing lightweight. As I mentioned before, I think it would work well in tandem with the Master Cleanse for a seasoned cleanser/faster. I'll have to work up to that level!

There are three levels to the kit - Best, Better and Good. The Good approach is always a great way to go while cleaning up your diet, but doesn't require fasting. You will be able to better regulate your digestion and elimination by incorporating the supplements from this kit into your daily routine for a month.

Overall I feel great. The surge of energy was most appreciated just at a time when I had a mountain of thinking work to accomplish. The slightest sluggish energy or foggy thinking would have really interfered, so I am glad that the cleanse helped me get through this weekend's mental project.

Equally, I have enjoyed the break from Facebook and the news. I may ease back into it over the coming weeks, but this peace of mind has been quite enjoyable and this I'll want to protect.

Live Light, xo-C.

Day 4 PE/F2N CLEANSE!

Saturday

9:45 am: Drank Toxin Absorber with organic apple juice on empty stomach. Instructions call for 8 ounces of apple juice, but I've found the powder goes down MUCH easier with more than 8 ounces of juice. I'm probably using about 12 ounces. Followed this with large glass of water and matcha green tea.

Feeling a little hungry. Bathroom visits have been eye-opening. Good news! I need to take the powder every THREE hours, not two. Thankful for small gifts. 

12:45 pm: Ditto

3:45 pm: Ditto. I'm surprised that I'm not hungrier than I am. I guess regular doses of Toxin Absorber is curbing my appetite after all.

6:45 pm: Ditto on the Toxin Absorber. Still shocked that I'm not hungry enough to be tempted to eat. Helps that I've been working steadily all day.

9:45 pm: And again, ditto. Last dose of Drano for the day. I'm making it through this day with no food and without much hunger. Go figure! Two Digestive Stimulator capsules before bed and I'm done with Day 4! 

Live Light, xo-C.

DAY 3 PE/F2N CLEANSE!

Hi! Notice that I've changed the title from "fast" to "cleanse." The reason being is that I find it very difficult to fast on this cleanse as instructed. Taking supplements the last three days just in the evening just doesn't cut it for me. With the Master Cleanse I was drinking lemonade all day. This cleanse involves using timed supplements that aren't nutrition but instead are stimulating, friendly irritants to scrub the colon. 

Which is all fine and dandy, but I'm hungry! I'm going to do my best all day Saturday and Sunday to not eat and take the Toxin Absorber at two hour intervals all day long. I have some fresh fruit handy for emergency back up and plenty of matcha green tea to keep me strong. 

Today I had two meal dates, so not eating or eating very little was just not the theme. For lunch I had spanikopita with salad and for dinner I had spaghetti squash primavera (you're right, M.D., it is AWESOME!). And as I type I'm nibbling on some dry Kashi cereal. Oh, and, of course, ample amounts of matcha green tea was consumed today. 

I certainly didn't scale back to 1/4 of my daily food intake today as instructed. I checked in on Facebook for a whopping five minutes in between clients and have only read news headlines, no articles, today. I'm feeling good on that front considering the hours I invested in the news prior to the election.

All in all I'm feeling good, but I'm not loving this cleanse. The fact that I'm supposed to be scaling back on food and then going without food for five days WITH NO NUTRITIONAL REPLACEMENT (like the lemonade) is a bit daunting. 

Luckily there are three ways to do this cleanse. All involve the Toxin Absorber powder and the Digestive Stimulator capsules. Way #1: taper off food for three days, no food for five, break fast for one. Way #2: eat normal for three days, no food for five, break fast for one. Way #3: eat normal amounts and use supplements in the evening only. Way #1 is certainly more extreme, but Way #3 allows slow cleansing over a longer period of time. 

I think I'll end up starting as Way #2 (3 days eating normal, 2 days no food) and then cruise into Way #3. It didn't occur to me when I started this cleanse that there is no nutritional replacement in the supplements to help curb the hunger like there was cayenne pepper in the lemonade of the Master Cleanse (full .pdf document). 

Maybe I've just turned into a wimp. I'll accept that. I'm not hell-bent on seeing that mucoidal thang (warning: graphic poop photos!!) as shown on BlessedHerbs.com and I'm not aiming to lose weight. I just want to get back to my productive, balanced self. I feel nearly there already, but I'm willing to invest more time.

Perhaps a great approach for the truly dedicated would be a combination of the Master Cleanse with the BlessedHerbs.com supplements. THAT would be powerful!

Live Light, xo-C.

P-E or F2N FAST: DAY 2!

My Post-Election (P-E) Fast or Facebook, Food and News (F2N) Fast is into the second day. Last night I took the directed 2 capsules of the Digestive Stimulator before dinner and 1 packet of the Toxin Absorber in 8 ounces of organic apple juice.

The Digestive Stimulator is a natural herbal stimulant that tones, cleanses, and purifies the entire digestive system. It helps to eliminate the stored toxins released during this program as well as those that have been trapped in your body's intestinal walls.

The Toxin Absorber is a gentle, bulk-forming stimulant that helps to draw mucoid (aka mucous) plaque off the intestinal walls. The dietary fiber blend absorbs toxins, heavy metals, and excess fatty acids in your intestinal tract.

Remember, these supplements are part of the BlessedHerbs.com Colon Cleansing kit. (I have no affiliation with the company other than being a customer.)

The Digestive Stimulator capsules went down without a blink, however, the toxin absorber was not quite as easy. It has bentonite clay in it which is an absorbent that draws toxins to itself, absorbs more than 40 times its weight in toxins and provides a lovely,gritty texture. The taste was something like peppermint chalk and while not completely unpleasant, it still took some effort to knock it back.

Those goodies worked their magic this morning. 

Today I've eaten two bananas, two tomatoes, one avocado, a small bowl of dry Kashi cereal, two big bowls of salad and much matcha green tea. While I may not have scaled back on the food as much as I should have, I'm finding that I'm hungry! At least with the Master Cleanse, the cayenne pepper in the lemonade was an appetite suppressant and I was drinking that all day long. 

So tonight before dinner I again took two of the Digestive Stimulator capsules and, as soon as I finish up here, I'll take the Toxin Absorber in organic apple juice.

I'll do this again tomorrow with the intention of cutting back my normal intake of food to a 1/4 of what I normally eat. Today was supposed to be half. 

Saturday and Sunday are going to be interesting because they call for no food and 5 rounds of the Toxin Absorber at two hour intervals. Hmmm. Should. Be. Fun. 

Live Light, xo-C.

PS- Oh, yes, I've stayed away from news articles and Facebook for the most part. I read some headlines in emails and two articles sent by friends. On Facebook I made a quick check-in to manage messages to prevent build up. This part of the fast is not difficult at all.

POST-ELECTION FAST!

I'm Day One into a brand new Post-Election Fast. I just had to go cold turkey off all that Facebooking, news reading and news watching that I've done the past two months. My body has been feeling like it's become the shape of my desk chair, I've been staying up way too late (those debates starting at 9 pm EST!), been eating at my desk (horrors!), not exercising regularly and not been as productive in my work...all in the name of patriotism! 

However, now is the time to get back on track, so I've started a 9 day colon cleanse (food fast) to get back to the basics and start feeling like myself again. The program I've chosen this time is by BlessedHerbs.com and I will journal each day. Different than the 10 day Master Cleanse, the first three days of this cleanse involve tapering off food gently before turning to a liquid diet. Then five days are supplements and liquids only and then the last day is for breaking the fast and easing back into the world of food. Really only five days without solid food....easy, breezy!

One nice feature about this Blessed Herbs program is that it includes booklets to chart your instructions for the day and to record your progress and notes. For those who like to be told exactly what to do, this is the fast for you! No guessing required! 

Today I've had a cup of soup and a salad for lunch, salad for dinner and lots of matcha green tea! I may indulge in a carrot or two before bed. Oh, I did snack on an apple. Pretty typical daily menu. I checked in at Facebook for max five minutes to clear my incoming messages and I've only read email news headlines today. I'd say that's a 90 to 95% reduction in what I've been clocking lately. The silence in my head is rewarding!

If you're not up for a fast right now, be sure to consider adopting an item or two (or more!) from my Economic Crisis Diet. We are living in compressed times and may need to learn to get comfortable in this mode for a while.

Live Light, xo-C.