JJ answers your questions about colon cleansing, digestive health, and wellness
I’ve been getting lots of emails and direct messages from you about colon cleansing! This is great because it means you’re invested in doing all you can to feel and look your best inside and out.
We have learned so much in recent years about the connection between digestive health, mental health, and overall health and wellness. And this is why I want you to know the facts on colon cleansing.
Natural colon cleansing is a safe and practical way to support your digestive health. Colon cleansing may help you get relief from bowel concerns including constipation, gas, or irregular bowel movements.
Keep reading to get answers to these key colon cleansing questions:
- What is colon cleansing?
- What is the connection between digestive health and whole-body health?
- How do I know if I can benefit from colon cleansing?
- What are the different types of colon cleanses?
- How can I support my colon and digestive health?
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What is Colon Cleansing?
Colon cleansing is the process of cleaning or flushing your large intestine. A natural colon cleanse may help you manage your weight, support your mental and emotional health, increase your energy levels, and help reduce your risk of colon cancer.
Natural colon cleansing has become popular for one key reason: our modern lifestyles wreak havoc on our bodies. You’re busy, it can be hard to drink your lemon water, get your exercise, and eat lots of healthy greens and veggies consistently. All this adds up to stressing your digestive system – and this is where natural colon cleansing supplements may help.
Science-backed all-natural colon cleansing supplements are a safe and practical way for you to give your colon and digestive system the extra support it needs. When incorporated with a balanced lifestyle and healthy dietary habits, colon cleansing can help you lose extra weight, feel better, and keep your bowel movements regular and easy.
What is the Connection Between Digestive Health and My Overall Health and Wellness?
our digestive health or gut health is integral to your whole-body health. It’s through your digestion that your body breaks down and absorbs nutrients from food and liquids, metabolizes medications and supplements, and removes waste, toxins, and additives from your body.
These processes are essential to giving you energy, helping you grow muscles, repairing tissue damage, strengthening your immune system, and supporting your brain health.
Your digestive system includes your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), rectum, and anus. Your liver, pancreas, and gallbladder are key supporting organs in keeping your digestive system running smoothly and easily.
A healthy digestive system supports your heart health, brain health, emotional and mental health, immune system strength and vitality, relaxing and healthy sleep, and may help prevent some autoimmune diseases and cancers.
Your digestive system is the control center for your body – the healthier it is, the healthier you will be. Think of how you feel when you’re constipated or dealing with irregular bowel movements – sluggish, bloated, fatigued, and generally unwell. This is because your body is not able to get rid of waste and toxins or process the nutrients from the foods and drinks you consume. You’re essentially running on empty when your digestive system is not working at its best.
How Do I Know if I can Benefit from Natural Colon Cleansing?
If you have any of these symptoms, you may benefit from a natural colon cleanse:
- Heartburn or acid reflux
- Constipation
- Bloating or puffiness
- Diarrhea
- Irregular bowel movements (less than one a day)
- Weight gain and struggles maintaining your weight
- Regularly feeling like you have an upset stomach
- Low energy and fatigue
- Brain fog
- Low moods or mood swings
- Susceptible to colds, flus, and other viruses
- Gas
Now, I want to remind you that these symptoms may also be signs of other underlying conditions. Do not ignore any digestive or bowel symptoms. If you have regular diarrhea or constipation, stomach cramps, or blood in your poop – please contact your doctor immediately.
A natural colon cleanse using a science-backed and researched supplement can provide benefits to your overall health and wellness such as:
- Digestive health: a healthy colon is essential to your digestive health. Constipation, gas, and bloating means your body is not getting rid of waste and toxins. A colon cleanse helps you reset your digestion, clearing out waste and toxic buildup, making it easier to have regular and easy bowel movements, and ensuring you’re absorbing nutrients and medications properly.
- Weight management: when your colon is not working properly, your metabolism slows down. Gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation may be signs your body is not processing nutrients and calories properly. By resetting your colon health, you may be able to get your metabolism firing again – helping you to lose weight, build muscle, and have more energy.
- Brain health: you may have heard your gut called “your second brain”. Deep inside your digestive tract are 100 million nerve cells that communicate with your brain, giving it signals about your physical and mental health. This information from a John Hopkins Medicine article sums up the link between brain health and gut health:
“For decades, researchers and doctors thought that anxiety and depression contributed to these problems (constipation, diarrhea, bloating, pain, and stomach upset). But our studies and others show that it may also be the other way around.
These new findings may explain why a higher-than-normal percentage of people with IBS and functional bowel problems develop depression and anxiety. This is important because up to 30 to 40 percent of the population has functional bowel problems at some point.”
- Liver and kidney health: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common and chronic liver disease in the United States. NAFLD causes scarring of the liver and has implications for your kidney and overall health. Scientists are learning more about the association between the gut microbiome, NAFLD, digestive health, inflammation, and kidney and liver health.
- Immune system health: 70% of your immune system cells are hosted in your gut, and scientists have learned there is a direct connection between digestive health and immune system health. An unbalanced digestive system can disrupt the balance in your immune cells, resulting in autoimmune disorders and other health impacts.
What are the Different Types of Colon Cleanses?
It’s important the colon cleanse you choose is natural, gentle, and backed by science.
Make sure you know the facts on these 3 types of colon cleanses:
- Laxatives: do not do this. You should only take fast-acting chemical laxatives when directed by your doctor. These are often prescribed as part of the preparation for a colonoscopy and should not be used regularly. Your colon can become addicted to laxatives, causing further digestive problems.
- Enemas: a water or oil-based solution is injected into your rectum and bowel. Enemas may help relieve constipation and cleanse your colon. However, you should only use an enema under medical supervision.
- Colonic irrigation: involves flushing large volumes of water into your rectum and colon. This can be uncomfortable and should only be done by a medical professional.
These 3 types of colon cleanses all come with health risks and concerns:
- Risk of damaging your rectum
- Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
- Cramping
- Diarrhea and bloating
- Kidney issues
- Infection
The best type of colon cleanse is a natural approach using a gentle science-backed supplement along with lifestyle and dietary strategies. Make sure you discuss colon cleansing with your doctor before doing a colon cleanse.
How can I Support My Colon and Gut Health?
These 5 lifestyle strategies and habits can help you naturally support your colon, gut, and digestive health:
- Focus on fiber. Fiber helps you feel full and is essential to maintaining regular bowel movements and preventing constipation. The dietary fiber you consume in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other sources helps keep your stool soft and increases the weight of your stool – this helps prevent constipation, diarrhea, and prevents your colon from becoming overwhelmed.
- Eat fruit, vegetables, and healthy fats. These foods are packed full of antioxidants, fiber, micro- and macro-nutrients which are essential to keeping your digestive system running smoothly and efficiently. Aim for 3 – 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day – this will help give your colon the nutrients and fiber required to support regular bowel movements.
- Stay hydrated. According to the Mayo Clinic, women need 11.5 cups of water per day and men need 15.5 cups. This is water – not coffee, tea, soda, or juice. Your kidneys, liver, and entire digestive tract rely on water to move toxins, by-products, and waste from your body.
- Work up a sweat. Daily exercise such as walking, swimming, jogging, yoga, etc. helps increase blood flow and circulation which helps your digestion run more smoothly. As an extra bonus, your body releases toxins through your sweat – so you’re giving your body an extra cleansing boost when you get out for your daily walk.
- Take a natural colon cleansing supplement. Do your research and choose a natural science-backed colon cleansing supplement that is designed to support your colon and gut health.
I hope this colon cleansing FAQ answers your questions about your gut health and digestive system health. If you have more questions, feel free to post them on the JJ Smith Facebook Community page. Everyone in my Facebook group is like you – committed to feeling great inside and out.
Remember, your gut health is linked to your overall health and wellness. When you keep your colon healthy, look after your liver, and manage your blood sugar levels, you will have more energy, lose the belly fat, and feel like yourself.
