Every year following the holidays, people commit to
improving their health or losing weight through a variety of diet and exercise
programs. With all good intentions they begin these new, year resolutions full
force, only to give up after a few short weeks. I’ve been there too. The reason
for the failure is simple, short-term, extreme health regimes do not result in
long-term, super health results. It just doesn’t work!
It’s all about making choices and lifestyle changes that you
must commit to long term. Plus you need to understand that for every year it
took you to gain that excess weight, or to obtain that chronic health problem,
it will take a long time to reverse it. You need patience, perseverance, and
determination, taking action to achieve these long-term goals.
A healthy gut is considered one of your number one keys to
super health and longevity. The health of your gut is dependant on what you do
to achieve the results you expect long-term. When I’m referring to a healthy
gut, I am mainly focusing on the last five feet of your digestive tract, also
referred to as the large intestine; or the bowel; or the colon, which we refer
to it here. So, to put it simply, good gut health is as much a function of our
ability to eliminate waste, as the quality of the food we eat.
“Why can’t high quality food be the single solution for
optimal colon health?” Although what you eat or put into your body is most
definitely at the top of the list for optimal health, it can’t be the only
component. Exercise, rest, sunshine, balancing stress, balancing hormones,
being hydrated, are all important components to optimal health of both your gut
and your entire body’s well-being.
The colon functions a lot like your brain. In fact, it’s
considered your “second brain,” and for good reason. Within the walls of your
gut resides an enteric nervous system that controls your digestion, and plays a
major role in your physical and mental well-being. In fact, numerous diseases
and illnesses, including some brain disorders, such as depression, Parkinson’s,
and quite possibly autism, can be a direct result of the health of your colon. This
enteric nervous system has been shown to use more than 30 neurotransmitters,
just like the brain. In addition, at least 95 percent of the body's serotonin
is found in the bowels. So when you feel bad, more than likely you feel it in
your gut – pun intended.
You probably thought the main function of the colon was to
eliminate waste. Well technically, that is a major function of the colon, but
to be considered a “second brain” there’s a lot more to it than just that. The second brain consists of sheaths of
neurons within the walls of the long tube of the gut, which measures over 29
feet from the esophagus to the anus. Some studies show that this second brain
contains over 500 million neurons, and other studies state around 100 million
neurons, more than the spinal cord or within the peripheral nervous system.
These neurons enable us to feel within our gut and its contents, specifically
for the constant use and abuse of daily digestion.
Digestion requires so much energy; from breaking down food,
absorbing nutrients, expelling waste; all part of a chemical processing, and
mechanical mixing of muscle contractions which move all these “digesting”
particles down the line. If there are any “mechanical or chemical” breakdowns
during this process you will definitely know it. When the body is stressed, or
foods don’t digest properly, the colon reacts with symptoms of upset stomach,
gas, bloating, belching, constipation, diarrhea, and in some cases disease. “You
will know when digestion does not go well. You will know immediately. What you
do about it is another matter.”
We know that the brain (in your head) is considered a
muscle; well, so is your colon. Just like the muscles throughout your body, and
your head, the colon needs to be maintained as well. You need to properly
exercise your colon. Part of this process is through proper diet, and elimination.
For instance, stress and inadequate exercise, overeating, and constantly
keeping your stomach full, and not letting it rest; and most importantly,
failing to eliminate when your colon wants to do so all contribute to the
health of your colon.
Refusing to go when your colon is ready to eliminate is
detrimental to your colon’s health. That’s like not letting your brain rest by
sleeping, resulting in brain fog and confusion. When you refuse to eliminate
you are conditioning your bowel to expand and retain, when it should be
expanding and contracting for proper flow. This can lead to stretching, and
contorting, creating odd shapes causing food particles and toxins to possibly
lodge itself within these pockets for long periods of time rotting and
fermenting, instead of it being eliminated through the proper waste process.
This results in serious imbalances within the bacteria, causing poor absorption
of nutrients or toxins. This also contributes directly to constipation,
bloating, gas, foul smelling feces, bad breath, and the like. “How is that
healthy?”
Something else to consider, when the colon is functioning
optimally, there is a balance of beneficial bacteria which aids in the
absorption of the vitamins consumed. The amount of beneficial bacteria found in
the average healthy colon is about 70 to 80 percent. Obviously, if you want to
retain higher levels of good bacteria, you need to consumer a higher quality
diet, in addition to practicing proper elimination. Just to give you an idea of
the time involved to digest food, the whole process should take about 18 to 24
hours from consumption to elimination. This means that no waste is blocked or
slowly flowing through the colon. If you eat a plate of food, you should
eliminate a plate’s worth of waste or close to it.
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| Healthy Colon |
If you are constantly consuming slow moving foods, keeping
your stomach past the full mark with no room for rest, and not taking the time
to “to let it all out”, then there is no way that digestion can take 18
to 24 hours to properly and fully absorb the good stuff, and eliminate all the
bad stuff. There’s not enough time or energy for that. Besides the bloating,
constipation, belching, and tummy ache, you begin to pollute your cells with
toxins creating fat on your body, weight gain, poor water and nutrient
absorption. This can only result in turning you into a malnourished, sick and
tired, overweight, grumpy, miserable beast! Nobody wants that.
With a better understanding of the connection between a
healthy colon and overall health, to truly obtain this higher level of vitality
and wellness we need to focus on the strategy. The goal is to achieve premium
colon health. So instead of the usual New Year’s resolutions, mine is to
“reboot” my colon health. I have already started working towards this goal
through a series of detoxification and cleansing regimes. I am working towards
changing my actual behavior towards my daily diet habits, including how and
when I eat, and when I eliminate; managing my stress both physically and
mentally, and of course, including a much higher quality of food and
supplements. These changes include removing those foods from my diet which my
body can not tolerate under any circumstance; consume more high quality
plant-based, water-rich foods, not over eating, daily fasts to provide my
digestion with rest, and looking at food differently in order to handle
cravings for those foods which do not serve me well. This is also in addition
to proper and regular exercise, rest and relaxation, and good hydration. I
continue to exercise several times a week, including participating in a yoga
class weekly.
“This is a lifestyle change!” Diet and exercise goals
should not be limited to a two-week extreme program to shed a few pounds, only
to gain it back immediately. The idea is to create new habits and retrain your
brains and body to create the health you deserve to have from this point
forward. You need to feel it in your gut! The revelation is the resolution
should start there – in your gut!
Check back for supporting articles that focus on specific
actions you can take to support colon health.
Peace!:) Debbie Marsh
Author/Publisher Note: The articles and
information published on this site/blog are not intended to cure or give
medical advise. The intention is to educate, inform, and empower readers to
make their own decisions on health and well-being. The author/publisher does
not advocate the use of any particular healthcare protocol but believes the
information in this article and website should be available to the public for
informational purposes only. The publisher and author are not responsible for
any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of the suggestions,
preparations, or procedures discussed in this article or throughout the site.
Should the reader have any questions concerning the appropriateness of any
procedures or preparation mentioned, the author and publisher strongly suggest
consulting a professional healthcare advisor.
Resources:
Fountain of Health, What Is The Colon
And Why Is A Healthy Colon So
Important? http://www.fountainofhealth.com/inthealth.php
Alder Brooke Healing Arts, Pay Attention to Your Colon
Health Now –
or Pay Later! http://www.alderbrooke.com/pay-attention.php
Raw Family Green Smoothie Blog, The Importance Of Colon
Health, http://greensmoothiesblog.com/colon-health/
Optimal Health Network, Colon Health: Why it's important and
what I can do, http://www.optimalhealthnetwork.com/Colon-Health-Why-it-is-important-and-what-I-can-do-s/717.htm
Scientific American, Think Twice: How the Gut's "Second
Brain" Influences Mood and Well-Being, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-second-brain/
Neuro Science, Gut instincts: The secrets of your second
brain, http://neurosciencestuff.tumblr.com/post/38271759345/gut-instincts-the-secrets-of-your-second-brain
