Should you do a colon colonic cleanse for preconception health? What is the difference between colon cleansing and Fertility Cleansing? Hmmm, this has been a hot topic lately. Well I have to say, this was an interesting subject to cover! There are many advocates for colonics, herbal colon cleanses, and colon cleansing enemas. First, if you have never heard of this, let’s start off with the basics.
What is Colon Cleansing?
A colonic, also known as colon hydrotherapy, is the infusion of water via the rectum with the purpose of flushing out the colon, which is the large intestine. You must see a colonic specialist in a private clinic to have this done. A full health history and intake will be performed by the staff at the clinic and by the colon hydrotherapist. A disposable speculum is inserted into the rectum with a long disposable plastic tube attached. This tube is hooked up to a colon hydrotherapy machine which slowly feeds filtered warm water into the colon. This stimulates muscles of the colon to contract (peristalsis), which in turn empties the colon of feces. This type of colon cleanse flushes out the entire length of the colon. The feces and water mixture are passed out through the tube.
There may be some abdominal discomfort at first, the therapist may massage the abdomen of the patient to help in full removal of fecal matter.
Afterward the patient will be led to a bathroom to pass the remaining water and feces. The session will last about an hour. Clients may go back for more than one session.
Herbal, Laxative, Magnesium Colon Cleansing
There are many different types of oral colon cleansing products on the market. They may consist of herbs and supplements either in capsules, tablets, powders or liquid products. These products are taken orally with the intent of stimulating peristalsis which will help empty the colon of feces. The products are taken over time, usually about a week of intense cleansing and then a maintenance program after that.
Colon Cleansing Enema kits are sold online or through your local drugstore or health food store. This procedure is done at home. Water is forced into the rectum and lower colon through the anus. This fills the lower colon, stimulating peristalsis and relatively immediately evacuating the colon of feces. The person must use a toilet for the evacuation. This type of colon cleansing only clears out the lower part of the colon, known as the sigmoid.
Why do People Choose to Cleanse the Colon?
Many people choose to cleanse for the following reasons…
- To relieve constipation, or prevent it from happening
- To cleanse accumulated waste from the colon
- To maintain overall health
Proponents of colon cleansing believe that over time fecal matter can become hard and can accumulate on the colon wall, which may cause the following issues:
- prevention of absorption of water and nutrients
- create an environment in the colon for abnormal yeast and bacterial growth
- cause constipation
- create a situation where the stagnant fecal matter allows the colon to absorb toxins from the hardened fecal matter into the bloodstream, which is called autointoxication.
Should I do a Colon Cleanse or Fertility Cleanse to Prepare for Pregnancy and Healing?
For people who are used to regular cleansing and work with, or have worked with a colon hydrotherapist and understand the benefits and risks well, we feel colon cleansing is a personal choice and is fine for those people. If natural healing, herbs, cleansing, and dietary changes are new to you, the colon cleansing maiden voyage may not be for you. Colon cleansing is an advanced step that may not be appropriate for those just beginning this sort of thing. If you are interested in colon cleansing as part of a healing program for a fertility issue or for preconception preparation, we feel it is best to find a natural health care practitioner to help guide you with that decision.
We do feel that good digestion and eating habits are key to a healthy digestive system. Digestion is one of the first steps for healthy fertility. Our Fertility Cleansing program is different from an herbal colon cleanse for several reasons…
1) There are digestion supporting herbs in the Fertility Cleanse, but the main focus is not on cleansing of the colon specifically. The main focus is on using specific herbs that are cleansing and supportive of hormonal balance and reproductive system health.
2) The second phase is mainly focused on supporting liver health, which is important for hormonal balance. The liver is our chemical processing plant. The liver removes hormones, drugs, and other biologically active molecules from the blood. It then converts these by changing their structure or inactivating them, through different processes, and then excretes these to be passed through the kidneys. If there are too many excess toxins and hormones overwhelming the liver, they may be stored up, not only in the liver, but other parts of our body. The liver cleanse phase of the Fertility Cleanse helps the liver to cleanse itself of these toxins and excess hormones.
3)The third phase focuses on supporting uterine health. Colon cleansing does not focus on this at all. All the herbs in phase three support hormonal balance, control the inflammation response, and promote proper function of the reproductive organs; in addition, they are nutritious, support circulation, and some may support some digestive health, but the main focus in on the uterus.
How to Support Digestive Health Without Doing a Colon Cleanse
- Eat a diet high in fiber. Fiber helps to promote regular bowel movements, prevent constipation, and remove excess hormones. High fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds and beans.
- Drink herbal teas of fennel, peppermint, ginger, dandelion leaf, chamomile, and licorice rt. I like to make a gallon of herbal tea each week and keep it in the fridge for my family and me.
- Drink one Fertility Smoothie or Fresh Juice daily!
- Try Self Fertility Massage. This type of massage is great for supporting digestive health and regular bowel movements.
- Drink 8 full glasses of water a day. Adding freshly squeezed lemon juice will aid digestion even more!
- Exercise daily; even just a quick 30-minute walk everyday helps.
- Be sure you are getting enough essential fatty acids in your diet. Omega 3, 6 and 9! Foods high in omega EFAs are cage free organic eggs, wild caught Alaskan salmon, Cod Liver Oil, ground flax or sesame seeds or oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Borage seed oil, and coconut oil!
- Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.
- Avoid processed grains, choose whole grains instead. Good choices are quinoa, amaranth, spelt, buckwheat, brown rice, kamut, millet, barley, oats, and teff.
- Reduce stress. High levels of stress directly impact our digestive health; in fact, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is directly associated with stress and emotional response.
- 5 Important Facts About Colonics. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.verywell.com/what-is-a-colonic-89032
