As a holistic health practitioner, I believe intestinal cleansing is the grass roots of any health or rejuvenation program. Despite the value of the nutritional supplements on the market they don't always get to the source of the problem. If poor health is due to a build up of toxic waste in the tissues, then no amount of herbs, homeopathics, vitamins, minerals, or other supplements is going to correct the problem if these products are merely addressing individual symptoms.

Think of how much better the healing and nutritive substances would work if the body's internal environment was clean and working for you rather than against you. I am forever amazed by how dramatically a cleansing program can improve a client's health, making what remains to be done much easier and less expensive.

According to holistic philosophy, the body is responsible for, and innately capable of, its own healing. There is an intelligence within the body's DNA coding that gives it an inherent sense of holism and order. Upon conception everything we will become is contained within a single cell. When that one cell divides into two cells and then into 75 trillion, the body's own internal intelligence orchestrates the entire process. Can we not trust that the body knows how to keep itself in perfect working order?

Most of today's disease is self-induced. A body's health deteriorates because the mechanisms for maintenance and repair are overwhelmed. The many possible causes include chemicals in our food and environment, excessive stress, too many refined foods, and nutritional deficiencies. The body will compensate for these factors for as long as possible but when it can no longer do so small alterations in chemistry and function begin to occur. The silent corrections we take for granted no longer remain silent and will eventually be noticed in the form of annoying, subtle, or severe symptoms. By learning to acknowledge these we can nip most disease processes in the bud.

Unfortunately we learn so little about how to create the environment the body needs in order to run at its best. Helping it to maintain health does not have to be complicated. Our body needs certain raw materials (proteins, minerals, essential fatty acids, etc.) in order to function. It requires exercise, fresh air and water, and lots of TLC. Our body also needs to be kept internally clean and free from toxins. With a good attitude and a little attention to these details we can put a great deal of confidence in the body's ability to remain disease-free.

A healthy functioning digestive tract is paramount to long-term health and vitality. Poor elimination and dietary habits contribute directly to degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart trouble, diabetes, fatigue, premature aging, obesity, arthritis, etc.

"Intestinal toxemia" is the overload of unwanted environmental and metabolic by-products that create the greatest interference with internal homeostasis. By adhering to the typical North American diet and lifestyle, not only do we add toxins to our system each day but we abuse our digestive tract to the extent that it is unable to metabolize food properly. Over time this causes distress not only in the bowel but in other eliminative organs.

So, isn't the bowel the place for waste? Yes, but if the sewer system backs up it affects the whole house, doesn't it? Toxic waste is reabsorbed into the system throwing a wrench into the body's already stressed balancing act. This can lead to a host of symptoms including headaches, muscle and joint pains, organ and glandular dysfunction, irritability, insomnia, body odours, poor concentration, tissue swelling, fatigue, and lowered immunity. An overloaded bowel can trigger such problems as prolapse, constipation, diverticulitis, pressure on internal organs, fertility problems, candida (yeast overgrowth), parasites, stomach distension and other digestive complaints.

The bowel environment begins to degenerate when undigested food and sticky, irritating processed foods stimulate a protective mucus to form on the intestinal walls. As the abuse continues, so does the protective mechanism, and in the years that follow this contributes to a thick layer of mucoid matter in the colon. The build-up of this old matter produces fermentation, putrefaction, and stagnant pockets, and becomes the breeding ground for harmful bacteria, yeast, and parasites. It also inhibits normal peristaltic movement (bowel contraction), thus leading to a slower transit time and more build-up. If there is a build-up in the bowel you can bet there is a build-up at the lymphatic and cellular level as well. The liver, blood, and internal organs can all be affected to some degree.

The removal of this build-up is the primary goal of cleansing. It is accomplished by a comprehensive intestinal cleansing program which gently but effectively supports and stimulates body purification. Water, juice fasting, or colonics alone are usually unable to remove this mucoid substance. Although any of these efforts will initiate some internal house cleaning they are not sufficient to complete the task. Fasting alone is not advisable for most people since the eliminative channels are not opened adequately to take away the toxic load the body is trying to move.

A good cleansing program should support the system throughout the process so that "cleansing reactions" are avoided. It should stimulate a deep tissue cleansing at all levels and should keep the body well-nourished, so as not to alter the blood sugar levels or thyroid metabolism. One should not feel tired, cranky, weak, nauseous, hungry, or headachy while doing the cleanse. If what you are doing, day in and day out, is making you sick, then you may need to set aside at least a two-week period to give your body a break. Although intestinal cleansing does require some discipline, it is not a difficult process. Your primary objective is to remove the body's toxic burden which compromises the immune system and normal health maintenance. In a nutshell, the body attempts to remain vigilant at all times to potential disease, including tumours and other abnormal cell growth. This automatic process cannot be maintained, however, if the immune system is overworked and sidetracked with its tasks of excessive house cleaning.

Even very healthy people will cleanse periodically as a disease prevention measure. For those already suffering with the signs and symptoms of degeneration, cleansing will often produce dramatic results, as the body is able to put housecleaning back on automatic pilot and get on with its other jobs of maintenance and repair.

Glen (McClare) Pavelich has been an Alternative Health Practitioner for 20 years. She lives in Kenaston, SK (Hwy #11) where she and her husband own and operate Pavelich Farm Bed & Breakfast. For info see website: www.pavelichfarmbnb.com. Phone (306) 252-2718.