Colon Health

Routinely, you shower or bathe, brush and floss your teeth, exercise and otherwise keep your body in shape to ‘meet and greet’ the world.  You do these things because you want to be presentable, liked, and even healthy.  For health maintenance, we often hear recommendations to drink plenty of pure water. Other sources might emphasize massage and/or spinal manipulation.  A nutritionist might propose a healthful diet for you to follow (80% alkaline, 20% acid). And, besides your chosen form of exercise, you may even partake in daily meditation. Relaxation and a good nights rest seems just as important as any of the other things.  When you innumerate all the “beneficial” habits you’ve already established, you realize that you have come a long way on the path to better health!

So then, it is not such a big leap to take one further helpful step in your health maintenance plan, is it?  May I suggest colon hydrotherapy?  Various colon experts (Walker, Jensen, Gray, et al) and “the father of holistic medicine” and clairvoyant, Edgar Cayce, have promoted the benefits of everyone having occasional “internal baths” (known variously as colonics, colon irrigation, or colon hydrotherapy) of the large intestine.

A colon cleansing is one of the most effective ways to rid the body of toxic accumulations of bodily waste, excess mucus, toxic compounds, and gas.  It also helps restore colon muscle tone, rebalances the intestinal flora, and supports overall bodily health.  This gentle “internal bath” with warm filtered water improves one’s system of elimination and removes a primary source of disease.  A healthy, clean colon is essential to a healthy body.

Colon hydrotherapy can be helpful for:

* Healthy intestinal maintenance

* Detoxification when fasting

* Improving colon muscle tone

* Sluggish eliminations

* Digestive discomfort (gas or bloated feeling)

* Cleaning mucus and plaque build-up

* Lack of energy

* Bad breath / body odor

Just a few colon hydrotherapy sessions can help reverse the effects of years of improper nutrition. Experts recommend an initial series of 3 to 12 colonics over a period of up to 10 weeks.  Then, it has been suggested to have a colonic anywhere from “once or twice a year”, “at the change of season”, or “monthly” (depending on the author) to maintain optimal colon health.

Obviously, each person’s goals and needs differ.  Just as some people exercise on a daily or weekly basis to tone and tighten their outer bodies, some people use a regimen of ongoing colonics to cleanse, tone, and rebuild their inner bodies.  Colonics can easily become a part of your regular health maintenance program.

Yes, we ARE what we eat….but that just scratches the surface of a very important topic! As most of you have gathered by now in this lifetime, we must take care of ourselves. No one else will do it for us. We must hold ourselves responsible for “what” we eat, “how” we eat, “how much” we eat, etc. It is for us to control and modify. Change is never easy, but taking on one change at a time somehow seems more manageable. Consider the following topics, then slowly make changes toward improving your body awareness and health:

Digestion:

It is important that we learn to eat more slowly and chew our food. Our mouth is the beginning of the digestive process, and valuable enzymes in the mouth are released as we chew. Without them, the break-down process that happens in the stomach takes much longer (or may not happen at all). “Bolting food or swallowing it by the use of liquids produces more colds than any one activity of a diet! Even milk or water should be chewed two to three times before taken into the stomach…” Edgar Cayce Reading 808-3

(Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), the clairvoyant most commonly known as “The Sleeping Prophet,” strongly advocated for a preventative lifestyle and early intervention to correct dysfunction. He believed that all healing comes from within and that the same therapies that help the body heal itself often help to prevent illness.)

Diet:

Edgar Cayce (as well as modern nutritionists) suggested that our bodies should be kept in an alkaline state. In order to achieve that, 80% of our foods should be alkaline-forming (most vegetables & fruits) and only 20% of our foods should be acid-forming (meats, breads/cereals, dairy, etc.). “…when there is the tendency towards an alkaline system there is less effect of cold and congestion.” Edgar Cayce Reading 270-33

Water:

The latest thinking is that you should drink water according to your weight; that is, drink one-half of your body weight in ounces (example: if you are 200 lbs., you should drink 100 ounces of water - do the math for yourself). This seems so reasonable, as a bigger body really requires more water to keep those millions of cells hydrated, and to keep the body cleansed of toxins. Try drinking all your water at room temperature, and adding the juice of half a lemon to your first glass in the morning (see alkaline topic). “There should be more water taken into the system in a more consistent manner, so that the system – especially the hepatics and kidneys – may function normally, thus producing…correct elimination of drosses in the system.” Edgar Cayce Reading 257-7

Fiber:

Most people don’t eat enough fiber to keep their bowels moving properly. Fiber comes in many forms: think of most vegetables and fruits (best raw, but steamed okay), whole grains, some nuts, etc. Natural forms of fiber are perfect for the body and are readily available – psyllium, wheat bran, oat bran, etc. (Be sure to drink lots of water when adding these fibers to your diet.)

Toxins:

Eat food that is organic and locally grown. “Have vegetables that are fresh and especially those grown in the vicinity where the body resides.” Edgar Cayce Reading 2-14 Work toward the goal of being totally organic by buying as much as your food budget will allow. Get those toxins under control with detox diets and/or cleanses. Have colonics and take steam/fume baths to clean the body inside and out! “For everyone, everybody, should take an internal bath occasionally, as well as external baths. People would be better off if they would!” Edgar Cayce Reading 440-3

Positive Attitudes:

Attitudes and emotions affect the digestion (or indigestion) of the food that we eat. Don’t eat when you are angry. “…never, under strain, when very tired, very excited, very mad, should the body take foods in [to] the system….” Edgar Cayce Reading 137-30

Other therapies/practices:

Many other practices assist the body in being healthy (despite what we eat!) -abdominal castor oil packs, massage, spinal manipulation, exercise, daily meditation, and relaxation.

We know from various studies that we are “one with the universe”. We are not separate. Especially in the area of our health, we function and live with everything that is around us; we don’t live in a bubble! Therefore, we not only have a responsibility to take care of ourselves, but we must be aware and make our surroundings better, too…. Wishing you a long and healthy life!

Ms. Lou Umscheid, B.S., M.S., colon hydrotherapist, trained at the Cayce/Reilly School of Massotherapy in Virginia Beach, VA. At the Colon Health Center in Chapel Hill, Lou uses the colonic additives recommended by Edgar Cayce. Sessions are confidential, with the utmost attention paid to your comfort. For more information about colon hydrotherapy, a brochure, or an appointment, please call Lou at (919) 960-9580.

Colonic hydrotherapy can help with more conditions than you might think.

By Scott Grady, Research and Education

You may have known that Edgar Cayce frequently recommended colonic therapy, and that he recommended it for a wide variety of ailments — from low back pain to senility. But did you know why?

When most people think of having “a colonic,” they think about how the water enters into the colon and flushes out the accumulated or impacted material. However, there’s much more to it than that.

Let’s consider the role of the colon in the body. A primary function of the colon is to hold digested food materials till it is time to eliminate them. While these materials are held, the colon extracts water from them and compresses them. If the body is dehydrated — which is more common than you might think — then the colon will extract more water from the material, and the material may become hard, compacted, and may even adhere a bit to the wall of the colon. This idea of compaction and adhesion is a well-known aspect of constipation, but this is only the beginning of the health problems caused by an improperly functioning colon.

Situated around the colon is the most extensive network of lymph channels and lymph nodes in the human body. These channels and nodes are located near the colon because the waste material in the colon is toxic, and the lymphatic system’s job is to drain away the poisons that may accumulate in the tissues of the colon wall. The extra channels and nodes of the lymphatic system are there to help the body maintain a healthy level of detoxification and immune response in spite of the toxic load that is naturally present.

However, as the years pass and as the colon extracts water from the waste material, a steady flow of waste molecules cross into the colon wall and into the lymphatic system. Over time these lymphatic channels will likely develop accumulations and blockages, and the lymph nodes will become contaminated. As a result of the impeded flow, the tissue of the colon wall may become toxic. This can result in a variety of colon problems, such as reduced immunity and infection (including diverticulitis and candidiasis), loss of strength or tone in the colon (which can lead to diverticulosis and chronic constipation), chronic irritation (irritable bowel or ulcerative colitis), and abnormal tissue growth (megacolon, polyps, tumors, etc.).

But when a person receives colonic therapy, several positive things occur. First, the water removes the material that may be lodged in the colon. Second, some of the water is absorbed into the colon wall, and this promotes a cleansing of the colon itself, leading to greater organ strength and health. Third, some of this clean water is absorbed through the colon into the lymphatic system, where it can begin to dissolve the thick or crystallized accumulations of waste that Cayce called “drosses.” If the therapist is trained in the technique, they may also be able to manipulate water pressure and temperature to exercise the colon, and thereby stimulate in a weak, inactive colon an ability for stronger bowel movements.

There are other Cayce remedies that can work well in conjunction with colonic therapy. Castor oil packs are often recommended to prepare the body, to make the process of the colonic easier on the patient. One or two drops of Atomidine can be taken orally, for a period of days, to help cleanse clogged abdominal lymph nodes. Glycothymoline can be taken orally in small amounts to alkalinize the digestive tract, or used as part of the colonic rinse water to neutralize acidic wastes that might otherwise make you sick.

Not only does colonic therapy improve the health of the colon, but it can also provide relief for many other disease conditions.

Those organs and glands that are located near the colon — such as the reproductive organs and glands — need to regularly discharge their own cellular wastes into the lymphatic system. If the local channels for drainage are clogged with excess waste from the colon, then this will impair the waste drainage for all the organs and glands in the abdomen. It may even impair the waste drainage for the muscles in the low back, causing them to feel chronically tense and achy. The poor waste drainage may also impair circulation in the legs, causing a variety of problems with joints, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels.

Also, the colon — in association with the liver — is one of the four main eliminatory channels for the entire body. If the colon is not eliminating wastes properly, the extra waste that is absorbed in the system must pass out through the other three channels. This can cause an extra burden upon the kidneys, skin, or lungs — the other three channels of elimination. As an example, most cases of acne will clear up if more water is consumed. This extra water helps keep the body from absorbing so much water from material in the colon, and as a result, fewer excess toxins are discharged through the skin — improving skin health. Colon hydrotherapy has also produced rapid results in many cases of psoriasis.

With colonic therapy, the condition of the blood is improved as well. The toxic load in the blood stream seems to be reduced whenever the colon and abdominal lymphatics are cleared. One woman with emphysema reported that her blood oxygen improved by one percent with each colonic she received. After a few treatments, she responded well enough that she no longer needed her oxygen tank. This would seem to be related to a cleansing of the blood due to a greater discharge of wastes from the body.

Similarly, Cayce recommended colon cleansing for many people with reduced mental function associated with age. Apparently the removal of wastes from the body improved the composition of the blood, which in turn enabled the blood to better nourish the brain.

Viewed from the perspective of Cayce Medicine, a cleansing of the colon and the abdominal lymphatics can relieve the symptoms and root causes of a surprising number of ailments. If you’ve got an illness that could benefit from this treatment and have been putting it off, check in with your Cayce Medicine physician. Colonic therapy may be the right remedy for you.

Copied from the A.R.E. Clinic website: www.areclinic.org

1. Chew your food well. Digestive enzymes for carbohydrates are in the mouth. Enzymes that break down fats and proteins are in the stomach.

2. Don’t drink while eating as anything more than ¼ cup of liquid will dilute the digestive enzymes in the stomach; drink only between meals (2 hours after a meal and up to ½ hour before a meal).

3. Don’t use antacids – you probably don’t need to “calm down” an acid stomach. In fact, you probably really need more digestive enzymes to help digest your food (they deplete as we age!). Other factors: Did you drink with your meal (see #2)? Did you eat fruit with other foods (see #7)?

4. Get some form of exercise daily. Not only does the lymph get stimulated to move (carrying toxins out of the body), but you may have a better bowel movement because of exercising.

5. Water intake is crucial – drink at least half your body weight in ounces of good water each day (more in summer and more when you exercise, of course). Example: If you weigh 130 pounds, you need to drink 65 ounces (2 liters) of water per day. Pass on tea, coffee, sodas, etc. They are diuretics (which take water out of your system) and you need to drink even more water to make up for choosing them. Pass on city tap water, too, to avoid the fluoride and chlorine.

6. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grains daily to get both soluble and insoluble fiber. Many processed foods (and meats) are devoid of fiber, so choose fresh produce (and organic) as often as possible.

7. Eat fruits separately from all other foods. Fruits eaten with other foods slow down their transit time (digestion) to match the other food….hence, the fruit has more time in the intestine to ferment which can cause gas or bloating.

8. Choose some kind of “cleanse” to do at least 4 times a year (or as often as monthly). This gives your body a break from digesting and allows it to move toxins out of the body. You can obtain information about cleanses from books, articles, and product labels/inserts (e.g., colon cleanse, liver/gallbladder cleanse, kidney cleanse, etc.).

9. Acid/Alkaline balance is important to life itself – the body is naturally alkaline (except for the stomach); your diet needs to be 80% alkaline-forming foods and 20% acid-forming foods. Test your saliva pH first thing in the morning, and if you are testing acid, drink water with fresh lemon juice squeezed into it.

10. Get an internal cleansing (colonic, colon irrigation, colon hydrotherapy) when you make changes to your diet, when you fast/detox (see #8), and at the change-of-season. Edgar Cayce suggested that it would be good for EVERYONE.

Ms. Lou Umscheid opened the Colon Health Center in Chapel Hill in September 2002. Lou uses the colonic additives recommended by Edgar Cayce. Sessions are confidential, with the utmost attention paid to your comfort. For more information about colon hydrotherapy, see www.yourhealthycolon.com For appointments, please call Lou at (919) 960-9580.

EDGAR CAYCE’S HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS –-

COLON HYDROTHERAPY HIGH ON THE LIST

By Ms. Lou Umscheid, B.S., M.S., and colon hydrotherapist

Over the past 15 years, I developed a keen interest in the health readings given by Edgar Cayce. Eventually, a door was opened for me to work more closely with one therapy he recommended to many people who came to him seeking health advice – colon hydrotherapy.

Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), the clairvoyant most commonly known as “The Sleeping Prophet,” strongly advocated for a preventative lifestyle and early intervention to correct dysfunction. He believed that all healing comes from within and that the same therapies that help the body heal itself often help to prevent illness. (Though Cayce’s health readings addressed each person individually, some definite patterns of causation and treatment were noted.)

For health maintenance, Cayce recommended drinking plenty of pure water; application of castor oil packs; massage and spinal manipulation; proper diet (80% alkaline, 20% acid); exercise; daily meditation; and relaxation. The Cayce readings also promoted the benefits of everyone having occasional “internal baths” (known as colonics, colon irrigation, or colon hydrotherapy) of the large intestine. For purification, Edgar Cayce insisted that intestinal antiseptics be added to the water for all enemas and colonics. These additives - salt & soda and Glyco-Thymoline – help to prevent illness and restore a balanced lymph circulation.

A colon cleansing is one of the most effective ways to rid the body of toxic accumulations of bodily waste, excess mucus, toxic compounds, and gas. It also helps restore colon muscle tone, helps to rebalance intestinal flora, and improves overall health. Improving one’s system of elimination removes a primary source of disease. A healthy, clean colon is essential to a healthy body.

Colon hydrotherapy can be helpful for:

• Healthy intestinal maintenance
• Detoxification when fasting
• Improving colon muscle tone
• Sluggish eliminations
• Digestive discomfort (gas or bloated feeling)
• Cleaning mucus and plaque build-up
• Lack of energy
• Bad breath / body odor

Just a few colon hydrotherapy sessions can help reverse the effects of years of improper nutrition. Various colon experts (Walker, Gray, and Jensen, to name a few) recommend an initial series of 3 to 12 colonics over a period of up to 10 weeks. Then, it has been suggested to have a colonic anywhere from “once or twice a year” to “monthly” (depending on the person) to maintain optimal colon health.

Obviously, each person’s goals and needs differ. Just as some people exercise on a daily or weekly basis to tone and tighten their outer bodies, some people use a regimen of ongoing colonics to cleanse, tone, and rebuild their inner bodies. Colonics can be part of your regular health maintenance program.

Ms. Lou Umscheid, B.S., M.S., completed the Colon Hydrotherapy course at the Cayce/Reilly School of Massotherapy in Virginia Beach, VA. This practical, hands-on training was followed with additional study in anatomy & physiology. The Colon Health Center in Chapel Hill opened in September 2003. Lou uses the colonic additives recommended by Edgar Cayce. Sessions are confidential, with the utmost attention paid to your comfort.

For more information about colon hydrotherapy visit www.yourhealthycolon.com. For a brochure or an appointment, please call Lou at (919) 960-9580.