Your bowel habits are a window into your internal processes. A change in 'normal' bowel habits, the appearance of blood in the stool, a change of color from a sandy brown to dark black, white or greasy are important physical signs which require further investigation.

The popular press, and government initiatives have made us increasingly aware of the importance of our diet in the prevention of a number of diseases. Modern medicine has now acknowledged the empirical practice of natural hygienists. We now can state with authority that a high fat diet with minimal intake of dietary fiber increases the risk for colon cancer. If you have had the opportunity to trek for two weeks in the wilderness subsisting on simple grains, fruits and vegetables, you would have readily experienced improved bowel motion.

A well known physician, Dr. Burkett, made an exhaustive investigation on the faces of many cultures, both East, and West. He documented clear connections between health disease states, and the toilet habits of the populations. The bowel is a very important organ of elimination, and must adequately clear toxins from our internal, and external environment. Other organs involved in detoxification are the skin, kidneys, liver and lungs. There are three sections to the large intestine (bowel); the ascending, transverse, and descending colon. Its main function is to remove water from the materials coming it from the small intestine.

Many bacteria reside in the bowel. They synthesize Vitamin K, as well as effect our immune system. Oral contraceptive use, and frequent antibiotic ingestion (from foods as well as drugs) disorder the balance of bacteria creating a complex symptom picture known as the 'yeast syndrome'. Medical authorities now acknowledge that overgrowth of 'bad' bacteria is poor for bowel, and general health. It appears the best thing we can do to enhance our bowel function is to ensure that what goes in leaves the body relatively quickly - within 18-24 hours. This is known as the transit time. Those eating a high processed diet of fats, and sugars may have a transit time of 72 hours, even though it appears you are having a daily bowel motion. If the transit time is longer than ideal, fermentation, and putrefaction occur. The resultant bowel toxins (mercaptane, indican, and putriscin) can cause a wide variety of symptoms including lethargy, headaches, and bad breath.

How to avoid garbage in? General diets should consist of 70% complex carbohydrates, 15% fat, and 15% protein. These values are altered slightly for certain developmental stages such as growth periods, pregnant, and lactating women, but overall the emphasis is on a vegetarian diet with meats, and dairy products as a condiment. Eat a wide variety of fresh fruits, and grains and chew them well. Digestion begins in the mouth. We seem to frequently 'woof' down our food, gulping large amounts of air, and wonder why belching, and gas is part of our 'gastric'. These foods provide bulk as our body cannot digest the cellulose in plants. This fiber enlarges the stool, and h olds water to prevent excessive dryness, which leads to straining, and the appearance of piles. The tone of the abdominal wall itself is important. A person with a large, pendulous abdomen will place greater mechanical stress on the colon causing a drooping of the structures.

These are herbs which are laxative in nature, and hasten the transit time by stimulating the muscular contraction of the bowel wall. Some are more violent in their action, and are known as cathartics. Reliance on such herbs is not advised as the muscular tone of the bowel is weakened eventually. Foods such as figs, and dates (if you are not diabetic), lemon, bran, and prunes are preferred to herbs like cascara, senna and aloe. We are not against the naturopathic practice of short term colonic irrigation under sterile conditions, as part of a 'cleanse' or supervised fast. Such procedures ought to be a small component of a larger lifestyle modifications program.

Comprehensive stool analysis is available, and this identifies not only medical concerns about the presence of parasites or blood in the stool, but also functional parameters dealing with the health of the entire digestive system (bacteria/ fungal flora counts, bowel toxin load, remnants of carbohydrate, fat and protein digestion). It is based upon such objective evidence that we feel comfortable with recommending colonic irrigation. Your bowel habits are a window into your internal processes. A change in 'normal' bowel habits, the appearance of blood in the stool, a change of color from a sandy brown to dark black, white or greasy are important physical signs which require further investigation. If you follow a proper diet, and exercise program, your bowel habits will improve in consistently, and timing... and you will feel better in time to come.