By: Nicole Bandes, Natural Health Coach

 Natural energy supplements

Most people understand how important it is to stay clean on the outside, but few realize that it’s equally important to keep the body clean on the inside. Your body is constantly performing many natural functions to keep itself clean. Most of us take these functions for granted until there’s trouble. Periodic cleansing and detoxifying helps to open up the eliminative channels to keep the body systems running clean, uninhibited by toxin and waste buildup.

Consider the cumulative effects of the years (or decades) of donuts, potato chips, beef and soft drinks. Your digestive and intestinal systems take care of some of that accumulated junk, but these systems were not made to run on refined flours and sugars.

Each of us is at risk for some sort of digestive disease. According to “Colon in Crisis, A Secret Source of Disease” by Dr. Michael Cutler, Colorectal cancers are the second largest cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., obesity increases your odds for colon cancer by 25-33%, and only 25% of Americans eat the recommend 5+ daily servings of fruits and vegetables which are high in fiber, anti-oxidants and promote colon health.

If you say yes to any of the following, you should cleanse your colon.

1. Do you have a family history of polyps or colon cancer?

2. Do you consume red meat more than two times per week?

3. Do you use tobacco, alcohol or other drugs?

4. Are you over age 50?

5. Are you overweight?

6. Do you have diabetes or a sedentary lifestyle?

7. Do you regularly have constipation or hardening of solid waste in your colon?

8. Do you have bloating, gas or excessive fullness after meals?

9. Do you have pain in the lower esophagus with swallowing?

10. Do you have an “acid heartburn” feeling in your stomach with or without meals?

11. Does your stool “float” or appear greasy?

12. Does your stool contain large pieces of undigested food?

13. Do you ever have bloody or black-colored stool?

14. Do you have painful bowel movements?

15. Do you have lower intestinal cramping associated with meals?

16. Do you get a stuffy or runny nose during or after meals?

Nearly 90% of all Degenerative Disease Begins in the Digestive Tract

Imagine taking all of the food you eat for breakfast and putting it into a container, sealing the lid and warming it to 98.7 degrees. Now take everything you eat for lunch and put it into the container and reseal. Keep doing that with every meal you eat until you finally have a bowel movement. Has that food been in there for one day? Two? Maybe even many more than that. Now open up the container and take a nice good sniff. Now you have a better idea of what is being “stored” in your colon. Do you really want all that in your body?

When your body is forced to “store” rotting food much of the toxins put off by the food will be reabsorbed into the blood stream through the colon walls. These toxins can lead to inflammation, the root of nearly every degenerative disease known to man.

One Bowel Movement Per Day is Not Enough!

Most doctors will tell you that one bowel movement a day is normal and they are correct. Most Americans do not have more than that. However, it is not healthy. Even if you are “regular” in how often or when you have a bowel movement, it can still be damaging to your system if you have less than one movement per meal.

Consider a train station. If three trains pull into the station every day and only one train pulls out, you will soon have a quite a train wreck!

Your Diet Determines the Health of Your Colon

Consider this. Today we eat an average of 500+ more calories than we did 30 years ago. In addition, we eat less than 1/3 the recommended daily intake of fiber each day, fewer than 13 grams. Fiber is critical to absorbing the toxins we take into our bodies, promote regular elimination and clean the intestinal walls. The bonus, fiber also helps stave off hunger while keeping up our energy levels.

It’s understandable that we feel hungry an hour after eating fast or processed foods. Our bodies are not getting the nutrients we need. These foods also don’t contain the enzymes that help to break down the foods so that our bodies can assimilate what little nutrients they may actually have.

So What Can You Do?

Most important, decrease your intake of fast and processed foods and increase your intake of natural, uncooked vegetables and water. However, while these factors are critical, they rarely do enough by themselves. It really is essential to perform a colon cleanse at least twice each year.

A colon cleanse may help you add years to your life but it will definitely help you add life to your years!

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Nicole Bandes is a Natural Health Coach whose passion is educating individuals about natural alternatives available to them. Nicole publishes a weekly column of health tips at www.naturemadeez.com.

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Are We Getting Enough Nutrition From the Foods We Eat?

By: Nicole Bandes, Natural Health Coach

Today, Americans are busier than ever. We have less time to eat and no time to prepare healthy, well balanced meals. Most of us are lucky if we manage to fit in three meals a day. Based on the average diet and our lack of exercise, it’s no wonder Americans are getting fatter and sicker every day. Here are some hard facts.

An estimated 40% of cancers are related to poor diet and exercise.
*Americans consume 140 lbs of potatoes per person per year; 51 lbs are in the form of French Fries.
*The studies used to determine a nutrient’s RDA typically span only 6-9 months; just enough to prevent serious nutritional deficiencies but not enough to prevent long term illness and poor health.
*Some commercially raised oranges have been found to contain no vitamin C!

Whether you eat the “standard” American diet that consists of packaged, processed and fast food or even if you make healthier choices, your diet may not be providing the amount of nutrients that your body needs to not just prevent nutritional diseases such as scurvy and rickets but also to thrive at its healthiest level.

The truth is that the millions of Americans that are overweight or in poor health are the lucky ones. Their bodies are telling them they need to make a change. So many others go through life experiencing fatigue, headaches, poor immune systems or other “insignificant” signs. Some experience no symptoms at all, until it is too late.

Don’t be fooled. If you eat what every other red blooded American eats, your diet IS killing you.

So, what can you do about it?

To regain your health and maximize your vitality follow the 7 Pillars of Prevention. It doesn’t matter what stage your health is in, these pillars can be very valuable to you.

7 Pillars of Prevention

1. Water – Yes, we have all heard it before but it bears repeating. Water is the fluid of life. Many health concerns can be eliminated simply by drinking more water. Try this, for each beverage you drink, first drink an equal amount of water. Soon you will be drinking more water and less junk!

2. Enzymes – Food enzymes are key to healthy digestion, restoring pH balance and vitamin/mineral absorption. If you suffer from acid indigestion, have food allergies, get gas or bloating or are frequently constipated, you probably lack enzymes. Most raw fruits and vegetables contain enzymes but if you are not eating your foods raw, the enzymes are being destroyed. Supplementation may be necessary.

3. Fiber – Think you are getting enough? Many sources will tell you that you need only about 14 grams of fiber per day. However, fiber is one of those great things you just shouldn’t skimp on. It will help you feel full, balance your blood sugar levels, improve your colon health and regulate the digestive process. Your goal should be to get 30 or more grams of fiber every day.

4. Multi-vitamins – Doctors now agree that every person should take a multi-vitamin each day. Just think about that orange in the beginning of this article. You may be eating healthy choices and your body could still be vitamin starved. Be sure to shop for all natural vitamins from a good source.

5. Essential Fatty Acids – Tired of being told you should eat more fish and then being told that it’s unhealthy to eat more fish because of the mercury? The fact is, essential fatty acids are necessary and the health benefits go on and on. If you don’t eat fish, choose a supplement company that guarantees no mercury in their EFA’s.

6. Anti-oxidants – Not just another fad supplement, anti-oxidants are being shown to be beneficial for a large range of health concerns. Increase consumption of anti-oxidant rich foods including wild blueberries, kidney beans, pinto beans, cranberries, and artichokes. Supplements are available as well.

7. Probiotics – One of the most overlooked essential nutrients in our society, probiotics are rarely used regularly. Unfortunately, we spend millions of dollars each year trying to get rid of bacteria – anti-bacterial cleansers, hand soaps, antibiotic medications abound. However, some bacteria are essential to our health. Probiotics (or friendly bacteria) helps to break down our food for better nutrient absorption and improves our immune system by killing off “bad” bacteria. If you have taken antibiotics in the past or if you eat meat or dairy (both are raised using antibiotics which are transferred into the foods we eat) then you likely need to supplement with probiotics.

Taking back control of our health is not impossible. It can be done with some simple dietary changes and supplementation from a good source. If you are tired of running on empty and merely existing and you are ready to start living, then you can adopt the 7 Pillars of Prevention and start feeling better now!

Nicole Bandes is a Natural Health Coach whose passion is educating individuals about natural alternatives available to them. Nicole publishes a weekly column of health tips at www.naturemadeez.com.

Article Source: http://www.wellnessarticlelibrary.com