December 7, 2017 Dr. Edward Group, DC

What’s the Best Colon Cleanse Diet?

Fruits and berries are part of the colon cleanse diet.

A healthy colon is the center of a healthy, happy life. The colon is a workhorse for your digestive system and helps absorb the nutrients your body needs. Unfortunately, with all the good your colon does, it also gets hit with the brunt of toxins and harmful organisms your body takes in. Fortunately, if you want to keep your colon clean and healthy, there are many options available to you. First and foremost, eating more fruits and vegetables and sticking to the right diet plan will have exponential benefits. Performing an organic colon cleanse will take your colon health even further and help prevent toxic buildup.

If you have ever wondered what your colon is, what it does, or how to keep it healthy, now is the time to find out. Let's explore the colon and what it means to your health.

What Is the Colon?

The colon is an integral part of the large intestine. Also called the large bowel, your large intestine connects the small intestine to the anus. The four major components of the large intestine are the cecum, colon, rectum, and anal canal. The colon is tubular shaped and connects the cecum to the rectum. It has several layers of muscle and fat with a mucous membrane as its inner lining. The “U” shaped colon subdivides into four sections — the ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon. On average, the colon is around five feet long in adults and takes up the majority of space inside the abdominal cavity.^[1]

The colon plays a vital role in how your body processes food. Your digestive system breaks down the food you eat, and once food reaches the colon, most of the water has been absorbed by the body. The colon performs two significant roles at this stage of the digestive process. First, bacteria in your colon break down the food further. Second, the colon absorbs additional nutrients and electrolytes. Water is removed from the food mass, thus solidifying the stool. The stool is stored in the descending colon until it is ready to be expelled from the body.^[2]

Why Your Colon Is So Important

Your colon plays a crucial role in digestion and is part of one of your body’s primary organs — the large intestine. Just like a malfunctioning heart or lung, if your colon fails, then your entire health is affected.

Colon health is a spectrum. On one end, colon complications can lead to serious illness, but far more common are smaller manifestations of subpar colon health. If you feel sluggish or get sick often, poor colon health may be the reason. Likewise, keeping your colon healthy can maintain and support both physical and mental well-being.

Common Colon Issues

There are many health conditions associated with an unwell colon. These range from unwanted gas to different types of cancer.^[3]

The most common colon health concerns include:^[4]

Crohn's disease
Colorectal cancer
Colonic polyps
Ulcerative colitis
Diverticulitis
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Symptoms of a Sick Colon

Identifying colon concerns is difficult for the average person, and severe health conditions that affect the colon need to be diagnosed by a medical professional. However, there are some signs you may notice when experiencing less than optimal colon health.

Signs of a weak or sick colon include:^[5]

Abdominal pain
Blood in stool
Constipation
Excessive gas
Weight loss
Fatigue

Can a Colon Cleanse Help?

Because your colon processes food waste, it is constantly bombarded by toxins. These may include pesticides from foods, toxins found in processed meats, or even environmental pollutants in the air and water. Left unchecked, these may accumulate and contribute to unwanted colon issues. Colon cleansing is one of the best ways to encourage your body's internal detoxification processes and eliminate harmful organisms.

Dr. Group, DC’s Colon Cleanse Diet Plan

While eating the right foods is essential to your overall health, it's especially critical to maintaining a healthy colon. After years of research and experience, I have developed a colon cleanse diet plan that has helped many people. It can help enhance the results of any cleanse and encourages healthy energy levels and overall wellness.

The full diet plan and suggested alternatives are included in the Global Healing Colon Cleanse Program™, but here are the basics anyone can follow — on or off the cleanse.

Colon Cleanse Diet Rules

There are three simple rules to follow with my colon cleansing diet, which is done for a short period of time to cleanse the colon (ideally six days).

Eat only fruit for six full days
Eat as much fruit as you want
Drink plenty of purified water

What You Can Eat on the Colon Cleanse Diet

My research and experience have shown me that these are the best fruits to select when following the colon cleanse diet.

Apples
Avocados
Bananas
Blackberries
Blueberries
Grapefruit
Oranges
Papaya
Pineapples
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Watermelon
White grapes

Other Colon Cleansing Foods

When not doing a cleanse, eating a diet that supports a healthy colon should rely on three main things — fruits, vegetables, and water. While those are the staples, there are lots of delicious and nutritious foods you can add to your diet starting today to support your colon health.

Fruits

Fruits and berries provide water, fiber, and antioxidants. Apples, bananas, and strawberries are a great place to start, and you may already have them at home. Each of these can provide a significant portion of your daily fiber needs. Citrus fruits, like oranges and lemons, are also great digestive aids and give you a vitamin C boost. Dried fruits like prunes and cranberries can also be beneficial for your colon and act as natural laxatives.^[6]

Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables are very high in dietary fiber, folic acid, calcium, vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, and antioxidants. They also contain a high amount of chlorophyll, which promotes detoxification. Spinach, kale, garlic, bok choy, and arugula are just a few other vegetables you can add to your diet to improve your colon health.^[7]

Herbs

Herbs are an excellent way to supplement your diet with health-promoting nutrients. Some of the best herbs for the colon include chickweed, slippery elm, and peppermint. Each has properties that encourage cleansing and help soothe your digestive tract. These herbs can be eaten fresh or taken as an herbal supplement or tincture.

Seeds & Nuts

Seeds and nuts are nutritious and help keep you energized throughout the day. They are high in fiber, vitamin E, protein, zinc, and other nutrients your body needs to maintain your colon. Some of the best nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts. Great seed options include hemp, pumpkin, sunflower, chia, and flax seeds.

Legumes

Beans and lentils are an excellent source of fiber and carbohydrates. They can help keep you regular and promote healthy digestion. Studies have shown that eating beans several times a week may even help prevent colon cancer.^{[8, 9]}

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, and yogurt contain bacteria known as probiotics that help your colon break down food and have beneficial gut cleansing effects. While there are many fermented foods to choose from that can introduce more probiotics into your system, low-sugar and non-dairy options are the best for your colon.

Worst Foods for Your Colon

For the best colon health, avoid foods that disrupt your digestive system and destroy beneficial bacteria in your gut. What you drink is critical, too. Coffee, sodas, and other sugary drinks won't help your colon. Here are some of the worst foods for your colon.

Sugar & Artificial Sweeteners

There are many good reasons you may want to avoid sugar in your diet. However, when it comes to your colon, sugar is especially disruptive. Both traditional sugars and artificial sweeteners can cause an imbalance of digestive bacteria or diarrhea and inflammation in some people.

Processed Foods

Processed foods typically contain a long list of additives and chemicals used to prolong shelf life and add texture or flavor. Avoid these whenever possible. Additives, like emulsifiers, in processed foods have been linked to colon cancer and can cause constipation.^[10] The best way to avoid these additives and other harmful chemicals is to buy organic foods that are raw or minimally processed.

Alcohol

Alcohol is known to disrupt the endocrine system. It can damage the sensitive lining of your colon and inhibit the good bacteria along the digestive tract. While the occasional drink may not cause lasting harm, heavy drinking can cause severe and long-term health issues.^{[11, 12]}

Red Meat

Eating meat is linked to cancer and is hard on your digestive system. The increased risk and strain it puts on your colon are reason enough for many to avoid eating meat altogether. However, if you choose to include meat in your diet, you should, at least, reduce or eliminate red meat. Try eating vegetarian or vegan meals a few days each week. If you notice improvements to your health, increase the number of meat-free days.^{[13, 14]}

Gluten

For many people with colon related issues, like irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease, gluten wreaks havoc on the digestive system. Even if you don't have one of these conditions, gluten may still contribute to inflammation in your gut and colon. If you don’t want to eliminate all grains from your diet, there are some great gluten-free alternatives like quinoa that also contain fiber and colon-friendly nutrients.^[15]

Best Vitamins & Supplements for Your Colon

Many people cannot get all the nutrition needed through diet alone. Balancing your colon health is no different. Supplementing with the right vitamins and nutritional supplements can help you manage your colon health. Below are some of the best supplements for your colon.

Using Oxygen to Cleanse the Colon

Following my colon cleanse diet has the potential to boost your body’s internal detoxification processes. However, in some cases, something more is needed. I developed Oxy-Powder® as a solution to the toxins and harmful organisms we are all exposed to. Oxy-Powder is a safe and effective colon cleanse product that uses the power of oxygen to gently cleanse and detoxify your entire digestive tract and relieve bloating, gas, and occasional constipation.

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References (15)

"Large Intestine - National Library of Medicine - PubMed Health." National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
"Colon - National Library of Medicine - PubMed Health." National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
"Cancer Stat Facts: Colon and Rectum Cancer." National Cancer Institute.
"Digestive Diseases Statistics for the United States." National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)." Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
Steinmetz K., Potter J. "Vegetables, fruit, and cancer prevention: a review." J Am Diet Assoc. (1996): 1027-39.
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"Food additives promote inflammation, colon cancer in mice." National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Riva A., et al. "Mucosa-associated invariant T cells link intestinal immunity with antibacterial immune defects in alcoholic liver disease." Gut. (2017).
Forsyth C., et al. "Alcohol Feeding in Mice Promotes Colonic Hyperpermeability and Changes in Colonic Organoid Stem Cell Fate." Alcohol Clin Exp Res. (2017).
Aykan N. "Red meat subtypes and colorectal cancer risk." International Journal of Cancer, vol. 137, no. 7. (2015): 1788–1788.
Turner D., Shannon K. "Association between Red Meat Consumption and Colon Cancer: A Systematic Review of Experimental Results." Experimental Biology and Medicine 242.8 (2017): 813–839.
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†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.

Posted in: Cleansing > Colon Cleanse, Health > Gut and Digestive Health > Gut Flora, Health > Gut and Digestive Health > Laxatives, Nutrition > Diet > Body Cleansing Diet,

Dr. Edward Group, DC

FOUNDER | HEALER | ADVOCATE

Dr. Group, DC is a healer and alternative health advocate, and an industry leader and innovator in the field of natural health who is dedicated to helping others. He is a registered doctor of chiropractic (DC), a naturopathic practitioner (NP), and proud alum of Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Dr. Group, DC is the founder of Global Healing – a mission and vision he has shared through best-selling books and frequent media appearances. He aims to spread his message of positivity, hope, and wellness throughout the world.