The colon is the 'sewage system' of the body and as such can most easily get clogged up with waste matter which putrefies, producing extra toxins. Dozens of dangerous toxins have been identified in the most toxic bowels, some of which will be re-absorbed into the blood stream, polluting the body. These toxins need to be dealt with by the body, and and excess will clearly reduce its efficiency or damage cells.

Hence if you wish to detox thoroughly the colon deserves concerted action. This will take a little time every day for 3-9 months to do it thoroughly. It will also benefit you if you will question some of your lifestyle choices - especially those regarding diet, exercise and your work habits.

The 'Quick Detox'

There is no satisfactory 'quick detox', unless you just want a 'top up' having carried out a thorough detox in the past. So do not set much store by the '10 day','5 day' or even '3 day' detoxes you see advertised every January! Certainly they are better than doing nothing, but with a little more effort you can achieve ten times the benefits. This is best achieved by, first of all, focusing on the colon

A Fantastic Herbal Colon Formula

Thousands of practitioners and tens of thousands of users would agree that the best herbal product ever devised for the colon is one based on the formula of Dr John Christopher. Dr Christopher was a naturopath and herbalist active in the late 20th century. His formula is based on the herb cascara sagrada supported with 6 or 7 other herbs including barberry, ginger and cayenne pepper. The action of this formula is to promote the 'peristalsis' of the colon - the 'earthworm' like movements of the colon which move food waste along. In many people these movements have become too lax for various reasons; this formula restores them. In time, the formula is no longer needed. To ensure this, it needs to be taken daily for 6-9 months.

A 3-Month Programme For The Colon

To produce a thorough, 3-month colon programme, this herbal formula is often combined with a natural fibre product - such as psyllium husks; and a good bowel flora product, including acidophilus, bifidum, and other varieties of friendly bacteria.

A good colon cleansing programme will include instructions to advise you on other measures to help the colon. These include:

1. Diet: increase beans and pulses, vegetables and fruit; reduce meat, fish; reduce milk, eggs, butter; reduce tea, coffee, alcohol; reduce sugar.

2. Exercise: increase exercise - this should be vigorous and regular

3. Lifestyle: rest sufficiently and avoid the tendency to overwork.

Once a thorough colon cleanse has been undertaken this will serve you very well for the rest of your life. Only occasional, short top-ups should be necessary.

The Next Step

If you want to build on the colon cleanse, it is time to focus on the liver. The liver is the second most 'abused' organ in the body after the colon and it really could do with some help. Again, a herbal programme for the liver is a good choice and 3 months is a good length of time for this.

If you undertake thorough colon cleansing, and especially if you follow it up with liver cleansing, you will have achieved a thorough detox worth 10 or even 20 times what you could achieve through a 'quick detox'. This is valuable to make you feel great now, and to help prevent serious illness as time passes.