The general theory is that if you consume things you don't need, such as toxins, your body will simply eliminate them because that is what it is designed to do. Your liver, kidneys and intestines are made for this purpose. But then, how do you gain weight?

If you eat too much food or eat too much of the wrong foods like junk foods, fried foods, foods with white flour and sweets, you gain weight. Your body did not eliminate what it did not need. It stored it instead. Now you have unsightly fat, excess weight and perhaps even other side effects such as fatigue, brain fog and depression. This is proof that your body did not eliminate what was not used.

Your body can even turn excess amino acids and excess glucose into fat cells. Your body did not need this excess, it did not eliminate it, instead it converted it into fat cells and stored it. Why would this happen?

Your body is designed to digest a certain amount of food at one time. What is not digested may be eliminated. But when the body gets over-burdened from toxic overload and too much food that it can't digest, then it will not do any job efficiently. It does need help.

Add to this the fact that there are numerous - like thousands - of environmental toxins that you come into contact with each day. There is perchlorate in most drinking water, mercury in fish, bleach in water, food colorings, preservatives known to cause cancer such as BHA and BHT found in common foods, and the list goes on.

Put all this together with our sub-standard diets and you can see that your body needs help. This is when it may be time to cleanse your colon or your body.

You can help your body eliminate the excess build up and shed the excess fat cells. Your choices of diet, exercise and even food supplements can help you do this.

The right diet will not allow your body to store waste. It also will take the burden off of your digestion and help sweep through waste. The right diet will also give your body more energy - and enzymes - made for dissolving and eliminating extra, stored waste. However, in order for your body to do this it needs nutrition for fuel. This is why the proper diet is needed to cleanse the colon.

The right diet should include plenty of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. This should be the main staple of your diet. After that, high quality proteins such as beans, legumes, tempeh, organics meats including chicken and beef, and even sprouts. Include digestible foods with good bacteria such as organic, low-sugar yogurt and kefir. Round out your cleansing diet with small amounts of unprocessed, alkaline grains such as quinoa or amaranth.

Food or herbal supplements also help your body and colon cleanse. A good cleansing program will provide extra fiber to help soften and eliminate built up waste. The herbs usually found in a good program provide extra nutrition that is nature made so your body can absorb it. This extra boost of nutrition gives your body what it needs to make sure all organs of elimination are working.

Choosing the right herbal colon cleansing supplement can greatly benefit and expedite your cleansing efforts. Do not use a laxative because that is a toxin. Find a cleansing supplement that has mainly natural ingredients.

When you decide to do a colon cleanse or body cleanse, educate yourself first. Read the label, know the herbs and if you don't, research them. Be sure you choose the right program for your goals and lifestyle. Remember - when you take care of your body, it takes care of you.