Thanks to over-processed, denatured foods, overeating slow-to-digest meats, and not getting enough fiber, many of us have bowels that aren’t working at their peak of performance. Negative dietary habits leads to sluggish, under-active colons. But even if we eat a diet of carefully chosen healthful and natural foods, we still benefit from an occasional colon cleanse.
Fasting enhances colon activity. The break from food allows for a resting period of the whole intestinal tract, offering a time for these organs to “catch up” and self-heal.
In our normal eating patterns, when waste matter doesn’t move along quickly through the colon, it dehydrates and hardens, becoming a thick and sticky mass. This old, undigested and putrefied matter becomes more and more difficult for the body to eliminate, and can harbor unwanted bacteria, toxins and parasites. It can also hinder the flow of normal digestive fluids from the liver and pancreas.
Rehydration and removal of this waste matter is paramount to healthy colon function and to optimum physical health. Two of the best products for cleaning out the colon are psyllium and bentonite clay, therefore these are the products that we use in our detox shakes.
Detox Shakes: Ingredients & Benefits
A blend of Psyllium Husk and Bentonite is one of the simplest and most effective ways to cleanse the digestive system which is why we integrate these shakes into our detox programs.
Psyllium Husk
Psyllium husks are an all-natural product, being the outer hull of the seeds of the Plantago plant.
Psyllium husks have a unique characteristic of swelling when mixed with water, creating a slippery, gelatin-like substance. This “gelatin” holds a great deal of water in the bowels, helping to soften the feces. Its slipperiness then acts as a lubricant for easier elimination. The extra bulk created by the psyllium will stimulate better peristalsis, the movement of the muscles in the walls of the intestines that “pushes” the matter along.
Is there gluten in psyllium husks?
Psyllium fiber comes from the outer coating, or “husk” of the psyllium plant’s seeds. It is not wheat, and is therefore our detox shakes are gluten free. The psyllium husk is a natural source of soluble fiber, similar to fiber found in grains such as oats and barley.
Bentonite Clay
Bentonite is a natural and highly absorbent earthen clay composed of volcanic ash. It is not assimilated by the body but acts to absorb and bind to toxins in the intestinal tract, and then pass on out with the feces. It absorbs the liquids that is comes into contact with and expands to extract toxins from the liquid. Bentonite also has significant antibacterial properties and is effective in killing bacteria in vitro. According to a 2009 study, bentonite clay acts very strongly against Candida. (Applied Clay Science Vol33 Issues 3-4 March 2009)
Psyllium and Bentonite also help eliminate parasites and Candida, but each of these conditions requires additional measures to address it completely. (See our Anti-Parasite and Anti-Candida add-on programs)