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Sunday, July 29, 2012

How to Make Your Own Herbal Colon Cleanse Recipe

Hey y'all!

If you've been sticking with me for any length of time, bless your heart! This may be one of the days you've been waiting for. Today I'm going to teach you how to make your own herbal colon cleanse recipe, using the recipe of one of the world's greatest master herbalists, Dr. Richard Schulze. I make and use this recipe myself and so do my children. I can testify from personal experience that this colon cleanse recipe works, and that you will see amazing results.

If you need to get up to speed, just read this post first, entitled "How to Do a Colon Cleanse: Step One." This post gives you all the very well- researched background information on why I believe it is important that we take care of our colons. It also lists all of the herbs that are used in this herbal colon cleanse recipe, with links to some articles I have written and published in other places about each herb.

You could purchase the same colon cleanse product from Dr. Schulze himself. He markets this as Intestinal Formula #1. I used a lot of his herbal products for years before I learned how to make them myself. They are amazing herbal products, and they all do exactly what Dr. Schulze says they do. He has organic herb farmers growing herbs to his exact specifications. He has beautiful packaging and labels, and quite a number of faithful employees. I've talked to a couple of his phone sales operators and they are the sweetest ladies ever.

The only thing anyone might ever have "against" Dr. Schulze's products is that they are expensive. They are not nearly as expensive as pharmaceutical drugs! But, we all know that most people will shell out the copay for their prescription drugs because they have drug insurance. We don't have the luxury (if drug insurance could be considered a luxury) of herb insurance.

I adore Dr. Schulze's herbal products, and adore him as a person. I simply cannot afford "him." This is why I learned how to make my own herbal recipes.

How can I get by with sharing someone else's recipes?

Dr. Schulze actually encourages people to make their own recipes. Dr. John R. Christopher, one of Dr. Schulze's mentors, had a vision of every mother becoming the Family Herbalist and there being a Master Herbalist in every neighborhood. There is a sense of personal empowerment when "you" know how to become responsible for your own health.

You may be doing it for health reasons, or because you think the whole medical and health insurance community is off balance, or because you think the global economy is going to collapse and you want to be prepared for any possible scenario. Or like me, you're doing it because you are on a budget.

How to Make Your Own Herbal Colon Cleanse Recipe, aka Intestinal Formula #1 or "Go!"

The first thing you are going to do is order your herbs. I get almost all of my herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. I love this company so much I became an affiliate for them. I'm going to give you a link to the Mountain Rose Herb website. If you choose to order from MRH through this link, I will get a small commission for referring you. You will not see any price difference on your order at all. I just want to give you full disclosure that this is an affiliate link. If you do not want do do it this way, you may access Mountain Rose Herbs through a regular search engine link, or you may have an herbs company that you prefer (P.S.: If you do, send them my way... for real). 

Enter the Mountain Rose Herbs website by clicking on the banner below.




Mountain Rose Herbs. A herbs, health and harmony c


Here's the recipe, which is taken from an out of print manual featuring Dr. Schulze's protocols.
Equal parts of the following dried and powdered organic herbs:
Turkey Rhubarb
Barberry root bark
Cayenne (habanero or African bird pepper are possibly the hottest peppers on the market- I use them if I can get them!)

What do I mean by a "part?" I mean that you can use any measurement tool, like a measuring cup or a coffee cup or a scoop or a bucket. It doesn't matter. Just make sure to use the *same* measurement tool in the *same* amount for every herb.

You just blend the herbs together in a big metal or ceramic bowl and ta- da! Intestinal Formula #1, or as I like to call it, Go!

Now... how much herbs in volume should you buy? I buy a lot of bulk herbs, so I usually buy a pound of herbs at a time. However, that's a *lot* of herbs, and it may be a little over a new herbalist's or herb user's budget. So I would recommend starting with 1/4 oz. of each herb at first. This amount will still make quite a number of herbal capsules, trust me.

Capsules?

Yes, once you make the IF#1/Go! blend, you need to put them in capsules. Why? Because 1) the herbs taste terrible (I had to know!) and 2) they are hot (ditto)! This is the way you can get them down into your system as fast as possible without burning your mouth off in the process. I am a Texan, but there is still a limit to how much heat I can take!

Where to get capsules? Mountain Rose Herbs sells them. They are vegetable gel caps, so vegans have nothing to worry about. You'll see that there are two sizes- 0 and 00. I use 0, but 00 is perfectly fine, too.

Now, to get the herbs into the capsule, you will need a little capsule making machine. I love this how to video that shows you exactly how to use the machine. It really goes just like this.


I bought mine at Mountain Rose Herbs. Put "Capsule Machine" in the search window, and choose whether you want an 0 or a 00 machine. It costs $13.50 (2012 USD) Then order a bag or two of 100 capsules for $3.75 each.

It just takes two minutes or so to make 24 capsules. I suggest making 100 capsules at first, which will probably last you two weeks to a month unless you are really constipated. No one knows how many capsules you will need to take in order to get you "going" twice or three times a day.

I really do make my own "Go!" and really do use it regularly. 

Start with one capsule, and take it at dinner or with a piece of fruit before bedtime. Eating food with this makes it easier on your stomach. If you do not see "amazing results" in the morning, take two capsules the next night. If you still do not say "Wow!" in the morning, you can do one of two things. You can either take three capsules in the evening with dinner, or you can do what I do, and take two at night and one in the morning. Sometimes having the herbs coming in a little faster seems to get things moving.

You keep adding "Go!" at the rate of one capsule a night, splitting them up between nights and mornings if you need to, until you are having two or three BMs a day, relatively soon after a meal.

If you start to become too loose, back off by a capsule or two.

Once you figure out your own personal "dosage," you just stay there. You will not believe how much weight you will lose in a month just by doing this one thing alone.

Please remember that this recipe is for constipation. If you are a person who has Leaky Gut or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, this is *not* the product for you.

Also, please know that this recipe and these herbs have not been approved or evaluated by the FDA for either safety or efficacy (although some of the individual herbs *are* generally recognized as safe. Before you do anything regarding your health, please seek the advice of a health care professional you trust.

If you do make this recipe, and do lose weight on it, or do see a positive change in your waist measurements, or just feel better, I would love it so much if you would come back here and post your results in the comments. If you have any questions, post them down in the comments as well. Thanks!







Sunday, July 22, 2012

How to Do a Colon Cleanse: Step One

Senna is a well-known herbal laxative and is a foundational part of an effective colon cleanse- image by Natives of Texas.com


Hey y'all!

It's taken me two months to get here, but I'm finally ready to give you the "goods" on how to do a colon cleanse! A really good, thorough colon cleanse has two parts to it. The first part gets your bowels moving. That's what I will be blogging about today. The second part of a great colon cleanse acts as a broom or a vacuum cleaner to get old toxic material out of the folds and bowel pockets of the large intestines.

If you want a quick "refresher" on my Colon Detoxing 101 Course, here are the links to the titles:

Detoxing 101: The Role of the Colon in Detoxification

Colon Anatomy, Healthy Colon Function, and Constipation

Diverticulitis and Diverticulosis: Two Completely Preventable Colon Diseases

The Difference Between a Healthy Colon and a Diseased Colon

You can actually make your own herbal colon cleanse that is very effective. I make my own recipe, based on the work of Master Herbalists Dr. John R. Christopher and Dr. Richard Schulze (see links to their websites in the sidebar). I actually use this recipe myself. Dr. Schulze calls the first part of his colon cleanse "Intestinal Formula #1." If I was to market my own  version of this recipe, I'd call it "Go!" because that's what this herbal blend makes you do. It makes you "go." Dr. Schulze says he could make a rock "go" using this recipe. I believe him.

Let me make it very clear that Intestinal Formula #1/"Go!" is for constipation. If you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), leaky gut, Crohn's, diarrhea, or any kind of bowel issue where you are "going" too often or too much, you do not need this recipe. I will address your situation a little later.

Here is a list of the herbs required for a good colon cleanse. These are the herbs Christopher and Schulze used, with a little tweaking from Dr. Schulze to make it stronger. They are the herbs I use, too. I am linking to articles I have written for a website to describe some of the herbs and how they work. This week I'll write some articles for the other herbs, and link them when they get published. Check back for the full meal deal.

Curacao and Cape Aloe Leaf

Senna Leaf

Cascara Sagrada Bark

Oregon Grape Root

Ginger Root

Garlic

Habanero Peppers

These herbs are all dried and powdered. I blend them together in a large bowl, then put them into capsules with a little capsule machine myself. The reason I put them into capsules is because the ginger, garlic, and habanero peppers are all very hot. We want the capsules of herbs to open up in the stomach and immediately start entering into the bloodstream and small intestines to do their jobs, rather than burning our mouths and tongues on the way down.

When you are ready to start the first step of your colon cleanse, you will take one capsule of Intestinal Formula #1 (or Go!) with dinner or a piece of fruit before bedtime. The reason you take it with food is because, as I said, the herbs are hot, and may be a little hard on your stomach if you take it on an empty stomach. While these colon cleansing herbs are a dietary supplement and not a drug of any kind, I'm sure you are familiar with pharmaceutical drugs that are best taken with food for various reasons.

In the morning when you wake up, one of two things will happen. Either you will have a bowel movement or you won't. If you do "go," you may be surprised at the volume of stool you release. If you do not "go," then that night at dinner, take two capsules of Intestinal Formula #1/ "Go!."

In the morning, you will either move your bowels, or you won't. If you do not "go," then on night #3, you would take three capsules of the colon cleanse. You keep doing this until you do "go." This is how you find out the amount of colon cleanse that is right for you.

Every individual is unique. I have no idea how constipated you are or how weak your bowel muscles may be. This herbal colon detox recipe has never been approved by the FDA or been clinically tested for safety or efficacy. I can tell you things like the FDA states that garlic is generally regarded as safe,  and I will definitely tell you which herbs you need to be careful with.

I never, ever write hype. I hate it when alternative health vendors do write hype, and I have to tell you I've lost some opportunities to make some money when a client wanted me to write something I had no scientific grounds for proof to show a particular statement was true.

I can state that these herbs work for me personally. I can give you all the information I have about them. I can teach you how to make them, or tell you where you can buy them. However, I'm not a health professional. I'm not a doctor. You have to make your own decisions about your health, and you shouldn't trust me at all, except to know I'll do my best to give you what I know to be the truth.

Every herb has a purpose and has to be respected. They "work," if you use them appropriately. They "work," if the herbalist makes them correctly. We all know there is junk out there that should not be on the market. One of my riding passions about Bluebonnet Natural Healing Therapy is teaching y'all how to make a quality product that you know you can trust.

So, while it may take me two or three capsules of Intestinal Formula #1/"Go!" for my bowels to start working and really cleanse my colon out, it may take y'all only one capsule, or it may take fifty capsules. I just don't know.

Your goal when you start on this step of the colon cleanse is to have two or three really great bowel movements every day. I know this sounds like a lot, but this is due to our conditioning. So many people "go" once or twice a week (really!), that the idea of going more than once a day seems extreme.

If you think about it, though (I know, it's a little TMI), our dogs and cats "go" soon after every meal. Birds seem to "go" all the time. We humans are supposed to "go" soon after every meal as well. We just don't, because of our work schedules and societal expectations.

In my next post, I'll give you the recipe for Intestinal Formula #1/Go! and tell you how you can order your herbs, fill your capsules, and get started on a really effective and great colon cleanse.

P.S.: I'm diligently working on my Superfoods e-book for you, and am really excited about the direction I'm moving with Bluebonnet Natural Healing Therapy. If you have any topics you'd like me to discuss here, or have questions about anything, shoot me a comment or an email, and I'll get right on it!





Sunday, July 8, 2012

Introducing a New Raw Blog: Raising Raw.com

Hey y'all,

I told y'all in my last post about the Finca de Vida raw food healing retreat that I would do a companion piece for it. Here it is! I want to tell you about a new blog I'm in love with called Raising Raw.com. This blog is written by a young stay-at-home mother of two cutie-pie children. Lauren, the blogger, plans to homeschool/unschool her children... in Costa Rico.

Lauren is a California girl who shared the good life with her husband, Jeremy. They had it all: the big house, the pool and hot tub, the SUV, the picture perfect kids, the play dates and gym days, and activities out the wazoo... and they were miserable. Sound familiar?

Lauren's husband had grown his own business to the point where he had four employees, but he was working 14 hour days, 7 days a week to get there. He has Type I diabetes to contend with, as well. Jeremy made good money, but Lauren never saw him. She was becoming disillusioned with life in her early 30's.

She watched the DVD Raw for 30 Days, amazed that her husband's diabetes could possibly be reversed with a raw food diet. She told Jeremy, "We're doing this!" They did, and it totally transformed their lives within months.

Lauren did exactly what I am doing in my life now- questioned "everything." She asked the same questions I am asking: "What is happiness?" "What is important to me?" "How much of what we are doing in life is what we have been conditioned to believe is right?"

For Lauren and her family, this meant selling their house, packing up the car, and moving to Costa Rico to live and raise their family in Paradise.

Lauren captures on camera the gorgeous natural beauty of Costa Rico from the perspective of her family playing, hiking, and living the truly good life. She shares with her readers her thoughts, feelings, fears, and joys as she learns to live in a foreign country. Lauren is very real and easy to connect with.

I am enjoying following her journey, and believe my readers will, as well.

I'm adding Raising Raw to my Link Love List. If you're interested in Simply Raw's Raw for 30 Days DVD, I have a sidebar ad you can click through to easily get to the website.

P.S.: I'm intensifying my efforts to get my Superfoods e-book out to my subscribers as soon as possible! Thank you for your patience so far!

Friday, July 6, 2012

Finca de Vida: Raw Food Healing Retreat Center

Hey y'all!

Where has Donna been? MIA? No, just sidetracked a little bit.

I'm making some really huge life decisions at the moment. Three of my children are moving away from home at the end of the summer. Three years from now, all of my children will be gone.

Y'all don't really know me yet. Most of my story is in the free e-book I have been promising you for the past five months. The Superfoods e-book is still coming along, it has just taken me a lot longer than I had planned.

We get to that stage in life where we ask, "Now what?" I'm there.

Through this part of my journey, I reconnected with a couple of "old" virtual friends from a health forum I co-moderated a few years ago. One of them was making plans to do a raw food detox at a healing retreat center in Costa Rica called Finca de Vida- the Farm of Life. I had never heard of the place before my friend told me about it. I watched some videos, and felt like, "I would love to go there!"

My friend and I have a mutual friend, whom we both met on the same health forum. I mentioned that this mutual friend was having a lot of health issues. My friend wasted no time not only telling our mutual friend about Finca de Vida, but inviting him to go with her to heal. It took him maybe twenty minutes to say yes.

I want to post a few Youtube videos of Finca de Vida so you can drool over the place as much as I have been doing lately. I just can't get this place and the owners off my mind.

                                                                   Overview




She quit smoking!





He lost 50 pounds in 90 days and corrected a bunch of health issues!




Click through to get to the Farm of Life website.

I have a companion post that I'll publish over the weekend (see it here), and then get back to teaching you how to make your own herbal colon cleanse and do a bowel detox.

P.S.: I'm getting insane amounts of views! Over 15,000 in just six short months from all over the world! I love each and every one of you readers, and send love from deep in the heart of Texas!