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!