Gut Feelings

The colon is one of the hardest working organs in the human body. It absorbs water and nutrients and eliminates waste that our body no longer needs. From the moment we take our first bite of food, our body starts the digestion process in our mouth, then down to the stomach, small intestines and finalizing the process in our colon. Not a lot of thought is given to this amazing activity, but when you think about turning food into energy that supports and nourishes our body, and the fact that this happens without our effort, it deserves to be praised. Our colon wants us to talk about it, it wants to be nourished, and it wants to stay healthy and moving. There are several ways of doing this, first, talk about your colon to your friends and family and see if they are feeling connected with their colons. This is the first step of colon awareness. Next, think about what your colon does for you everyday, it absorbs and eliminates. Notice what kind of message it is trying to send to you, if it is a nice long lengthy letter with lots of content, then it is happy, if it is sending you a brief memo that is slim on details and is lacking in interest, then maybe it needs some attention, if you are getting morse code, sputtering, lots of breaks, one word stuttering, more than likely your bowels are in need of some serious maintenance. Sometimes, the colon does some whispering or shouting, sometimes this happens in the most inopportune times, such as a movie theater or while giving a speech in front of hundreds of people. This could indicate an upcoming bowel movement or it could indicate some putrefaction of poorly digested foods. Usually if the paint is coming of the wall or you want to run away from yourself, this indicates poor absorption of vital nutrients and that food is actually rotting in your gut. Poor food combining, overeating and eating too many processed foods can be the result of Armageddon-like gas. To improve the output of your colon and eliminate destructive vapors, eat things that your whole body benefits from especially your colon. Fiber rich foods such as whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits provide the colon with what it needs. Fiber is like nature’s toothbrush, it scrubs away built up plaque in the intestines and keeps things moving along. Fiber also absorbs water and provides moisture to the colon which helps in absorption of nutrients and formation of waste matter. Our gut holds the key in our overall health and well being, the large intestines holds trillions of bacteria known as probiotics (life sustaining), and comprises 60-70% of our immune defense. Disease, illness, fatigue, allergies (including food), brain fog to name a few are directly related to the health of the colon. If you find you are suffering from one or many of these maladies, it is a good indication that your colon is in distress and in need of support. There are many ways to help your colon perform at it’s ultimate potential, see the next page for our handy guide to having healthy bowels!! SC