REMINDER, these words are not substitutes for medical advice. In general, social media, blogs, and newsletters are never substitutes for medical advice. Please consult your physician with any questions or before taking action on anything you read or see on the Internet or hear from a non-physician.
Please also note that colon, large intestine, and bowel are all synonymous as it applies to this article
Why Do We Care About the Colon?
The health of your colon will impact your overall health. There is no denying that when you are not experiencing normal bowel movements, you don’t feel great. But what you may not realize is that over time, the colon can accumulate up to 10 lbs of waste PER foot of the colon. Since the average colon is 5ft long, you could be carrying up to 50lbs of old waste in your body! The math paints a shocking picture—so keep in mind that in most cases, the average amount is closer to 5-10 pounds based on a nearly infinite number of factors. *Fun fact: Elvis Presley’s autopsy revealed 30lbs of poop in his colon*
You May Be Inquiring About Colon Health if:
You feel like your digestion is off, you’re feeling sluggish or fatigued, are suffering from acne and other skin conditions, have tested for parasites, are experiencing other symptoms that indicate you’re experiencing a yeast overgrowth or that your toxic load may be high, or you know that you are approaching a colonoscopy in the future. Please take a look at this information for more on which conditions can benefit from colonics.
What Type of Waste is in the Colon?
Waste may consist of old, impacted fecal matter that has built up layers of poop on your colon wall over your entire life, as well as gas, toxins, bacteria, organisms, candida (yeast), parasites, etc. Our bodies are not designed to handle the stress we put on them via the way we eat, drink, our sleep routines, environmental stressors, and toxins, so they do not process and eliminate waste the way they need to in order to function properly. Simply not having the time or space to poop means that over the course of the day, we’re not going enough. Over the course of weeks, months, years, there may be a lot that has not had a chance to evacuate. Think about your eating habits compared to your pooping habits—if you are eating 3 meals a day, 7 days a week and only pooping once a day—that is 14 meals that are building up in your colon!
We’re breaking down the core differences between the four, but we think all actually flow quite well together. Just like health is multifaceted and requires an integrative, open-minded approach, we encourage you to keep an open mind in understanding how to support your colon with a broad range of medical, alternative, physical, emotional, and lifestyle solutions which in turn may produce positive changes in multiple of those areas.
Not sure how the pancreas plays into the digestive system? Among other things, it passes a fluid full of digestive enzymes and bile from the liver into the small intestines to aid in digestion (pathology.jhu.edu). Because so many parts of the body are involved in digestion, when any part of the digestive system is struggling, there are quite a few things that can be impacted.
Interested in using colonics as colonoscopy prep instead of what your GI doc perspectives?
While of course you should share your desired approach with GI doctor, we support you trusting your gut—ha—with how you prepare for a colonoscopy. Better prep WILL produce clearer results, that much we know. Get in touch with us to explore this approach or read more about it here where you’ll hear a number of doctors share that colonic preps did not harm electrolyte balance and were actually preferred by clients.
Please also note the following important information regarding colonics at VIVA Wellness:
- Children are able to start receiving colonics at the age of 6, however, our clinic will not see clients under 16, and they will need parental consent until they are 18.
- Pregnant women may receive colonics after their first trimester, as long as they were receiving them prior to conception.
- It is never a good idea to introduce new detox treatments to the body while pregnant.
- Read also our Colonics FAQs.
CONTRAINDICATIONS will vary due to the technology and methods used. Gravity and open systems will have different requirements. However, for the VIVA Wellness Aquanet APS-100 pressurized system, contraindications include, but are not limited to:
- Cancer of the colon or GI tract
- Acute abdominal pain
- Recent history of severe GI or rectal bleeding
- Congestive heart failure
- Uncontrolled hypertension
- Carcinoma of the rectum
- Abdominal surgery within the past 6 months
- Intestinal perforation
- Abdominal hernia
- Recent colon or rectal surgery
- Acute diverticulitis
- Recent heart attack
- Vascular aneurysm
- Renal insufficiency
- Cirrhosis
- Fissures or fistula
- Pregnancy (the second trimester could be eligible with clearance from NP)
- Acute Ulcerative colitis
- Acute Crohn’s disease
- Rectal or abdominal tumors
- Clostridioides Difficile (C. Diff)
If you are interested in learning more about colonics or would like to schedule an appointment, call, text, or book online today.