Sunday, 29 May 2011

Colon Health

The Colon is the most important component of the digestive tract. It extracts life-sustaining nutrients and H2O from the food we eat and eliminates waste and impurities. A healthy colon and digestive tract will completely excrete faecal, toxins, parasites and worms, bad bacteria, drug residues and dead cell matter.

The Colon is centrally positioned in the vicinity of every major organ. It is over a meter long and almost literally touches every major organ in the body. It is in contact with most major blood vessels too!

Astonishingly, it is estimated that people in general health have 4 – 5 kg rotting and undigested fecal and food in their digestive tracts.
“Every physician should realize that intestinal toxemia (poisons) are the most important primary and contributing causes of many disorders, diseases and aging of the human body.” – Dr Anthony Basser – Gastroenterologist

An astounding 90% of toxins penetrate your body through the colon and intestinal tract. From there the toxins enter your bloodstream and start damaging your cells, organs and negatively influencing the body’s biological processes.

How do toxins enter our bodies?


Many of the foods we eat have traces of these toxins. Many foods today are treated with hormones or steriods to name but a few. Pesticides also contain toxins, and heavy metals can also be found in some foods.

Toxins are also present in the air we breath due to polution from cars, factories and waste dumps.

How can we keep our colon healthy?


Firstly we can take preventative measures, such as knowing where our food comes from. Shopping chains have started to become aware of peoples' growing concerns with healthy eating. As a result some of the bigger shopping chains now have a wide selection of organic and free range produce. Organic and free range food is a much healthier alternative, but unfortunately often expensive.

Another factor on our overall health is the increasing busy lifestyle and as a result the stress people are under. Common colon health issues can arise due to stress, such as irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) and constipation.

To keep healthy with a busy lifestyle, try to eat regularly and at least snack during the day if you do not have time for a full meal. Never skip breakfast as this is the most important meal of the day, and this will help you function and give you the energy boost needed to get your day started.

Take a regular daily vitamin and mineral supplements, especially if you are not getting in all your fruits and vegetables. Raw fruit and vegetables are a much better option though, and can be used together with supplements.

If you are suffering from issues such as IBS, constipation, regular headaches, etc you may need to consider a body cleanse. During a cleanse you need to drink lots of fluids, mostly water.

http://www.comprehenzivehealth.co.za/blog/item/9-colon-health

Raw cacao health benefits

Before you get all excited about the title of this article, you should be aware that there is a difference between cacao or cocoa beans and cocoa-based products such as chocolate. One has incredible health benefits while the other has fewer and might even be detrimental to your health. The one we are concerned with here is cacao, specifically in its natural, unprocessed, raw form.

Raw cacao beans contain large amounts of antioxidants, magnesium, chromium and vitamin C. Antioxidants are those wonderful nutrients protecting us from cancer-causing free radicals. Other well-known sources of antioxidants include blueberries, green tea and red wine. A general rule of thumb is that the darker the colour pigment of a food source is, the more antixodants it contains. When cracked open, cacao beans are almost black or deep purple in colour. When compared to wild blueberries which contain 61 antioxidants, raw cacao beans have a whopping 621 antioxidant flavonoids.

Besides being a great source of antioxidants, raw cacao contains ingredients that raise serotonin levels and are mildly anti-depressant. This is attributed to the N-Acylethanolamine found inside this superfood. Cacao has also been touted as a natural aphrodisiac and has an effect on the pleasure centres in your brain.

In addition, these little beans are also great at promoting cardiovascular health: better circulation, increased HDL cholesterol levels, reduced blood clotting and lower blood pressure.

Before you rush out and buy the largest bag of cacao beans you can get your hands on, it’s important that you choose pure raw cacao of the highest quality. Make sure there is no mold as this could lead to unpleasant side effects and limited value of the antioxidants present.

Also bear in mind that raw cacao is a strong stimulant and should preferably be consumed only in small quantities. Too much of it in your system could lead to overstimulation and related side-effect and most of it will not be metabolised by your body and will go to waste. Use raw beans plain, mixed in your salads or as a yoghurt topping. Cacao powder is a great ingredient to add to protein shakes or oatmeal. Raw cacao nibs also make an ideal occasional snack.

Read this article on our website:

References:

Monday, 14 March 2011

Silica and the treatment of diabetes

Silica supplementation could have a positive effect on diabetes, as some recent medical studies have shown.

Diabetes occurs when the body fails to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood, resulting in high blood sugar. If not treated correctly, diabetes can result in many other health complications such as heart and kidney disease.

There are two main types of diabetes, namely Type 1 and Type 2. A third type of diabetes occurs during pregnancy, referred to as Gestational Diabetes.

Type 1 occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin, which is vital in controlling the body’s blood sugar level. The onset of Type 1 diabetes is sudden and usually occurs in people under the age of 30. People with Type 1 diabetes are dependent on insulin, and have to inject insulin in order to survive.

Type 2 diabetes is not life threatening, but can be dangerous as it often goes undetected. The symptoms with Type 2 diabetes are often not as visible as with Type 1. This type of diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin, or when the insulin produced, does not work properly.

Apart from using insulin to control and regulate diabetes, it needs to be combined with healthy exercise and eating. Type 2 diabetes is often the result of unhealthy eating habits, and occurs in people over the age of 40 who are over weight and don’t exercise. Type 2 diabetes can often be corrected and blood sugar levels lowered without the use of drugs or insulin. Developing a healthy eating and exercise regime can do this.

Woman who develop temporary Gestational Diabetes during pregnancy, have an increased risk of developing diabetes in the future. Their infant will also have a risk of developing diabetes.

As recent studies have shown, there is a definite positive result when silica is administered for diabetes. Silicon is part of the natural building blocks in our bodies, and is found naturally in food as silica, or silicon dioxide. Silicon can be found naturally all over the earth, and throughout our bodies. Unfortunately our bodies can only absorb the silica in certain forms. The most bioavailable forms of silica can be found in food, or silica supplements. Bioavailability is the ability of a substance to be absorbed by our bodies.

Silica supplements can play an important role in our diets, as our bodies do not retain all of the silica absorbed from our food. Silica has proven to have many useful functions in overall health and functioning of our bodies.
Sources:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/8mr264011766x40x/
http://resources.metapress.com/pdf-preview.axd?code=8mr264011766x40x&size=largest
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2981751
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3015785
http://www.diabetessa.co.za/index.aspx

Thursday, 10 March 2011

Silica supplement for healthy hair, skin and nails

Collagen is known as nature’s building blocks, and is found throughout our bodies. It can be found in our bones, tendons, ligaments, skin, cornea, cartilage and even blood vessels. Collagen is what keeps our skin looking young, our nails strong and our hair healthy.

Collagen diseases, apart from genetic defects, can largely be attributed to nutritional deficiencies, which affect the formation of collagen. Silicon is essential in the formation of collagen, and recent studies have shown that silicon deficiency affects the concentration of collagen in bones as well as collagen forming enzymes.

Lack of collagen can cause hair loss, brittle nails and loss of elasticity in our skin, resulting in wrinkles. Studies have shown that silicon supplementation can assist in maintaining and even rejuvenating our hair, skin and nails.

Silicon is found naturally as silicon dioxide (silica) in food. Unfortunately there are not many foods that contain silica, so silica supplementation is needed. Comprehenzive Colon and Body Health, have a silica mineral supplement, which also acts as a daily cleanser.

Why is it important to take a daily silica supplement?

 

Unfortunately our bodies do not retain all of the silicon it needs when absorbed through our digestive system. We therefore need to supplement our bodies daily with some form of silicon. Apart from Comprehenzive Colon Cleanz being a mineral supplement, it also assists with cleansing the digestive tract, so that nutrients can be absorbed more efficiently, and waste can be expelled.

 

What is the advantage of cleansing our bodies?

 

Often areas in our digestive tract, such as the colon, can be clogged up with waste. We need nutrients to survive and we get those nutrients from food in our digestive tract. A clogged up colon prevents our bodies functioning effectively to absorb the nutrients we eat, and expel the waste in our systems. This can therefore result in our overall health diminishing, including the health of our hair, skin and nails.

What is the advantage of taking a silica supplement instead of using silica enriched beauty products?

 

Silica enriched beauty products do have advantages, but the bioavailability of the silica is often not very high. This means that the body cannot absorb all of the silica efficiently. A mineral supplement however contains a form of silica, which the body can absorb much more easily than a topical beauty product.

Comprehenzive Colon and Body Health’s silica supplement is also an affordable solution to using expensive beauty products on a daily basis. Their products can be found in a number of pharmacies around South Africa listed here. Alternatively you can buy online through the website.

Wednesday, 9 March 2011

Colon detox vs colon cleansing

The global detox industry is worth a lot of money. But are the detox diets, treatments and products advertised and promoted by the detox industry good for us? It seems that we are wrong to believe that the toxins present in our food and drink need to be flushed out in order to restore our health

Detox diets generally involve abstaining from solid foods and restricting ourselves to liquids. Sometimes they recommend avoiding all meat and cooked food while sticking to fruit and vegetables only. These detox sessions may last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.

Weight loss is guaranteed but you feel better because you are eating better, more natural foods and generally improving your diet. Some side effects of detox are dizziness due to low blood sugar as well as irritability and headaches from caffeine withdrawal. Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with the toxins that are supposedly being flushed out.

Nature knows best


It turns out that the body is perfectly equipped to get rid of toxins and other harmful waste substances. This function is performed by your colon, which also has the important role of extracting nutrients from the food and water that you ingest.

Instead of detoxing, you should consider changing your eating habits altogether. The best way to a healthier body is a healthier diet that is full of fresh, organic foods such as fruit, vegetables and fibre-rich whole grains.

And keep in mind that meat, fish and dairies are full of the proteins necessary for your liver to function correctly. The liver, together with the colon, has the important task of waste and toxin elimination.

Foods such as leafy vegetables, soybeans, wheat bran, beets and brown rice are especially important for a healthy colon because they contain a nutrient called silica. Organic silica is essential to the correct and effective function of many organs in your body. Vital to your digestive system, it assists your colon with toxin elimination as well as to absorb important nutrients such as calcium.

Regular, constant cleansing


Many detox products available over the counter are in fact full of diuretics and/or laxatives. Excessive and extended use of these products may lead to disrupted bowel movements and dehydration that can sometimes prove fatal.

The best thing you can do is to regularly cleanse your colon, by including supplements such as Comprehenzive Colon Cleanz which contain organic silica.

Some of the benefits associated with Comprehenzive Colon Cleanz are a healthier and cleaner colon, improved digestion and nutrient absorption, increased energy and lowered cholesterol levels.

This supplement has also be shown to speed up your metabolism, eliminate constipation and assist in removing heavy metals, bacteria and fungi from the colon. Comprehenzive Colon Cleanz is associated with the relief and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and spastic colon, and possesses anti-ageing and rejuvenating properties. These are all results that colon detox attempts to achieve.

Comprehenzive Colon Cleanz ingredients have been approved by the USDA, the FDA and the EU and is legally registered in South Africa. For in-depth product analysis follow this link.