colon cleansers

[heatherlynn22]

has anyone ever used a colon cleanser (specifically natures secret) to help jump start their metabolism and to rid their body of toxins? with the way i've been feeling lately i think i need to do something to help with my internal clockwork. it's not really.....clockwork anymore.

[Dalubaba]

Sthul basti means Harsh (raw) enema. To facilitate deification  contract abdomen at the left below the ribs, bringing abdominal wall towards spins. This works against peristaltic movement and felicitates dedication. If it is loose motion,contrast at the right side.This is a rough idea.Expert in yoga with good language can explain better.

[Ranaesheart]

Believe you already have all the information you need and am glad to see you are keeping a food journal and implementing the wonderful suggestions that have been made.  Once you've done this for a while, watched your fiber and increased your fruits and veggies .. cut down a little on the water and continue some exercise, you should start getting regulated.

Please let us know how you are doing!  We are definitely tickled "blue" (for boys) that you're here!  

[heatherlynn22]

well i'm keeping a journal and looking up the fiber amount in the foods i'm eating. i am eating a lot of fiber and i didn't even realize it. so i'm gonna try cutting back on those foods. and watch how much water i drink and possibly cut back on my tea and coffee intake.

thanks for everyones advice. i'll resort to the cleanser as a last resort!! thanks again!

[LeniuXenobia]

I have done it several times. There is a good one (that is very gentle on your body) sold at GNC. It cost around 25 dollars and is called the 7 day clense. Some of the things are not pleasant to take, but they are very gentle and don't make your extremely sick, vomit or give you the runs. My boyfriend and I actually have used this a couple times a year since we have been together. The powder that you have to mix is the most unpleasant part. :) Hope this helps.

[mikeg427]

I believe so! Usually, from what I've seen and experienced, once there is some irregularity with the body, all the energy goes towards adjusting that, and may sap your energy. That actually happened with my sister after she had her son. It took a while, but her body slowly returned to normal. That was mainly due to healing and stabilizing her hormones and such.

That's true, It may be because of too much fiber, as lonelymom stated! Good catch!

But yeah, just keep a journal, and check what you are eating and/or drinking. Btw, How much coffee, and/or sodas do you drink?
That may have an affect as well.

[heatherlynn22]

mikeg - yeah i actually just had twin boys 7 months ago. that's when my system started to go irregular. my ob prescribed a softener but it's not helping at all.

lonelymom - i never thought i might be getting to much. i did try the benefiber and it didn't help me at all. i think i will start keeping a food journal and looking up how much fiber is in everything i eat. i do eat whole wheat bread and whole wheat pastas (which i know are loaded with fiber) and i do eat fiber rich foods. so i might be eating to much.

thanks for all the suggestions!!!

oh and do you guys think that the irregularity (along with having 7 month old twins) could be the reason i'm feeling so sluggish and just blah?

[Lonelymom]

I used to be that way. I was drinking lots of water, eating right,exercising and still stayed irregular so I tried adding fiber to my drinks with benefiber. Still no help so I ate the activia yogurt. (one mentioned above to help regulate) and saw a little change. Then I read this wonderful article that explained to me that to much can be just as harmful as not enough. I stopped adding the fiber, took my water consumption down to 6, 8oz glasses a day, and continued with the eating plan I was already on and now I am completely regular. I no longer feel bloated or exhausted all the time.

Maybe you too are getting to much water and to much fiber.  Look up how much you should have and then pay attention to how much you do have. You may be surprised to find out that you may be getting  to much fiber which in turn is causing the constipation.

Also, to much water will make you bloated and tired. You probably should cut down your water intake as well.

[mikeg427]

One more thing I forgot to mention, have you tried yogurt? It tends to help because of the "live cultures" in it that help the stomach and digestion of foods. There is even one specifically for that issue, but I can't seem to recall the name at the moment. You'll probably see it at the store. That is, if you're not lactose-intolerant.

[mikeg427]

I had a biology class this last summer, and this topic came up actually. (well, he related it to male enhancement drugs... but yeah..) and he said that yes, they can actually do you more harm than good. My professor said that it was a "trend" a while back, but that it really does nothing. The best way to clean your system is to eat plenty of fiber, and to have fruits and vegetables. In fact, some of the vegetables actually have quite a bit of fiber.

If I may ask, are you currently pregnant? or did you recently have a child? I was confused by your post, and really, if the first is true, or the second is true for a month or so (Don't quote me on this), it may take a while to get your body back in sync with what it used to.

I believe you're right though, you're drinking enough water, you're working out plenty, but one thing you may want to do is start a food journal. Get an idea of what you're eating, and show it to your dr. You may not be eating enough, or eating the right foods. Also, are you taking a multi-vitamin? that would possibly help a lot.

Best of luck! Hopefully your body decides to be nice and regulate itself!

[Barb135]

Well, at the risk of "TMI" (too much information), let me tell you that I just spent one of the most horrible nights I've had in a long time.  No, it wasn't because of a colon cleanser, but I did have severe diarrhea most of the night, to the point where there was nothing left in my stomach at all, and if that's anything like what a colon cleanser does, then all I can say is "NO THANKS"!!  

There are several products on the market that contain "stool softeners" and there are some that help "regulate".  One I've used in the past is Senekot S.  This used to be a prescription drug, but you can now get it OTC - it does work.  When I was in my 20's I was constantly constipated so my dr wrote me a script for Senekot S.  I had to start out taking one pill daily for a week, then the next week drop down to every other day,  and keep on going down until I no longer needed it.  It worked.  Another I've used is Correctal.  It might be worth giving either (or both, but not at the same time) products a try; and of course, I'm sure there are others that would work well, also - these are just the 2 I've tried.  

[heatherlynn22]

i have read that if used for long periods of time it can be harmful. but i'm so desperate for something to help regulate me and help get rid of the sluggish feeling so i can start working out more regularly. i called my doc and all she said was...drink more water. i am constantly drinking water. ALL THE TIME!!! i kept track one day on how many bottles of water i drink (i have a 12 oz bottle i just refill and keep with me at all times) 2 3/4 gallons of water. almost 3 gallons of water... A DAY!!! how much does she want me to drink?? i already take in more water a day then a damn fish does in a life time! in fact besides my morning and evening cups of hot tea it's all i drink! i eat healthy. the worst i eat is chips and ice cream occasionally. i do spoil myself once in a while. but nothing that will cause me to be like this or to feel so blah.

[Barb135]

I just read an article on spark people this morning that talked about detox, colon cleansers, etc. These things do no good and can actually be harmful - good article to check as it explains why you should not use these.  

[heatherlynn22]

i don't think i can exercise anymore. lol. i work out 6-7 days a week. doing yoga, strength training and the treadmill. as far as the eating goes i eat healthy, fresh everything. from my veggies to my meats. (my family gets cows and pigs butchered so we always have fresh meat) so i don't know what else i can do there....

[Techno55]

I took a look at the 'Nature's Secret' website and it is covered in the kind of semi-naturalistic, somewhat medical sounding jargon that is common in over the counter 'natural supplements' of that ilk.  The 'detoxification' stuff is nonsense, so forget about that.  Apparently it contains a lot of fiber, so it may or may not help to keep you regular, but it's hard to say.  It may or may not be harmful; again, it is difficult to say how such products will affect your health.

In my opinion, you should do what was suggested by the other commenter; get more excercise and try to eat more natural fiber.  If you still feel bad and irregular, ask a doctor for recommendations as to what type of supplements, if any, you should be taking.

[heatherlynn22]

that's just it...i do drink tons of water, exercise and eat the best i can. the inner workings just got so messed during my pregnancy i can't seem to get them back in order. i'd been reading that after doing a good cleansing that usually everything goes back to working properly. but i'm not a big fan of taking....well anything. but *sigh* i don't know what else i can do now. my doc prescribed stool softeners but they're not helping. at all. so i pretty much wasted my money getting that prescription.

[Barb135]

I've never tried that before either.  I agree with what twehner5 said.  

Getting plenty of exercise is supposed to help keep you regular & aid digestion also.  It helps me.  

[twehner5]

I've never used these before, so cannot comment one way or the other.  My best recommendation is to eat plenty of fiber and drink lots of water.  That's what works for me and aided my weight loss greatly.  That, along with adequate exercise has kept me quite regular.

The best sources of fiber include whole grains (breads and cereals, whole-grain pasta, brown rice); nuts and seeds; legumes (such as dried peas, beans & lentils); fruits; vegetables.

I've also found that eating a 100-calorie bag of popcorn and a big glass of water helps me.

Maybe someone who has used a colon cleanser will respond, but you might get more response on the alternative weight loss forum.  Around here, we're more about healthy eating and exercise for losing weight.

I hope you'll stick around!  Hang in there.  You can do this.