PROCESS OF ELIMINATION: CONSTIPATION – Part 1

Posted on March 5, 2015

As you can imagine, many clients who seek out colonics do so as a result of having constipation. Constipation can vary from person to person. Some people have suffered from it for most of their lives. Others find that constipation is a new experience for them. Whatever your experience, if you are dealing with constipation today, this blog may offer useful tips to help you heal this digestive dysfunction.

I would encourage clients to try a process of elimination to reveal the underlying cause of the constipation. Even if constipation has been something you have been dealing with for most of your life, I believe it can be healed. I tend to be the type of therapist who doesn’t encourage laxatives or supplements to move the colon. I prefer to see if we can get to the root cause instead of forcing the body with laxatives and creating a dependency. Some clients have reported that colonics actually strengthen the colon because it is a muscular organ. I have known clients new to colonics who have been concerned that they might get dependent on colonics. I tell them that colon hydrotherapy uses purified water as therapy, and it can work out the colon in a similar way that going to a gym works out our muscles. I also remind them that intention plays a big part with colonics. When we set our intention on healing the colon through colonics and not use it as a way to live an unhealthy lifestyle and come in for a quick fix, it can be part of maintaining healthy bowel movements and keeping our bodies clean.

The following are all good to consider when asking our body to heal constipation: improper diet, dehydration, inactivity, insufficient deep breathing, lymphatic congestion, insufficient enzymes, ignoring messages from the body, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of constipation. (The latter 3 topics will be discussed in my next blog.)

Eliminate improper diet:

In my previous blog: Iyasu – Process of elimination: Gas & Bloat – Part 1, I talked about the dietary aspects of gas and bloat and what might be helpful to reduce/eliminate it from the body. In an effort not to duplicate information and because the information provided there would help encourage the bowels to function properly as well as reducing gas and bloat., I would suggest reading that article as well as this one.
Instead of eating unhealthy foods, focus more on whole foods such as juicy fruits (especially pears), dark, leafy greens, lean proteins, and vegetables (non-starchy). Grains tend to constipate certain people but if you find it difficult to stay away from them, try eating brown rice pasta or roast your rice instead (we can teach you how to roast rice during your next session). We recommend clients come in for a colonic at the beginning of a diet change, as the body will naturally detoxify, and starting with a colonic can help lessen the detoxifying effects the client may feel.
What if you eat healthfully and still suffer from constipation? There are many factors other than eliminating unhealthy foods that can contribute to constipation and I will address those below.

Eliminate dehydration:

In addition to eating foods that do not congest the body, it is equally important to hydrate daily. I’m pretty sure most of us have gone through periods where we drink a lot of water and periods when we don’t. Personally, I can feel the effects of dehydration with less bowel movements, drier skin/lips and lower energy. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your weight in ounces per day. To prevent dehydration, it would be helpful to replace, ounce for ounce, any caffeinated drinks taken in as well as adding an additional 8 oz. of water for every ½ hour of exercise.

Eliminate inactivity:

Exercising is a vital part of stimulating the colon and bowel movements. The reasons are due in part to increasing circulation, incorporating deep breathing and stimulating the lymphatic system. One of the best exercises to help all three is rebounding. After healing from hip surgery I wanted to stay as active as possible, and I also wanted to move my lymphatic system daily, so I began rebounding when it was safe to do so. I love it because it’s super fun! Also, according to Dave Scrivens, Some benefits of rebounding include: 20 minutes of rebounding = 1 hour of running for cardiovascular workout; easy on the bones and joints (when using a therapeutic rebounder); rebounding strengthens the heart muscle; and profound body detoxification is possible.

Another reason exercise is great for increasing bowel movements is because it can relieve stress (I will address the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of constipation in greater detail in my next blog: Process of Elimination: Constipation – Part 2).

Eliminate insufficient deep breathing:

Did you know that deep breathing, moves the lymphatic system because the lungs act as a suction pump, grounds us, eliminates waste through our lungs and aids in moving the bowels? I have noticed that most people do not breathe deeply throughout the day and this can contribute to constipation, tight muscles, headaches, fatigue, irritability, stress, digestive issues and a host of other problems.

Eliminate lymphatic congestion:

Most of us are running around with some level of lymphatic congestion. I believe that lymphatic congestion contributes to constipation because when blood plasma becomes trapped between the cells, it creates inflammation – the lymphatic system is the only system that can remove these trapped blood proteins. Inflammation creates stagnation, which causes the circulation and energy flow within the body to slow down. Think about the oil in our cars. If we don’t change the oil, over time it thickens and creates a problem for the entire car. Our bodies are like that. We have 3 times the amount of lymph fluid than blood! Keeping the lymphatic fluid from clogging up is vital to health. For more information on a healthy way to stimulate the lymphatic system please visit my website:

https://www.iyasucolonics.com/services/#Bio-Electric-Lymphatic-Drainage.

Eliminate insufficient enzymes:

Enzymes are responsible for every single chemical reaction in the body! Think about that for a moment. Then think about the fact that the total number of enzymes we will ever have is determined when we are only tiny fetuses. The process of digestion, stress, lack of sleep, etc., all use up our precious enzymes. Ever since I have been using Transformation Enzymes, the change in my bowel movements has been remarkable! The digestive enzymes I use when I have a meal have caused my bowel movements to release much easier and with greater volume. I’m not taking any laxative products/bulking agents at all, just the enzymes. I will be addressing these in further blogs. Please also feel free to talk to me about them during a colon hydrotherapy session.

Eliminate ignoring our body’s messages:

Our body talks to us all the time. It’s our job to listen. Have you ever needed to have a bowel movement but you didn’t take the time to have it? Are you rushing so much in the morning that you don’t take time for your bowels to move? It is very important to make time to have a bowel movement, even if you don’t have the urge. Sitting on the toilet, breathing deeply, and tuning into your body – especially in the morning – is a good practice to have. It’s also helpful to listen when your body discourages you from eating foods that will be hard to digest or metabolize. You will know your body is talking to you if you eat a particular food and you feel tired, thirsty, cranky, or have any type of pain or soreness anywhere in your body. Believe it or not, when we eat something that causes the above symptoms, there is a direct correlation to our digestive system.

At Iyasu, we are available to help teach you how to create a healthy lifestyle that will encourage your body to heal. Come in for a colonic or bio electric lymphatic drainage and discover how good healthy living can feel!

PROCESS OF ELIMINATION: CONSTIPATION – Part 1