Is Colon Cleansing Good For You?

It's interesting what kinds of offers you get in your inbox. Just now I have received an email with a link to a supposedly good way of detoxifying your system. It's called a colon cleanse. I wondered then what health benefits it will give me if I ask my doctor for a cleansing once in a while. How different is it from enema?

After some research on colon cleansing and enema, I found this article from About.com very helpful:

Colonics and enemas are both therapies that cleanse the colon by introducing water through the rectum. The key differences are that a colon cleanse cleans the entire length of the colon while an enema only cleanses the lower part of the colon, and that a colon cleanse requires multiple infusions of water while an enema involves only one infusion of water.

For more information on getting a colonic you can refer to this article.

Why do people undergo a colon cleanse? The following are a few of the reasons:

To remove accumulated waste from the colon
To help prevent constipation
To improve overall health

Colonic history points to John Harvey Kellog, M.D. as one of the early proponents of colonic cleansing and autointoxication therapy. He's the founder of the Kellog cereal company. Many believed it was due to Kellog's influence that colon cleansing became popular from the 1900s to the 1940s. It was recommended for many conditions including depression and arthritis. However due to the rise in laxative use, colon cleansing decreased in popularity.

An occasional (NOT REGULAR) colon cleanse will keep your digestive system healthy. It is very important that the colon must have a good amount of good bacteria. These microorganisms help maintain the pH balance of the colon. These friendly bacteria synthesize many important vitamins which include vitamin K and vitamin B.

However, to achieve better health and well being, you need not only undergo colon cleansing but also eat regular balanced meals rich in fiber. Drink a lot of water and avoid eating more meat and sugar than what your body needs.

Today an occasional colon cleanse is still recommended by alternative medical therapists. Many people seek colonic therapy to detoxify and cleanse their system to improve their health and well being. However, there is no truth to the claim that a colon cleanse will clear acne. Also colon cleansing has been recommended for getting rid of bad breath, digestive problems, allergies and bloating. Medical literature, however, is sorely lacking in concrete evidence pointing colon cleansing as a possible solution to these problems which also include low sexual performance and insomnia.

Skin Care Benefits of Using Sulfur Soap

A sample of sulfur (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Despite its acrid smell, a bar of sulfur soap brings many health benefits to your skin through its antiseptic, anti-fungal and antibacterial qualities. In olden times, individuals had to take a dip in sulfur-rich hot springs located at a distance from an active volcano. Spas often appeared around these areas to provide patrons privacy and comfort while they visited the pools of heated water and sulfur. Many people frequented these places because the hot water therapy soothed their aching muscles and the sulfur healed their skin problems, such as acne vulgaris, whiteheads, blackheads, eczema, rosacea, scabies, and seborrheic dermatitis. Now, sulfur's cleansing properties are packaged neatly in soap bars. The ten percent sulfur content in the soap has enough potency to effectively produce the same effective results as dipping your whole body in a pool of sulfur-rich hot water. Like in the ancient times, use sulfur soaps to reme...

How Do You Treat Scalp Acne and Scalp Dermatitis?

A case of Seborrhoeic Dermatitis on the back of the head (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) If you suffer from pimples on the scalp, then it's important to find a good scalp acne treatment. They're ugly, painful, and irritating. We can't see them ourselves so we pick them often by scratching our scalp before knowing they're there. Scalp wounds tend to bleed and this can make the spots visible, especially if your hair is thinning, fine or very short. Most acne on the scalp has the same cause as acne on the face, that is, overproduction of sebum leading to blockages of hair follicles, which often become infected. Inflammation can be caused by a condition called seborrheic dermatitis , and this, together with oily skin, is what you have to go along with scalp acne. What happens is the scalp will be red and itchy and the skin will flake off as dandruff. Associated with the condition of seborrheic dermatitis and more serious cases is yeast and it's someti...

A brief vacation

I have just got back from UP Diliman for a week of respite. I had training for trainers at UP SoLaIR (School of Labor and Industrial Relations). It was a working vacation. At least I had time to slow down and not think of work for a few days. It was good! Really felt good to be taken cared of by the University Hotel staff.