Avena Originals Articles

Is Our Bowel Our Lifeline?

Bowel Toxemia—yuck! Health problems linked to an unhealthy colon? Does immunity boost really start in the colon? Do you want to help take years off your face and put a spring back into your step? Good health is based on an understanding of what truly causes the many health problems plaguing us today. Our digestive system is the first line of defense against illness, and yet the most often ignored—until there is a problem. Using a very effective bowel cleanse and support daily–Avena's Herb Cocktail–is crucial.

The human suffering and the social, medical, and economic costs of gastro-intestinal diseases and disorders represent a huge share of our annual health care expenditure and loss in productivity. Up to 100 million North Americans suffer from intermittent forms of digestive or alimentary canal diseases with the estimated total cost in lost work, lost wages, and medical costs at over $50 billion per year. It is estimated that some 200,000 workers miss work every day due to digestive problems—more than any other group of disorders!

The annual sales of prescription and over-the-counter drug products used for digestive diseases are approximately $2 - 2.5 billion per year, and have been growing at a steady 10% rate over the last decade. The following breakdown, a "barometer" of sorts, adequately demonstrates the fact that these problems are a significant public health problem, contributing substantially to overall health care costs.

Laxatives $850 - 900 million Antidiarrheals $100 million

Antihemorrhoidals $250 million Antacids $1 billion

The number one immunological organ in your body is your colon. It contributes to good health, vitality, and longevity. When toxic wastes are allowed to accumulate, they will contribute strongly to poor health, low energy, and serious health problems--which then start a whole host of other health problems. Cancer of the colon and rectum (Colorectal Cancer) is the second most common form of cancer overall in the United States (exceeded only by lung cancer). This year alone, there will be approximately 150,000 new cases and approximately 60,000 related deaths. Perhaps as many as one in every 10 of today's Americans will die of this disease.

Other obvious health problems directly related to the colon include:

- appendicitis (it is estimated that more than 300,000 appendixes are removed each year)

- diverticular disease (Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis-reported to be present in more than one-third of those over 40, and in up to two-thirds of those who are over 80 years of age)

- hemorrhoids (believed to be present to some degree in nearly half of those over 45 years of age)

- benign tumors (reported to be present in 1/3 of all autopsies done on patients over the age of 20)

- bloating


- gas


- fatigue

- bad breath


- diarrhea


- heartburn

- indigestion


- body odor


- headaches

- depression


- abnormal bleeding


- coated tongue

- acid reflux


- mental dullness


- aches, pains

- constipation


- low energy levels


- weight problems

Less obvious results of accumulated toxic waste in your colon are tumours, cysts, polyps, fibroids, and high cholesterol. As your eating habits worsen, so does your elimination efficiency. If you are eating 2 to 3 normal size meals, you should have 2 or 3 bowel movements a day. Additionally, a normal bowel movement should be over ½ the width of your wrist; from your elbow to your wrist in length (we are all built in proportion to that); and, because everything in it has been properly digested, it should float; it should not soil the tissue paper; it should be easy to pass; be a medium brown colour (no old dark material); it should not have a foul smell; and you should not have smelly gas. Now there's a goal! Ignoring any warning signs is costly!
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's disease, and that's not all…

Many, if not most, of the list of disorders mentioned are characteristic of modern Western civilization. Available evidence suggests that most, if not all of these disorders were rare or uncommon in the Western world less than one hundred years ago and that the prevalence of each has greatly increased during the last 50 years. Researchers (such as Cleave, Trowell, Burkitt, and others) have known these diseases are almost unheard of in the communities that still adhere to their traditional way of life. In developing countries in Asia and Africa, for example, documented evidence has proven the rarity of diseases such as diverticular disease, appendicitis, bowel cancer, adenomatous polyps (multiple glandular tissue overgrowths), ulcerative colitis, varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis (clots), pulmonary embolism, hemorrhoids, and hiatus hernia, appendicitis, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, gallstones, varicose veins, venous thrombosis, and hemorrhoids.

But as these countries develop and begin to adopt Western customs, a rise in the frequency of these disorders follows almost just as surely as night follows day. They first appear, and then become common, in the upper socioeconomic groups and in the more urbanized communities (which are, of course, the first groups to become “Westernized"). For example, this has been the case in Africa and then in Japan since World War II, particularly in the urban communities. As a result of years of investigations, the evidence supports not an environmental factor, but what the researchers say is the "F-Hypothesis" (‘F' for fibre).

After a 25-year study of over 5,000 cases, the New York People's Hospital stated that “every physician should realize the intestinal toxemia is the most important primary and contributing causes of many disorders and diseases of the human body” and that “one must note that such toxemia is at the root of more problems than commonly imagined or suspected”.

In the past it was thought the large intestine was not really involved in absorption (the principal absorptive functions being to conserve water and electrolytes secreted into the gut during digestion). However, recent research has demonstrated that the colon does also participate in protein absorption, among other things.
Toxic Megacolon

his is extremely significant as the colon is the major exposure site most of the endogenous bacterial proteins, enterotoxins, and the breakdown-antigens, which may be involved in the origination and development of a number of diseases—including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, food allergies and allergic gastoenteropathy, bacterial enteritis (from toxins produced by Escherichia coli, Shigella, or Vibro cholerae, etc.), and certain extra-intestinal immune-complex diseases.

Immune disorders, resulting from the interaction of circulating antibodies with absorbed antigenic protein (particularly those bad bacterial breakdown-antigens originating in the colon), have been implicated in the development of even some forms of chronic active hepatitis, glomerulonephritis (a kidney problem), myocarditi (inflammation of heart muscle), and also the arthritis that is associated with inflammatory bowel diseases. Even a role in the origins of celiac disease and of collagen-vascular diseases (such as systemic lupus

erythematosis) has been suggested. As research continues, the bowel-toxemia ‘you-need-to-keep-the-sewer-pipes-open' school will be completely vindicated as correct.

As we live, we pour a lot of toxins down our gullets and our bodies do not always handle them well so they accumulate. Unfriendly microbes, non-utilized foods, toxic metals and chemicals, and carcinogenic agents can get gummed up inside our digestive tracts and begin to cause problems. Of course if we smoke or use alcohol, we are accumulating considerably more toxins.

Enzymes create the necessary digestion and with Friendly Flora probiotics help protect the bowels and absorb the nutrients. Without digestion you create the one and only real basic disease—Intestinal Toxemia. Generally intestinal toxemia manifests itself as one of even more symptoms than those already listed: nervousness, endocrine disturbances, neuro-circulatory abnormalities, arthritis, sciatica and low back pain, allergy, asthma, eye, ear, nose and throat disease, cardiac irregularities, pressure on the prostate, and pathological changes in the breasts, mental sluggishness, loss of concentration, irritability, exaggerated introspection, obsessions, excessive worry, and more! Without the breakdown of food—which actually starts with your saliva, then in the stomach and duodenum, the breakdown of health begins.

When your digestive tract is not functioning properly, your body has to make room to accommodate that growing pile of putrefied waste, which can harden and cause your colon to significantly expand in size to become what is referred to as a ‘mega-colon' and even put pressure on other organs (e.g. prostrate gland).

Will I feel worse or better while detoxing the ‘garbage' out of my system??

Some Possible Detoxification Symptoms:
Clogged sinus

Constipation
Cough

Lack of energy
Fever / Flu symptoms

Gas / Bloating / Diarrhea
Dull headache

High blood pressure
Irritability

Mental fog
Moodiness

Skin rash
Stomachache

Water retention
Excessive sweating


Changing your diet may result in misunderstanding as to what is going on in your body; because sometimes the symptoms are similar to those felt in other health issues. To help in understanding, let's look at playing softball with your kids. If you have not been getting regular exercise, the day after this activity you might not feel so good—tired, sore muscles, stiffness, etc. This is your body reacting to something it is not used to doing. You may also see this same thing when stopping a regular activity—such as if you are a soda pop drinker and stop, you may notice you have less energy or even a headache—your body is reacting to your decision to change .

In the same way, when we make a change in our diet by stopping a bad habit or by eating better, our cells begin releasing the stored toxic substances into the blood stream which are then carried through the circulation system to be eliminated through bowel movements, the kidneys and bladder or through the skin. Often those with impaired liver or kidney function will find their skin, the largest elimination organ, releasing toxins through sweating and may even break out in a rash in their body's attempt to get rid of toxins quickly. Of course,

exercise will help detoxify by stimulating the lymphatic fluid movement, with the accompanying deeper breathing that helps eliminate toxins and enhance the immune system. You may also find that once the toxins are diminished or gone, you absorb substances more easily. Thus sugar or caffeine, etc. might really set you off considerably more than before you started your positive changes. You may also find that the symptoms come in repeat cycles, feeling great, then detoxing symptoms, feeling great and then detoxing symptoms, as the body “goes deeper” to find more toxins to eliminate. Realize that your body is simply cleaning and correcting itself naturally. This is commonly referred to as a ‘healing crisis'. If you find this too symptomatic, you may increase your Herb Cocktail to go through the process faster, or you may decrease it to have lesser symptoms, which stretches out the detox period, but it may make the detoxification process more comfortable.

Conclusion:

Obviously, the best thing to do is to commit yourself to a change in your diet by decreasing or eliminating refined flours, cooked carbohydrates, sugars, processed foods, items with partially hydrogenated oils, and fried foods, etc. In contrast, help your whole system by increasing the amount of good water you drink, increasing raw vegetables and fruits in your regime by making delicious salads, raw soups, etc, and also by consistent good exercise.

Be consistent in taking your Herb Cocktail powder or capsules twice daily. Herb Cocktail is one of the most effective support and cleansing products available because it honours the electrical formula of each plant used—it contains various sources of dietary fibre, a special combination of herbs, and it is Electrically Available â for the electricity of your body to recognize as food. Formulation is everything–and it is important to have a variety of dietary fibres, since different types of fibre add different benefits to the bowel. Herb Cocktail is non-habit forming, and the primary action is not the normal ‘hydraulic effect' of other cleansers. It is one of the most effective support and cleansing products available today. The various special herbs and herbal combinations used by Avena Originals are efficient, desirable, and recognized by Master Herbalists to be extremely beneficial in dealing with a wide range of gastro-intestinal problems—and have been used in this way for hundreds of years.

Bowel problems do not happen overnight, so do allow time for your body to correct its situation. T herefore, prevention must be a sustained, consistent, effort over the course of your lifetime. In other words, you need to begin making the necessary changes now, and continue with them for the rest of your life. Your body always goes for quality, so when food coming in is of higher quality for building than the present cells had, the body will discard the present cells to make room for those created by the higher-quality food. It is suggested that when you fill your plate at mealtime, 80% of the food on it be raw and the other 20% may be cooked (such as protein). The key here is to keep it simple—but also have fun!

We hope this has highlighted the importance of cleansing the body – Start with paying attention to what you are eating, ensure that it is digested (Avena's N-Zymes), and that you are drinking plenty of good water. Be sure you include Avena's Herb Cocktail twice daily on an empty stomach with good juice or good water if necessary.

Remember that old familiar saying—‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'? There is no doubt in our mind that if we are consistent in providing our bodies the ability to cleanse daily and at the same time giving the bowels healthy support, we will see a rapid increase in the quality of our health, and a steady decline in the kinds and types of dis-eases and dis-orders that unnecessarily afflict our bodies in today's toxic world.

Sources: “ Come Alive ” by Dr Bernard Jensen; Michael O'Brien, Researcher & Formulator