Multiple websites and blogs state that the average person has between 15-20 pounds of waste sitting in their colon. This statement has given rise to many people seeking out ways to clean their colon and thus, lose weight. But the reality is, the connection between cleaning your colon to lose weight is a little bit more involved.
According to The National Library of Medicine, the average bowel movement weighs up to one pound. The actual weight of any movement depends on several factors: your body size, what you eat, your daily water intake, and how often you go.
For example, the more fiber you eat, the heavier it will be as the fiber will hold water. Fortunately, this makes it easier to pass through your system, and you’ll go more regularly and completely.
Of course, that one-pound number is the weight of any given release. If you eat regularly, there is a constant flow through your colon. It takes about 36 hours for food to move through your entire digestive tract and become a bowel movement.
So, if we continue to eat on a daily basis, there will always some amount of fecal matter, and weight, in our colon.
Perhaps the better question we really should be asking is...
How much excess waste is in your colon?
According to multiple websites, the average weight loss after colon cleansing was about 2.6 pounds (1.2 kilograms). One specific study compared different methods of colon cleansing and one of the most effective colon cleanses resulted in an immediate 6.6 pound (3 kilograms) weight loss.
But please note that weight loss does not equal fat loss. A colonic will only affect your bowel movement, which means that you will not actually be losing any body fat (which should be your primary weight loss goal). Even though you can almost immediately decrease the number on your scale, you still may have a high percentage of body fat.
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But colon cleansing helps you lose weight in another important way: by giving your digestive system a refreshing cleanse to make sure everything is working at maximum capacity. When your colon and digestive system are in poor health, they’re not able to do their job to efficiently get rid of unwanted waste.
This results in a sluggish digestive tract that’s slow to eliminate waste, more likely to accumulate unwanted weight, and ideal for toxin-producing bacteria to thrive in. All of these factors can negatively impact the way your body digests food and uses/stores the calories.
With a clean, waste-free colon, you’ll find yourself having more energy, clear mental focus, and all-around better performance and results when using traditional weight loss methods.
How to cleanse your colon?
There are many different ways of performing a colonic. Colon cleanser products like pills can be taken orally (through your mouth) or even rectally (through your anus). Colon hydrotherapy refers to a colon cleanse that is usually done with water alone. You can also buy a do-it-yourself kit and perform it right in the comfort of your home. Or you can have a therapist perform a colon cleanse for you.
READ: 10 Ways To Clean Your Colon
You can also cleanse your colon with the help of various liquid or drink mixes.
Here are a few of those options you can try:
Ginger
Ginger has antiseptic properties and is beneficial as it stimulates digestion. It can be added to any juice or can be eaten directly.
Add one teaspoon of ginger juice and honey, mix it in one cup of warm water.
This mixture can be consumed twice a day. You can also make a smoothie using:
- 1 tablespoon of ginger (peeled)
- 1 apple (sliced)
- A cup of spinach
- 1 carrot (sliced)
Blend all these ingredients with 1 cup of water and your smoothie is ready. Drink it once a day to ensure the proper functioning of the intestinal tract.
Juices made by using apple and lemon
Apples and lemons are both rich in nutrients that improve digestive action such as vitamins C & A, antioxidants, and fiber.
You can make delicious juices from these fruits:
Take ½ cup apple juice, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a teaspoon of ginger juice.
Mix it in ½ cup of warm water.
You can drink this mixture once a day to help detoxify the colon and encourage proper digestion.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Unfiltered apple cider vinegar helps flush out waste from our body while retaining the useful bacteria.
It can be taken along with honey to cleanse the colon and restore the digestive system.
Mix raw apple cider vinegar and honey in equal quantities (2 tablespoons). Mix it in one cup of water and drink it once daily. It will not only remove the toxins but has tons of other benefits such as preventing diabetes and lowering bad cholesterol.
Green Vegetables
Leafy greens are nutrient powerhouses; spinach, kale, brussels sprouts, asparagus, collard greens, leeks, peas are all rich in chlorophyll which helps cleanse the intestinal tract and as a result soothes the colon.
They also help detoxify the liver and protect the body from the toxins in the environment.
You can boil or steam the veggies, add them in soups or slightly sauté with a little butter or olive oil.
