Good Behaviour – Bowel Health – tips collected over the years
More people suffer from constipation than any other ailment. Bowel cancer is also kills a lot of people. Poor digestion leads to poor absorption of nutrients poor elimination and creation of toxins which are absorbed all leading to ill health poor cellular nutrition loss of vitality and shorter life. Common problems are constipation piles (haemorrhoids) bowel cancer indigestion flatulence colitis parasites and worms diverticulitis appendicitis diarrhoea and food poisoning. Antacids antibiotics sedentary lifestyle low fibre diets and dehydration are particularly damaging.
· Apple juice daily. Apple and spinach juice for a stronger brew. Other useful juices are cabbage raspberry cataloupe blackberry wheatgrass boysenberry date and fig plum prune radish rhubarb banana blueberry pea quince.
· An apple a day
. Soy can be very bad on bowels.
· Eat fibre in food ?up to 30gm per day?. Psyllium husks apple pectin guar gum alginate and bran are useful sources along with naturally high fibre foods.[Beware: Phytates are an issue – needs more consideration]
· Thump upper belly with loosely closed fists (Chinese practice) rhythmically 20 times.
· Get a footstool or a strong box and use it to raise feet on when going to the toilet
· Allow time to go to the toilet – don’t force or rush. Let natural muscle processes come into play
· Have regular times of day and triggers for going to the toilet
· Respond to urges to go to the toilet – don’t ignore them.
· Respond to urges to pass wind – don’t hold on to it more than you must.
· Pay careful attention to hydration
o Eat foods which are already hydrated (fruits sprouts vegetables)
o Thoroughly rehydrate dehydrated foods such as cereals
o Drink a glass of water with every glass of coffee
o Drink water after exercise or when working in air-conditioning or in hot conditions
o Drink additional water throughout the day and night
o Avoid mouth breathing as this contributes to dehydration
· Fast for a day periodically using a juice fast (recommend Breuss juice)
· Have a glass of water half an hour before a meal as water is required to produce sufficient digestive acids and it will be taken from the body if not supplied to it or else will lead to poor digestion.
· Cook meat to kill parasites and bacteria.
· Vacuum carpets especially near beds to vacuum up worm eggs
· ?Cayenne pepper stimulates bowels
· Reflexology of the feet insole area on a daily basis
· Wash hands with soap or handwash after going to the toilet
· For females when wiping yourself after toileting avoid contaminating your vagina with faecal bacteria
· Keep your weight down. Excess weight puts a load on the bowel.
· When lifting heavy weights do not strain but use good lifting behaviour to avoid piles (and spinal damage)
· Control the quantities of food you eat – avoid big meals. They are much harder to digest
· Eat your food slowly to avoid gulping air which becomes wind
· Chew carbohydrates thoroughly to mix with saliva for proper digestion [Phytates in grains and pulses are another issue that is complex to address.]
· One suggestion is to avoid combining proteins and carbohydrates in meals as they rely on different digestive processes and it can result in poor digestion of either and production of toxic fermentations in the bowel which are absorbed into the bloodstream and cause allergies and distress. [This needs thinking and working through to see if it works]
· Either grind grains seeds and nuts in a grinder or chew them thoroughly to avoid having them settle in diverticula in the bowel and lead to infection flare-ups.
· Use good food hygiene behaviour to avoid food contamination leading to food poisoning and diarrhoea
o Wash hands with soap or handwash liquid before food preparation
o Store foods in a fridge below 5°C. Do not leave foods out of freezers or fridges for more than half an hour in the transition from shop to home. Do not leave cooked dishes standing out of the fridge for very long.
o Avoid using food which was frozen thawed then refrozen
o Use thawed foods promptly
o Wash cutting boards thoroughly and sterilize regularly with bi-carb soda. Wash thoroughly at various stages during food preparation especially after cutting any raw meat or slightly unfresh food
o Remove any unfresh parts from fruit vegetables or food
o Do not touch rubbish bins. Wash hands after contact with any part of a rubbish bin. Avoid any transmission of germs from rubbish bins.
· When eating out for example in food halls and markets be aware of the high rates of food poisoning that exist from cooked foods kept warm (but not hot) for too long. Fried rice is particularly dangerous. Notice how fresh and hot food appears and be choosy.
· Vitamins A folic acid B (especially B5 – pantothenic acid 250mg daily) and C (in moderate doses) are good for the bowels.
· Exercise aerobically: walk swim bike ride work in the garden dance.
· Stretch and lengthen your abdomen.
· Sex especially for women is good for the bowels.
· For diarrhoea drink lots of water to rehydrate and club soda is also a good fluid.
· If you have smelly farts try taking charcoal. It absorbs odour.
· Smelly breath may well come from poor digestion. Increase B vitamins.
· De-worm regularly. Garlic and onions in the diet every day for 10 days will break the worms’ reproduction cycle. Figs pumpkin seeds sesame seeds turmeric wormwood salt cloves and oregano are also recommended.
· Avoid sitting on cold hard ground – it is reputed to aggravate piles.
· Have a tummy massage.
o Starting on right side lying on back knees bent get comfortable. Using the full flat palm of the hands move clockwise from right to left . With each circle pass first just below the ribs then a little on to the left side of the torso at the waist then just above the pelvic bone then a little on to the right side of the torso at the waist. Do half a dozen continuous circles.
o Starting with the back of the hand on the tummy over the belly button rotate hand in circles around the belly button (hand will turn over then back). Make half a dozen circles.
o Knead the sides of torso in the vicinity of waistline squeezing the loose flesh between thumb and fingers grasping as much as can easily be held and gradually moving along the side.
· The Chinese recommend balancing foods by taste: sweet sour bitter salt chilli
· A hot wheat pack on the tummy is a nice treat.
· Tighten pelvic floor muscles – anal vaginal urinal sphincter muscles.
· Have some papaya (paw paw) every day. It contains papain a key digestive enzyme.
· Include some good oils in diet to assist in lubricating the flow of faecal matter through your bowel (olive oil flax oil)
· Eat licorice daily for the bowels and the lungs.
· Protect good bowel bacteria by avoiding anti-biotics except in very extreme circumstances and having yoghurts or acidophilous supplements regularly.
· The bowel is part of the process of developing immunity to infections. Infections in mucus passing through the digestive tract are identified there and responded to aggressively. The good bowel bacteria also play an important part in this immunity process so where tenacious infections are involved (children’s ear infections sore throats) eat more yoghurt.
· Various foods herbs and teas are good for the bowel: ginger fenugreek ginseng alfa alfa peppermint tea seaweed beans and pulses aloe vera prunes spinach avocadoes pumpkins very ripe bananas baked apples raw honey for diarrhoea ordinary or green tea slippery elm garlic licorice apples apple juice paw paw dock root tea (Chinese) chamomile tea before going to sleep.
· Juice of a lemon in water on arising and before going to bed? [There is a suggestion which is the opposite – bi-carb in water (well outside the times of day when you need acid in your stomach to digest food) with the aim of alkalinising the body.]
· The average chair and toilet seat are about 10 inches too high from the ground for good use of our tummy and pelvic muscles. Solutions include
o A toilet footstool
o Squatting
o Sitting on cushions dining from a low coffee table
o Elevating legs of a hassock or footstool
· The area immediately below the belly button is the vital zone for the belly – the charismatic centre of your body. Pay attention to it. Stand nude in front of a mirror and observe side on.
· Do daily tummy exercises:
o Standing erect feet apart knees slightly bent lean forward with hands on thighs. Exhale completely pulling abdominal muscles in. Hold for count of 8. Release and repeat when rested. This exercise should only be performed on an empty stomach preferably before breakfast.
o More advanced versions of this exercise:
§ While holding abdominal muscles in and without inhaling rotate the abdominal muscles firt to the right then to the left.
§ Rapidly clench and unclench the lower abdominal muscles in a wave-like motion
§ Rapidly clench and unclench the upper abdominal muscles pulling them up under your diaphragm then letting go.
o Sitting cross-legged on floor bend forward slowly from waist/hips exhaling completely and pulling abdomen in. Hold 20 seconds.
o Sitting on floor with legs straight and as far apart as can manage exhale and lean forward from hips and reach for toes pulling abdominal muscles in. Hold .
o Sitting on floor legs straight and feet together hold arms apart out straight from shoulders. Now swing one hand slowly to touch toes while the other hand swings to the rear. Hold then swing slowly back in the other direction.
o Standing legs straight arms outstretched bend at hips exhale and then stretch slowly so that one hand touches toes and the other it above head with eyes looking to upper hand. Hold then swing slowly to swap hand positions.
o Standing legs straight pretend holding a basketball. Rotate it very slowly in a big circle in front going down to touch toes than right up above head. Change rotational directions several times. Go very slowly. Hold and release abdomen muscles and attend to breathing to keep it flowing.
o Lying on back or standing have one leg straight and bring the other knee to chest exhaling and pulling in abdominal muscles. Hold. Change legs.
o Stand with knees apart partially bent hands on hips and get firm and stable. Now with control slowly lunge to the left holding torso vertical inhaling deeply (as in a fencing match). Exhale. Swap sides.
o Stand feet flat on floor and together hands together in front slowly lower body to crouching postion extending arms in front over head as lean forward. This is like preparing to dive. Exhale. Hold this position for 30 seconds then slowly return to erect position. (Great stretch for lower back too).
o Get down on the floor on knees exhale and lean forward bringing face to the ground with hands to the ground above head. Hold.
o Lying on the floor on side legs out straight raise one leg straight up and reach up to hold it exhaling and pulling in abdominal muscles tight supporting self with other bent arm. Hold. Swap sides.
· Have a good belly laugh.
· Stimulate (tapping pressing vibrating manipulation striking) some Chinese acupressure points:
o On the midline of the abdomen 5 cun above the navel press and rub with finger clockwise
o On the midline of the abdomen 4 cun above the navel press and rub with finger.
o On the midline of the abdomen 2 cun above the navel press and rub with finger.
o On the midline of the abdomen 1.5 cun below the umbilicus press with both thumbs simultaneously (the force should be light and heavy in turn) and repeatedly. Push the point of the thumbs toward left and right respectively.
o Repeat the previous step 3 cun below the navel.
o Press in the region above the navel with four fingers of one hand with increasing force keeping the pressure on for half a minute.
o Four cun to each side side of the navel press and rub the two points with the thumbs for half a minute.
o Rub both thumbs 10 times through the region along the midline of the abdomen from the pelvic bone to the bottom of the sternum (breastbone) then repeat rubbing with the palms of the bands for 10 to 20 times.
o Push the abdomen with stretched fingers for 10 to 20 times.
o With thumbs at centre line and fingers to sides press and rub outwards from bottom of sternum down to pelvic bone.
o With flat palms held at right angles to each other push and rub downwards the full length of the abdomen.
o Knead with thumb the transverse crease of the palm at a point that is just below the tip of the middle finger when fist is clenched.
o Hold wrist and pull and turn it in different directions. Do 10 times.
o Two cun above the transverse crease of the wrist between the tendons of the long palmar muscle and radial flexor muscle press and rub with thumb.
o On two lines of the head back from the eyes approximately on the line between the two auricles (ears) press with thumb.
o In the middle of the inferior gluteal crease (the horizontal crease between buttocks and the top of thighs) press and stroke with finger.
o In the midpoint of the transverse crease of the popliteal fassa (behind knees) between the tendons of the biceps muscle of the thigh and the semitendinous muscle press with finger.
o About 8 cun below the back of the knee in the midline press with thumb (directly below the belly of the gastrocnemius muscle).
o Get someone to press and rub with the finger the following points on back: 1.5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of the ninth eleventh twelfth thoracic vertebra and the third lumbar vertebra. These areas can be given a thorough stimulation pushing stiking with cupped hands hollow fists sides of hands scrubbing. [1 cun is the width of your thumb 3 cun is the width of four fingers held together.]