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Internal Cleansing

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Colon Cleansing • Heavy Metals • Spring Cleansing

Colon Cleansing

Q: "I am asking this because it's embarrasing to talk about with a doctor. I have recently spent 6 months in a very hot region of the world. I don't know if this had anything to contribute to this problem. My anal region gets very sore for long periods of time. Sometimes weeks. It doesn't seem to be anything interior but mostly topical. A soreness that never seems to go away. I can't seem to pinpoint it's cause. I'm 40 years old so maybe it's just a dryness. I have experimented with different soaps but I don't think that is the problem. Any suggestions? Appreciate any input."

A: The soreness being episodic points to either a pathogenic microorganism living in your lower bowel and leaking out its toxins or an intermittent dietary irritation -- something you don't eat all the time, but when you do causes problems. To relieve the possible food related problem you could keep a food diary -- writing down everything you eat and drink and see if you are able to correlate what food/beverage might be causing the problem.

If it's a bad bug in your intestines, you need to get rid of the bugs either with medication or herbs. To diagnose bad bugs, you could do either a urine test called Organix analyzed by the lab MetaMetrix. You can do that with me if you like. Or you could do stool testing with Great Smokies lab. You could also do that through my office. Please call 510-526-6657 to make an appointment to discuss how to make that happen.

If you prefer, you may take an herbal cleansing product. We sell a good one called Rebuild by Yerba Prima, You are able to get that in my office or in a health food store. I would recommend getting it from me however, because the Rebuild sold in health food stores contains bowel irritating herbs. The kits I sell do not contain those herbs. Since you are already intermittently sore, I would discourage using a product that could further irritate your bowel.

The soreness might also come from an external hemorrhoid. You could try exercises for your anal muscles to relieve the problem if that's the cause. Simply pull up on your anal muscles to contract them hold tight for 10 seconds, release completely and repeat for 5 minutes three times a day. If that's the problem it should get better within a matter of days.

Q: "I have been taking a teaspoon of "green bio-clay" everyday for the past two years as it really cleans out the areas in my colon where I have diverticulae. It also pulls out toxins in that it acts like bentonite. My supplier has quit shipping the product to me here in Canada. Question: Have you ever heard of "green bio-clay" or edible bentonite? Do you know where I can buy it?"

A: No I have not heard of green bio-clay. However, Yerba Prima makes a bentonite clay product that is cleaner than any I have seen on the market and I would highly recommend that product to you. They may be reached at 800-488-4339 or fax 541-488-2443 in case the 800# doesn't work from Canada. Thanks for your inquiry.

Q: "I was browsing the internet to see if I could locate products for colon cleansing and your name appeared in several search areas. I will get straight to the point although is is VERY embarrassing to me. I suffer with chronic Bad Breath. I have had this problem for over eight years. I have tried everything and have gone to Internal medicine doctors, but nothing they have suggested helps me. I have even taken antibiotics at my doctors suggestion, nothing works. This problem inhibits my social life a great deal and it is embarrasing when people look at you as though they think you're not clean and have poor hygiene problems. I assure you this is not the case with me. I am reaching out for some help and guidance of any kind. I have taken tablets from my local health food store that basically have Cascara Sagrada in them, but I think if I can cleanse my system properly it will be a step in helping with my problem. PLEASE, PLEASE EMAIL ME BACK TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. I am desperate for HELP!!!!"

A: You might try the Yerba Prima product designed specifically for men called Rebuild. You may purchase it from my office without the Cascara segrada and Senna that is included in the health food store version of Rebuild. Please order from my staff by calling 510-526-6657.

You might also need a probiotic (healthy GI bacteria), zinc, Vitamin C, B vitamins to help digestion or digestive enzymes, etc. And you might need a change of diet.

It is difficult to help you get better without a comprehensive foundational nutritional support program. To make it easy, effective, and economical for yourself, you can access a questionnaire online at www.mynutriscan.com access code 'health2090' to get customized, comprehensive, foundational nutritional support. Please read more about it on my website www.drlindaberry.com. You are able to access the info/questionnaire instantaneously from the web site by clicking on the hyperlink for NutriScan. Your responses will come only to me so we can begin to sort out your bad breath.

Q: "What can you tell me about Colonics vs. Diets/Foods for internal cleansing? Are Colonics quackery and are there any negative effects?"

A: There are many ways to clean your colon. Colonics are time honored and have been used, in some form, for hundreds of years. Colon hydrotherapists use water to rinse out your intestinal tract. Colonics are only negative when safe hygiene is not followed. Be sure that the tubing used for your colonic is used only by you. Follow the recommendations of the colon hydrotherapist, if they make sense to you. Make sure the water is purified that is used for rinsing out your intestines. And ask for products that will replace the good bacteria in your intestines that are washed out with the bad ones. In my offices, I prefer to do more thorough cleansing programs with my patients that work all the way down to the cellular level including herb and fiber programs, nutrition and/or lifestyle modification, and macronutirent balancing (the right amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat for your physiology). For more information about my approach please refer to my book, Internal Cleansing, Prima Health.

Q: "I read your book and loved it. I am trying to get my GI track in order and hope this will do the job. First, I suffered with allergies for 22 years and finally, 6 years ago, went on shots which helped a good bit. I had a colonic about a year ago and would get allergy symptoms afterwards. They diluted my dose to less than half. A year later I had 2 more colonics and had to stop taking the allergy shots. I was retested a couple months later and -- no allergies! Now the problem is once I have a colonic I am not able to have a movement for over a week. I was told part of my colon is prolapsed. I cannot eliminate until my stomach is large and round. He said that gas is what actually gets it out. I want this fixed. I have been on probiotics at bedtime, have started using yogurt in my juice shake which consists of organic applejuice, yogurt, 2 Tbs of flax meal, 1 Tb of wheat germ, powered calcium and source of life powdered vitamin. Still nothing! I get concerned and then drink a cup of senna tea because I know it will do the job, but have only done that 4 times because I know it is not good for my system. I have ordered the products you suggest in your book and I am waiting their arrival. Can you shed light on whether they will help with my problem?"

A: You certainly have a challenging colon. I do not know what products you ordered so I can't tell you whether they will work or not. And besides, since each individual's response is different, there's no way to know if you will respond well to the protocols you have chosen to follow.

In any doctors office we evaluate, recommend an appropriate program, check your response, and adjust the program as needed to be more effective.

We would need to have a private consultation, one on one, in order for me to get a sense of what you need specifically. Sorry I can't be of more help to you online. That said, I have had patients who had a bowel movement only once every 5 days who, after completing the Yerba Prima cleanse described in Chapter 9 of my book, began to eliminate once a day without problems. That might work for you as well. The women's formula is called Renew.

You might try rhubarb for those times when your bowels just won't move. Rhubarb is less irritating to the bowel than senna. Dr. Shen's line of Chinese herbal supplements has a bowel product with rhubarb that you might try if the program you are about to begin is not effective.

You also might try massaging your abdomen every morning to heal your intestines. Check pg 263 - 265 in the revised second edition of my book, Internal Cleansing, for an energetic massage that may help you heal your prolapsed colon.

Heavy Metals

Q: "I have my teeth filled with fillings that are silver. Are these mercury fillings, how can I tell? My teeth are dark from these fillings."

A: The silver fillings that you get at the dentists office are a combination of materials including mercury. The times of greatest exposure to the poisons from the fillings are when you get them put in and when you get them taken out. You may want to talk to a dentist who works with removing mercury fillings about getting fillings that do not contain mercury. To help you now, there are nutritional supplements that bind to the toxic metals and take them out of your body. Those products include garlic, broken cell wall chlorella, homeopathic metal cleans and "Mercury Detox". These products are available from our office. With a minimum $75.00 order. Please give us a call at 510-526-6657, if you would like to purchase these products.

Q: "What is the best way to cleanse the body of heavy metals. Is it possible that heavy metals could cause diabetes insipidus or frequent urination problems."

A: Unfortunately, almost anything can cause almost anything. Heavy metals cause neurologic damage. Since everything is under the control of the nervous system, a nervous system irritant can cause dysfunction anywhere in your body. It is theorized that heavy metals may bind to sensitive receptor sites for hormones preventing the hormones from being able to interact with your cells. This might be a factor in diabetes. As you know, frequent urination is a problem associated with diabetes. The urination could be a problem secondary to diabetes or it could be a primary problem from damage to the nerves which enervate the bladder. It is easy and cheap to test for heavy metal toxicity with hair analysis. If you suspect this might be a problem I recommend contacting a health care practitioner in your area and having hair analysis done. They will then be able to recommend the best course of treatment for removing heavy metals. Mercury Detox, a product from Thorne Research, or Toxi-Cleanse from Metagenics may be useful depending on the type of heavy metal exposure.

You may also consider the following:a clean source of Bentonite - Yerba Prima makes a good one, broken cell wall chlorella from Premier Research Labs, non-deodorized garlic, and homeopathic metal cleanse products. Biogenics has a good one of those.

Spring Cleansing

Q: "I have your book Internal Cleansing. On page 123 you suggest a 9 week cleansing program. In that 9 weeks do you eat two fruits, three vegetable and one grain each day and that is all? Perhaps I am misreading. Also, can you suggest a weight loss counselor/coach for detoxing in the Chicago area. I am 48, have been through a fair amount of stress, (lost my mother to a brain tumor two years ago), and as I am entering menopause, I can't seem to stop eating. I am 5'4" and 158 pounds--way too heavy for me. I like your book but I seem to need a coach or a program that will work for me. Also, I answered positive to many of the questions on page 119. My dad and his grandmother had diabetes. I notice that if I eat too much sugar, or drink alcohol, my period comes early. My daughter (18 and off to college and already familiar with drinking), notices her period comes early if she drinks. At least that is an incentive for her not to drink. By the way, I rarely drink anything. Please advise."

A: You are right, you would benefit from a Health Coach in your area. In my book I recommend readers call Health Coach International to find a Health Coach in their area (p.254), 800-463-2701. A personal friend of mine, Dana Pletcher, DC practices in Libertyville, close to Chicago. Perhaps you could work with him. He is an excellent resource to help you overcome your health challenges.

During the 9 week program described in chapter 8, you eat a minimum of five servings per day of fruits and vegetables with a minimum of one serving per day of a whole grain in addition to other nutritious foods as needed such as protein foods. Your particular mix will depend on your carbohydrate tolerance and personal preferences. Since you scored high in the "Determining Your Insulinogenic Sensitivity To Foods Questionnaire" you would do well to eat mostly low carb foods as described in the text on pages 121 - 123.

Q: "I get allergies every Spring. Do you have any recommendations that could help keep me off allergy medications?"

A: Yes! In general, allergy's primary cause is weak digestion and worn out adrenal glands. To support digestion, first forget your worries when you eat, eat more slowly and chew your food well. Digestive enzymes are helpful here also. They come in vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions. Take as directed on the bottle.

Adrenal supplements help support those of us who are worn out from the stress in our lives. They may include adrenal gland extracts, licorice, Vitamin C, B, calcium, magnesium, zinc and more water. Ginseng is a Chinese herb that helps us adapt to stress, and the Ayurvedic herb, Ashwaganda, does the same. Quercitin and Perilla seed extract can decrease the allergy symptoms as well.

In the non-supplement realm, mild to moderate exercise rebuilds adrenal health. That means getting yourself up and active by doing movement you enjoy, but not pushing yourself to the limit.

Find out if foods are adding to your allergy reactions. The best way is to avoid the common allergens, especially wheat and dairy products, for 3 weeks. But, suspect anything you really enjoy eating or eat frequently. Add the foods/beverages back into your diet one at a time to see if they make your allergy symptoms worse. Frequently, this will be the case. Other common offender foods are sugar, chocolate, eggs, corn, beef and citrus fruit. You're probably thinking, "What am I going to eat if I take those foods out of my diet?" A Health Coach, a chiropractor who practices nutrition, or a nutritionist can help you steer your way through this sometimes confusing territory. You really need to do this to get better.

Q: "Is doing a cleanse in the Springtime a good idea?"

A: If you look at native cultures and even back to early North American history, Spring cleaning was an annual event. Every Spring North American settlers would do a sulfur and molasses cure, according to some sources. Watch your cat and dog. In the Spring they often eat new grass to cleanse their systems. (To protect your pets avoid nasty chemicals like pesticides on your lawn. That would only add to your pet's toxic load.)

For yourself, refer to chapters 8, 9, and 10 of my book Internal Cleansing, Prima Health. Three different types of cleansing programs are recommended. One with food only, another using herbs and fiber, and the third to be performed only with the help of a health care provider using therapeutic food powders.

Here are some quick tips for Spring Cleansing:

Make an effort to drink more pure water. Divide your body weight (in pounds) by 2 and drink that many ounces of pure water a day.
Eat 5 - 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day (one serving consists of 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked fruit or veggies).
Vary the colors in your diet. Color dense foods (and I don't mean artificial coloring) mean nutrient dense foods.
Eat beet greens and apples anyway you like (except filtered apple juice) to aid the cleansing of your liver.
Drink lemon water in the morning if you tolerate citrus, to cleanse your mucous membranes in your respiratory and digestive tracts.
Brush your skin when it is dry, as opposed to wet, with a dry vegetable bristle brush towards your left chest to stimulate lymphatic cleansing. Avoid brushing the skin of your face or neck to protect those sensitive tissues.
Breathe deeply at least 5 minutes per day to cleanse your lungs.
Sweat more either through exercise, vigorous lovemaking, saunas or hot baths/tubs to release toxins stored in your skin pores. You will also benefit by the release of endorphins, what I call "joy juices," from these activities.
Smile more to purge negative thoughts that release hormones with damaging effects into your system.
Add a fiber supplement to your diet and drink plenty of water when you take it.
Eliminate the major food allergens: gluten grains (all of them except rice, millet, amaranth and quinoa), dairy products, beef, citrus, and chocolate for 3 weeks. Add them back in one at a time and see if any negative symptoms come back that went away during the elimination period.
Commit to having more fun and spending more time with loved ones and then take that commitment into action. That can only help.

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