Dear nécessité,
Happy Day. How are you feeling today? Summer 2021 is truly in the past. Are you sad at all? Do not feel sad, embrace the blessings that were given and cherish the memories that were created. Be open now for all that this warm, lovely season of fall has to offer you. I believe it is full of abundance, so be open to receive. I am so excited for it and looking forward to it and thankful to be able to even write this Founder Friday to you, more importantly, that you are here reading it. THANK YOU. (Visualize here grateful hands upward).
One thing (of the many things) that I have been working on within myself is the health of my colon. Yes, my colon. I must admit, I never gave it much thought before, but I have come to appreciate it along with my other beautiful, strong working organs and glands. I also realized, the colon is not a conversation I hear much about and I have been learning, being educated, and evolving in the health space for over 20 years. (I am far from knowing it all).
Gut health is becoming the new gluten-free word, but where is the conversation of colon health? (“Where’s the Beef?” Remember that commercial, I was living in Denver then so that was like a pop song for us). Maybe it all starts with the health of the colon? I do not mean think about your colon or talk about it once it is an issue and has become problematic. I mean preventative care. Help keep us from serious issues. Before being advised to doing a colonoscopy. (Which I have not experienced yet, have you?). I have recently been trying to connect some dots within my own physical body and meditating on listening to my organs and glands as they speak and guide me. (Yes, this is real, and I can tap into this just like you can as well, with much patience and practice).
I know the ears correspond and connect to parts of our body, as do our feet and hands, that is why reflexology is great and doing self-ear massaging. Did you know the colon connects to parts in the body as well? This is what I wanted to share with you. Our colon connects to our mammary glands, adrenal glands, tonsils, eyes, lungs, gallbladder, pituitary gland, thyroid, connective tissue, spleen, and the list goes on. As I was praying and receiving information one day while meditating, it came to me my colon needs some extra attention and some serious love.
I was already dealing with Vagus Nerve issues from past accidents. I started thinking and going deeper. Maybe my vagus nerve interrupted my cardiac sphincter, adrenal glands, and solar plexus which all connect to the colon?? Did my vagus nerve cause issues over time that have been overlooked or not thought of? I cannot help but ponder.
A thought…. I mean, after all, it is all connected, I am just saying. I do not know, but I think about this stuff with me, and I go beyond a textbook because we are not all in a textbook and neither is every situation. I started looking at myself overall more holistically and considering myself more. l was already in a healing mode these past few years from injuries and my body has moments where it does a whammy on me it appears as a result. It is never too late to start caring for ourselves on a deeper level and beyond the obvious. So, I decided to keep turning inward and keep facing my truth. Acupuncture has been my go-to for my overall preventive medicine, but it does not clean me on the inside, but it does help move stagnation this I know from firsthand experience and more than once. I love acupuncture and so many other healing modalities that are offered and available.
The body is all connected and intertwined. The song does say the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone etc… right?!? Let’s heal the root of the tree. (I am the tree). Go deeper and not be afraid to do so. Sometimes there is no diagnosis. That may sound weird and odd to some, but sometimes, things are beyond the typical training. That is why so much can be left untreated or left unhandled because some only look for a specific diagnosis and if it does not fall in a category, then there is nothing wrong. WRONG! (ex; I once suffered for 4 consecutive years before being led to the right someone for this specific issue whom was out of the box and educated me and made me aware that I was causing a horrible condition under both of my armpits by feeding it toxins that only made the condition grow and stick around, 4 YEARS to find help and healing, 4 YEARS!!!)
Sometimes we must think outside the box. Each case is different, we are individuals, and we all respond differently. That is why we must be handled as individuals.
I never really thought about my colon other than it’s time to use the bathroom. I went daily, so to me, it was working fine. Ha, what arrogance on my part. Well, honey, it goes beyond that! Trust me… I am no longer choosing to neglect my colon. Are you joining me? We can hold each other accountable. What am I going to do? I have decided to increase my fiber and water intake. Being vegan and plant-based since the ’90s has worked for me, and at this very moment, I need more colon care.
8 glasses of water are not enough for me. Who even said 8 glasses? Is it the same person that said the only way to get calcium is through a glass of milk? We are all different and require more or less of something. 10 is more like it for me. We do have to be mindful not to overdrink as we can drown our lungs. I know it seems like a lot and I hear your question, “How do you get it all in, I can barely get in 8”. I just do it! I have to, or I’ll feel it. The water I drink for my colon is not sparkling, it is clear, and has no color, and no ‘stuff’ added to it. Just simple plain water and I prefer it not be kept in plastic unless that is the only option if I am outside our home.
I typically attempt to start my day with an 8oz-16oz of lemon water. Room temp water if I am in a warm or hot climate, (think summer months) or warm water and sip it like tea in cooler/cold climates (think fall/winter months). I learned in the ’90s that it wakes up the organs and lets the body know food is coming in and it speaks to the liver to start to prepare to flush. Our liver does so much for us like our other organs. Hi, liver, I love you liver, I am thankful for you liver. Thank you for what you do for my liver today, all day and every day. Now keep in mind, some health care practitioners may say no to this, some will say yes. Your dentist may say oh heck no. They are like us too, with their own opinion, believes, education and training. (ever wonder why we are all so confused on what is healthy?). I only do what works for me and I try to avoid what does not work for me. We are all the same, but all different. That is the beauty of us created humans to me.
I do not want to do any colon cleansers like powders or pills right now, because then I think about my liver and possibly having to process it and all the ingredients in it, it may be too much on my liver, and my kidneys having to filter it out right now. I do not want to do the master cleanse (lemonade diet you may know it as) as detoxing like that is a bit much on my organs right now although the master cleanses does give me a great colon flush.
I have been cleansing and detoxing for over 20 years, so I have learned and got to know my body and what and when to embark on certain cleansing and detoxing challenges. I am still learning my body and listening to it often. I love my body. Thank you, body. Therefore, I decided to turn to mother earth. I have been off all sweeteners and sugars for the past 6 months so I figure I can increase my micro-nutrients by getting in even more fruits and vegetables. This means juicing more vegetables too. My colon wants and needs more fiber. Fiber, fiber, fiber….So I am on a mission beyond applying a great face scrub!
Here are some colon care nécessité’s you may want to consider now rather than later
Dry brushing:
I started this in the ’90s so I must keep doing this daily too for my colon care. It reves it all up, gets the circulation moving and going. Moves the lymph system too. It has been around for years. Do it while the skin is without any creams, oils, or emollients and before bathing. Skip the heart as you do not want to stimulate your heart. If unsure, do not guess. You want to start with brushing upward on the ascending colon, go over the transverse colon, then down the descending colon. This helps stimulate and get it moving. Please contact me below if any questions, I am here to help, that is the entire point of all of this. Duh….
Water:
Increase your water intake. The more water, the more it can help the colon flush all of what we fed it. That debris and food waste, move it out, so help it by flushing, flushing, flushing. (Remember not to over-hydrate as this can cause possible injury, check with your doctor for what’s appropriate for you).
Vegetables:
Steam some veggies, bake, or roast them. They do not have to be bland in flavor to eat healthier. Add some fresh rosemary or other herbs, or squeeze fresh lemon juice on them. Increase your veggie intake. Get them in. Some you may enjoy are-Carrots, Collard Greens, Green Peas, Butternut Squash, Kale, Broccoli, Sweet potatoes, Fennel, Cabbage, Leeks, Cauliflower to name a few. Get them in. I know it can be challenging, but you have to, me too, you are not alone. It is work just like getting up daily, we do it.
Fruits:
Get in more fruits. Unless you have a specific health challenge where you must stay away from fruit, do not run from these natural sugars. After all, mother earth gifted us with these beauties to provide us with sweeteners that are not processed. Apples are great and year-round. If you cannot digest the skin, peel them and eat the inside but avoid the seeds. (supposedly apple seeds can be toxic), Also, Avocados, Blueberries, Elderberries, Goji Berries, Lemons, Limes, Pear, Raspberries, Pomegranate, and Plums
Salt Bath:
Soaking in a warm bath of water with Epson salt or a nice quality salt of your choice that is not full of chemicals and perfumes and unwind in it for at least 20 minutes can offer overall therapeutic benefits. This is a great moment to take deep inhales and exhales and help calm your nervous system.
Exercise:
Walking is simple and easy enough and one of my ultimate favorites, I repeat, favorite (Especially when I am in my stomping grounds of Paris and or NYC). Our body must move to keep everything flowing, move the food in the colon, and the blood. Gentle yoga, pilates I like and appreciate too, because it works and feeds the mind, body, and you learn proper breathing while doing it, it is grounding and it activates the organs and stimulates the glands.
Time:
Give time to sit and release the colon. Do not let the fecal waste stay inside. Take time and release it properly. Get it out.
Avoid:
Do not sit too long in a chair, sofa, etc… Get up before it gets uncomfortable. Also, releasing waste from your colon is effortless. Do not strain, or push. Let it flow out. Putting pressure on the rectum is one way to cause hemorrhoids, so let it naturally flow without any effort. If any difficult releasing, think of what you may need to be adding or subtracting in your food diet on this colon care list provided to help you here.
Mindful Eating:
Remember, the more foods that are dry, packaged, full of many ingredients, sugar, not fresh, can keep the colon backed up and have a serious traffic jam. Find your balance.
Educate:
The more stuff left inside the colon, the more you create a home life for germs, bacteria, viruses, parasites, and pathogens to be comfortable and set up shop. They feed off stuff so do not make it comfortable for them. Starve them. Flush, flush, flush them out. Bye-bye…..
One song I have been listening to all week and singing to help get my vibration up and my insides feeling good and that energy to the colon is by Aiyana Lee. The song is called Bedroom. It is the s—! (no pun intended) I cannot get enough of this song. I soak in the bath with some Epson salt to help loosen the bowels and play this over and over again. It has been my song every day this week. Even as I write this to you. I am blowing…Singing is important even if you sound like me doing it. Belt your best vocals out as you send some vibrations to help care for your colon.
Please keep in mind, intuition is a gift. Let it be your guide and let it support you along with your trusted health care practitioner in caring for your health. Always seek professional support when it comes to your health and only do what feels right and normal for you.
Please tell me if you have any questions by asking below. Do not be shy. How else do we improve and learn from each other, ask, ask, ask!
Thank you for sharing this journey with me. Together, we are a village of nécessité.
Much love and gratitude,
Certified Holistic Health Coach
Certified in Gut Health
Author of The Thriving Child, Shut Up and Cook!