A Simple Intro to Drainage Pathways: The Colon

April 11, 2022 Sarah Southerton

Most people have heard of detoxing, but not everyone knows about drainage pathways and why they are so important. If you missed the first blog in our drainage series, please start by reading A Simple Intro To Drainage Pathways: The First Step In Detox. I will be discussing each organ in the drainage funnel over the coming weeks. This is the second post in the drainage series.

Discussing poop is not everyone’s favorite topic, but it’s a highly important one, especially if you are struggling with a chronic illness like Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and toxicity. The colon and small intestines make up the bowels of the body and are critical for nutrient absorption, disease prevention, elimination of waste, and immune function. The colon is a big piece of the puzzle to reducing noticeable symptoms during a detox and in reversing diseases. That’s why I am making the colon the first stop in discussing each drainage pathway individually.

What is the Colon’s Function in the Body?

The colon is one of two primary organs that help eliminate waste from the body. The colon is about 1.5m (4-5ft) in length and is responsible for reabsorbing water from the digested food that enters the colon and compacting it with a wave-like motion called peristalsis.

The action of peristalsis allows for excess fluids to be reabsorbed and ultimately create a fecal mass to be eliminated once the body receives a signal that it's time to go. It's almost like squeezing a handful of wet sand in your hands until all the water is rung out, and then you are left with a clump of formed sand compacted together. This is how turds are formed.

Your Body’s Drainage Funnel

The first step in opening drainage pathways is to cleanse the colon and increase the elimination of waste products from your body. A stagnant bowel causes everything upstream to back up too!

The Connection Between Pooping & Good Health

The large intestine is at the bottom of the drainage funnel. If you are not pooping enough, you will become constipated, and everything upstream in the funnel will become backed up too. This means that you cannot remove wastes and toxins efficiently, and the rest of the funnel upstream will become stagnant. It is important to be pooping formed bowel movements at least 2-3 times per day before pushing forward with a detox regimen. A backed-up colon is like garbage that is never emptied or a bathtub that never drains despite you bathing in it all the time. Toxins and waste pile up if they can't flow out of the body via bowel movements which leads to sensitivities associated with MCAS. A stagnant colon also leads to hormonal and cholesterol imbalances because of the "upstream impact" it can have on the entire drainage funnel, especially the liver and bile ducts.

Read more about improving your Liver health: What Impairs Detox & How to Improve Liver Health

What are the Causes & Symptoms of Constipation?

Constipation is when your bowel movements are less than once or twice daily. Stools are usually dry and hard, difficult to pass, painful to eliminate, and you don’t feel empty after going to the bathroom. Common causes of constipation include low fiber consumption, dehydration, non-active lifestyles, resisting going to the bathroom when you have the urge to, stress, parasitic infections, dysbiosis, and some medications. When you get backed up, you may feel bloated, nauseous, crampy, or have a stomachache.

How to Support Regular & Complete Elimination?

If you are not pooping at least twice daily, here are some ways to support regular elimination and prepare for detoxification protocols. If you have had a long history of significant constipation, you're initially looking for progress — not necessarily perfection.

Bowel-moving herbs:

Ginger root, aloe vera leaf, and other intestinal-moving herbs help stimulate the movement of your client's gut contents. That helps combat constipation. CellCore's Bowel Mover supplement contains all of these essential herbs to help with this process.

Carbon Technology:

Made from natural extracts of fulvic and humic acid, Carbon Technology binds toxins so you can eliminate them. These unique carbons also may promote a healthy microbiome. That could encourage regular elimination as well. CellCore's BioToxin Binder can support the body while removing biotoxins with carbon technology. The reason we love CellCore’s binders is that you can take them with other supplements and foods, unlike traditional binders.

Fiber-rich diets:

Fiber bulks up the stools, making elimination easier. Good sources of fiber in a healthy diet are fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and other plant-based foods. Foods that may cause constipation and slow down the digestive tract are alcohol, gluten, processed grain, dairy products, red meat, and fried or fast foods.

Physical activity:

To help combat constipation, make sure you are regularly moving your body. Even gentle forms of movement, such as walking, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, and qigong, help keep you regular. It’s not necessary to intensely exercise, especially if you are already struggling with fatigue and MCAS.

Regular hydration:

A shortfall in fluid intake could contribute to constipation. A good goal is to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water daily, adding in a sugar-free electrolyte product to help fight and relieve the symptoms of dehydration. Electrolyte drinks have ingredients like sodium, potassium, and magnesium in them, making them a must-have to help those struggling with constipation and fluid balance. Read more about Understanding The Importance of Hydrating With Water

Deep breathing:

Breathing deeply and engaging your diaphragm promotes natural peristalsis, keeping things moving through your intestinal tract. Read more about The Healing Power of Deep Breathing

Using the bathroom when you have the urge to go:

Often times people who are constipated are ignoring their body’s natural signals to eliminate. When you feel the urge to go, get to a toilet before the moment passes. It is a lot easier to eliminate fully when the body is naturally wanting to.

Constipation Caused by Dysbiosis, Parasites & Stealth Infections

You may also need to address other factors, such as parasites, especially if you are struggling with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Lyme Disease, or Mold Toxicity. These stealth infections are often at the root of constipation since they influence their host's body, especially interfering with the colon to lessen the frequency of healthy bowel movements.

Connection Between Constipation & SIBO

Another common issue when a colon isn’t draining efficiently is the increased risk for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). What happens is the bacteria residing in the colon is unable to be eliminated and instead is pushed in the opposite direction into the small intestines. Symptoms of SIBO are usually pretty obvious because it causes a lot of stomach and intestinal-related bloating, cramping, gas, belching, and discomfort. Restoring proper colon motility and encouraging the body to have a bowel movement 2-3 times a day, is the best way to keep the toxins in your body low and make sure harmful pathogens and toxins are constantly being eliminated.

Mucoid Plaque & Connection to Toxicity

Mucoid plaque is a term that is used by Dr. Richard Anderson, N.D., N.M.D to describe a substance the body naturally creates in response to unnatural conditions such as toxic chemicals, excess acids, medications, and heavy metals. It is not the same as normal, healthy intestinal mucosa, which is the buffer for harmful toxins and acids for the gastrointestinal wall and helps lubricate for motility, keeping you regular and protected from harmful poisons. Simply put, mucoid plaque is an abnormal accumulation of mucin that thickens the bowel lining (much like a rubber tire lining your intestines), after electrolyte reserves have been depleted and the body has been overwhelmed by toxic poisons like alcohol, drugs, and sodium chloride found in processed foods. It also can accumulate if your bile is too acidic, as the body is forced to create abnormal amounts of mucus to protect itself from it. This thickened layer of mucoid can help protect pathogenic bacteria, yeasts, fungus, and parasites, while also preventing proper nutrient absorption. Mucoid contributes to disease and poor drainage, but luckily it can be removed and eliminated with herbal cleansing and alkaline diets.

Colon Cleansing Benefits

Cleansing your colon regularly has many health benefits other than simply keeping you more regular. Many testify that they feel closer to God and feel more spiritual, in addition to having more energy, endurance, mental clarity, improved digestion, clearer skin, reduced allergies and asthma, reduced constipation, and less aches and pains. It also is highly effective at removing mucoid plaque and toxins from the body, restoring proper function to this critical drainage and elimination pathway.

A Simple Intro to Drainage Pathways: The Liver - Part 1

The Liver - Part 2: What Impairs Detox & How to Improve Liver Health

The Impact of Fasting on Drainage Pathways

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by sarah southerton

Certified Integrative Health Practitioner (IHP2) & Functional Medicine Health Coach

I specialize in helping people heal chronic illnesses and achieve optimal health. After my own battle with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Lyme disease, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), I was thrust into the world of alternative medicine, herbal healing, and low-tox/low-stress living. I have since restored my health and no longer suffer with debilitating symptoms and I’m passionate about help other people who are suffering, so they can feel better a lot faster than I did. Learn more about my story →

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