The Doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the (human) frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.

Thomas A. Edison

Talking about “going to the bathroom,” especially in western society, has always been an embarrassing and taboo topic.

As an adult, I find it ironic that the foundation of my successful practice has been built upon addressing and educating my patients on proper bowel management and internal cleansing, with emphasis on the body’s seven channels of elimination... the bowel, kidneys, lungs, skin, blood stream, liver and lymphatic system. I discovered the benefits of internal cleansing in my early 20s and the effect it had on my life at the time was “earth-shattering.” I was so amazed at the positive changes and rejuvenation it brought about in my body that internal detoxification became a passionate part of my life, as well as a main component in my nutritional practice.

Many experts claim that the intestinal system and bowel is the true center and hub of the human body. They also claim that toxic build-up in the bowel is a precursor to various types of degenerative disease. My teacher and mentor, Dr. Bernard Jensen (whom I worked with for seven years), nutritionist, lecturer and author of over 30 books on natural health care, states: “Every cell and tissue in the body is fed by the bloodstream, which is supplied by the bowel. When the bowel is dirty, the blood is dirty and so are the organs and tissues. It is the bowel that must be cared for first before any effective healing can take place.”

Proper bowel function entails having two to three good bowel movements per day. Most people are not aware of this and go through their daily lives eliminating once a day, once every other day or less and oftentimes the movements are small, dry, thin and less than complete. I ask my patients this question on a daily basis “If we eat three full meals a day and only eliminate once a day, once every other day or twice a week, what happens to all the un-eliminated waste matter? Where are all the other meals hiding?” I always find humor in their stunned reactions. I often validate the importance of eliminating two to three times per day by using an infant as an example. Ask any new mother for further proof - a baby will eat and immediately eliminate. Their fresh, new digestive systems have not had time to develop mal-absorption problems caused by improper diet, environmental toxins, stress and pollutants in our water and food. Faulty digestion and elimination develop in our bodies over time, through years of improper lifestyle and dietary habits, along with negative environmental factors, which we’ll talk about in a minute.

Unexpelled waste spells trouble

When we are not eliminating properly, wastes may not be expelled for days, weeks, months or years. According to the AMA (American Medical Association) the average adult in America has between five to 22 pounds of undigested waste or “fecal matter” lodged in their colon. When we don’t eliminate our waste, toxins back up in the colon, which can cause auto-intoxication or self-poisoning. This occurs when the actual bowel walls become impacted with un-eliminated fecal matter, hampering the absorption of vital nutrients and providing a breeding ground for unhealthy bacteria organisms and even parasites. Blood capillaries lining the bowel wall which normally extract good nutrients from our digested food and distribute them throughout the body, begin instead, to absorb these toxins into the bloodstream, consequently polluting all of our organs and cells. These poisons rob our body of good health and energy, making us feel old, tired and sick. The true fact is that age has nothing to do with this depletion of energy and life-force. Ninety percent of the time, these complaints can be alleviated or greatly reduced through internal cleansing techniques.

How do I know if I need to cleanse?

My answer is quite simple. After consulting with over 20,000 patients and accumulating over 40,000 clinical hours, I can honestly state that I have never worked with an individual that did not directly benefit from detoxifying his or her body. In this day and age, we all need to cleanse! In a world where dietary choices are poor, environmental pollution is heavy, stress levels are high and exercise is often a last priority, internal cleansing is more important than ever for optimum health. Like a river, if it is not flowing and moving, it is not cleaning. We must learn to get our rivers (seven channels of elimination) flowing.

Dr. Lindsey Duncan, ND, CN is recognized as one of the true leaders and pioneers in the field of Internal Cleansing, Detoxification and Intestinal Health. You can reach him at (888) 3BE-WELL, email Lindsey@askdrlindsey.com or visit www.askdrlindsey.com.