Download Class Notes - Spirit of Health

Vaughn Lawrence
Naturopath & Herbalist
Partnering with God in Health and Wellness Series
Class Five
God’s Design – The Colon and Digestion
I.
THE COLON – FUNCTION AND PURPOSE
A. The intestinal tract is formed early in a growing embryo. All glands and organs bud off the intestinal tract.
The intestinal tract is also called the “second brain.” It has over one hundred million neurotransmitters,
potentially as many as the brain.
B. Here is an outline of the basic plumbing. The alimentary canal (intestinal tract) starts at the mouth and ends
at the large intestine. It is one continuous tube extending anywhere from 21 to 30 feet depending on the
person.
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Mouth
Throat
Esophagus
Stomach
Small intestine
Large intestine
C. The journey begins in the mouth. Chewing releases enzymes, pre-digesting your food before it even makes it
down into the stomach. Digestive juices in the stomach work on the food for a while until it moves into the
small intestines. Here is where absorption of nutrients takes place. Once all nutrients are absorbed, the unused
leftovers are passed into the large intestine or colon, ready for removal.
D. Colon health is maintained by regular intake of water, fiber and by eating primarily high enzyme containing,
raw, living, whole plant based foods.
II. COLON DYSFUNTION
A. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is usually high in animal proteins like meat and dairy (no life, no water, no
fiber), high in processed foods (no life, no water, no fiber), high in rancid fats and high in acid forming foods.
This is the equation for a poor functioning colon. Here are the three primary reasons of a dysfunctional colon:
1. Lack of living, friendly bacteria also known as probiotics. The colon should be buzzing with the
activity of trillions of living bacteria. These living bacteria weigh 3-5 pounds and are known to consist of over
400 strains. They function by removing waste, eliminating unhealthy bacteria and other organisms, and
disposing of dead, decaying and diseased cells.
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Unhealthy organisms such as E. Coli, staph, and strep are a part of our environment. Whether or not these
organisms make us sick or not is dependent upon the health of friendly bacteria. Only a weakened immune
state will result in sickness taking hold in our body (see land and seed theory from class two).
What destroys living, healthy bacteria?
- Antibiotics we take. Antibiotics in animal meat and dairy products that we eat. Antacids like Zantec and
Prilosec. NSAIDS like aspirin, advil, Excedrin and motrin. Prescription drugs and over the counter medications.
White sugar. Carbonated drinks. Anthistamines. Coffee. Fluoride and Chlorine in water.
2. An acidic body. Most foods in the Standard American Diet (SAD), such as burgers, fries, bread, coke,
milk, cheese, pizza, ice cream, donuts, etc. are all acid forming.
A 16 ounce bottle of Coke has a Ph of about 2.0. Our blood MUST maintain a Ph of about 7.3. How does this
work? It would take 10 gallons of water to dilute that one Coke. Nobody can drink 10 gallons of water in a day.
* The body will first sweep extra acid into the muscles and tissues (or aspartame into the nerves as with diet
soda). This creates lactic acid buildup.
* The body will then pull alkalizing minerals from the body to balance the Ph of the bloodstream. The most
alkalizing mineral in the body is calcium and it is most abundant and available in the bones. (Hence, bone
weakness is from an acidic body, and not from calcium deficiency).
* Finally the body will form the acids into crystals and stones. This is how we get gallstones, kidney stones,
plaque and uric acid crystals. This is another design by God as a self-preservation mechanism. If the body didn’t
perform these functions, we would be dead from acidosis.
How does this affect the colon? The consumption of acid forming foods blocks the ability of the stomach and
small intestine to breakdown and process foods normally. This means food passes undigested into the colon,
where it begins to rot.
The acid also blocks mineral absorption and causes dehydration. The colon cannot function without water and
minerals. Water and mineral distribution is a critical function of the colon. Dark colored urine is a sign of
dehydration. The colon is also a storage tank for water and minerals. If there is not adequate fresh water to be
pulled from the colon for regular body functions, the body starts to recycle contaminated water. When
dehydrated, the colon will restrict the loss of water from the bowels, making the stools hard and dry. The
additional contaminants now being recycled through the bloodstream put extra stress on the kidneys and liver.
3. The formation of mucoid plaque on the colon walls. The body forms mucous for protection. We
produce mucous when we are sick for example to expel a bacteria, virus or an allergen such as pollen or dog
hair. When our colon is constantly irritated by undigested food, it starts to build a wall of mucous.
- A normal, healthy functioning colon should store three meals. In other words, dinner tonight should come out
around dinner tomorrow night. Many people are storing 9,12, or 15 meals in the colon before they eliminate,
often covering 4-5 days or more.
- Note: just because you are “regular” and go daily does not mean you do not have a build-up of mucoid
plaque! If you are eating fried foods, processed foods, lots of meat and dairy, etc. you will get buildup over
time. The more this layer builds up, the less nutrients we absorb and the more mineral deficient we become.
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- Pathogenic organisms like fungus, yeast and parasites thrive in an environment with mucoid plaque.
- Mucoid plaque is a natural response by the body to shield itself from poisons. Mucoid plaque keeps the toxins
from the rest of the body trapped in the body, and keeps the good nutrients out! The cells in the colon try to
survive in a waste-filled environment, month after month, year after year, but eventually begin to lose the
battle. This is why many natural health practitioners proclaim that “disease starts in the colon.” This is a fair
statement.
B. Auto-intoxication is the result of a sick colon. When you have a long-term buildup of waste in the colon, the
next progression is leaky gut syndrome. The inner membranes of the colon develop leaks from being sick for
such a prolonged period of time. The leaks can come from degenerative breakdown over time, or pathogens
boring holes through the intestines. Some of the debris gets into the bloodstream and this is disaster.
Remember, the intestinal tract is supposed to be a closed loop. But now, foreign contaminants can take up
residence in any tissue, gland or organ, resulting in illness. This means the aspartame, artificial flavors, food
dyes, herbicides, pesticides and so on are now getting into the bloodstream. This may lead to problems such as
arthritis, psoriasis, kidney problems, liver problems, fibromyalgia, acne, chronic allergies, eczema and many
others.
Other foreign proteins such as gluten, lectins, casein and other anti-nutrients may start to cause molecular
mimicry in the body resulting in auto-immune conditions such as Hashimoto’s, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis,
Celiac and Type I Diabetes to name a few. This is where an immune response is initiated from a foreign material
in the bloodstream, creates antibodies against it, and attacks. Unfortunately, these foreign contaminants often
have a similar structure to our own healthy cells and tissues, confusing the immune system.
* A progressively more and more sick colon looks like this.
1. Gas, Indigestion, Diarrhea, Constipation
2. Hemorrhoids
3. Inflamed or Irritable Bowel Syndrome
4. Colitis
5. Diverticulitis
6. Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease
7. Colon Cancer
C. The colon can expand up to FIVE times its normal size. Surgeons have reported colons with a 12” diameter,
but barely a central opening the size of a pencil! If God did not a design a colon that could expand, it would be
completely blocked and you would not live very long.
D. Acid Reflux and heartburn. This is a result of eating too much of the wrong foods. Over-eating is a major
contributor, as well as poor food combining. When you cannot properly digest and process the food you are
eating, the result is backup (heartburn and acid reflux).
The medical community often mistakes acid reflux as excessive acid, but usually it is the opposite. Because of
the large influx of indigestible foods, the body does not have enough enzymes and/or stomach acid to handle
the food properly. So we take Prilosec or some other HCL (Hydrochloric acid) blocker. This stops the pain, and
stops digestion at the same time. Now nothing gets broken down and the food rots in the gut.
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E. Allergies and sinuses. Allergies are a result of a blockage in the system. The body is designed to deal with
foreign contaminants and remove them without incident. When the body is backed up (colon, liver, lungs, etc.)
the body can no longer expel the irritant. This causes a reaction as the body attempts to find a way to eliminate
the foreign contaminant.
F. A blocked colon also results in symptoms such as headaches, migraines, fatigue, lethargy, depression and
weight problems. Often a simple colon cleanse will help a host of symptoms miraculously clear up.
G. Gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn’s, Colitis, IBS (irritable bowel), and Diverticulitis are all a direct result
of the foods we are eating. 1 in 3 Americans suffer from digestive disorders making it the #1 reason people go
to the hospital every single year. Watching TV for a couple of hours will have you convinced that suffering from
digestive problems is an inevitable part of life, yet easily fixed with a pill. Who is addressing our food crisis?
H. If you do not have a healthy colon, the internal glands and organs begin to suffocate. When your colon is
blocked, your entire body becomes oxygen and nutrient deprived. Dr. Alex Carrel won the Nobel Prize in the
1920’s for showing that healthy cells could be kept alive for years if given the right environment. After 28 years,
his original chicken liver cells were still alive because of proper nutrition, adequate oxygen and no toxic waste.
In addition, Dr. Warburg won the Nobel Prize in 1931 by showing that cancer cells could not survive in an oxygen
rich environment.
III. SOLUTIONS TO CLEANSE THE COLON AND THEREFORE PREVENT DISEASES
A. Change in diet must be a permanent lifestyle change. It is a false assumption that you can do a single
colonic/ enema or take some colon cleansing pills and solve your problems. Many people maintain their poor
lifestyle choices, yet rely on these methods for temporary relief. This is like a band-aid, and the “natural form”
of disease maintenance.
B. You must eat a whole foods, primarily plant based diet. The key to colon health is water, fiber and nutrition.
This comes from whole plant foods, created by God and eaten in their original, unaltered form.
C. This means we must avoid foods that block the colon and cause illness. The worst offenders are cheese and
white flours (these are like glue to the intestines). All processed foods, high amounts of meat and dairy, acidic
beverages like soda, alcohol, milk and coffee, and processed sugars are going to catch up to us at some point.
Unfortunately, we see it happening more and more in younger generations than ever before.
D. It is critical to heal the colon as the first step towards boosting the overall health of the entire body. The
colon is your #1 elimination pathway of the entire body.
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E. Colonics and enemas. The history of colon cleansing is quite amazing.
* The first recorded description of colon cleansing was dated 1500BC in ancient Egypt
* The Babylonians, Assyrians, Greeks and Romans all wrote about colon cleansing
* Hippocrates stated “For all medical complaints, look to the spine and to the bowels.”
* Louis XI was healed from utilizing enemas. Louis XIV was said to have had over 2,000 enemas in his lifetime
and was healthy up until death.
* Dr. Harvey Kellogg stated: "Of the 22,000 operations that I have personally performed, I have never found a
single normal colon. Of the 100,000 that were performed under my jurisdiction, not over 6% were normal." Dr.
Kellogg estimated that over 90% of the "diseases of civilization" were due to a blocked and non-functioning
colon. He claimed to have found only about 6 patients, out of 40,000, that he was not able to heal from
intestinal disorders using enemas and a change in diet. – cited in Iridology: the Science and Practice p 408
* In the early 1900's, during the worst pneumonia epidemic America had ever seen, which was at that time the
number one killer, Dr. John H. Tilden of Denver, Colorado had the highest success in healing pneumonia of any
other medical doctor. During that epidemic most doctors lost hundreds of patients to that deadly plague. Dr.
Tilden, however, even though he had more pneumonia cases than any other doctor in the country, never lost a
patient. What made him different? He used no drugs and he cleansed the colon of each patient, used water
therapy, and administered natural live foods. His success was considered miraculous because other doctors,
who were relying on drugs, continually met with failure.
* In the 1950’s, Beverly Blvd in California was known as “Colonic Row.”
* Colonics were standard medical procedure up until the mid 1970’s when drugs started to become the
preference over cleansing because they were easier, less time consuming and more profitable.
* Today unfortunately, doctors are uneducated about the benefits of colon cleansing, and even worse, they
claim the procedure to be dangerous and unnecessary. This is where education is critical, and understanding
that prevention is the key to good health. Prevention means actively doing something to benefit your long-term
health. Prevention is partnering with God to steward your body well.
F. You want to have a colonic performed by a certified professional. There are two different types of systems,
the open and closed system. The procedure is simple, painless and often brings dramatic results of increased
energy and improved overall well-being. You can use a variety of herbs, minerals, lemon, coffee, vitamin C and
other products to dramatically improve your cleansing efforts.
G. Before you get turned off about cleaning out your colon, get an idea of what problems might disappear from
doing a few sessions; Constipation, Candida Yeast Infections, Backache, Fatigue, Bloating, Indigestion, Weight
Issues, Skin Conditions, Headaches, Hemorrhoids, Sinus Congestion, Flatulence, Loss of Concentration,
Unpleasant Breath
H. Proper hydration is critical. The colon cannot be healthy without adequate water. Water in the colon is used
as a storage tank to supply water to the entire body. If you are dehydrated, the colon gets hard and dried out.
The #1 cause of constipation in America is from dehydration. Combine the Standard American Diet (SAD) with
the consumption of dehydrating liquids such as soda, coffee and alcohol and we have chronic constipation.
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I. Exercise. Walking is a wonderful form of exercise. it does not need to be complicated or expensive. Moving
the body promotes peristalsis of the colon. Rebounding is a great exercise to stimulate and strengthen the
entire body.
J. Detailed order of steps to a healthy colon (fixes hemorrhoids, constipation, gas, bloating, reflux, etc. and even
more serious concerns)
1. Clean out using enemas and/or colonics. Even if you are having bowel movements on a regular basis, this is
still critical and beneficial if you have ever in your life eaten the Standard American Diet (SAD). It is wise to seek
a health professional to give you ideas or a program to follow in this area. However, a good general cleansing
program is to do one every other day for 2 weeks while juice fasting, Daniel’s Fasting, or just eating a really
good, clean diet.
2. Water, vegetable juices and blended drinks. This is an amazing way to get a jumpstart in cleansing your
colon, while taking the burden off your digestion. If you do colonics/enemas while fasting, you will get
maximum effect. Make green blended drinks every single day, as much as you like! Make them at least 2/3
green leafy vegetables with minimal fruit and NO added sugar. Focus on carrots, celery, chard, dandelion,
spinach, cucumber, parsley, apples and beets.
3. Make a fiber drink daily. One glass of water with one tablespoon of aloe vera juice, one tablespoon of liquid
Bentonite clay, one tablespoon of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar, juice of ½ lemon and one tablespoon of fiber
powder 2-3 times daily will cleanse out the small intestine as well. We cannot neglect the small intestine!
4. Exercise every single day. Walking is just fine. Rebounding, swimming, yoga, anything!
5. Do magnesium oil every single day. You can take baths with magnesium bath salts, use oil on bottom of feet
and also rub directly into the area of the colon/small intestines. Make sure your magnesium oil is magnesium
chloride and the bath salts are magnesium chloride hexahydrate (not Epsom salts). Magnesium wil improve
regularity, open up all your detoxification pathways, calm and relax the entire body, help you sleep better and
relieve pain or cramps in the muscles.
6. Probiotics and/or fermented foods daily. Kefir is the answer to constipation for many of even the most
difficult cases. You can make your own fermented foods or eat sauerkraut and raw apple cider vinegar.
7. Digestive Bitters. These stimulate the digestive process, tone the muscles, improve nutrient absorption and
help eliminate waste. Bitters include aloe vera, dandelion, gentian root, goldenseal, senna and oregon grape.
8. Focus on eating a whole, foods plant based diet, high in water, fiber and dense nutrition FOR LIFE
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