Improper diet, insufficient exercise, stress, overeating and ignoring the call of nature can all lead to bowel problems. Fibre-rich food is not the complete answer. Some people eat lots of bran (usually wheat bran, and 30 per cent of people are wheat intolerant); wheat scours the delicate lining of the bowel, and if the person is constipated it will make the condition worse by achieving nothing other than an irritable bowel and lots of flatulence.
Fibre is the bit that is left behind once the food is digested. It is considered good for us because it helps to provide bulk to otherwise watery wastes in the colon, and absorbs toxicity; but it is no good if the colon is already prone to blockage. Like the rest of the waste, some types of fibre will become stagnant and add to the congestion.
Better alternatives to bran are roughage from other vegetable bases, such as oats and rice. These tend not to be so abrasive and to swell into a mucilaginous gel which acts as a gentle detoxifier.
One common sign of trouble, dense sticky bowel movements, indicates an excess of mucus in the system. This is usually the product of mucus-producing foods such as dairy products, flour and meat. Meat is extremely contaminating to the bowel and prone to putrefaction, and in a short time creates a great strain on the elimination system.
Mucus stools are the most difficult to eliminate. They leave behind the glue-like coating on the wall of the colon which accumulates layer upon layer into a hard rubbery crust. This is carried for the duration of the person’s life as a toxic burden.
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