Health Notes, Feb 17th 2008, by Sarah Stacey

Brighten up with colonic irrigation

Around now, many of us are looking and feeling a bit dull. So when I met a friend (lets call her Mary) and was nearly blinded by the brightness of her complexion and sparkling – unpuffy - eyes, I asked what she’d been up to. Her secret was a session of colonic hydrotherapy  with Christina Lamont at the Integrated Medical Centre (IMC) in London.

This treatment flushes out the colon with warm purified water to stimulate the natural movement of the bowel, known as peristalsis. Too much food and drink can overwhelm our digestive system, and huddling up in centrally-heated rooms means it often lacks the hydration necessary to keep things flowing properly. The result is a sluggish system, with toxins left in the body.  

Mary often suffers from migraine-type headaches but says she’s less likely to develop a sore head and feels all-round better if she can go to the loo first thing.  According to naturopath Imran Ali, also of the IMC,  ‘if your digestive system is congested because you don't go to the loo daily, it can disrupt all your body systems, causing problems from headaches and abdominal bloating to low energy, fuzzy head and acne - even depression.’

Drinking lots of water promotes efficient elimination but as Imran Ali says ‘people are less inclined to drink water in the winter months’. He often recommends a colonic: ‘patients say they feel lighter after, and it can also help promote regular bowel movements long-term.’ Regular sessions can help train a 'lazy bowel' to work more efficiently, and may cure chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. One session helps kickstart a general detox programme.

Mary admitted she found the idea  ‘totally cringe-making’ but Christina put her at her ease.   ‘It was surprisingly unembarrassing’ says Mary.  ‘When your colon is full of water, you just feel like you want to go to the loo.  The therapist allows the water and any waste matter (which can collect for months or even years in the coils of the colon) to flow out. Christina repeated the process a few times, and also gently massaged my tummy in a clockwise motion, following the direction of the bowel's natural movement, to help the elimination process. Although most of the water is expelled, the body  takes on any water it needs during the treatment via the permeable walls of the colon, so it's a great antidote to dehydration too – and good for hangovers apparently.’

Afterwards, Mary felt ‘very tired, but in a nice way, and I had a really good night's sleep.’ (Try to book a session at the end of the day, so you can go straight home and relax afterwards.) On the day following her treatment, she felt ‘super-energetic and alert’.  The session also made her realise how important it is to go to the lavatory regularly - and the need to prioritise it no matter how busy you are.

According to Christina Lamont,  it's simple to encourage more regular habits. "It's a matter of routine - no matter how rushed you feel, you should make a point of sitting on the lavatory at the same time each morning, and focus on moving your bowel, without straining," she says. Putting your arms in the air and moving them about helps the process, she adds (‘I don't know why this helps but it does!’) and also putting your feet on a couple of big books in front of the loo. (You could leave a pile of glossy magazines to catch up on too…)

Imran Ali and Christina Lamont, Integrated Medical Centre, tel: 020 7224 5111.
For local qualified practitioners, www.colonic-association.org

Honey for eczema

A reader with ‘ very bad, stress-related eczema’ on her hands wants to tell everyone about the ‘AMAZING’ effect she has experienced from using Medihoney Moisturising Cream from Australia. ‘My hands were cracked, bleeding and very painful. Steroid cream only has a limited effect. I bought some Medihoney cream at a Lloyds Pharmacy, because it didn’t have any “nasties” in it ; after five days my hands were pain-free and looked virtually normal for the first time in five months.’ (NB it may not work for everyone.) Medihoney Moisturising Cream, suitable for persons prone to eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and dry skin, £4.99 for 50g from Victoria Health and pharmacies nationwide.

A very clever toothbrush

The Oral-B Triumph with SmartGuide rechargeable toothbrush (phew!) was recommended to me by a dentist and also named as the ‘highest performing toothbrush’ by Which? It boasts ‘rotating oscillating patented 3-D technology’, which effectively remove plaque and prevent gingivitis and a dental ‘satnav’ which guides you through a two minute Brushing routine. Costly but your teeth are worth it. £139.99 from Boots nationwide.

Book of the week: Healing Massage by Daphne Roubini (Cico Books)

If you’ve ever wondered how to give your partner, friends, family – and yourself – a blissful massage, get this lovely book.  With clear instructions and good pictures, it includes  acupressure and quick fixes for headaches, stress and other problems.  To order a copy for £9.74 plus p&p from www.amazon.co.uk, just click here