DIY Health
Part prevention, part holistic, and part common sense
© Cheryl Salerno 2008

[Due to a previous editing error, some of this column was published last month; we repeat it here to restore the author’s intended presentation. – D.Y.]

WEIGHT LOSS

In my last column I mentioned three big contributors to being overweight: water, undigested food and emotional weight. We looked at the water side last time, now comes the others.

Undigested food

This has got to be the yuckiest category of body weight. It has been estimated that, by our mid-30s, most people are carrying at least 5 - 10 pounds of undigested food, caked in the small and large intestines. On autopsy, the large intestine of John Wayne was over 40 lbs. and Elvis’ colon weighed in at over 60 lbs. Not healthy.

This weight shows as a bulging gut. It’s not beer. It’s old food, fecal material and the water that tries to insulate the rest of the body from the bacterial pockets festering inside us. The saying, "Death begins in the colon" reflects how serious it can be for a body to carry this kind of weight over the years.

A great fallacy in our thinking is that intestinal detoxification can be done effectively in a short period of time. Not true. It’s wise -- in fact, necessary -- to embark on a lifestyle overhaul of what we eat and include periodic colon cleansing, done gradually and safely over time.

Innumerable health complaints seem to lessen or disappear with cleansing and detoxification. Weight loss is one benefit, but a lighter toxic burden in the system is accompanied by fewer and fewer symptoms from such ailments as arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches, allergies, low back pain and a host of other complaints.

I use Oxy-Powder, available from www.oxypowder.com, which liquefies fecal matter impacted in the colon lining and flushes out pockets of gas and mucus that contribute to bloating and bacterial growth. Because oxygen is the main active ingredient, the entire system is made healthier. Do a few ten-day sessions of this supplement every year for a few years for thorough intestinal cleansing.

Mental and Emotional Weight

Weight gain can happen because of hormonal changes (such as, pregnancy/child birth, or the slowing down of thyroid function over time), stress, illness, depression, poor food choices and inactivity, to name the most common. Weight gain persists for quite different reasons. While apathy or depression or stress may be operative, other powerful subconscious influences may also be at work:

• Fat as an insulator to protect self from others
• Fat as a reflection of a personality that is "too heavy" and needs to lighten up
• Fat as a projection of authority issues, as in "throwing your weight around"
• Fat as proof of unworthiness, low self-esteem
• Fat as a cry for help, to be noticed, to be a "big person"
• Fat as a punishment or rebellion against another

These are the most common subconscious factors. When such motivators can be honestly confronted, we have a better chance -- perhaps the only real chance -- of losing the excess weight that threatens our health physically, mentally and emotionally.

* * * * * * * * *

A recent letter to the editor ["Mirror feature dubious at best," May 16] outlines some of the many ways that the holistic view of the body and its functions diverges from the standard medical view. Let me add to that list the difference in advice given to arthritis sufferers: the AMA says take less calcium; holistic says the body hoards what it does not have enough of, so take more. The list goes on and on.

As for microwaving and colon cleansing, that depends on what research you read. I am reminded of a study (funded by Phillip-Morris) "proving" cigarette smoking is not a danger to your health. It's the readers' choice what advice to follow, and DIY Health (Do It Yourself) contributes an alternative voice to broaden the range of those choices.

* * * * * * * * *

Cheryl Salerno, CQTP, has studied holistic healing for thirty years. Her office, Main Pain Center in Highland Park, offers assessments, acupuncture, and energy therapies. Call them for an appointment at 1-800.760-0675 or 732.246-1306.

Please consult your doctor on any health matter.