According to Dr. Isabelle Moser in the book, "How and When to Be Your Own Doctor," accumulations of unhealthy bacteria in the lining of the colon and the colon itself can cause autointoxication, or self-poisoning. As the body takes on toxins from everyday activities, it is important to remove excess waste in a healthy and safe manner. A fruit and vegetable diet helps to regulate the digestive tract while effectively flushing away toxins that amass in the colon.
Step 1
Eat a variety of dark green leafy vegetables. The Center for Young Women's Health attests to the vitamin- and mineral-rich nutrition dark-green leafy vegetables provide. Make a salad using 1 cup of arugula, 1 cup of dandelion greens and 1 cup of baby spinach. Since many of the vitamins require dietary fat for proper absorption, drizzling with a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar provides additional nutritional value. Eat only dark-green leafy vegetables and fruit 4 days out of the week.
Step 2
Consume a variety of flush-conducive fruits. The Colon Cancer Resource Center states that soluble fiber significantly reduces bowel and colon disorders. Apples contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which is effective in quickly moving out from the colon. Eat fruits such as watermelon, oranges and berries with the dark-green leafy vegetables 4 days out the week. An effective cleanse can take up to 3 or 4 weeks, according to Dr. Isabelle Moser. The Life Clinic recommends eating at least 2 to 4 servings of fruit a day. For the fruit and vegetable cleanse, eat no more than 5 servings.
Step 3
Supplement your diet with moderate exercise and plenty of water. According to MayoClinic.com, drinking at least 8-oz. of water is conducive in flushing toxins from the body both through the colon and through the skin.
Step 4
Eat lean meats and complex carbohydrates with dark-green leafy vegetables and fruit as snacks for the remaining 3 days of the week. The most inhibiting factor in a poor digestive tract is unbalanced nutrition. Although eating a diet high in fiber and substantive vitamins and minerals is healthy, it also requires a balanced of lean proteins and complex carbohydrates such as multigrain and wheat bread or pasta, or brown rice for energy, according to Dr. Moser. The Life Clinic recommends eating 6 to 11 servings of whole-grains and 2 to 3 servings of protein per day.
Step 5
Perform the fruit and vegetable cleanse once every 3 months to keep the colon free of toxin build-up, suggests Dr. Moser.
Things You'll Need
- Arugula
- Baby spinach
- Dandelion greens
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Lean meat
- Multigrain bread, pasta or brown rice
References
- "How and When to Be Your Own Doctor"; Isabelle Moser, M.D.; 1997
- Center for Young Women's Health: Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
- Colon Cancer Resource Center: Treatments for Colon Cancer - Diets
- Mayo Clinic: Water
- Life Clinic: Food Pyramid
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