If you want to keep your colon clean, you need to follow a healthy and well-balanced diet. Foods high in fiber can help you produce more bowel movements for regularity. Regular bowel movements have several health benefits, including decreased risk of hemorrhoids and diseases of the colon. Speak to your doctor before you follow a diet for colon health.
Features
When you eat fiber rich foods, the fiber is not digested. Instead, it softens and increases the volume of the stool. If you have a tendency to suffer from irregular bowel movements or constipation, high-fiber foods can help treat the condition. The colon is cleaned out naturally without the requirement for laxatives, like sodium phosphate.
Identification
Check food labels to find out how much fiber is found in your meals. Examples of high fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, beans, lentils, peas and whole grain cereal. If you don't get enough fiber from food sources, over-the-counter fiber supplements are available.
Considerations
If you seek to follow a diet to reduce your risk of colon cancer, choose plenty of brightly covered fruits and vegetables as part of your meals. Apples, peppers, carrots, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach are examples of fruits and vegetables that contain both fiber and cancer fighting nutrients and antioxidants.
Size
Maintain colon health by limiting your fat intake. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, only 30 percent of your daily calories should come from fat. To keep fat intake low, limit the consumption of red meat. The fat you do eat should come from healthy sources, such as fish, seeds and nuts.
Warning
Colon cleansing diets that require the use of laxatives have not been proven to improve your health. The theory behind these diets are that toxins build up in the colon and cause a slew of medical problems, such as asthma, arthritis and gastrointestinal distress. According to the Mayo Clinic, the digestive system naturally removes bacteria and toxins without the need for enemas or supplements.
