A Program for the Repair and Regeneration of the Intestinal Tract, after the Ravages of Gluten Intolerance
Intestinal healing is particularly recommended for those whose intestines have been ravaged by gluten intolerance, as described in What’s Wrong with Wheat? But it can also be of benefit to anyone who wants robust health, by making the major organs of assimilation and elimination as efficient as possible.
Originally published 2011
Contents
Overview
An exact program still needs to be worked out. But the ingredients are well known:
- Liquid Diet — Provide your body with everything it needs to sustain itself, stay energized, and heal, while minimizing strain on the intestinal tract, so it can heal.
- Intestinal Cleansing — Clean out old waste and promote healing.
The practice can be done for a day or two at a time, at first. Then for a few days. Eventually, it can be done for a week or two. (I’ve gone two weeks without any food at all. See Magical Moments. So two weeks with all the nutrition the body needs is basically a walk in the park.)
Liquid Diet
Sometimes called a “Juice Fast”, or “Juice and Tea Fast”, it’s like fasting, but the goal is to make sure the body has everything it needs to be running in top form, both physically and mentally. That way, it has the energy and raw materials it needs to heal the digestive tract. (The fasting part, meanwhile, means there is no solid matter for the intestines to handle. It’s like a traffic-control crew that keeps traffic at a bay, allowing the construction crew to get out into the road to make repairs.)
Note:
Fasting is also a powerful modality in its own right. Fasting on water alone, in particular, gives the body a chance to do a lot of internal housecleaning. (For more, see the bible on the subject, written by Dr. Joel Fuhrman: Fasting and Eating for Health.)
- BCAAs + Glutamine
This is a powerful combination for energizing and healing.
It should be taken first thing in the morning, after cleansing practices.
It’s probably wise to take it two or three times a day.- Branched Chain Amino Acids give your body protein it can readily use for building, repair.
They are also used for energy, and circulating BCAAs in the bloodstream tell your body,
“Hey, muscle is breaking down. Release the enzymes that burn fat, so we can preserve as
much muscle as possible”. - Glutamine is an amino acid that improves mental clarity. It also said to promote intestinal healing — most likely because it is an energy source for intestinal cells, in the same way that it is an energy source for brain cells.
- Branched Chain Amino Acids give your body protein it can readily use for building, repair.
- Protein Powder and Honey
A balanced protein, to make sure the body has everything it needs. Honey sweetens the taste and provides natural sugars, for energy. (Rice powder protein is my favorite for taste. Egg protein is also recommended. Whey protein is highly regarded by many, as well.)- Banana?— Mixing in a banana makes a nice smoothy. The banana provides both sugar and fat for fuel. There is a small amount of fiber, but not very much. So banana is probably a fine addition. But it’s a bit of an experiment.
- Berries? — Berries add antioxidants and more fruit sugar. They also add insoluble fiber, which goes through the intestinal tract. So there is a decision to be made here, weighing the advantages of taste and healthy ingredients against the additional “traffic” in the intestinal tract. (Traffic that is harder to pass, rather than easier, because the volume is so small.) So on balance, I’m inclined against it. But, as with bananas, the jury is still out.
- Warm Tea
Use warm-to-hot water, not boiling or very-hot water. The idea is to preserve the enzymes and nutrients, not cook things:- Garlic Juice — Kills bugs, cleans house.
- Apple Cider Vinegar — Cleansing and nourishing. It doesn’t take much to get the job done. That’s why it works best when diluted, as in a tea. Otherwise, it’s acidic enough to be hard on the digestive tract. (Painful, in fact.) So 1/2 tsp is plenty in a cup of tea.
- Honey — Natural sugar for energy. Melts in warm to hot water.
- Cinnamon — An energizing and warming spice.
- Cardomom — The main spice in Chia. Also energizing.
- Juice
All juices should be fresh, organic and unpasteurized, to preserve their enzymes and healthy ingredients.
They can be overly strong when taken by themselves, due to their acidity.
Diluting with water works well. I especially like mineral water, for a bubbly natural “soda”.- Cherry / Black Cherry / Blueberry Juice — Rich in antioxidants that promote health and healing
- Grape Juice — Sugar for energy, plus antioxidants
- Apple? — Acidic and cleansing. As with Apple Cider Vinegar, it’s probably best diluted.
- Hot Tea:
Tea provides caffeine that stimulates the body, raising energy levels and promoting healing. It also stimulates the thyroid to produce adrenaline, but at the same time it includes relaxants that minimize the damage (unlike coffee). Green tea is well known for the theanine it contains. But even black tea contains relaxants.- Green Tea — Just barely toasted. Largest amount of theanine, minimum amount of caffeine.
- Green Oolong — Lightly toasted, but not smoked, like Oolong. A nice balance between green and oolong.
- Oolong — Lightly toasted and smoked. Less theanine, more caffeine. Some of the beneficial ingredients of black tea.
- Black Tea — No theanine, but two other relaxing ingredients form as the tea is blackened, plus other beneficial ingredients. The most caffeine, among the teas.
- Herbal Teas
Licorice tea is naturally sweet, with no sugar. I love it, although many don’t. (It reminds me of root beer.)
Any herbal tea you like will be of benefit, so go crazy. - Yerba Mate
Highly regarded in South America for its energizing and healing properties. Gaining favor here. - Water — Always a good choice when fasting. Keeps you hydrated (necessary for energy, because water is needed to burn fat, along with oxygen).
Intestinal Cleansing
Enemas clean the lower tract. They’re especially useful in the early stages, to get rid of accumulated fecal matter. (With the lower tract cleaned out, it’s easier to clean the upper tract. Eliminating blockages reduces the tendency for things to “back up” and cause bloating.
Enemas
- Urine Enema — Cleansing, healing. (See Skin Healing)
- Coffee/Tea Enema — Energizing and cleansing.
Full-Tract Cleaning & Healing
- Warm salt-water — If you get the amount of salt right, the salty water goes into the intestines, where it kills bacteria and cleans the intestinal tract from top to bottom.
- Urine — The practice takes some getting used to, but it eliminates the guesswork. The amount of salt is just right. In addition, it contains diluted ammonia for extra cleaning power, and glutamine — the amino acid that promotes healing. (See Skin Healing)
Notes on Urine Therapy
- When using the urine for healing, throw away the first bit (cleans the pipes) and the last bit (said to contain sediment). Use everything in between.
- Early morning urine is said to be the best. It contains relaxation hormones released during sleep, and it comes after the longest fast of the day.
- The longer you fast, the better the quality of the urine.
- The timing of Urine Therapy depends on the availability of Urine, making it difficult to set up an exact timetable. I’m guessing that the general rule should be to allow at least 10 minutes after drinking, so it’s well on its way before you take anything else that would mix with it or dilute it. (20 or 30 minutes is probably better).
- Internal cleansing tends to be incredibly energizing, due to the high levels of glutamine in the urine. Do it late at night, and you can kiss sleep goodbye. (However, you may find yourself engaging a burst of creative output — as for instance this entire article, which took 3-1/2 hours I might otherwise have spent in sleep!)
Resources
Articles:
- What’s Wrong with Wheat?
What you don’t know about gluten could be killing you. (At the very least, it’s making you fat. - Magical Moments
A collection of interesting and inspiring moments, gleaned from a lifetime’s experience. - Skin Healing
Books:
- Fasting and Eating for Health, by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
The bible on Fasting.
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