The two week challenge: Supporting those bowels

Written on the 12 February 2013 by Brad Fennell

Ok, so this one won't make the list of top ten dinner conversations, though it did come up at our last picnic, (probably not the norm) but it probably could be a little more talked about because it's one of those talks that we have to have, because it's common and it can change everything.

So here it is, bowel motions! How are they? Are they well-formed, regular, not regular, explosive, loose, hard, urgent, urgent first thing in the morning, all too frequent or do you just experience a bloating sensation after most meals. I think you get the point.

Now constipation gets most of the press and so it rightly should, as it is an important topic. But it's the other one that isn't getting so much airplay at the opposite end of the spectrum, the "loose bowel motion". And while I'm going to focus on loose bowels, I want to make mention that constipation will also benefit from the prescribed diet that follows.

Ok, so if you want to ensure a long and healthy life then a good digestive track is the first port of call. If you want to maximise your energy then a digestive system that absorbs all the good stuff that you put into it is essential. If you're not absorbing then unfortunately you're running on empty and at some point the fuel is going to run out and your energy reserves will fade.

An analogy that we like to use is that the digestive tract is a burner. If the fire goes out then the fire of your life will falter and rather than the food being transformed into all things good it will pass through unprocessed and under absorbed.

There are lots of dietary changes that can be made but I want to keep this process simple and give you only five things to eliminate for two to four weeks. That's it. Only five, two to four weeks and then notice the difference.

Simple!

So here they are, those five simple things you are going to give up for two to four weeks:

-  Wheat

-  Sugar

-  Coffee

-  Alcohol

-  Dairy

That's it! Everything else you can have.

Small note: If you feel the cold and tend to like warming foods I'd like you to focus on warmer, cooked food, but at this point that's a general rule. Right now all you need focus on is eliminating the five. By removing them you're going to give yourself the best possible chance of maximising your long term health. But it's not up to me to decide how you feel, that's up to you and that's why I want you to notice all the changes that occur.

Small warning: You may not feel the embodiment of health for the first three to five days; in fact you may feel lousy. Drink plenty of water and hang in there. It's normal. Your body has been so conditioned to enjoying these goodies for so long it's unfair to expect it to not scream out a little when they're taken away. Good news is it will pass.

And one other thing, watch out for the cravings, I'm just saying that they may happen so be ready with a strong mind. Fruit is a good substitute for the sugar addiction and green tea can help when the coffee withdrawal headache kicks in.

So within the two to four weeks you should notice a real difference, initially feeling lighter, less bloated and for most of you you'll lose a few unwanted kilos. Finally those bowels should begin to settle and become well-formed and occur more regularly, once to twice a day.

At the end of the two to four week period you can then re-enter some of the five back into your diet, if you choose. The best way to do it is one at a time, that way you'll be able to pin point which ones are particularly aggravating for you and you can choose to avoid them all together. Be warned, all five could be the culprits.

Good luck, I hope this has kept it simple. I know that avoiding things like wheat in our modern culture can be difficult but there are fantastic alternatives, for me rice is a life saver, a tasty one at that, and the pros of eliminating definitely outweigh the cons of going without when it makes such a difference to your bowel, your energy and your lifetime health.

Oh, and you don't have to have any digestive issues to give it a go, you too can receive all the benefits of abundant health by avoiding the five.

Enjoy and feel free to let me know how it all goes for you.