A “colonic” or “colon therapy” is the gentle infusion of gravity fed, temperature controlled, filtered water into the colon via the rectum. At Pure Health, we use state of the art, medically approved equipment operated by Certified Colon Hydrotherapists. We therefore uphold the safest, most sanitary and comfortable standards in the industry.

The average person can have between 2-5 kilos of undigested food, waste and matter just sitting in and on the walls the colon. A colonic uses water to break down any waste or toxic matter that can be built up within the colon. If this is not removed from the body, the toxins are reabsorbed into the bloodstream, putting major stress on the liver, kidneys, immune system, circulatory and lymphatic system.

Specifically, a colonic is used to accomplish the following:

1. Cleanse the Colon: Toxic material is broken down so it can no longer harm your body or inhibit assimilation and elimination. Even debris built up over a long period is gently, but surely removed in the process of a series of treatments. Once impacted material is removed, your colon can begin again to co-operate as it was intended to. In this very real sense a colonic is a rejuvenation treatment.

2. It Exercises the Colon Muscles: The build up of toxic debris weakens the colon and impairs its functioning. The gentle filling and emptying of the colon improves peristaltic (muscular contraction) activity by which the colon naturally moves material.

3. It Reshapes the Colon: When problem conditions exist in the colon, they tend to alter its shape which in turn causes more problems. The gentle action of the water, coupled with the massage techniques of the colon therapist helps to eliminate bulging pockets of waste and narrowed, spastic constrictions finally enabling the colon to resume its natural state.

4. It Stimulates Reflex Points: Every system and organ of the body is connected to the colon by reflex points colonic stimulates these points, thereby affecting the corresponding body parts in a beneficial way.

No, you will fully maintain your personal dignity at all times. Colonics are carried out in very comfortable private rooms with state of the art FDA certified equipment with no mess and no odour to worry about. You will be fully covered at all times and your therapist will guide you on how to insert the small rectal tube. Upon ensuring your comfort, your therapist will give you the option to be left on your own while undergoing the procedure.

Being essentially a natural process, there is virtually no risk of danger with a colonic. Water is carried into the colon by gentle gravitational force only. Your therapist is highly trained and certified to ensure your safety and comfort. Extra care will be taken for elderly persons who are severely constipated.

Some patients may experience cramping and tension due to gas or obstruction within the colon. These discomforts will ease with every release of this trapped air and fecal material.

The colonic is a tool intended to be used to create a clean and healthy colon. A colon therapist who is dedicated to your health, will encourage you to set a goal of having a well-functioning colon. Our fulfillment comes from assisting you in healing your colon, not in making you dependent upon colonics. Actually, one of its features is that a colonic can be used to tone the colon muscle so that the colon doesn't perform so sluggishly. Many people have sluggish colons. It may take days for bowel movements to return after a good colonic. This is when people think they are becoming "dependent" on colonics.

One good colonic is worth 20 or so regular bowel movements, so it may take some time for fecal material to build up in the colon once again if one has a sluggish colon. When the colon is sluggish and bowel movements do not return for a few days after one colonic, it is an indication that extensive colon work is needed to remove the debris that the bowel has built up over the years. This build up of fecal material has decreased the muscular action in the colon. Once a series of colonics is completed , the colon will begin to function like Mother Nature intended. Colonics give you a feeling of being lighter, cleaner and healthier with a sense of well-being. Cleansing and building programs offer preventative measures so that you can be in control of your own health. Dietary changes may be necessary to ensure long lasting and vital health.

It is fine to have a colonic during your period. In fact some women find it beneficial to have a colonic on the day their period starts to reduce the menstrual discomfort experienced. A tampon is usually worn during the colonic for comfort.

The most frequent post-colonic experience is to have a slight delay in bowel movements and then a resumption of a somewhat larger, easier to move stool. Sometimes if the colon is weak and sluggish, there may be no bowel movement for several days following a colonic. However this is not due to the colonic, but rather to the weakness of the colon, and should be interpreted as an indication that the colon requires strengthening and healing. Very infrequently diarrhea or loose bowels may be experienced. This could be due to the extra water introduced into the colon or to the stirring up of toxic waste. If this should occur, it is usually of very short duration. However, since severe diarrhea dehydrates the body, it must be carefully monitored.

A colonic normally takes approximately 30 minutes to 45 minutes. If could be longer or shorter depending on the judgement of the therapist and based on the feedback from the client. Time will be allocated before and after the session for changing of clothes and to empty remaining water in the colon. Colonics are a cleansing procedure and clients can often go back about their daily activities immediately after a session.

The water used for a colonic session has been purified using a 5 micron carbon filter and passed through a UV filter to eliminate the bacteria and residues in the water. The water used is of a quality that is safe for consumption.

It is unlikely that one colonic can completely empty the colon. Most individuals have considerable amount of impacted fecal material which has been dehydrated and hardened against the colon wall. Substantial amount of work is required to re-hydrate and draw out this material. Colonics involve a subtle learning process. After the first few sessions, you will begin to become more aware of what is happening in your abdomen.

The number of sessions required depends on the objectives of the client and will vary between individuals due to different anatomical characteristics of the colon and individual food and lifestyle choices.

Generally speaking, an effective detoxifying cleanse requires an average of 5 consecutive colonics with a regimented cleansing diet.

If the objective is for improving bowel movement rather than a total detoxification program, then 2 consecutive colonics per week for 5 to 6 weeks is recommended.

No. The earliest recorded practice of colon hydrotherapy is in 1500B.C. in the ancient Egyptian document, Ebers Papyrus which dealt with the practice of medicine. The father of modern medicine Hypocrites (4th and 5th century B.C.), recorded using enemas for fever therapy. James A. Wiltsie, M.D. and Joseph E.G. Waddington, M.D. are modern physicians who promoted the value of colon hydrotherapy in preventing ill health and chronic disease conditions. Today, colon hydrotherapy is available on specialized equipment certified by the FDA.

The Pure Health™ Detoxification Program involves a detoxification diet and a series of comprehensive body cleansing therapies. The Program is designed with the specific objectives of removing accumulated toxins in your body and to provide you with the knowledge and resources necessary to maintain good health for life.

In order to effectively cleanse your body of poisons, you must first identify and stop the source of poisoning. The second step is to systematically expel the foreign and toxic matter from the body naturally via the eliminative organs. Finally, the last step is to rejuvenate the body by exercising smart lifestyle choices.

The Pure Health™ Detoxification Program components include:

1. A Liquid Diet Program. An uninformed choice in food is one of the most common sources of toxicity in the body. The first step in the detoxification process is to stop this source of poisons into the body. During this 5-day diet program, you will be introduced to natural and highly nutritious supplements to sustain your body throughout the cleansing and detoxification process.

2. Cleansing Therapies. Your body has natural systems for eliminating toxins. The Pure Health™ Detoxification Program utilizes cleansing therapies that safely and gently facilitate the natural eliminative processes of the body without the use of chemicals or drugs. Cleansing therapies such as colon hydrotherapy is a highly effective way of expelling toxic material accumulated within the body. Other recommended therapies include deep tissue infra-red therapy and lymphatic drainage therapy.

3. Health Workshop. Detoxification is not a panacea or an instant remedy for poor health. Rather, it is the first and very critical step towards optimum health. At Pure Health™, our goal is to provide you with all the resources you need for long term well-being. As such, it is highly recommended that you attend our health workshops to learn how to eat, how to exercise and how to maintain your body.

The body has 4 basic channels of elimination. These are:

1. The skin. Common signs of toxicity include eczema, dry skin, acne, rashes, and body odor.
2. The lungs. Common signs of toxicity include bad breath, persistent cough, post-nasal drip, congestion or "stuffed up" in your nose or sinuses.
3. The bowels. Common signs of toxicity include recurring diarrhea.
4. The urinary system. Common signs of toxicity include strong smelling urine, highly colored urine.

If these channels of elimination are continually overloaded, the toxins will remain in the body and begin to interfere with bodily functions. The effect of this form of poisoning is called “autointoxication” and may lead to severe and irreversible chronic diseases.

The Pure Health™ Detoxification Program is designed to assist these eliminative organs in removing toxins from the body.

Many people today live on the borderline between health and disease. In modern society, we are faced with a vast amount of elements that are gradually poisoning us. Chemicals, toxins, air pollutants, herbicides, pesticides, food additives and even radiation are commonplace in our surroundings.

These toxic materials slowly accumulate in our body over months and years. When the toxic levels in your body reach a threshold, chronic or gradual symptoms begin to appear which affects our health and limit our ability to enjoy the vitality of life.

Consider the following:
* Do you have trouble sleeping or feel tired upon waking?
* Do you have strong smelling urine?
* Do you have sore muscles or joints?
* Do you have pain or discomfort under your right ribcage?
* Do you have less than one bowel movement per day?
* Do you have food cravings?
* Do you have eczema, dry skin, acne or skin rashes?
* Do you have digestive disturbances such as bloating, gas or indigestion a couple hours after eating?
* Do you have difficulty concentrating or have slow or fuzzy thinking?
* Do you have dark circles under your eyes?
* Do you have body odor?
* Do you have bad breath, a coated tongue or a bitter or metallic taste in your mouth?
* Do you have allergies?
* Do you get congestion or "stuffed up" in your nose or sinuses?
* Do you get more than one or two colds per year?
* Do you gain weight easily?
* Do you feel tired, lethargic or sluggish?
* Do you feel like you're not as healthy as other people your age?
* Do you feel depressed or have mood swings?
* Do you feel anxious or stressed out?
* Are your nails weak or brittle?
* Are you sensitive to odours, foods or chemicals?

If you have answered yes to one or more of the symptoms above, you should evaluate your lifestyle and diet for sources of intoxication. A continuous overload of toxins into the body could trigger serious ailments, and if the body becomes so contaminated that it cannot neutralize and expel these excess toxins, chronic illness or even death could result.

Adopting a regular detoxification program will prevent toxic material from accumulating to dangerous levels within the body. This will allow your body’s natural eliminative processes to function more effectively and limit your risk of potential chronic and debilitating symptoms.

The removal of toxic waste material from your body will reduce your risk of chronic diseases immeasurably. By cleansing regularly, you are greatly reducing your risk to the pain, trauma and costs of debilitating chronic ailments such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

General immediate benefits as reported by our clients include: more energy, no more constipation, feeling lighter and younger, weight loss, improved skin condition and no more aches and pains.

Detoxification programs are not as challenging as some people assume. However, a common factor in most detoxification programs is the “healing crisis” or “healing reaction”. As the body detoxifies, toxins stored in the cells of the body are drawn through the blood stream to the eliminative organs. This results in varying degrees of symptoms.

Some people experience mild headaches and fatigue whilst others may become nauseous and have skin eruptions. Although the healing crisis symptoms vary, the assuring point is that the healing crisis signals that the detoxification process is working and will disappear within a day or two. Proper preparation before the detoxification program will greatly minimize the effects of healing reactions.

We do have clients that work a full week and feel great. Just make sure that you are able to take a little time out for yourself. Depending on the type of work you are involved in, it is recommended that you rest as much as you can during your cleanse. There may be days where you feel tired or nauseated and it may be hard to concentrate on work. If your work involves physical activity, it is recommended that you take time off during your detox program.

The Detox Program is a time for rest, healing and repair for the body, so for the full duration of your program, we encourage you not to exercise or exert yourself. This will be at the detriment of your results, as exercise and stress create acid in your body, and all of your energy needs to be spent on healing and removing the waste.

Not at all. Each day during your cleanse you should allow approximately 1-2 hours to spend in our centre. The beauty of the Pure Health Detox Program is that you can do it in the comfort of your own home. We do have people traveling from interstate and overseas to come and cleanse and we can recommend hotels at reasonable rates to suit all budgets for anyone wanting to do so.

This depends greatly on your lifestyle and dietary habits. Generally speaking, it would be optimal to cleanse at least once per year.

Additionally, we recommend regular maintenance by undergoing colon hydrotherapy treatments once a month. This will ensure that toxins do not gradually build up again after the detoxification program.

Detoxification and colon hydrotherapy is not a new subject. There are a great many books on the subject of body detoxification written by medical doctors and learned scientists. The following are just some recommended reading for additional information about the process:

* Renew Your Life: Improved Digestion and Detoxification by Brenda Watson, C.T.
* Colon Health: The Key to a Vibrant Life by Dr Norman W. Walker
* Dr. Jensen’s Guide to Better Bowel Care: A Complete Program for Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management by Dr Bernard Jensen
* Detox for Life by Loree Taylor Jordan
* The Tao of Detox by Daniel Reid
* The Detox Solution, Dr Patricia Fitzgerald
* The Detox Diet, Elson M. Haas, M.D.
* Toxic Relief, Don Colbert, M.D.
* Detox Yourself, Jane Scrivner
* Cleanse & Purify Thyself, Dr Richard Anderson, N.D., N.M.D.
* The Complete Cancer Cleanse, Cherie Calbom, M.S./ Johan Calbom, M.A., Michael Mahaffey, P.C.
* Detox Your World, Shazzie
* 7-Day Detox Miracle, Peter Bennett, N.D., Stephen Barrie, N.D.
* The Detox Manual, Suzannah Olivier
* Bragg Healthy Lifestyle, Paul Bragg N.D., Ph.D., Patricia Bragg N.D., Ph. D.