Dr MICHAEL J WETZLER M.B., B.S. (London) D.C.H., D.R.C.O.G.

"I must say that this journey has convinced me that the gut is worth caring for, so that our bodies can be healthy enough firstly to enjoy life to the full, and secondly to do the soul work that each of us in a sense is called to do...."

This article is addressed to all those of you who have had any problem with your digestion, and indeed any arthritic or skin problem. I am a doctor who has looked at many different healing systems and approaches. I see many people with allergies and bowel problems, as well as many with more major diseases such as cancer. I, myself, have suffered for years with an irritable bowel syndrome, and have tried all sorts of approaches from orthodox medication to homeopathy, dietary approaches and acupuncture. I am aware that the discomfort I suffer is strongly related to both diet and indeed to stress.

Recently I completed a series of courses in a technique called Body Alignment Technique, an in depth physical, emotional and spiritual healing approach developed in Canada by an ex-South African, Jeff Levin. He previously worked out of a naturopathic clinic, and found that he had tremendous success using colonics, an approach to cleansing the bowel of accumulated toxins. He coupled it with the body alignment technique that he discovered, and used to run popular week long detox workshops world-wide, helping people detoxify their systems, which had become overloaded by decades of the bad habits of twentieth century eating.

Dr Bernard Jensen, who found that a toxic bowel was the root of most diseases, based this work on years of travel and study. He developed a tissue cleansing programme, involving not eating normal food for a week, but consuming a range of supplements, vegetable juices, intestinal cleansing husks of the psyllium seed, and regular deep bowel wash outs called Colema. Having worked on many of the emotional issues through body-alignment, I have decided to complete the process using the seven day cleanse advocated by Dr Jensen, and distributed by a company, Health WakeUp Merger, in Johannesburg. It seemed to take quite a long time to psychologically prepare myself for the idea of not eating food for a week.

Having ordered the kit, which consists of a board on which you lie which makes giving yourself 'colemas' or bowel washouts easy, and a multitude of supplements, it took me another three weeks to eventually set a date to undertake this process. There is not that much to prepare …reading a manual, buying some beetroot, getting the supplements ready, checking your loo for the practicalities of setting up the detoxification colemas ….. eventually I got to the evening of my last supper ….. I enjoyed it ….. wondering whether I would manage …..I even had, I am sure against all advice, a last indulgent bit of chocolate before midnight. The programme began ….. A gentle herbal laxative at night ….. a good clearout in the morning, and a day full of supplements, beetroot juice, cleansing drinks ….. brushing your skin in the morning before your shower (a wonderful antidote to depression). The strange thing is that one does not get very hungry, or lose energy..

Well, I speak now for myself, because if one's system is very toxic, people do go through what might be termed detoxification symptoms, weakness, odour and even mild eruptions from the skin, possible loose stools, abdominal cramps and a degree of irritability.