visceral healing

7/21/2019 Visceral Healing

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How Clean is your Body?

e spend heaps of money and effortkeeping our own outward appear-ance and that of our horses clean,

tidy, and well groomed. Who though, is wor-rying about how our internal waste removalsystems are cleaning up inside us? What if wehave gleaming external surfaces and heaps ofjunk inside? One thing you can be sure of,whether horse or human if you are pollut-ed inside, someday it will show outside. Readon to find out why, and how to cultivate goodinner health for you and your horse.

DIETSince the liver is the filter for the digestive

system and the digestive system begins at the

mouth, then the cure for chronic health prob-

lems starts with the diet. Nowadays, more and

more is expected from our four-legged friends,

however, good nutritional support is often lack-

ing. Having a balanced diet with the correct

supplements prevents health issues for the short

and long term. These days we are very fortunateto have such a wide selection of healthy equine

supplements and feed available, which should

be researched and tailored to meet the needs of

individual horses. The correct balance of hay,

grains, supplements, and water should be deter-

mined according to weight, age, exercise, and

general health of the horse. Further, the horse

should consume several small meals through-

out the day, due to having a small stomach. Your

horse should eat regularly and chew his food

thoroughly for proper digestion; be sure his

teeth are in good order to allow this.For my human patients I do a food sens

ity test and recommend a strict diet. Stardrinking 1.5 litres of water every day to the bowels, flush out the urinary tract, andstrengthen the bladder. Upon awakening

should have a glass of warm water with a of lemon juice. Improve the diet by cuttingfried foods, white flour and sugar, coffee,cola, and alcohol. There is no point in mathe bodys job harder than it need be by puin the foods that cause the congestion youtrying to clear! It is not difficult to avoid tproducts nowadays, as there are plenty of alternatives available. Also, friendly bowel tend to take a pounding from antibioticgetting them back on line is important. Taa supplement of acidophilus will also hel

12 The Canadian Horse Journal July August

W

Horse & Rider Health

Understanding DetoxFOR HORSE & RIDE

The bloom of good health starts with pro

er nutrition and cleansing of toxins fr

the horses systems.

By Dr. D. S. Bains,Doctor of HomoeopathicMedicine, HD (R. Hom),DI Hom, R.CSHom, FBIH,MCSS, ECST, MBHA,MIAHP

Photo

courtesyofDr.Bains


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will avoiding yeast, sugar, and foods that causean allergic reaction. Increase vegetable intake,reduce meat intake, and eat fruits that are inseason only. Eat fresh home cooked meals(preferably organic). Eat regularly and chewyour food thoroughly.

DETOX

Clearing ToxinsYou can down all the multivitamins,

antioxidants, and herbal supplements youlike, however, you wont see your health turnaround if your liver cant clean toxins out ofyour blood, or if the colon is full with decay-ing fecal matter! So we need to deal withclearing the exit routes, and then detoxifyingthe specific organs involved. There are twomain sources of toxins inside the body: Waste produced internally within the body as

a byproduct of metabolism. The cells in theorgans absorb nutrients and excrete toxins;

Pollutants from the external world, e.g.,toxins absorbed from food, drink, poordiet, overconsumption, medication, andthrough the lungs and skin such as air pol-lutants and pesticides.Symptoms of toxins in the body can include

bloating, constipation, fatigue, colds, allergies,poor skin condition, flare-ups of old condi-tions, and puffy eyes. Areas of the body toaddress in cleansing the system are the diges-tive system (particularly the colon), the respi-ratory system, the kidneys, liver, and blood.

Opening the Exit RoutesMany detox programs jump straight in

with drastic changes to the diet and cleansing

systems that can cause flooding of toxins,

without ensuring that these toxins can leave

the body. This can make one feel irritable, forno eventual benefit: all pain, no gain. Instead,

these toxins should be gently removed from

the body, through one of three main exit

routes: bowel, urinary tract, and lungs.

Opening these routes will lighten the toxic

burden within the body. Start with the bowel

as daily bowel movements are considered

vital to health. After all, if youre ingesting

food three times a day you should be remov-

ing some of it at least once!

If the main exits are plugged or sluggish,

the body can use a couple of emergeexits. It can push toxins out throughskin, the mucous membranes, lymphatic tem, and in women, the menstrual bloHence people whose exits have becjammed are more likely to have skin plems, congested airways, bladder probleand heavy periods. They are also more actomed to feeling rundown as their liver, of the organs in charge of energy productstruggles to deal with the recycled toxins

In my clinic, regardless of whether hor human, I will make an assessment to demine which route is more problematic. I erally do this with cranioSacral and viscosteopathy gentle non-invasive techniq

July August 2008 The Canadian Horse Journal

Anus

Rectum

Base of Caecum Kidney

SmallColon

CaecumLarge Colon

DiaphramSmall Intestine Liver Esophagus

Above: A clean and healthy system

begins with a proper diet. Due to the

small size of the equine stomach, your

horse should eat small meals regularly to

aid in proper digestion.

Right, Top: Multivitamins, antioxidants,

and herbal supplements wont help if you

havent opened your bodys exit routes.

Once the body is prepared for detox, then

toxins should be gently removed.

Right, Bottom: Unlike most mammals,

horses have no bile bladder, so theliver has to produce an adequate

amount of bile.

continued on pag

Mouth Stomach Small Intestine

Rectum

Esophagus

SmallColon

Large Colon Cecum

Digestive Tract of Horse


3/414 The Canadian Horse Journal July August

Dandelion is one natural supplement that can help the performance of the liver.

based upon where and why problems devel-op, and upon the ability to prevent and cor-

rect them.CranioSacral Osteopathy: The cerebral

spinal fluid (CSF) which flows from the cra-nium to the sacrum, has a cranial rhythm that

is different to that of the heartbeat or respira-tory rate. In craniosacral osteopathy, this

rhythmical wave can be palpated anywhereon a person or horse to give an overall evalu-

ation of any possible restrictions. This is sim-ilar to an acupuncturist palpating the flow ofenergy through meridian pathways, except

without needles.Visceral Osteopathy: Visceral osteopathy

is another delicate technique. At optimumhealth, there is a synchronistic, interconnect-

ed motion between all the bodys organs.Displacement, hypertonicity, and adhesions

can cause disturbances in the system, thuspaving way for disease and dysfunction.

Visceral manipulation enhances the normalhealthy mobility of the organs, and their con-

nective tissue to help the body maintain itsnatural health.

I am then able to release the restrictionsand improve the flow through the exit routes

using visceral osteopathy along with homeo-

pathic and herbal supplements, such as fran-gula, linseed, senna, and psyllium. Overall this

creates a cleaner internal environment, notonly ridding the body of existing toxins but

making it less likely to store further batches.Detoxification and the Organs

The next step is to detoxify the body so

that the digestive, lymph, and immune

tems can work properly. The main organ

detoxification are the liver and kidneys.

Some of the roles of the liver are as foll

Neutralise toxins;

Make bile salts;

Oxidize fats for energy;

Activate Vitamin D;

Store iron, Vitamin A, D, and B12;

Remove ammonia by the formation o

urea;

Produce amino acids and plasma prot Change sugar and amino acids into

and triglycerides;

Make coenzyme Q10, which is respon

for converting food energy into usable en

Horses have no bile bladder, and co

quently a horses liver has to work hard

guarantee an adequate production of

salts for the digestion of fats. Very often I

that the livers of sport horses are over

dened with an oversupply of certain nutri

(sugars, proteins, vitamins) and medic

Liver problems can be detected in a b

test. However, visceral osteopathy is also useful in detecting and releasing restrict

in both the liver and kidneys.

Some of the roles of the kidney are:

Separate urea, mineral salts, toxins

waste products from the blood;

Produce erythropoieten, renin, and

min D.

Poorly functioning kidneys can c

lower back pain, puffy bags under the e

swollen ankles or fingers, thinning hai

fatigue.

continued from page 13


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July August 2008 The Canadian Horse Journal

Fortunately, Mother Nature has intelli-gently designed a few herbs to assist these

organs in carrying out their everyday taskswith more zip and vigour. For the liver, I rec-ommend milk thistle, cynara, dandelion. Forthe kidneys, solidago, birch, horsetail andnettle, silica, and spiny restharrow.

For horses these may vary a little, but typ-ically within a few weeks there is a markedimprovement in the digestion, in addition toimproved skin health and energy levels.

Is Detox Really Necessary?For those of us who live a life of purity,

eating mainly fruit and vegetables anddrinking nothing but water on a daily basis,it isnt. For those of us who get plenty ofexercise and sleep, avoid alcohol, and eatmainly unprocessed and organic foods madeat home and eaten in a relaxed manner, itprobably isnt that important either.However, for those of us who live in the realworld, where tea, coffee, alcohol, andprocessed foods feature frequently in livesthat run low on sleep and high on stress,with exercise being a good intention andhome-cooked meals a luxury detox shoulddefinitely be on the agenda! Likewise, if youthink that your horses nutritional needs are

not being met, consult your veterinarian anddiscuss options for diet and exercise adjust-ment, or homeopathic alternatives. Keepingyourself and your horses sparkling clean onthe inside will allow you to present a pureand pristine exterior to the world and leaveyou feeling rejuvenated.

This article is for information only and is not in any way

intended to advise, diagnose, or treat any health condi-

tion or illness nor is it intended to replace evaluation,

treatment, or supervision by a qualified, licensed health

care professional.

More and more

is expected from

our four-legged

friends, however,

good nutritional

support is

often lacking.

visceral healing

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