Author: claritywellbeing

As part of the ‘My GI Tract’ series, our journey through the GI tract continues with the small intestine. Let’s learn how this part of aids our digestion.
Let’s do a very quick recap. The digestive process begins in the mouth. It receives the food and breaks it up into small, easy-to-swallow pieces. Enzymes from the saliva break down any starch and the food passes into a long tube called the oesophagus. It carries the food bolus along its length, and contracts (peristalsis) to move food down towards the stomach. The enzymes and acids in the stomach continue the process of breaking down food, before they are released into the small intestine.
Did you know?
Did you know that the small intestine (the longest part of the digestive tract) is a long muscular tube and is on average roughly 7 metres long – about 3 times the length of your body?!
Your small intestine
The small intestine runs from your stomach to your large intestine and plays the most significant role in the digestive process. Its purpose is to break down food using enzymes released by the pancreas and bile from the liver. Peristalsis also works in this organ, moving food through and mixing it with digestive juices from the pancreas and liver.
It is made up of three different parts – the duodenum (where the further breakdown of the food takes place), and the jejunum and ileum (these two are mainly responsible for the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream). Part of the small intestine is covered with tiny, finger-like tentacles called villi. The purpose of these villi is to increase the surface area of the small intestine, for maximum nutrient absorption.
A concoction of digestive juices and enzymes are at play
As chime (a semi-fluid paste) enters the small intestines, it mixes with water, bile, pancreatic digestive juices, enzymes and mucus. These contribute to its change in consistency – into more of a liquid form. Bile is critical in the digestion of fats into free fatty acids, and is composed of water, salts, acids, and liquids. It is a medium in which fats and fat-soluble vitamins can dissolve and be carried into the blood stream via the villi.
What remains of the food when it reaches the end of the ileum is a combination of water, electrolytes — such as sodium and chloride — and waste products (plant fibre) and dead cells shed from the lining of your digestive tract into the large intestine (colon).
Tune in next time, as we explore what happens at the next phase of digestion — inside the pancreas.
To find out about how to keep your digestive system working effectively, and to book your appointment, get in touch with us now.
Let’s do a very quick recap. The digestive process begins in the mouth. It receives the food and breaks it up into small, easy-to-swallow pieces. Enzymes from the saliva break down any starch and the food passes into a long tube called the oesophagus. It carries the food bolus along its length, and contracts (peristalsis) to move food down towards the stomach.
The Stomach 
The stomach is a muscular sac that is located on the left side of the abdominal cavity. This major organ acts as a storage tank for food so that the body has time to digest large meals efficiently. You’ll be surprised if you knew the quantity of food could be stored in your stomach!
“An empty, adult stomach has a capacity of 75 millilitres. But it can stretch and house up to 1 litre of food over the course of a meal. That’s over 10 times the starting capacity!”
The stomach also contains hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes that continue the digestion of food that began in the mouth. Peristalsis continues in the stomach and is the driving force for blending food with the stomach acid. Stomach secretions help make nutrients available for absorption later in the small intestine.
Hydrochloric acid  
The hydrochloric acid is strong enough to break apart tightly bound proteins into polypeptide chains (smaller chains of amino acids). It can also eliminate potentially harmful bacteria that may be present in some foods.
So, from glands that line the stomach, acid and enzymes are secreted that continue the breakdown process of the food into smaller and smaller pieces. At the end of this process, the food you placed in your mouth has been transformed into a semi-fluid paste called chyme.
Peristalsis contractions continue 
Once the chyme is well mixed, waves of muscle contractions propel it through a valve called the pylorus and releases into the upper section of your small intestine (duodenum).
Once your meal is over, stomach acid secretion comes to a stop. Sometimes, may be excess acid and when too much gastric juice remains in the stomach after a meal, irritation of the stomach lining may occur. To protect itself, the stomach adjusts acid production to stay healthy and keep you comfortable. Stomach contractions continue until all the chyme from the previous meal has entered the small intestine.
Tune in next time, as we explore the next phase of digestion — the small intestine.
To find out about how to keep your digestive system working effectively, and to book your appointment, get in touch with us now.
Journey through the GI tract PART 2: The Oesophagus and its function
Let’s continue onto the next part on the ‘My GI Tract’ series — the oesophagus, and learn how this part of aids our digestion.
Let’s do a very quick recap. In the first part of the digestive process, the mouth receives the food, tastes it and chewing combines with the saliva breaks it up into small, easy-to-swallow pieces (called the bolus). Enzymes present in the saliva break down any starch. The body also uses saliva to lubricate food as it passes through the mouth, pharynx, and into the rim of a 25-centimeter-long tube called the oesophagus.
The Pharynx 
Let’s break this down further. The pharynx (throat) is the transition area from the mouth to the oesophagus and is responsible for passing your food bolus from the mouth to the oesophagus.
The pharynx also plays an important role in the respiratory system, as air from the nasal cavity passes through the pharynx on its way to the larynx (the voice box or glottis) and eventually the lungs. Because the pharynx serves two different functions, it contains a flap of tissue known as the epiglottis that acts as a switch to route food to the oesophagus and air to the larynx. The act of swallowing is a complex process that closes the trachea (the windpipe) — to protect our lungs — and moves food into the oesophagus.
The Oesophagus 
Located in your throat near your trachea (windpipe), the oesophagus receives food from your mouth when you swallow. The oesophagus is a muscular tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach that is part of the upper gastrointestinal tract. It carries the food bolus along its length, and contracts (peristalsis) to move food down towards the stomach.
Anyone for avocado on toast? 
So, let’s take a bite of this tasty avocado on toast. As you swallow this piece, nerves in the surrounding oesophageal tissue sense the bolus’s presence and trigger peristalsis, a series of defined muscular contractions. When the food bolus reaches the lower end of your oesophagus, pressure from the food signals a muscular valve — the lower oesophageal sphincter — to relax and let the food enter your stomach. This sphincter contracts and prevents the contents of the stomach from flowing back into the oesophagus (and therefore avoids heartburn or acid reflux).
Tune in next time, as we explore the next phase of digestion — our major organ of the stomach.
To find out about how to keep your digestive system working effectively, and to book your appointment, get in touch with us now.

Following on from our last blog on the ‘My GI Tract’ series, let’s begin our journey by diving into the depths of the GI tract, delving into the workings of the oral cavities. We shall learn how this part of this tract aids digestion.

The 1st part of the GI tract and its function: The Mouth

Wouldn’t you agree that eating is by far the most enjoyable part of the digestive process?

The digestive process begins even before you bite into your food. The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract and encounters all the delicious foods and drinks that you offer it. It receives the food, tastes it and breaks it up into small, easy-to-swallow pieces.

Salivary glands

Your partner offers you some fruit. Anticipating a juicy orange, the sweet aroma entices you to take a bite and glands in your mouth start to get active. That’s why your mouth waters at the sight of food. It begins to produce saliva — a mixture of secretions that help lubricate and break down food. Besides having salivary glands in the lining of your mouth, you have three pairs of larger salivary glands — the parotid, sublingual and submandibular glands.

“The salivary glands in your mouth secrete between 1 and 1.5 litres of saliva daily.”

Once you start eating, chewing (mastication) enables the food to be cut into pieces that are more easily digestible. Saliva is also produced with the chewing motion. Your saliva mixes with the food to begin to break it down into a form your body can absorb and use. It moistens and lubricates food, and turns the food into a moist lump called the bolus, making it easier to swallow.

Enzymes present in the saliva break down any starch

The salivary glands in your mouth secrete saliva, which is rich in the digestive enzyme amylase. Salivary amylase breaks apart starches into two-chain sugars called maltose. This simple sugar is later broken down further into single glucose molecules that can be used as cellular energy.

The tongue

The movement of the tongue is also important in the digestive process. After your food is chewed and mixed with saliva, it is ready to be swallowed. The tongue guides the bolus to the back of the throat. As you swallow, your tongue passes the food into your throat (pharynx) and into your oesophagus.

Tune in next time, as we explore the oesophagus and how it aids digestion.

To find out about how to keep your digestive system working effectively, and to book your appointment, get in touch with us now.

Your body is amazing. No, really! In this new series on ‘My GI Tract’ we’re going to take an interesting journey through our gastrointestinal (GI) tract and learn how each part of this tract aids digestion.

Over the next few months, we’re going to look at each of the 10 parts of the GI tract with a step-by-step account of the digestive system’s workings. Are you ready to explore just how incredibly unique the digestive system can be? Tune in and get ready for the ride!

Here’s what we shall be exploring:

The 10 parts of the GI tract and their functions: 1. Mouth 2. Oesophagus 3. Stomach 4. Small Intestine 5. Pancreas 6. Liver 7. Gallbladder 8. Colon 9. Rectum 10. Anus

The four main components of the digestive system 1. Gastrointestinal tract 2. Pancreas, liver and gallbladder 3. The body’s enzymes, hormones, nerves, and blood 4. The mesentery

What is the digestive system?

The human digestive system (also known as the digestive tract, the GI tract, the gut or the alimentary canal) is the unsung hero of our torso. It is made up of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and your liver, pancreas and gallbladder.

The GI tract is a muscular tube around 9 meters (30 feet) in length that runs from the mouth to the anus. The digestive tract (where are food is digested) is comprised of a series of organs. The main organs include the oral cavity, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine (colon), rectum and anus. Helping them along the way are the pancreas, gall bladder and liver adding secretions to help digestion.

What is its function?

The function of the digestive system is to break down foods (from three major food groups – carbohydrates, proteins and fats) into simple components that can be easily absorbed by the body. We eat foods to obtain energy and nourishment. Our body needs nutrients in order to stay healthy and function effectively. Nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. The digestive system breaks down and absorbs nutrients from the food to use for important things like energy, growth and cell repair.

Your gut is the only organ with its own independent nervous system, comprising of 100 million neurons embedded in the gut wall! With this in mind and together with intricate processes, the digestive system is one of the most diverse and complicated systems in the human body.

Tune in next time as we begin our journey into the depths of the GI tract, delving into the workings of the oral cavities.

To find out about how to keep your digestive system working effectively, and to book your appointment, get in touch with us now.

Have you ever wished there were more hours in the day? We are living in an era of continuous change. Our home and work life is changing at an alarming pace, and in ways we cannot predict. We live in a world that offers us more choice and more freedom than ever before. This can be exciting, but at the same time it’s important not to feel overwhelmed by all that modern life demands of us.

Those of us who are feeling overwhelmed haven’t totally lost the ability to deal with the stress effectively. It’s just that sometimes things build up so much that your gut is overwhelmed. The problem comes when your system is overwhelmed by everything it’s processing and this exposes weaknesses.

The impact of meditation on gut health 

Meditation activates the parasympathetic or ‘rest and digest’ response. This can alleviate digestive issues by easing the symptoms of IBS, reducing inflammation and maintaining a health gut barrier. This can lead to improving nutrient absorption and metabolism. When your body is relaxed, it can direct much energy towards proper digestion.

What can you do to decrease stress and improve your ability to digest? 

There’s nothing better at protecting your body than the natural processes that are hard-wired into your system. But sometimes those processes need a little help to work as well as they possibly can.

There are many ways to balance the stress response, reduce chronic stress and improve gut health. For your mind, meditation is key. There are various methods of meditation (see below). It’s important to pick and choose the technique that best works for you. And if you want to increase the effectiveness of your digestive health alongside meditation, it’s been proven time and again how effective regular colonic treatments are at flushing out the build-up of toxins and bad bacteria to optimise gut function.

  • Deep breathing: triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, which activates processes involved in rest, repair and digestion. We recommend a process called Box Breath: Four counts of breathing in, four counts of holding your breath, four counts of exhaling and four more counts of holding after your exhale.
  • Mantra mediation: involves chanting a word, phrase, or sound. Chanting provides a point of focus that steadies the body and the mind and also helps regulate your breathing.
  • Guided meditation: a type of meditation led by a teacher, in person or via audio or video. You listen to your guide while they lead you through a series of relaxing visualisations. As you gradually relax and become more and more still, stress fades away, and your mind becomes clearer.

Sometimes we just need to take a breath, go inward and relax. Do it often. Your gut and digestive system will thank you for it.

Incorporate Meditation Into Your Life 

In this fast-paced world, we need a way to regulate the stress in our lives, and meditation practice is a simple way to start. As your stress levels lower and your nervous system regulates, your digestion can improve, and you’ll have more energy for doing the things in life that bring you joy.

Show your gut some love and support today, get in touch to discuss regular colonic treatment to give it the support it needs to do the job it was designed to do. Contact us via ww.claritywellbeing.co.uk or email us at info@claritywellbeing.co.uk.

Clarity Wellbeing is working with Hammersmith Hospital

Hammersmith Hospital has been referring a large percentage of the hospital’s outpatients to our colonic hydrotherapy services at Clarity Wellbeing. We have successfully been helping these patients rectify any complications and/or persistent symptoms weeks and months after initial Covid-19 infection ‘long Covid’.

Hammersmith Hospital is a specialist hospital renowned for its strong research connections. It offers a range of services, including renal, haematology, cancer and cardiology care, and provides the regional specialist heart attack centre. The Hospital treats over 1,000,000 patients per year.

Here at Clarity Wellbeing, we are finding that the gut microbiome in most of our clients have been significantly depleted as a result of the Covid-19 vaccine, resulting in various symptoms, with the most common being constipation, fatigue, headache, shortness of breath, heaviness in the abdomen area, sleeping issues and bad breath.

Function of the gut microbiome

The gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, including more than 1,000 species of bacteria. The gut microbiome is a significant regulator of the immune system — in turn, an imbalanced gut can impair the immune response, including injuring tissues and prolonging inflammation.

Altered gut microbiome

The Covid-19 vaccine has been designed to trigger an immune response to one of the surface spike proteins of the virus that enables its entry into human cells. The vaccine induces local inflammatory reactions. Since tissues of the gut are involved in immune response to the Covid virus, adverse reactions could be due to the altered gut microbiome composition. This could mean that an altered gut microbiome composition is strongly associated with persistent symptoms in patients with Covid-19 up to 6 months after clearance of the Covid-19 virus.

Therefore, balancing out the gut microbiome is proving to be an effective solution for the management of the Covid-19 vaccine induced adverse reactions.

What can you do to improve your gut microbiome?

  • Changing your diet to include fermented foods and consuming less sugar
  • Having regular colon hydrotherapy treatments
  • Taking prebiotics and probiotics
  • Avoiding antibiotics
  • Exercising
  • Reducing stress
  • Getting enough sleep

Regular colonic hydrotherapy treatments can help to strengthen your gut barrier function. Friendly bacteria are important as they help boost immunity. At Clarity Wellbeing, our high strength probiotic (28 billion) and herbal formulae are of high quality and highly effective.

Seeing improvements

We are finding that in nearly all of our clients, homeostasis of their system has been compromised due to Covid-19, long Covid and the Covid-19 vaccines. It is highly important to return the body to a balanced state to avoid any long-term conditions.

Following a single session of colonics, our patients have noticed a significant reduction in their symptoms. As we begin to flush out all the build-up and blockages in the system, the body returns to homeostasis, which results in our clients feeling well again. They are no longer constipated, sleep better, feel more rejuvenated and no longer experience fatigue. By the end of their 3 colonic sessions (once a week), most people are feeling fully back to themselves.

Get in touch

Our treatments at Clarity Wellbeing are performed by a qualified colon hydro-therapist with a high level of expertise in the area. If you are someone who is experiencing adverse reactions from the Covid-19, long Covid and/or the Covid-19 vaccines, get in touch today to book your colon hydrotherapy consultation.

Email: info@claritywellbeing.co.uk

www.claritywellbeing.co.uk

Are you ready for springtime? Spring symbolises rebirth and change. The days are already getting so much lighter and longer and nature is beginning to wake up from its winter slumber. As Mother Earth begins its regrowth and replenishment phase, let this inspire us to take a look inwards – into restoring and refreshing our own health and wellbeing.

Keep your immune system healthy! 

Winter is a challenging time for your body’s immune system: viruses and germs are more likely to spread during the winter months. We can use all of the tools that we have to increase our body’s natural immune responses and cleanse unhealthy toxins from your system.

There are many ways to clean out your body. In the same way that you spring clean your home, colonic hydrotherapy treatments are a great way to spring clean your body. Through cleansing, you can release toxins stored in various areas of the body. To avoid re-absorption of these toxins, they exit the body through the urinary system, lymphatic system and most importantly, the digestive system.

Benefits of colon hydrotherapy 

The colon is known as the body’s sewage system. A colonic cleanse can aid in removing toxicity released into the large intestine, making your cleanse more effective than other forms of cleansing.

Colon hydrotherapy cleansing has been proven effective for constipation, bloating, abdominal pain, digestive disorders, headaches and migraines, weight loss, fatigue, skin conditions, kidney function, allergies, parasites… and much more! Colonics are also highly beneficial in terms of energy and emotional wellness. It allows you to release tensions and heavy emotions. You can feel lighter on every level!

Contact our qualified team 

So, if you’re looking forward to the springtime sunshine and want to feel recharged, refreshed and ready to tackle the world, contact our qualified team today and we will be happy to discuss the right treatment for you. Find out more about our package offers via www.claritywellbeing.co.uk

No matter how tidy your house is, we can all use a Spring Clean. After all, a clean inside is a happy outside!

Wishing you happy spring cleansing, from all at Clarity Wellbeing.

Are you still experiencing the long-lasting symptoms of long Covid? Our qualified colon hydro-therapists have helped many people get their body back into balance.

What is long Covid? 
Many people who have been infected with coronavirus have reported long-lasting symptoms that do not resolve within the expected 4-week timeframe. Patients have named this illness ‘long Covid’.
Long Covid can affect anyone, even working-age individuals who were previously fit and well. Symptoms are diverse and confusing. Breathlessness, heaviness, fatigue, and muscle pains are very common. Many people are also reporting problems with attention or memory, chest pains, persistent cough, blood clots, gastric reflux, tingling sensations, rashes, and more. If you been experiencing any of these symptoms after having Covid, it’s time to do something about it.
Feeling tired and sluggish? Do you wish to feel energetic? 
This is where colon hydrotherapy comes in. It can help to balance your system by removing the build-up of toxic materials in your system, and in turn, leaving you feeling rejuvenated and full of energy.
Colon hydrotherapy can help with chronic fatigue! 
Colon hydrotherapy flushes out toxins, exercises the colon muscles, and reshapes the colon to enable it to function more effectively. Toxins in the blood can cause problems, such as headaches fogginess of the brain and general aches and pains.
You deserve to get your vitality back 
If you are not having much success with traditional medical treatments, or are looking for a natural, an alternative approach to medications when it comes to chronic fatigue syndrome, you may want to give colon hydrotherapy a try.
If you suffer from any of the above symptoms, then colon hydrotherapy may be the solution you have been looking for. Speak to our qualified team and we will be happy to discuss the right treatment for you. Get started with a Colon Hydrotherapy session.

Colon cleansing is also known as colonic irrigation or colon hydrotherapy and is normally used as preparation for medical procedures such as a colonoscopy. However, some alternative medicine practitioners offer colon cleansing for other purposes, such as detoxification.

Over time, the build-up of harmful toxins in your digestive system can hamper your ability to absorb essential nutrients. Coupled with the increased risk of these toxins entering your bloodstream, it can leave you more susceptible to viruses and illness.

By having regular colon hydrotherapy treatments, you can help strengthen your gut barrier function. This clears anything that’s blocking the effective absorption of all those essential nutrients that you’re meticulously ensuring form part of your daily diet. The body is an intricate system of processes that balance our health but sometimes that system needs a little help to stay on track and remain as effective as it can be.

Is colonic hydrotherapy safe?

Being an essentially natural and gentle process, there is virtually no danger with a colonic treatment. It is extremely safe when performed by a qualified colon hydro-therapist with expertise in the area.

One of the major theories behind colon hydrotherapy is a belief known as the autointoxication theory. The theory states that undigested elements may cause mucus build-up in our colon. This build-up may produce toxins in the body, which could be poisonous. According to the practitioners, these toxins can cause several signs and symptoms, such as:

  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Weight gain
  • Low energy

Many people experience some essential benefits from this therapy. They may include:

  • Improved mental outlook
  • Improved immune system
  • Weight loss
  • Decrease the risk of colon cancer
  • Improved metabolism
  • Improved circulation
  • Relieve constipation

During a colon hydrotherapy session, a rectal enema is used with temperature-controlled water (occasionally with various additives as well) to flush the large intestine. Fresh, filtered water is introduced into the colon through a plastic tube. During the therapy, the therapist can direct the water to problem areas by gently massaging the abdominal region. The entire process usually takes approximately 45 minutes. According to the practitioners of alternative medicine, colonic hydrotherapy treatment is safe.

Get in touch

Our treatments at Clarity Wellbeing are performed by a qualified colon hydro-therapist with a high level of expertise in the area. Get in touch today to book your colon hydrotherapy consultation and keep your body fighting fit for all that the outside world has to throw at it.