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Anyone who has experienced constipation will tell you that it can be very uncomfortable. It’s a common gastrointestinal problem, but if it’s chronic, it can be harmful to your health. It’s not something you should wait to treat. We suggest treating it with colon hydrotherapy and other alternative therapies as soon as possible.

Symptoms of the condition include hard stools, fewer than three stools a week, a feeling of incomplete evacuation, excessive straining and a sense of rectal blockage. It can also include the need to use manual maneuvers such as finger evacuation or lower abdomen manipulation.

Using colonic irrigation

Why does it help? Colonics instills sterile water gently throughout the colon to move toxins and waste out of the system. That natural flow of water stimulates the body’s natural peristalsis, causing the digestive tract to reactivate and do the job is was made to do – soak up nutrients and move waste out of the body. You’re not only cleansing the colon, you’re helping the body to heal itself and restore normal bowel function. It balances the GI tract and promotes overall health and wellness.

Life alterations

Getting rid of constipation for good takes some life alterations. We suggest a variety:

  • Eat some fiber: fiber is vital for moving food through body. Eat organic foods like fruit, vegetables, beans, whole grain cereals and breads. Shoot for 25 to 35 grams daily.
  • Drink healthy liquids: water, juice and other liquids can help push waste through the body. Don’t skimp out on liquids, but try to limit your caffeine intake.
  • Get some exercise: not only can exercise stimulate bowel function, it’s the best way to get healthy and stay healthy. Do your best to get some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.

For more information on constipation, colon hydrotherapy and other alternative therapies, contact us today:

  • Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190
  • Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722


If you’re allergies are acting up, there’s a better solution than antibiotics. According to recent studies by the Infectious Disease Society of America, antibiotics have been show to be ineffective against acute sinusitis, which usually lasts around 10 days regardless of treatment with antibiotics.

Lymphatic drainage massage has been shown to do a better job of moving toxins and bacteria through the sinuses and out of the body. Specifically, facial massage can help with allergy and sinus issues. Here’s how:

Facial massage technique

Certified practitioners use gentle rhythmic massage on the pea size lymph nodes under the mandible. Muscles are pre-warmed and the lymph nodes are stimulated to open the flow of lymph through the system. Qualified therapists use their hands to feel the natural rhythmic flow of lymph. They note the direction, depth and quality in order to mimic the lymph without disturbing its natural flow and assess the best way to drain fluids.

For sinus infections and allergy issues, facial lymphatic massage can remove congested material, which helps the body naturally heal  naturally.

About the lymphatic system

A network of ducks and vessels, the lymph system transfers white blood cells and other antibodies to tissues and organs. They are then used to fight off infections. Think of it as arming certain battle stations within your body to fight off foreign invaders. The lymphatic system relies on muscular units, body movement and water to move lymph throughout the body. Several things can decrease the flow of lymph, including inactivity, infection and food additives. So, it’s necessarily to increase the flow to fight off infections.

For more information on allergies, sinus infections and how to fight them with lymphatic massage and other alternative methods, contact us today at one of our Los Angeles area spas:

Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190

Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722

 



There’s been a lot of controversy over the safety of food dye in recent years. Proponents of dyes say that they are perfectly safe. Their argument is that dyes go through extensive testing – 5 – 10 years of laboratory and animal testing – before they are sent out on the market. They also say that it’s safe because the amount of dye in certain food is insignificant. The FDA also monitors complaints very closely.

But there are several things that point to food coloring being very toxic. Dr. Mercola points out in an article that dyes are one of the most dangerous and widely used additives. That’s bad news for everyone.

Health risks

According to some studies, dyes have been associated with cancer. Blue 1 has been shown to cause kidney tumors in mice. And Red 3 has been involved with thyroid cancer in another animal study. Dyes may also exacerbate symptoms of ADHD, according to studies done at Columbia University and Harvard University. Not to mention that the European Union passed a law in July of 2011 that all foods containing dye must have a label warning consumers that additives may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.

How to avoid them

Keep in mind that these additives are in processed foods to cover up the unnatural color of the processed food. Processed foods lose valuable nutrients, fiber and texture. In order to avoid the harmful impacts of food dye, purchase organic food or shop at your local farmers’ market. You can buy colorful foods; just make sure they are naturally vibrant. Purple eggplant, green spinach, rainbow chard and blueberries with bright colors can be natural and delicious. By eating a well-balanced diet, you’ll promote wellness and health within your body.

For more information on additives, healthy eating and other alternative therapies, contact us at one of our two Los Angeles spa locations:

Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190

Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722

 



Moxibustion isn’t a new practice. In fact, it’s pretty old. The practice evolved thousands of years ago in China. It is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that utilizes moxa – mugwort herb – to promote natural healing within the body. Combine that with colon hydrotherapy, and you’ve got quite a recipe for overall wellness.

How is it done?

Experienced practitioners use moxa to warm acupuncture points on the body. Moxa consists of dried leaves from mugwort or wormwood that’s formed into a cigar-like shape.

Practitioners then use direct or indirect moxibustion. Direct involves burning moxa onto the acupuncture point – the moxa cone is directly on the skin. But direct isn’t often used in the U.S.

Indirect involves burning the moxa above the skin or on the top of an acupuncture needle.

This stimulates circulation and promotes blood flow. It also restores the balance and flow of energy throughout the body known as ch’i. The body naturally begins to heal itself due to improved overall blood flow, balance and wellness.

Do you need moxibustion?

History has shown that this practice can be used to help with a variety of medical issues, including helping fetuses in breech return to position. It has also been used to help asthma and ulcerative colitis.

But the practice can also be used to treat a variety of other ailments:

  • Cold feet
  • Cold hands
  • Low sex drive
  • Infertility
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Digestive disorders
  • Watery stool
  • Reduced peristalsis

For those with digestive disorders and other ailments, we offer colonic irrigation plus moxibustion. This enables the body to restore and stimulate immediate healing.

Contact us today for your consultation:

Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190

Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722



It’s no secret. The lymphatic system is vital to the overall health and wellness of your body. It is made up of a vast network of organs, ducts, nodes and vessels that transport lymph from tissues into the blood stream. And lymph is made up of white blood cells that attack bacteria in the blood and fluid from the intestines, which contains proteins and fats. Because it’s so vital to the function of your immune system, it’s important to give it some care.

Lymphatic massage is one way you can treat yourself and boost your immune system at the same time.

What is lymph massage?

Think of it as a wake-up call for your lymphatic system. It gets everything flowing, which in turn helps kill bacteria and rid your body of toxins.

Certified therapists use a gentle, slow rhythmic massage to mimic the natural movement of the lymph system. Every stroke moves skin the direction in which lymph flows naturally to promote the movement of fluid and waste. In order to stimulate the immune system, the massage focuses mainly on the upper body, face, neck and arms.

How often?

This type of massage can be done year round, but it’s especially important during the cold and flu season. In fact, anytime you’re feeling sick, a round of lymph massage can really help with boosting immune system function.

After your massage

Drink plenty of water, which will help move waste out of your body. And get some exercise to get things moving even more.

We suggest combining lymphatic massage with a colonic for a completely internal cleansing.

Contact us today for your wellness consultation at one of our two Los Angeles spas:

Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190

Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722



We don’t want to steer you away from purchasing organic food. It’s one of the best ways to keep your microbiome stable. Organics are also filled with more nutrition – keeping your wellness at the maximum level. But if you’re budget-minded, you may be able to browse over a few expensive organics and buy conventional versions at the grocery. Of course, we support farmers markets and other locally grown produce, but here are six items you can skimp on:

Avocados

These delectable fruits are filled with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, making them great to add into your daily dishes. But organic versions can increase your grocery bill. Because they have a thick skin, pesticides are less likely to get into the meat of the fruit, so you can get by with going conventional. Just make sure to rinse it off before you slice into it.

Spices

Any spices are good to go non-organic. Unless you’re consuming large amounts, the risk of pesticides is very minimal, says the Environmental Working Group.

Eggs

Eggs can be OK if they aren’t organic. If you buy them from your local farmers market, chances are they were grown with organic standards in mind anyway. Talk to your farmers and see how they were grown. The chickens generally aren’t given hormones or antibiotics.

Onions

According to the EWG, onions are extremely low in pesticides. That means that you can get away with going conventional on these delicious vegetables.

For more information on buying organic foods, check out the EWG’s shopper’s guide to pesticides in produce.

To learn more about organic living, wellness and internal cleansing, contact us today at one of our two Los Angeles Spas:

Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190

Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722



How are colonics and cleaning baked lasagna from a dirty pan the same? Pamela Whitney, ND, says it’s a perfect metaphor for colonic irrigation in an article put out by the International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy. If you’ve ever baked lasagna, you’ve probably had to clean out the messy pan afterward. It’s a difficult task. But if you let it soak in water overnight, it’s much easier to get off the next morning. Colonic irrigation accomplishes the same thing by using water to cleanse the bowel. The sterilized water removes caked-on fecal matter that is otherwise very difficult to flush out. That fecal matter contains bad bacteria, parasites and other toxins.

Conditions colonics can help

If you think of your digestive tract as that dirty lasagna pan, it’s easier to see how compacted fecal matter can have a major impact on your health. If that hardened lasagna is left in the pan for too long without soaking, it collects bacteria and toxins. But unlike the pan, bacteria and toxins in your bowels can be absorbed into the body. That absorption can overwhelm your kidneys, liver, skin, lungs and other vital organs. When your organs are overwhelmed, certain illnesses can be triggered.

Cleansing your system can help prevent or treat certain conditions including:

Allergies

Acne

Constipation

Irritable bowel syndrome

Skin rashes

Arthritis

ADD

Hypertension

Fibromyalgia

Asthma

Chronic Fatigue

Multiple Sclerosis

Headaches

A colonic can rid bacteria and impacted fecal matter from the body, preventing the absorption of toxins.

Contact one of our two Los Angeles spa locations for your colon hydrotherapy consultation today!

Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190

Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722



Bowel preparation for a colonoscopy can be tedious. You’re forced to drink all kinds of different fluids to cleanse your colon, which can leave you feeling pretty bloated and uneasy. Blood pressure can drop and, worst of all, you have to make sprints for the bathroom. Fortunately, there is another option.

Colon hydrotherapy is often used as an alternative to other colonoscopy preparation. It can even be used as a method of cleansing before bowel surgery.

Why colonic irrigation is a good alternative

A colonic can perform the same function that other bowel prep therapies do, but it can do it without all of the discomfort. Most importantly, it’s better at cleansing the colon. In fact, a lot of doctors recommend colonic irrigation as preparation for certain medical procedures. Cleansing through this method can not only prep you for your procedure, it can get rid of toxins and bad intestinal bacteria that may cause disease. Instead of feeling bloated and heavy, like you would with other prep methods, you’ll get a boost of energy.

The cleanse

At our Santa Monica colonic clinics, we use a flow of warm, sterilized and filtered water to cleanse the colon. It is gently instilled to provide you with comfort during the procedure. You’ll be fully covered during the session, and massage and acupressure points are utilized to release more waste.

The cleanse activities your body’s natural peristalsis, which another reason it’s great for colonoscopy preparation.

For more about colonics and bowel prep for a colonoscopy, please contact one of our two Los Angeles clinics:

Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190

Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722



We’re not alone. Our bodies are filled with bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms. It’s estimated that for every human cell, there are 10 microbes. Collectively, it’s known as the microbiome. And no two microbiomes are alike.

But don’t worry; a majority of these microbes are beneficial to the body. In fact, they help regulate a lot of activities, including vital functions like breaking down food to make it digestible. They also help process nutrients so that our bodies can actually use them efficiently. That’s why it’s crucial to take care of the microbiome within your body through diet and alternative therapies like colonics.

How it affects you

The microbiome plays a major part in your health, your life span and even some of the actions and decisions you make. Microorganisms within the body regulate how we digest, how much we eat and even how our immune system performs. How you care for the organisms in your body may actually be the most important decision you make.

Here are some tips on taking care of those microbes:

Eating the right foods

Diet is crucial to the way the microbes in your body perform. Unhealthy eating can breed disease in the digestive tract and alter the environment in your body. Eating a diet rich in organic fruits and vegetables can really boost your overall health, but it’s also important to get some probiotics.

Try eating foods rich in probiotics to populate your digestive tract with beneficial bacteria. Foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and even dark chocolate contain a lot of probiotics and can really make a difference.

Alternative therapies

Regular colonic irrigation can be beneficial to the entire body. Not only can it help when you’re sick, it’s a good way to prevent sickness and avoid antibiotics. Antibiotics can destroy a lot of the precious organisms within your body. When that happens, your body has to rebuild all of the beneficial bacteria. That can take some time. Colonics, lymphatic massage, enemas and other alternative therapies not only reduce the need for antibiotics, they clear out toxins, creating an ideal environment for microbes.

Here’s an interactive map of the microbiome of Scientific American.

For information on colonics, wellness and the microbiome, call us at one of our Los Angeles spas:

Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190

Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722



If you’re feeling bogged down, it may be time for a detox. Junk food, alcohol and other toxins can put a tremendous amount of weight on the body, both mentally and physically. While a healthy diet filled with fresh organic fruits and vegetables is a good way to get your body back on track, sometimes you need an extra boost.

Here are three ways colon hydrotherapy can get you back on track:

Completely clears it out

A colonic removes all of the impacted waste in the colon, acting as stimulation for the natural peristalsis of the body. It’s basically a reset button for your digestive tract. Your body has a chance to absorb more of the nutrients that you provide it with.

To add to the detoxification process, you may want to start eating vegetable-based meals and fruits with high fiber, which can act as a natural scrub brush in the digestive tract.

Helps with clarity

Many of our Santa Monica, CA, clients tell us that they feel better after their session. But it’s not just our clients. People who receive regular colonic irrigation sessions claim to have more energy, better clarity and a higher concentration level. It will also help with bloating and food cravings.

Gets rid of bad habits

A detox will help you get away from your daily grind. It will decrease your cravings for coffee, alcohol and junk food. It gives you a break from your bad habits, which may lead to their elimination — we can only hope.

For information on colonics, wellness and detox programs, call us at one of our Los Angeles spas:

Palos Verdes Spa – 310-392-9190

Santa Monica Spa – 310-399-1722