Diastasis Recti and Constipation | Two Common Postpartum Body Challenges

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Learn with Queen of the Thrones how Diastasis Recti and Constipation are Two Common Postpartum Body Challenges

Diastasis Recti and Constipation | Two Common Postpartum Body Challenges

Written by: Kim Vopni, The Vagina Coach.

Est. reading time: 9 minutes.

There are two things that I will never forget about the early hours after giving birth to my first son Diastasis Recti and Constipation.

I remember how disconnected my upper body felt from my lower body when I got up to go to the bathroom for the first time after my baby entered the world. I felt like I had to hold myself together.

Queen of the Thrones® explains how constipation cause inflamed belly

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There are two things that I will never forget about the early hours after giving birth to my first son Diastasis Recti and Constipation.

I remember how disconnected my upper body felt from my lower body when I got up to go to the bathroom for the first time after my baby entered the world. I felt like I had to hold myself together.

What was a fairly tight compact part of my body, was now a vacant space with very little tone. The muscles in my abdominal wall had stretched well beyond their normal, optimal length and the rectus muscles (think 6 pack) had also moved away from their midline position – a condition known as diastasis recti.

As I sat down to pee, I had a sudden panic attack knowing that at some point I was also going to have to poop!

The thought of that first bowel movement after giving birth is almost scarier than the birth itself! This fear coupled with other influences I will elaborate on below, can contribute to postpartum constipation.

Diastasis Recti and constipation are very common and with the right information, can be very well managed and don’t have to be a big deal in the early postpartum period or beyond. Let’s look first at constipation.

Postpartum Constipation

Once the baby is born, we as parents start to diligently record every feed and every poop our baby makes. What no one really thinks about is that the new mom would benefit from having someone do the same for her. Nutrition is a key element of postpartum healing and can play a huge role in healing and nourishing the body as well as managing bowel movements therefore reducing the likelihood of constipation.

Labour typically slows down the digestive system, especially if you had an epidural and it can take a few days to get back on track. Other things that can influence the digestive system in the early weeks postpartum are pain medications, iron supplementation and fear of pooping.

A lot happens in the pelvis and to the vagina, perineum and anus – things like tearing, stitches, tenderness and hemorrhoids. The thought of anything else passing through can be a bit stressful to say the least. Stress activates the ‘fight or flight’ response which reduces blood flow to the digestive system and can contribute to constipation.

From a Chinese medicine perspective the first system that needs to be addressed in postpartum healing is the digestive system. The digestive system is responsible for transforming food into blood and energy and if digestion is off, then the body will not benefit from the food consumed and therefore not build the blood and energy needed for healing.

Mother Roasting

It is also believed in Chinese Medicine that the body has ‘opened’ during pregnancy and birth and is therefore susceptible to ‘wind’ or ‘cold’. New mothers have a 30 day period of “sitting in” where the mother does not go out and is instead served warm soups, stews, and broths that are easy to digest.

Korea has a 100 day period where the mother and child do not leave the home. In Japan, the mother and baby stay at the mother’s parent’s home for some pampering and one-on-one time with the baby. India and African nations include traditions of 10-40 day isolations where additional support is provided including massage, childcare and food preparation.

Other practices from places like Malaysia include belly binding and hot stones on the abdomen to help cleanse it, close it and heal it.

These practices not only allow the body time to recover from the trauma of giving birth but provide a period of mental rest that I firmly believe creates a solid foundation for mom and baby from day one.

According with Queen of the Thrones® the digestive system gets stressed by constipation

Belly wrapping support the pelvis and abdominal wall

The belief of the need to ‘close’ the body is justified. Diastasis Recti has been shown to happen to 100% of women in the third trimester and the gap between the muscles doesn’t always return to its pre-pregnancy state, nor does the connective tissue naturally regain its supportive tensioning role in the core. The muscles in the pelvic floor have also stretched and in some cases have been cut or torn which can contribute to challenges with core control and continence.

Belly wrapping or belly binding aims to provide temporary compression and support to the pelvis and abdominal wall in the early weeks postpartum when the muscles are temporarily hindered in their ability to contribute to core control.

The muscles and connective tissue in the abdominal wall and pelvis are key with regards to stability and control in our inner core but so are the bones and joints. In the pelvis, the shape of the bones provides what is called ‘form closure’ while the muscles, ligaments and connective tissue contribute to what is called ‘force closure’. During pregnancy biomechanical changes occur in the body which can reduce the effectiveness of both form and force closure such as;

Altered posture and load bearing;
Altered muscle length in the pelvic floor and abdomen (both longer and shorter) which results in reduced ability for muscle force production;
The role of relaxing and progesterone contribute to joint laxity and when the ligaments are lax it affects the force closure.
The abdominal muscles are stretched to allow space for the enlarging uterus, which can lead to loss of muscle tone and strength in the abdominal region and a compromised ability to produce tension in the thoracolumbar fascia, resulting in reduced force closure in the pelvis;
Diastasis recti is a distortion in the abdominal wall and can impair the function of the muscles including their role in posture and pelvic stability;
The transversus abdominis, multifidus, diaphragm and the pelvic floor are all anticipatory muscles of the core and are required for force closure in the pelvis – all are affected by posture and alignment changes in pregnancy
Intra-abdominal pressure – altered mechanics and alignment mean management of intra-abdominal pressure will change

The benfits of Castor Oil include these three main functions:nutrient-rich, pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory.

Add a Fascia Massage Roller to these benefitsand you’ve now super boosted these functions.

You see, combining Castor Oil to your Fascia Massage Roller practice helps to massage the tight tissues and adhesions found along energetic pathways that can become blocked by physical or emotional trauma.

And the benefits of this practice are:

Breaking down of scar tissue from injury, cesarean section, surgery, and/or endometriosis
Fade stretch marks from weight gain or postpartum
Fascia release for sore muscles and tight IT bands
Lymphatic drainage and circulation
Support smoothing out cellulite

Sounds amazing, right?

GET YOUR FASCIA MASSAGE EGUIDE HERE!

Intra-Abdominal Pressure

We can’t talk about postpartum recovery and wrapping without talking about intra-abdominal pressure.

Intra-abdominal pressure is defined as the pressure within the abdominal cavity. It is part of our core stability system. We need some, but not too much and we need an ability to manage the varying pressures throughout the day. When we take a breath in, the diaphragm descends and there is a compression action on the abdominal contents which acts to stabilize the pelvis and spine. We can have too much pressure such as a Valsalva maneuverer which is an inhale, then breath hold while bearing down. This often results in a distended abdomen and can place pressure on the pelvic organs as well.

Hypopressives recommended by Queen of the Thrones

We can’t talk about postpartum recovery and wrapping without talking about intra-abdominal pressure.

We can have too much pressure such as a Valsalva maneuverer which is an inhale, then breath hold while bearing down. This often results in a distended abdomen and can place pressure on the pelvic organs as well.

The reverse can also be seen in a technique called “hypopressives” which decreases intra-abdominal pressure and results in a hollowing or concavity of the abdomen. A reliance on one may result in a compromised ability to manage changes in intra-abdominal pressure such as during lifting or exercise.

Crunches were given a bad rap because they cause an increase in intra-abdominal pressure but a study found that activities like standing up from a chair or downward dog pose in yoga actually created equal or greater increases in intra-abdominal pressure which suggests that managing intra-abdominal pressure is more about HOW a person performs a movement or exercise rather than the exercise itself.

Wrapping is often considered to be a practice that increases intra-abdominal pressure and it can when done incorrectly. Wrapping is ideally done to temporarily contribute to force closure in the pelvis with some gentle hugging of the abdominal wall.

Many mistakenly wrap only the waist and wrap very tightly in hopes that it will help heal the gap between the abdominals (diastasis recti). Instead it increases intra-abdominal pressure, it interferes with digestion and it restricts optimal breathing patterns which can prevent healing of the abdominal wall and pelvic floor and can also contribute to constipation.

My recommendations for postpartum recovery include principles that support rest and belly wrapping in the early weeks postpartum, core retraining with pelvic floor initiated movements, a balance between hyper and hypopressive exercise and nutrition that is based on the traditional practices of mother roasting to support optimal digestion.

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Disclaimer: Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, are those of the respective authors or distributors. Neither Queen of the Thrones® nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content. This communication does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Information provided does not replace the advice of your health care practitioner. If you happen to purchase anything we promote, in this or any of our communications, it’s likely Queen of the Thrones® will receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, we only promote content and products that we truly believe in and share with our friends, family and patients. If you ever have a concern with anything we share, please let us know at care@queenofthethrones.com. We want to make sure we are always serving Our Queendom at the highest level.

Best Lab Tests to Help Treat Your Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Bowel movement, candida, castor oil, castor oil packs, cleansing, detox, digestion, gut health, inflammation, irritable bowels, microbiome | 0 comments

Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs best alternative in the market

Best Lab Tests to Help Treat Your Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive).
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 11 minutes.

So you’ve been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Now what??

Why is IBS a Functional Bowel Movement Disorder?

Irritable bowel syndrome is classified as a chronic functional bowel movement disorder because it is diagnosed by the symptoms that you are experiencing. These are typically abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and changes in bowel movements, often diarrhea or constipation¹. Other digestive diseases that can be seen by colonoscopy or confirmed by lab tests are often excluded before IBS is diagnosed.

Why Can’t Labs Tell Me That I Have IBS?

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Why should I test for IBS?

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Since irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic, long term disease, being proactive in this way helps to stay on top of things and avoid the frustration and suffering of living with uncomfortable symptoms.

It is important to do tests to rule out other conditions; when the diagnosis is clear, it is easier to direct and guide treatment and to track improvements.

Are There Functional Tests for IBS?

Yes, there are things that can be tested, but again, it is a whole-body approach.

What Is the Point of Testing in IBS?

First off, it’s important to do tests to rule out other conditions. When the diagnosis is clear, I test irritable bowel patients in order to track improvements and direct and guide treatment.

Since irritable bowel is a chronic, long term disease, being proactive in this way helps to stay on top of things and avoid the frustration and suffering of living with uncomfortable symptoms.

Stress Hormone Testing Cortisol and ACTH

Research demonstrates that people with irritable bowel syndrome, mainly women, with onset at a younger age³, will have it for the greater part of their lives.

They typically also have an imbalance in their nervous system and stress response.

Stress markers of cortisol in the blood can be tested and show a difference between men and women as well as between healthy and unhealthy subjects⁴.

However, this is a costly test and is not common protocol for irritable bowel syndrome.

Salivary or urine cortisol markers can also be used to measure this, and they are my markers of choice. Research demonstrates that there is a significant difference in cortisol (stress hormone) markers in the morning and evening, and in general there was a higher spike in the a.m. and lower in the evening. The pattern of circadian rhythm night and day curve was still maintained⁵.

These tests can be purchased on YourLabWork.com.

Sleep is often something that is a complaint for women with IBS and there seems to be a difference between the type, whether it be IBS-D (diarrhea predominant) or IBS-C (constipation predominant)⁶. Sleep is something that normally balances our regulatory systems as it helps to reset the immune, nervous and hormonal systems.

Wearing an eye compress to bed at night helps support natural melatonin production, without having to take a supplement. Would you love to have your own sleep compress so you can sleep better naturally?

The Castor Oil Eye Compress Kit uses Castor Oil applied around the eyes, eyelashes and eyebrows, covered by a sleep mask. This has a relaxing effect on the system and improves natural melatonin levels, helping you to get a good night’s sleep. You will note over time, visible differences in sleep quality with using a mask⁷.

GET YOUR EYE COMPRESS KIT HERE!

Inflammation Testing in IBS

Inflammation is a key component in IBS. Inflammation may be sourced from food sensitivities, allergies and intolerances, or choices of food, such as fermented foods that have high levels of histamine and act as an irritant to the gut. Inflammation is a root cause of all diseases and when there is imbalance in any system there is always inflammation.

Ferritin, the storage molecule for iron can also be a key indicator of acute inflammation. It is important to test in combination with a complete blood count (CBC) as well as an iron panel to make sure you rule out any other reasons for an elevated level of Ferritin.

There are certain key markers that are indicative of inflammation. Firstly, high sensitivity C reactive protein (HS-CRP). This marker is not often tested, however, levels have been noted to be higher in those with irritable bowel syndrome as compared to the healthy population⁸.

Cholesterol is also one of the markers of inflammation.

A complete blood count (CBC) is always important to do as well, because it demonstrates a variety of markers. With regards to inflammation, eosinophils are a marker of allergy and when they are elevated it’s an indicator that there is elevated histamines in the body¹⁰.

It’s most commonly correlated to parasite infection, which is something to be considered in irritable bowel syndrome, since the onset of IBS can be due to a gastrointestinal infection¹¹.

Food sensitivity testing is in a class of its own. It can demonstrate inflammatory processes in the gut as well as immune reactivity. When aiming to fix an irritable bowel, it’s important to understand that there are so many things that can be irritating it.

Food is the biggest irritator and since we eat food every day, it’s very important to address this to reduce inflammation.

There are different tests for IBS, the food sensitivity testing in this lab in the US is one of the most recommended to measures your IgG reactivity levels.

Can You Test for Dysbiosis and The Microbiome?

You absolutely can, and uric acid (a key indicator of gout) is an excellent marker to use for dysbiosis or an unhealthy microbiome12. Uric acid is a good indicator of microbiome health because it shows improper metabolism of protein, typically due to unhealthy gut bugs.

Another test is the Organic Acids Test (OAT), which tracks overgrowth of yeasts as well as possible clostridium infections which aids in the support of people with IBS.

There are also recent novel tests that will actually classify the types of healthy v.s. pathogenic microbes in your microbiome. This research is in its infancy.

What Should You Test?

Here is your dream test list, so you can rule out other sources of pain in the intestine:

BC
Serum Electrolytes
Liver Enzymes, ALT, AST, ALP GGT
Urobilinogen, direct and indirect
Blood Lipids/Cholesterol
Albumin
eGFR and Creatinine
HS-CRP
Uric acid and urea
Iron panel including Ferritin
TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Antibodies for Thyroid
Dutch Hormone Test
Food Sensitivity Testing
OAT Test

What to Do While You’re Waiting to Get Your Tests Done?

Start working on a solution!

Start a new self-care ritual so you can begin to work on the stress component by balancing your body’s stress hormones by doing a Castor Oil Pack for Liver. It will reduce inflammation, help the body to cleanse, get the bowels moving and significantly reduce pain in the gut. The Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack for Liver Kit helps you get a great night’s sleep.

In addition, you can add the simple step to your sleep ritual by wearing an eye compress to bed. As mentioned before, this will help to increase the body’s natural melatonin production, improving quality of sleep. Get your Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Eye Compress Kit to improve your sleep.

You see, adding these two simple steps to your self-care rituals will help if you can start to reduce your stress, address the inflammation, cleanse, poop and sleep then you will be able to get a clearer picture of what is going on.

Peek After You Poo

Another simple step you can do is start peeking at your poo. It’s important for you to see what’s going on in your toilet bowl and the best part? You’ll have a better idea of what to tell your doctor. Because let’s face it, lab tests start to get quite expensive. For the full panel above you could be looking at anywhere between $1500-$2500 per shot, so why not learn what your poo is saying about you? It is an easy daily at-home test, totally free!

Use Queen of the Thrones® Eau de Throne® Organic Essential Oil Spray the ‘After You Poo Parfum to get into the habit of peeking after you poo and allow the blend of organic essential oils to ensure that you will never be embarrassed again for the smell you leave behind!

For a better understanding of what your poo says about you;

GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK '50 SHADES OF POO'

Start today! Don’t wait for tomorrow to do what you can do today. This is your health, your life, your body and it’s time for you to know and understand what is going on.

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

Click here for references

1. Bandar Mohammed Bardisi, Abdulaziz Kamal H. Halawani, Hassan Kamal H. Halawani, Aseel Hassan Alharbi, Nesma Saleh Turkostany, Taraji Saeed Alrehaili, Aisha Ahmad Radin, and Nasser Moqbil Alkhuzea. Efficiency of diet change in irritable bowel syndrome. J Family Med Prim Care. 2018 Sep-Oct; 7(5): 946–951.PMID: 30598938

2. Emanuele Sinagra, Gaetano Cristian Morreale, Ghazaleh Mohammadian, Giorgio Fusco, Valentina Guarnotta, Giovanni Tomasello, Francesco Cappello, Francesca Rossi, Georgios Amvrosiadis, and Dario Raimondo New therapeutic perspectives in irritable bowel syndrome: Targeting low-grade inflammation, immuno-neuroendocrine axis, motility, secretion and beyond. World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 28; 23(36): 6593–6627.PMID: 29085207

3. Ju Yup Lee and Kyung Sik Park. Gender Difference in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Korean J Gastroenterol. 2018 Oct 25;72(4):163-169. doi: 10.4166/kjg.2018.72.4.163.

4. Elizabeth J. Videlock,a Wendy Shih,b Mopelola Adeyemo,a Swapna Mahurkar-Joshi,a Angela P. Presson,c Christos Polytarchou,a Melissa Alberto,a Dimitrios Iliopoulos,a Emeran A. Mayer,a and Lin Changa,* The effect of sex and irritable bowel syndrome on HPA axis response and peripheral glucocorticoid receptor expression.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016 Jul; 69: 67–76.PMID: 27038676

5. Patacchioli FR1, Angelucci L, Dellerba G, Monnazzi P, Leri O. Actual stress, psychopathology and salivary cortisol levels in the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). J Endocrinol Invest. 2001 Mar;24(3):173-7.

6. Robert L. Burr, MSEE, PhD, Research Professor,a Monica E. Jarrett, PhD, Professor,a Kevin C. Cain, PhD, Research Scientist,b Sang-Eun Jun, MS, Doctoral Candidate,a and Margaret M. Heitkemper, PhD, Professora. Catecholamine and Cortisol Levels during Sleep in Women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2009 Nov; 21(11): 1148–1e97.PMID: 19573081

7. Rong-fang Hu, Xiao-ying Jiang, Yi-ming Zeng, Xiao-yang Chen, and You-hua Zhang. Effects of earplugs and eye masks on nocturnal sleep, melatonin and cortisol in a simulated intensive care unit environment. Crit Care. 2010; 14(2): R66.PMID: 20398302

8. Keren Hod, MSc,1,2 Tamar Ringel-Kulka, MD MPH,3 Christopher F. Martin, MSPH,2 Nitsan Maharshak, MD,4 and Yehuda Ringel, MD*,2 High Sensitive C – Reactive Protein as a Marker for Inflammation in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.J Clin Gastroenterol. 2016 Mar; 50(3): 227–232.PMID: 25930973

9. Tall AR, Yvan-Charvet L. Cholesterol, inflammation and innate immunity. Nat Rev Immunol. 2015 Feb;15(2):104-16. doi: 10.1038/nri3793.

10. Church MK1. Allergy, Histamine and Antihistamines. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2017;241:321-331. doi: 10.1007/164_2016_85.

11. Wouters MM, Van Wanrooy S, Nguyen A, Dooley J, Aguilera-Lizarraga J, Van Brabant W, Garcia-Perez JE, Van Oudenhove L, Van Ranst M, Verhaegen J, Liston A, Boeckxstaens G Psychological comorbidity increases the risk for postinfectious IBS partly by enhanced susceptibility to develop infectious gastroenteritis. Gut. 2016 Aug;65(8):1279-88. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2015-309460. Epub 2015 Jun 12.

12 Zhuang Guo, Jiachao Zhang, Zhanli Wang, Kay Ying Ang, Shi Huang, Qiangchuan Hou, Xiaoquan Su, Jianmin Qiao, Yi Zheng, Lifeng Wang, Eileen Koh, Ho Danliang, Jian Xu, Yuan Kun Lee, and Heping Zhang, Intestinal Microbiota Distinguish Gout Patients from Healthy Humans Sci Rep. 2016; 6: 20602.PMID: 26852926 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4757479/

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How to Get You Regular with Castor Oil Packs for Constipation

bloating, Bowel movement, candida, castor oil, castor oil packs, cleansing, constipation, detox, diarrhea, digestion, gut health, health, inflammation, irritable bowels, microbiome, Other, Poop, relaxation, stress | 0 comments

How to Get You Regular with Castor Oil Packs for Constipation

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive).
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 9 minutes.

I remember my mother always being constipated. She would hyper focus on food and what she should be eating. Sometimes it would help, most of the time it wouldn’t. This is the situation that most people find themselves in. You are trying to get all your fiber and fluids in, yet you’re still not going to the bathroom. You aren’t having those amazing bowel movements as you should. What gives?

Your poo is much more complicated than just the food that you eat. That is just the start of getting things going. The gut is also highly regulated via hormonal and nervous system pathways. In fact, if you didn’t know it, the gut is known as the second brain¹. It not only relies on the brain to tell it what to do, but it is the only organ that can work independently.

Meaning you can take it out of the body and it can function completely on its own. This system is called the enteric nervous system and it dictates what goes on in the gut. How interesting is that! There are only a few ways to engage its action. The easiest is the infamous Castor Oil Pack for Liver, and this will be our focus in this article.

The Issue of Compliance with Castor Oil Packs

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If you’ve been prescribed Castor Oil Packs, you are probably cringing right now. You know all too well the expectation that your practitioner had for you to do them, but they are just too much of a hassle and too messy to do. I know exactly what you’re feeling because I’ve been there too.

That’s what stopped me for years from doing the Castor Oil Pack for Liver. It was something that I was told to do for years by not one, but many people… doctors, health food store owners, people who had years and years of natural health experts. I wouldn’t listen. Only because I was lazy and didn’t have the time. I know you are feeling that way too, and that’s ok! It’s human nature, after all, to do that which is of the least effort.

Pooping Problems

I was seriously suffering hardcore with gut issues. I’d go from diarrhea to constipation, to major bloating and gas. Like many of you, I was in a constant state of crap in my guts.

I would be told that I had microbiome issues, small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), food allergies, anxiety, depression, hormonal dysregulation, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and fatty liver. You name it, I was told that I had it, and above all, I had MAJOR pooping problems.

When You’re Doing Everything ‘Right’ But Still Feel Like Crap

I was addressing all of these things with my naturopath but it didn’t make sense because here I was, doing all the ‘right’ things but still feeling like crap. I was taking good quality supplements, probiotics, digestive enzymes, magnesium, I would even go as far as laxatives from time to time because my constipation would get so bad. I was eating the right foods and exercising, but for some reason, it wasn’t fitting the bill.

I remember vividly, the worst 10 days where I didn’t go poo once. I was literally beside myself, I felt soooo horrible in my own skin. I remember searching out for a way to manually extract my poo!

My First Castor Oil Pack

After weeks of constipation, I became super sick and decided that I was finally going to try this treatment that EVERYONE had told me to do. I made myself my own Castor Oil Pack for Liver and tried it.

Wow, was my response. It changed my world from the first moment that I put it on my body. I was already feeling better, more relaxed and well in my body. I felt. For a long time, it was like I just wasn’t feeling anything, I didn’t feel present in my system. I know it sounds weird but I was dealing with so much discomfort, that I felt completely disconnected from my body.

You see, it’s easier to look for an escape. It’s no surprise that when you’re dealing with an irritable bowel, anxiety, and depression are usually a result. Some say it is the cause, my belief is it goes deeper than that.

Historical Use of Castor Oil Packs

Castor Oil Packs ended up being my saving grace. I’m not surprised, as I began my research and found that this practice dates back to biblical times. It is mentioned in the ancient Chinese and Indian medical texts as well as practiced by the ancient Mediterranean and Egyptian cultures.

Castor Oil Packs are not the new kids on the block, rather, they are the most important tool that fundamentally supports all other treatments. No treatment is like the Castor Oil Pack and the beauty of it is that now it’s easy, and it can be done in the comfort of your home.

Innovative Castor Oil Pack Design

Necessity is the instigator of the invention. I know myself and I’m pretty sure you know yourself too. When something is difficult, time-consuming, or a plain old hassle, it takes a superhuman effort to get it done. When I was told to do the Castor Oil Pack, I would look at the process and snark, “There is no way that I’m going to do that, forget it! I’m busy, I’ve got too much on the go.”

It took me hitting rock bottom, feeling like I was “never gonna get better”. It took years of naturopathic school, to finally believe that it was good for every condition. It took me grabbing the bull by its horns and creating a pack that made the process simple, easy and less messy, otherwise, I was never going to keep it up.

The Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack for Liver was born. Simply apply oil to the cotton compress side and tie it onto the body over the liver. Get your very own Castor Oil Pack Kit here!

How Castor Oil Packs Alleviate Constipation?

1. Castor Oil Packs move the smooth muscle of our body.

Smooth muscle is only in select parts of the body, notably the digestive system/gut, including the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. It is in the uterus as well. The other muscles of our body that you’re familiar with, like the biceps and triceps are made of what is called striated muscle. Smooth muscle works via signals of PG3— what is known as an eicosanoid. You are likely familiar with it because when you take fish oils to get your omega 3s, those are also eicosanoids. In a nut shell, they are messengers in the body (like carrier pigeons) that tell certain body parts to do something. When you take fish oils, you tell your body to reduce inflammation.

When you do a Castor Oil Pack, you absorb Castor Oil through the skin that tells the smooth muscle of the intestine to move. Movement in the intestine is known as peristalsis. This is a rhythmic movement, like a dance that propels the contents of the intestine down so it can be eliminated. In the stomach it mixes things, in the intestine, it moves things around to absorb and then to eliminate what we don’t need. The nice thing with the Castor Oil Pack is that it regulates this dance.

They will make you go to the bathroom and have an excellent bowel movement. Studies show it works as well as laxatives without the uncomfortable gas, bloating, and harsh urgency and patients feel more satisfied and fully evacuated³. This one thing that Castor Oil Packs do is incredibly important.

**Please note that Castor Oil Packs are not recommended if you are pregnant or may be pregnant because of the uterus also being smooth muscle^4,5,6

2. Castor Oil Packs move the smooth muscle of our body.

Biofilm is a protective barrier created by bacteria on mucous membranes. You probably know of these gut bugs as probiotics, which is what we call them when they are beneficial for the body. When they are not good for our health, I have coined them “conbiotics”. Probiotics help us because they create nutrients for our body like B vitamins.

The conbiotics on the other hand, use up our bodies’ resources, they don’t make our vitamins, they create byproducts and gases that actually slow down peristalsis, making us constipated.

The more virulent conbiotics are the worst because of protective biofilm that they can create to stop us from killing them. In Lyme disease, as an example, the bacteria Borrelia is transmitted via ticks. It is known for creating a destructive biofilm that is very difficult to break down. People who are dealing with Lyme disease should absolutely be doing Castor Oil Packs, as they are one of the tools that will help them to reset their microbiome.

The research shows that Castor Oil, compared to other chemical agents to break down biofilm, outperforms in vivo (in the human body)^7,8,9. We need to have a healthy microbiome to have good bowel movements!

3. Castor Oil Packs move the smooth muscle of our body.

Stress does not allow you to have healthy bowel movements because it tenses up the parts of the body that need to be relaxed to work.

The intestines and bowels are regulated and working well in a relaxed state. You can take all the fluids, fiber, probiotics and digestive enzymes you want but if your body doesn’t know how to switch into the relaxed state for peristalsis and relaxation of the lower sphincter, you are a duck out of luck. For me, stress was severely impacting my bowels and regularity.

Castor Oil Packs work via the nervous system by stimulating the nerves in the skin^10,11. This only works when you wear the pack. This is probably the most important action. Improving the microbiome and getting the smooth muscle to function won’t matter if your lower sphincter can’t relax enough to let go! The topical application of a Castor Oil Pack is exactly for that, to “LET GO”.

4. Castor Oil Packs help to Cleanse and Preserve Glutathione.

We all know that cleansing is important, and there is one molecule known as glutathione that stands out among all of the antioxidants. It cleans and protects the body, and helps to detox heavy metals.¹²

It is well known that heavy metals impact our bodies in a variety of ways, inhibiting the immune system, therefore aiding and abetting to an unhealthy microbiome. They impact our hormonal system and detrimentally affect the nervous system. Glutathione is well known to be an antioxidant that in this day and age is in lower concentrations in our bodies because of the physiological demand due to industrialized pollution.

There are very few ways to get glutathione. It is found in whey protein (which I never recommend since it is dairy based and for those that have an irritable bowel it is just plain torture), rooibos tea, (well known for its antioxidant effects) or oral supplementation (the jury is out on whether or not glutathione is absorbed well via supplements).

Supplementing with magnesium and NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) may help as they are precursors to glutathione. The other way is via IV therapy, known as a Glutathione Push. Recent research demonstrated that Castor Oil improves the recycling of glutathione in the lenses of rats, greater than even a solution of glutathione¹³. This is very impressive; Castor Oil Packs improve antioxidant status¹⁴.

5. Castor Oil reduces inflammation.

When you are inflamed in your intestines, it becomes very difficult to go to the bathroom. Castor Oil Packs reduce inflammation^15,16, allowing for smooth passage of stools out of the body.

It’s incredible that this therapy can be such aid for those that suffer from constipation. Constipation contributes to more serious conditions and diseases and if something is not done, your body can be severely damaged in the long term. A system that can’t eliminate waste backs up, and the back up is the cause of many problems.

No different than when you garbage removal goes on strike or the sewer back ups, that is always bad news. Now you have the tools at your disposal to make it all better!

Time to act.

xoxoxo

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can get your free e-guide join now!

GET YOUR FREE EGUIDE ON CASTOR OIL PACKS

Click here for references

1. Gershon, Michael D. The Second Brain. HarperCollins World, 1999.

2. Sorin Tunaru,a Till F. Althoff,a Rolf M. Nüsing,b Martin Diener,c and Stefan Offermannsa,d,1 Castor oil induces laxation and uterus contraction via ricinoleic acid activating prostaglandin EP3 receptorsProc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jun 5; 109(23): 9179–9184. Published online 2012 May 21. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1201627109PMID: 22615395

3. Arslan GG, Eşer I. An examination of the effect of castor oil packs on constipation in the elderly. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Feb;17(1):58-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.04.004. Epub 2010 May 18.

4. Gao J1, Sun N, Wang F.[Effects of castor oil-diet on the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 in pregnant rats].[Article in Chinese] Zhonghua Fu Chan Ke Za Zhi. 1999 Mar;34(3):147-9.

5. Gao J1, Sun N, Wang F, Hao N.[Effect of castor oil-diet on the initiation of labor of pregnant rat].[Article in Chinese] Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao. 1998 Oct;20(5):367-70.

6. Kelly AJ1, Kavanagh J, Thomas J. Castor oil, bath and/or enema for cervical priming and induction of labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jul 24;(7):CD003099. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003099.pub2.

7. Andrade IM1, Andrade KM2, Pisani MX1, Silva-Lovato CH1, de Souza RF1, Paranhos Hde F1. Trial of an experimental castor oil solution for cleaning dentures. Braz Dent J. 2014 Jan-Feb;25(1):43-7.

8. Badaró MM, Salles MM, Leite VMF, Arruda CNF, Oliveira VC, Nascimento CD, Souza RF, Paranhos HFO, Silva-Lovato CH. Clinical trial for evaluation of Ricinus communis and sodium hypochlorite as denture cleanser.J Appl Oral Sci. 2017 May-Jun; 25(3):324-334.

9. Salles MM, Badaró MM, Arruda CN, Leite VM, Silva CH, Watanabe E, Oliveira Vde C, Paranhos Hde F. Antimicrobial activity of complete denture cleanser solutions based on sodium hypochlorite and Ricinus communis – a randomized clinical study.J Appl Oral Sci. 2015 Nov-Dec; 23(6):637-42.

10. Walker SC1, Trotter PD2, Swaney WT2, Marshall A3, Mcglone FP4. C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions? Neuropeptides. 2017 Aug;64:27-38. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.01.001. Epub 2017 Jan 19.

11. Rolls ET et all. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17. ( Dopamine release, Limbic System of brain- Fatty Meal Satisfaction)

12. Jan AT, Azam M, Siddiqui K, Ali A, Choi I, Haq QM. Heavy Metals and Human Health: Mechanistic Insight into Toxicity and Counter Defense System of Antioxidants. Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(12):29592-630. Published 2015 Dec 10. doi:10.3390/ijms161226183

13. Holm T, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in optisol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013.

14. Kennedy D and Keaton D. Evidence for the Topical Application of Castor Oil: A Systematic Review. CCNM. Presentation 2010 AANP

15. Grady H. Immunomodulation through castor oil packs. The Journal of Naturopathic Medicine. Volume 7 Jan 1 1998; 7(1): 84-9

16. Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8.

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3 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed with IBS

Bowel movement, candida, castor oil, castor oil packs, cleansing, constipation, detox, diarrhea, digestion, food sensitivities, gut health, inflammation, irritable bowels, nutrition | 0 comments

3 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed with IBS

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive).
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 13 minutes.

Bowel movements, defecation, going poo… it’s the #1 most important process of the human body, and not the #2! Are you one of the 14-20% of the world population with irritable bowel syndrome (that’s approximately one BILLION people!)¹? It is hypothesized that those who have gotten the diagnosis are only the tip of the iceberg, meaning that there are so many more people that have it but haven’t been diagnosed yet. You know all too well how it can negatively affect your life. Here are the first 3 things you need to do to take control of what is happening to your body. It has to do with 3 “s” words, and shit isn’t one of them. Stools, stress and sleep.

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic, long term, recurring functional condition, meaning that when you are tested via labs or colonoscopy, everything looks normal. There seems to be no reason for your symptoms, nevertheless you have them and they are debilitating.

The Frustration of an Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diagnosis

This is extremely frustrating to hear from your doctor, especially after you have been suffering with these symptoms that have had a detrimental impact on all aspects of your life. From limiting your social life for fear of an adverse bowel movement, to affecting your work life by causing you to spend too much time in the bathroom or taking more sick days than the norm. Not to mention huge psychological impact on your well being, living with this ever growing problem.

What are the Risk Factors for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The most noted risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome are being a women, of young age, and having a preceding gut infection of some sort². The risk is actually four times higher for those who have had an infectious gut condition³.

Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The most common symptoms of IBS include a combination of recurring:

Abdominal pain
Distension, bloating and gas
Abnormal bowel movements – diarrhea and/or constipation

The Categories of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

It is classified in three categories – constipation, diarrhea or an alternation between both.

IBS-C: Predominantly constipation
IBS-D: Predominantly diarrhea
IBS-M: Mixed, alternating between constipation and diarrhea
IBS-U: Unclassified

The classification is based upon the Bristol Stool Scale (see below), designating the form of bowel movements.

Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Genetic?

It is possible. There is a link to early life exposure to stress affecting the body’s natural response to stress. So, your exposure to stress in utero or fetal programming⁴ as well as experiences as a young child can pre-program you into a maladaptive, unhealthy response to stress, changing the way that your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) functions⁵. These are the master organs that balance the regulation systems of your body, most responsible for the way your body deals with stress.

IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT, BUT IT IS UP TO YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

The Regulatory Systems Impacted In Irritable Bowel Syndrome

When you are under stress, whether it be emotional or physical stress, the body does not have the ability to differentiate⁶. Two processes occur in the body to try and maintain balance. The inflammatory arm of the immune system activates to try and burn off the stressor. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (a combination of the hormonal and nervous system⁷) also activates to turn off less important mechanisms that don’t deal with immediate life right now.

These three regulatory systems of the body, the immune, nervous and hormonal system’s goal in health is to keep everything in balance, everything functioning well. But under stress, they shut down non-vital functions for preservation of life. Therefore there’s dysregulation in these systems with IBS⁸. We also see an elevation of glucocorticoids and inflammatory markers.

So don’t be surprised if you find yourself with multiple conditions on top of your IBS. For me, I had both irritable bowel syndrome as well as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). These are often conditions that respond to an elevation of the body’s immune inflammatory messengers and the neurohormonal glucocorticoids.

Hormone Problems and IBS

Is this a coincidence then, that many women who have IBS also have PCOS? No it is not, because the body can only balance so much. In PCOS there are elevated levels of leptin, a hormone that affects food intake, energy balance and fat tissue stores but is also pro-inflammatory to the intestinal tract. Research shows that with irritable bowel syndrome there is also this elevated level of leptin in the intestine⁹.

When there is stress, many of our non-vital systems like being fertile, having regular periods, or having a healthy metabolism go into preservation mode, because the infinite intelligence of our bodies doesn’t want to use up resources because it has no idea how long the stressor will last.

Another co-existing hormonal problem that is common with IBS type symptoms, like constipation, is hypothyroid¹⁰.

Immune System Problems and IBS

The immune system is regulated by the MICROBIOME. The ever important home of billions of bugs that live on our mucosal membrane and skin.

Healthy, friendly probiotics help to improve the mucosal immune system¹¹, whereas conbiotics™, as I like to call them, or pathogenic bacteria cause total dysfunction of the immune system¹².

This leads you susceptible to constantly getting sick. Overreacting to foods as your gut’s reaction to foods is based on the immune system. It is well known that people with IBS react to many foods such as lactose¹³, gluten¹⁴ and other components of wheat to name a few.

Nervous System Problems and IBS

Google IBS and you will soon find many links that discuss the coexistence of depression and anxiety with IBS, but also as a coexisting factor with most chronic conditions. Many say that it may be in response to the condition, but it very well may be the cause of the condition, (is it the chicken or the egg, which came first?) as stress significantly alters the bodies’ regulatory homeostatic mechanisms¹⁵.

Is Stress the Cause of IBS?

Stress is a root cause of many conditions and chronic diseases. It is likely that it is a root cause of IBS, as the overlap of anxiety, depression, hormonal disturbances and immune variations are all linked to irritable bowel syndrome.

Treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

It’s no surprise that at present the majority of treatments and medicines for irritable bowel syndrome are tools that mediate the functions of these three regulatory systems of the immune, nervous and hormonal systems, as the gut is the main hub for all three.

Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications have been used for IBS, as well as antibiotics such as Rifaximin, as a way to improve the gut microbiome¹⁶.

Fix the FOUNDATION, Don’t Palliate the Problem

Living happy and healthy with IBS requires a more foundational perspective. Not looking at what can be taken to fix the problem, but what can be done and practiced to prepare the body to be in the best shape to target the regulation of the 3 systems that are out of balance – the immune, hormonal and nervous systems of the body.

The 3 easy steps to alleviate IBS:

1. Know Your Stools:

Your stools say everything about you. It’s no surprise that irritable bowel syndrome is classified based on the form according to the Bristol Stool Scale and frequency.

They can tell you key nutrient deficiencies, like magnesium being low in hormonal problems or zinc deficiency in nervous system problems, as an example. They tell about B-vitamins and other necessities to keep the foundation of our bodies functioning in harmony.

Download the free eGuide called the 50 Shades of Poo that is the first step in understanding what your poo says about you. This will set you up with an excellent practice so you can take control of your irritable bowel syndrome!

This is the most important place to start, because as Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, you do better.” It’s time for you to know better.

2. Address Your Stress:

Stress plays such a key role in IBS and the problem is we are constantly bombarded with stress. Massages and acupuncture are great ways to balance our stress levels, but we can only do them from time to time because cost is prohibitive and we are so busy, it’s hard to go to an appointment.

A Castor Oil Pack is a legendary health practice that has been in existence since biblical times and practiced by all systems and cultures of medicine. Indian, Chinese, Greek, Mediterranean, Caribbean, etc.

This tool is predominantly used to practice the pause, or the relaxed state¹⁷. In the relaxed state you can heal. Your gut microbiota is healthier, your inflammation is down, you cleanse better and your bowels move (these are also all the things the Castor Oil Pack does, independently of helping you to practice the pause).

If you feel like you’re doing everything else ‘right’ – a healthy diet, good quality supplements, regular exercise, etc. but still feel like crap, this modernized ancient health tool can help pull everything together.

3. Fix your Sleep:

Sleep resets the body and it undeniably helps with cleansing and calming, so that the nervous, hormonal and immune systems have a fighting chance. One way to improve your sleep is simply by wearing an eye mask. Like the Castor Oil Pack for Liver, an eye mask stimulates the pituitary gland to produce melatonin naturally¹⁸. This is a supplement-free way to help your body sleep and it’s amazing how a simple strategy can help to improve the bodies’ ability to heal overnight. The Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Eye Compress Kit contains an eye mask as well as a 100ml Cosmetic Castor Oil and cosmetic brush for application of Castor Oil to the eyelash and eyebrow areas.

So there you have it. Those are the first three things you can do once you know you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. My hope is that you take these and let them help you to make a difference in your life. Because you don’t need to suffer. You need to learn and do what will help you to get your best body balance.

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

Click here for references

1 Padhy SK1, Sahoo S1, Mahajan S1, Sinha SK2. Irritable bowel syndrome: Is it “irritable brain” or “irritable bowel”? J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2015 Oct-Dec;6(4):568-77. doi: 10.4103/0976-3147.169802.

2 Paul Enck,1 Qasim Aziz,2 Giovanni Barbara,3 Adam D. Farmer,2 Shin Fukudo,4 Emeran A. Mayer,5 Beate Niesler,6 Eamonn M. M. Quigley,7 Mirjana Rajilić-Stojanović,8 Michael Schemann,9 Juliane Schwille-Kiuntke,1 Magnus Simren,10 Stephan Zipfel,1 and Robin C. Spiller11 Irritable bowel syndrome Nat Rev Dis Primers. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 Aug 26.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016; 2: 16014.PMID: 27159638

3 Fabiane Klem,1,2,* Akhilesh Wadhwa,1,* Larry Prokop,1 Wendy Sundt,1 Gianrico Farrugia,1 Michael Camilleri,1 Siddharth Singh,3 and Madhusudan Grover1,# Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome After Infectious Enteritis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysisGastroenterology. 2017 Apr; 152(5): 1042–1054.e1.PMID: 28069350

4 Mariann A. Howland,1 Curt A. Sandman,1 and Laura M. Glynn1,2 Developmental origins of the human hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axisExpert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2017 Sep; 12(5): 321–339.PMID: 30058893

5 Miranda van Bodegom, Judith R. Homberg, and Marloes J. A. G. Henckens* Modulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by Early Life Stress Exposure. Front Cell Neurosci. 2017; 11: 87. 10.3389/fncel.2017.00087PMID: 28469557

6 Vanja Duric, * Sarah Clayton, Mai Lan Leong, and Li-Lian Yuan Comorbidity Factors and Brain Mechanisms Linking Chronic Stress and Systemic Illness Neural Plast. 2016; 2016: 5460732. PMID: 26977323

7 Kate Ryan Kuhlman,1 Jessica J. Chiang,2 Sarah Horn,3 and Julienne E. Bower1 Developmental psychoneuroendocrine and psychoneuroimmune pathways from childhood adversity to disease Neurosci Biobehav Rev. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2018 Sep 1.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 Sep; 80: 166–184.PMID: 28577879

8 O’Malley D1. Endocrine regulation of gut function – a role for glucagon-like peptide-1 in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Exp Physiol. 2019 Jan;104(1):3-10. doi: 10.1113/EP087443. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

9 De-Rong Liu, Xiao-Juan Xu, and Shu-Kun Yao Increased intestinal mucosal leptin levels in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome World J Gastroenterol. 2018 Jan 7; 24(1): 46–57.PMID: 29358881

10 Anant D. Patil Link between hypothyroidism and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2014 May-Jun; 18(3): 307–309.PMID: 24944923

11 Salvucci E1,2. The human-microbiome superorganism and its modulation to restore health. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Mar 7:1-15. doi: 10.1080/09637486.2019.1580682. [Epub ahead of print]

12 Shi N#1, Li N#2, Duan X2, Niu H1. Interaction between the gut microbiome and mucosal immune system. Mil Med Res. 2017 Apr 27;4:14. doi: 10.1186/s40779-017-0122-9. eCollection 2017.

13Bayless TM1,2, Brown E3, Paige DM3. Lactase Non-persistence and Lactose Intolerance. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2017 May;19(5):23. doi: 10.1007/s11894-017-0558-9.

14 Rej A1, Sanders DS1,2. The overlap of irritable bowel syndrome and noncoeliac gluten sensitivity. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2019 Feb 12. doi: 10.1097/MOG.0000000000000517.

15 Vanja Duric, * Sarah Clayton, Mai Lan Leong, and Li-Lian Yuan Comorbidity Factors and Brain Mechanisms Linking Chronic Stress and Systemic Illness Neural Plast. 2016; 2016: 5460732.Published online 2016 Feb 8. doi: 10.1155/2016/5460732PMID: 26977323 ]

¹⁶ Emanuele Sinagra, Gaetano Cristian Morreale, Ghazaleh Mohammadian, Giorgio Fusco, Valentina Guarnotta, Giovanni Tomasello, Francesco Cappello, Francesca Rossi, Georgios Amvrosiadis, and Dario Raimondo New therapeutic perspectives in irritable bowel syndrome: Targeting low-grade inflammation, immuno-neuroendocrine axis, motility, secretion and beyond. World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 28; 23(36): 6593–6627.PMID: 29085207 h

¹⁷ Rolls ET et all. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17. ( Dopamine release, Limbic System of brain- Fatty Meal Satisfaction)

¹⁸ Rong-fang Hu, Xiao-ying Jiang, Yi-ming Zeng, Xiao-yang Chen, You-hua Zhang. Effects of earplugs and eye masks on nocturnal sleep, melatonin and cortisol in a simulated intensive care unit environment. Published online 2010 Apr 18. doi: 10.1186/cc8965

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How to Optimize Cleansing & Detoxification with Castor Oil Packs.

biofilm, bloating, castor oil, cleansing, constipation, detox, food sensitivities, gut health, hyper wiping, inflammation, irritable bowels, microbiome, Other, relaxation, stress | 0 comments

How to Optimize Cleansing and Detoxification with Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs

How to Optimize Cleansing & Detoxification with Castor Oil Packs.

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive).
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 16 minutes.

When I first heard about cleansing I was under the impression that it was just a fad. A trend that would soon disappear. Something that Gwyneth Paltrow or the latest Hollywood starlet was promoting. When I began my journey and dove deep into the science and learning of what natural medicine truly is, I fell in love with the ways that natural-focused caregivers activate the healing powers of the body, known as the “vis” in naturopathic medicine.

I soon realized that cleansing and detoxification practices are not a new-age Hollywood hippie thing. In fact, their roots date back to before biblical times. Basically to the beginning of the conscious human!

There is evidence in historical texts, in the literature of practices since the time of Hippocrates, the father of medicine. It is no wonder that this specialization in functional medicine is taking on a whole new science-based appreciation.

More and more practitioners are realizing the benefit of incorporating these treatments and therapies into their practice.

They help with rebalancing the system, whether you are suffering from a hormonal problem, a digestive issue, or any of the other hundreds of labels given to problems in the body.

What is the Difference Between Body Cleansing and Detoxification?

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To begin, I think it is really important to understand and define the terminology. I am often confused, as I know you are too, by the manner in which people use the terms cleansing and detoxification. Are they interchangeable? Do they mean the same thing? Which one should I be doing?

Let’s start by clarifying these Uber important terms and then delving into the 5 most important keys to re-engaging these vital life-promoting, disease-destroying functions of our glorious bodies. Then I’ll share my favorite tool that jumpstarts these functions in our bodies.

Cleansing is the ability for our bodies to eliminate waste created in our systems by the foods we eat, our natural metabolic processes and what we accumulate just by living on planet earth.

What are the Cleansing Pathways of the Body??

Our most important cleansing pathways include:

1. Stools – Your poo is the primary vehicle for the elimination of leftovers/roughage from your food. The majority of stools consists of bacteria, as well as fat soluble substances such as cholesterol, toxins of all types including heavy metals like mercury and lead, and excess hormones like estrogen.

2. Urine – A primary vehicle that eliminates what the stools cannot, often excesses of heavy metals and other substances such as uric acid.

3. Sweat – A secondary elimination pathway. This pathway should be encouraged if stools and urine are functioning optimally. People will often note worsening body odour if they are having problems with constipation. This is because the genius of our bodies will always search for a way to get the things out that are no good for us.

4. Breath – Breath is well known for the elimination of carbon dioxide.

5. Periods – For women, our periods are a vehicle for elimination of toxicity. It is researched that women in menopause, after losing their periods, are more toxic and will experience hot flashes as an adaptation to continue elimination, since they are so toxic.

What are the Detoxification Sites of the Body?

Detoxification on the other hand, is the metabolic transformation of a substance, usually from one thing into another. It occurs mainly in the following places in the body:

1. Liver – Phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification help to package and transform substances that are not easy to eliminate via the cleansing pathways.

2. Kidneys – Part of phase 3 of detoxification, where further filtration occurs.

3. Mucous Membranes – Part of phase 3 of detoxification, this is most predominate in the gut. Phase 3 is the final stage of detoxification before cleansing.

4. Various cells in the body – All aid in the detoxification process.

Both cleansing and detoxification are deeply connected. They are both extremely inhibited by 5 occurrences that can happen in our bodies.

What Causes my Reduced Ability to Cleanse & Detoxify?

1. Stress – This is the #1 problem for the body, and unfortunately, because we live in today’s industrialization era we are bombarded. The body doesn’t differentiate stressors as chemical, emotional or physical. It puts all stress into the same mixing pot.

So you could be having an altercation with your mother-in-law, be exposed to high levels of pollutants, or injure your leg. All of these instances would cause stress and significantly inhibit your ability to transform (detox) and eliminate (cleanse).

Stress is now being touted as the #1 cause of disease in the modern world. Something very interesting to note for women with hormonal problems, specifically those with estrogen dominance; is that with increasing stress, our adrenals produce increased cortisol.

Increased cortisol depletes your progesterone levels, which can leave you with a relative progesterone deficiency. This can severely aggravate estrogen dominance related issues such as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

2. Inflammation – Has also been pointed out as a villain, A.K.A. the ‘silent killer’ in modern medicine and it’s no surprise. When we have high inflammation we also experience elevated levels of acidity in our bodies. Ironically, inflammation is a purposeful mechanism that helps us heal.

Hippocrates stated, “Give me the power to create inflammation and I will heal every disease.” However, too much of a good thing can damage us. Inflammation is purposefully destructive, to actually help rebuild our tissues.

But when the fire of inflammation gets out of control because there is too much junk to burn, that’s when we start having problems. The body often responds with trying to control the fire by adding water.

The result is we get bloated, we may also experience weight gain, often in the central core of our bodies. For others this may translate to excessive aches and pains in the joints. And for others, mood can be greatly affected because the inflammation impacts their neurological system. It all depends on your unique biology and weak areas.

3. Lack of Antioxidants – Antioxidants protect our cells against damage from toxic substances, and they help to clear them out of the body. Glutathione is known as the master detoxification agent. We are constantly exposed to thousands of toxins – in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the products we put onto our bodies. Glutathione helps to move most (if not all) of these harmful substances OUT.

4. Inability to Eliminate – When you can’t eliminate properly, recirculation of toxins happens. Constipation is a huge issue in our society. We should be going each and every day, the length of our elbow to our wrist bone. If we aren’t eliminating this much, our stools are sitting in the body holding waste materials that are reabsorbed and a source of repollution to our system.

What Causes my Reduced Ability to Cleanse & Detoxify?

The 4 problems listed above – stress, inflammation, lack of antioxidants and problems with elimination – are underlying issues in so many conditions. If you have a hormonal, immune or nervous system problem, it is possible that these issues exist somewhere in your body, dependant on your individual physiology and your weak zones.

As a result, Castor Oil Pack for Liver is the most recommended solution for body cleansing and detox:

What are the Main Modes of Action of Castor Oil Packs for Body Cleansing and Detox?

Castor Oil Packs help you to get into a pause state.

Stress, as mentioned above, is touted as being the #1 cause of dis-ease in the body. The ‘pause’, A.K.A. parasympathetic state, is difficult in this day and age because we are bombarded with daily to-do’s that can feel out of our control.Like an Olympian athlete, to perform well we must practice. As a whole, we are out of practice on the relaxed state. It can be difficult to find things that are quick and easy to help us reset, or that don’t involve another person. A hug, massage, acupuncture treatment, reiki, all require the presence of another person. It’s difficult to schedule all these appointments. Queen of The Thrones® Castor Oil Packs for Liver are an easy, at-home health treatment that feel like a warm hug on the body. If done daily, they retrain the body into the pause state. The pause is the only place that we heal. It is the panacea, the Eden on earth. All of the body’s cleansing functions are NATURALLY turned ON in the relaxed, pause state^1,2. All you need to do is make sure that you have sufficient vitamins and minerals to drive these metabolic processes and you’re good to go! Castor Oil Packs, if done daily, additionally help you to better absorb all the nutrients from your food and the supplements you take because they improve digestion and absorption^3,4,5.So instead of absorbing 10% of your supplements in a stressed state, you would get 70-80% in the pause state (this is an estimation). Practicing the pause is extremely important and required for a healthy, happy life. Gratitude is another easy way to engage the pause.

(Royal Tip: Use the Queen of the Thrones® Tiger’s Eye Gratitude Bracelet before meals to improve the parasympathetic state, allowing you to digest better. Simply recite 3 things you are grateful for while staring into the tiger’s eye stones of the bracelet. Tigers eye stone helps balance the 3rd, Solar Plexus chakra, while the black obsidian Dung Beetle stone balances the 1st, Root chakra. The dung beetle is also a symbol of transformation and rebirth – it has the dirty job of rolling dung day in and day out. But planted in the dung is the seed of the lotus flower. The daily grind of rolling dung creates the most beautiful symbols of eternity, and flourishing life. The bracelet is a simple reminder to stay on your grind and your life will flourish!)

2. Castor Oil Packs help to Reduce Inflammation

When we are inflamed, our bodies are acidic. The enzymes in our bodies, which are the keys to the lock that turn on metabolism, don’t function properly in an acidic environment. They require an alkaline environment. Castor Oil has been demonstrated to be an effective anti-inflammatory, reducing water retention and swelling as much as capsaicin⁶, but without the rubefacient effect.

Castor Oil is almost identical in chemical structure to the body’s natural anti-inflammatory prostaglandin Ep3. Coincidence? Unlikely. Like I mentioned earlier, inflammation is like fire, and what does a firefighter do to put out a fire? They put water on it. Central abdominal bloating and weight gain are often caused because our body sends water to the site of inflammation to ‘put out the fire’.

3. Castor Oil Packs Help to Improve your Glutathione Status.

Glutathione is the master detoxification agent of the body. Unfortunately, it is quickly depleted and its depletion is in part the cause of many chronic diseases including autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Glutathione is difficult to replete because there are not many food sources. One source is whey protein, but I do not typically recommend it because it’s dairy. Rooibos tea is another source, which I recommend adding to your tea cabinet. Glutathione can be supplemented via IV, and NAC and magnesium supplementation can help (although the effectiveness is debatable). Bottom line is it is not easy to get.

Castor Oil was compared to a solution of glutathione in ocular lenses in rats, and was found to be more effective at preserving the glutathione levels than the actual glutathione solution⁷. The researchers hypothesized the opposite. Huge win for Castor Oil! Glutathione is an antioxidant that packages toxins and pulls them out of the body, and that’s why we get depleted so easily. It is vital to keep us healthy and young, our gut mucous membrane strong, our thyroid functioning optimally and many other essential functions. Castor Oil Packs help with this very basic protection of your body, and the elimination of toxic substances.

4. Castor Oil Packs Help to Move the Bowels.

Our #1 process of the body, (not the #2!) are our bowel movements. If you can’t eliminate your waste products, you die. Bottom line. You self-intoxicate, a very unhappy death. Remember those anti-inflammatory prostaglandins that Castor Oil mimicks? Well these are the same ones that attach onto the receptors of smooth muscle in the body, namely the gut and uterus. This physical smooth muscle function moves things out of the body and Castor Oil Packs for Liver are the ultimate way to stimulate it^8,9. They also help via reduction of the stress response.

5. Castor Oil Packs Help to Balance the Microbiome.

The microbiome is now being referred to as its own organ. This bacterial, extracorporeal organ helps to keep a tight balance on our wellbeing. When it’s off we are.

Biofilm is a big bad barrier that bad bacteria can produce in the microbiome. It keeps the conbiotics™ (bad bugs) in, and the probiotics (good bugs) out. This causes serious stress on the body, therefore inhibiting cleansing and detoxification.

The microbiome is discussed frequently as being the center of what creates our health. But what really creates our health is the ability to keep a balanced body ecology (environment) that prevents buildups like biofilm from existing. This is possible over time with good food, good practices like your Castor Oil Pack, and more.

Probiotic supplementation is also a must to balance out conbiotics™. Biofilm prevents this, thus the breaking down of biofilm via Castor Oil Packs ^10,11 improves the microbiome in a very simple way, requiring less probiotics. In combination with a good diet, adequate fluid intake (water/tea), flow (urine, poop) mindset and movement, Castor Oil Packs are one of the cornerstones to living a legendary life.

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What Goes In, Must Come Out

In summary, what goes in must come out. Otherwise, game over! We are healthy if we can digest, absorb and eliminate. The key is to move into the parasympathetic state, the pause, as often as possible and to practice until it is toned. It is then that the microbiome can be maintained, the response to food is adequate and our body temples are nourished. Poop is perfect.

It is possible to achieve a state of no brain fog, feeling good in your skin, happy in your head and empowered in your lifestyle. It’s your time to know your poo and own your throne. Join the movement, so we all have improvement.

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Click here for references

1. Löken LS, Wessberg J, Morrison I, McGlone F, Olausson H. Coding of pleasant touch by unmyelinated afferents in humans. Nat Neurosci. 2009 May;12(5):547-8. Epub 2009 Apr 12.

2. Rolls ET, O’Doherty J, Kringelbach ML, Francis S, Bowtell R, McGlone F. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17.

3. Snoek SA, Verstege MI, Boeckxstaens GE, van den Wijngaard RM, de Jonge WJ The enteric nervous system as a regulator of intestinal epithelial barrier function in health and disease. Expert RevGastroenterol Hepatol. 2010 Oct;4(5):637-51.

4. Keita AV, Söderholm JD. The intestinal barrier and its regulation by neuroimmune factors.Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2010 Jul;22(7):718-33. Epub 2010 Apr 9.

5. Kraneveld AD, Rijnierse A, Nijkamp FP, Garssen J.Neuro-immune interactions in inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome: future therapeutic targets. Eur J Pharmacol. 2008 May 13;585(2-3):361-74. Epub 2008 Mar 18.

6. Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8.

7. Holm T1, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L. Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in optisol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013.

8. Tunaru S1, Althoff TF, Nüsing RM, Diener M, Offermanns S. Castor oil induces laxation and uterus contraction via ricinoleic acid activating prostaglandin EP3 receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jun 5;109(23):9179-84. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1201627109. Epub 2012 May 21.

9. Arslan GG, Eşer I. An examination of the effect of castor oil packs on constipation in the elderly. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Feb;17(1):58-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.04.004. Epub 2010 May 18.

10. Badaró MM1, Salles MM1, Leite VMF1, Arruda CNF1, Oliveira VC1, Nascimento CD1, Souza RF1, Paranhos HFO1, Silva-Lovato CH1. Clinical trial for evaluation of Ricinus communis and sodium hypochlorite as denture cleanser. J Appl Oral Sci. 2017 May-Jun;25(3):324-334. doi: 10.1590/1678-7757-2016-0222.

11. Andrade IM1, Andrade KM2, Pisani MX1, Silva-Lovato CH1, de Souza RF1, Paranhos Hde F1. Trial of an experimental castor oil solution for cleaning dentures. Braz Dent J. 2014 Jan-Feb;25(1):43-7.