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Interview from 'Wholistic III': Sign up to my 'Wholistic' quarterly newsletter as Debbie frequently treats readers to seasonal discounted specials including live blood analysis:      

 www.deborahlaniado.com

Debbie, first things first... thank you for taking the time to share your time, thoughts and tales with us ……

Hi Huia, great to be here in 2008… Happy New Year to you too!

Welcome to a new year! A time when people have fresh hopes and wish for renewed energy to positively tackle the year ahead. Often a Detox is the first thing upon their lists. Colon hydrotherapy is attracting great curiosity …….

Q. Why??

A: I think colon hydrotherapy is currently of interest because people have become disillusioned with conventional medicine and are looking for other ways of looking after themselves. I feel people are more aware of their bodies now and actively want to take responsibility for getting themselves back to a state of wellness rather than having this general feeling of malaise.
Colon hydrotherapy is a great kick start, a way to start healing from within. Over 50% of the immune system is contained in the gut, so it is therefore integral to maintaining a healthy body and an obvious place to start when wanting to detoxify or rebalance ones body.

Q. So ….. what types of people visit you??

A: I probably have an almost equal percentage of both men and women (slightly more women), there’s no ‘type’ of person really. Initially people may come to see me because they’re feeling tired, sluggish, constipated, have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (in remission) or other digestive problems etc.
Some are healthier than others and just want to cleanse and detox after a stressful time or too many Xmas parties! And some have had long term chronic health challenges like Chronic Fatigue or cancer… it is really varied.
But generally I would say that they are looking for guidance and information on how to live a more aware and healthier life. Having an open mind is a great advantage and can lead them into a whole new world of understanding their bodies… it really is fascinating.

Q. Is there anyone who wouldn’t benefit from the treatment?

A: There are a few contraindications such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, renal or liver cancer, certain stages of pregnancy, active Inflammatory Bowel Disease states but generally most people would benefit from colonics as it’s a great way to get rid of the toxic build up that all bodies contain from living a Western lifestyle rather than living according to the rules of nature.

Q. What can one actually expect from their first visit?

A: Again this varies from individual to individual… initially a full case history is taken, and then I will explain how the treatment works and what sensations they can expect to feel. The treatment should be very gentle and done at the client’s own pace, so there is no pressure to continue if they are not totally comfortable with what’s going on.

Purified filtered water is gently infused into the colon….. During the treatment (if the client so wishes) they can see through the viewing tube what is being eliminated from their body. There is no smell or mess. The treatment is very visual and clients are amazed at how much faeces they eliminate in a treatment, even if they have only just been to the toilet.
This is also why I find colonics so effective, because the client can actually see how much waste matter they are holding on to, which helps motivate them to be more conscious of what they are putting into their bodies.

After the first treatment, depending on their toxicity will determine how they feel afterwards. If they are quite toxic, clients can expect to feel tired (they usually have an amazing nights sleep) and sometimes headachey or a bit bloated for a few hours. This is normal and temporary as the body is dealing with a large release of toxins.

However, after the first few treatments or if someone is not very toxic, clients can expect to feel revitalised, clearer, flatter tummies and ‘cleaned out’. I also give nutritional advice depending on the clients diet and suggest various supplements or herbs to help reach my clients goal.

Q. How does one train in such a field?

A: I was lucky enough to train with Stephen Langley, a well known Australian Naturopath at the Colon Hydrotherapy Institute in Dublin.  He is extremely gifted and I feel priviledged to have studied under him.
To qualify you must have undertaken at least a 2 or 3 year substantial course in body-based therapies with considerable anatomy, physiology and clinical time.

Q. So um… why did you choose to become involved in it all?

A: It’s quite ironic really because I was so dead against anything like this. I was the sort of person who went to the toilet once a week (in a good week), in my own flat, only if no body else was around. I had various health problems and was looking for a better way to sort them out than the usual suggestion of taking various pills which I never felt comfortable with.

My mother went initially, to which I was horrified and thought I would never do anything like that, especially in front of somebody. This must have planted the seed and having spoken to other people who raved about it’s benefits, I decided to try it out as part of my new approach to getting my body into balance.

To be honest, after the first treatment I didn’t really feel that much different and I couldn’t understand what the fuss was all about, but from the third treatment onwards I was convinced that big changes were happening to me and I definitely felt better for getting rid of the toxic waste I was storing.

Basically this was a great tool to start me on the road to changing my life and taking responsibility for my own health and coming off medications I’d been on for nearly 15 years.

Q. A friend of my brothers once told me a rather dodgy story about his run in with a colon hydrotherapist. What are your tips for people finding a good practitioner to trust??

A: I always think the best way is though recommendation. But also you should get a positive feeling about the practitioner, they should make you feel at ease, comfortable and answer any concerns you may have. There is also an association of …..

Q. Do you have suggestions for how clients could best prepare for a treatment?

A: Drink lots of water, have a light meal.

Q ……. and after care??

A: Same thing really. I always give my clients information to be going home with about the treatment and aftercare suggestions eg. take a good quality probiotic to re-establish the good bowel flora, drink lots of water, have an early night etc.

Q. How often should people have colonics? Can you do too few or too many??

A: This is very personal and really depends on the individual and what they are looking to achieve. A responsible practitioner wouldn’t allow their client to have unnecessary treatments, but usually I find 3 treatments initially to have a good clear out and then let the client decide when they feel the need for another one, which could be one month, 3 months or 6 months.
It is very individual and something that you learn to feel instinctively as you get more in tune with your own body.

Q. Have you had many success stories?

A: I think all my clients are success stories! The fact they are making the choice to do something positive about their health is a success story in itself. It’s a great step for them and seeing how their health improves is heartwarming and inspiring.

Q. Finally, (I can’t resist!) Are there any um … amusing stories you may care to share???

A: There is one, but it’s at my own expense, so if you don’t mind I’ll tell you in private!!

Debbie, thank you so very much for your time. Wishing you the world of success and thinking of you kindly caring for our toxic post-party bodies!!

So take the plunge, begin 2008 with a positive kick-start www.debbielaniado.com
and take advantage of Debbies introductory offer!