Do we have to go through colonic therapy to cleans our colon? Some say it has worked for them and others not, but there is an alternative. It can be done naturally with a special diet. Not fasting or detoxification teas but a very healthy diet full of fiber and bulk, the vegan diet..

It has been said that human beings have evolved for a vegetarian or vegan diet and not for eating meat and other animal products. I believe one of the reasons people came to this conclusion is because of the many diseases that has been caused by the high fat and high cholesterol diet of our modern world. This diet of course consists high amounts of meat, and animal products.

I happen to believe that human beings are evolved to eat meat and should eat meat and other animal products as well as plants. Many scientist believe we need to consume meat in order to get all the nutrients we need. The problem lies with the amount, frequency, and the quality of the meat and animal products we consume.

With this in mind I suggest a diet and a way of life that includes meat and animal products but through out the year periodically taking a break from meat and animal products and just consuming a vegan diet. That is, a diet exclusively plant based.

I have followed this diet for most of my life and I am middle aged. I have a perfect cholesterol, pulse, and blood pressure measurements. I jog 4 miles every other day. I am neither over weight nor under weight, and I feel like I am 25.

You may ask how did I come up with such a diet and did I invent it? The answer is no. This diet, occasionally staying away from meat and animal products has been around for centuries and is still practiced in some ancient cultures. One of this ancient cultures which I originally belonged to is the Ethiopian culture. In this culture meat and animal products are not consumed day in day out. During spring starting around mid February and ending mid April everybody belonging to the Orthodox Christian faith eats a vegan diet. All the butcheries and slaughter house closed down. You could not find a decent meat or even animal products to buy so you have no choice but to be on a vegan diet.

All the eastern Orthodox Christians (Ethiopian, Syrian, Greek, Russian etc.) do follow a vegan diet for the 2 months lent season until Easter. Now, you may say that this is a religious exercise not a diet regimen and you will be right. But in eastern societies mind, body, and spirit are not separate they are all interconnected. This two months lent season is a period of rest, meditation and renewal. The body is cleansed, rested, and reinvigorated by a vegan diet. And therefore the mind and spirit is ready for meditation.

This is not a recommendation for anyone to change their faith to the orthodox religion. I myself am not very religious. This article is still on diet and health. I just wanted to give the background this kind of life style or diet came from. Having said that, let me wrap up the cultural background to give you an idea how the Ethiopian society balances its meat consumption with occasional vegan diet. So, besides the lent season there are two other major vegan diet fasts through out the year. One occurs In the month of August for about 16 days and the other is a 40 day fast right before Christmas.

This is not all. Besides these three major vegan fasts, Most of the orthodox population also follows a vegan diet on Wednesdays and Fridays through out most the year. These are called fasts not because you are going without eating any food but because you are staying away from meat and animal products. This natural colon cleansing diet has given the Ethiopian society respite from constant meat consumption and am sure has curbed the number of people contracting heart disease and diabetes.

Again I am not recommending that you follow the Ethiopian diet as it is. I am suggesting to give your body a break by consuming a vegan diet once in a while. I suggest you start out slowly by trying it out just for one or two days. Then increase the days gradually maybe up to a week. Then maybe do a weekly fast every once in a while maybe once in three months or so.

This is only a suggestion you can arrange your own schedule to fit your own life style and how well your body is adjusting to such a diet. But before you begin you should study what a well balanced nutritious vegan diet consists of. The Ethiopian vegan diet consists of a lot of lentils, peas, chick peas, beans, a lot of leafy green vegetables, and whole grains. All deliciously prepared that you will hardly miss meat. It is very similar to a Mediterranean diet. A lot onions, garlic, and olive oil are used in the cooking.

This kind of diet has a lot of fiber and bulk and gives you regularity. One should of course always drink a lot of water. You start feeling lighter and energized as your colon is cleansed and detoxified.

These days here in the United States there is no shortage of fresh organic ingredients to make your own vegan meals. There are many simple vegan recipes you can follow. you can start with the simple Ethiopian vegetarian recipe below. And there are many specialized grocery stores and restaurants that carry delicious vegan meals. It should not be a big problem to start cleansing your digestive system by following a vegan diet once in while through out the year. You will be rewarded with more energy and a healthier body.

AZEFFA (lentil salad)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of brown lentils save 
• 6 table spoon of olive oil
• one half red onion finely chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers or one half green bell papers finely chopped
  
• one whole lemon or lime juice
  
• 1 table spoon of dijon mustard
• salt and paper to test

1. Boil the lentils in water until it is soft and mushy.
2. Drain the water and transfer to a mixing bowl and mash the lentils and let it cool,
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
4. Refrigerate for one hour
5. Enjoy with whole wheat pita bread
   

Serves 4.

If people like this recipe, I will give more Ethiopian vegan dish recipes in my future articles