Should my wife and I do a colon cleansing program?

My wife and are considering doing a detoxification/colon cleansing program. Do you have any recommendations regarding the many herbal products available? Are they safe? Could we get the same effect by just going vegetarian and boosting our fiber intake? Any advice you can provide is appreciated.

The Health meets Food Team Says...

The concept of detoxification and cleansing has no basis in science and would never be recommended by a reputable physician. There is no reason to pursue such a strategy. Many of the herbal products on the market are poorly tested and there's very little government oversight of them. You should avoid such procedures.

You are doing the right thing already: eating healthy by taking processed foods out of your diet. Getting back into the kitchen with a diet that's rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, olive or grapeseed oil, fish, lean meats, and whole grains is the way to be healthy. You are right about increasing the fiber in your diet being of great benefit. The best ways are to replace white flour products with whole wheat flour, use brown rice, eat more legumes (beans, peanuts, soybeans), choose sweet potatoes and get more high fiber veggies and greens.

Thanks for writing.