Article published in You Magazine, Mail on Sundays - 17th of February 2008:

"Around this point of the year, many of us are looking and feeling a bit dull.  So when I met a friend (let's call her Mary) and was nearly blinded by the brightness of her complexion and sparkling, unpuffy eyes, I asked what she had been up to.  Her secret was a session of colonic hyrdotherapy with Christina Lamont at the Integrated Medical Centre (IMC) in London.

This treatment flushes out the colon with warm purified water to stimulate the natural movement of the bowel, known as peristalsis.  Too much food and drink can overwhelm our digestive system, and huddling up in centrally heated rooms means it often lacks the hydration necessary to keep things flowing properly.  The result is a sluggish system, with toxins left unexpelled from the body.

Mary often suffers from migraine-type headaches but says that she is less likely to develop a sore head - and feels better all round - if she can go to the lavatory first thing.  According to Naturopath Imran Ali, also of the IMC, 'if your digestive system is congested because you don't go to the loo daily, it can disrupt all your body systems, causing problems from headaches and abdominal bloating to low energy, fuzzy head and acne - even depression.'

Drinking lots of water promotes efficient elimination, but as Imran Ali says, 'People are less inclined to drink water in the winter months.'  He often recommends a colonic: 'Patients say they fell lifhter afterwards, and it can also help promote regular bowel movements long term.'  Regular sessions can help train a 'lazy bowel' to work more efficiently, and may cure chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.  One session helps kickstart a general detox programme.

Mary admitted she found the idea 'totally cringe-making', but Christina put her at her ease.  'It was surprisingly unembarassing,' says Mary.  'When your colon is full of water, you just feel like you want to go to the loo.  The therapist allows the water and any waste matter [which can collect for months or even years in the coils of the colon] to flow out.  Christina repeated the process a few times, and also gently massaged my stomach in a clockwise motion, following the direction of the bowel's natural movement, to help the elimination process.  Although most of the water is expelled, the body takes on any water it needs during the treatment via the permeable walls of the colon, so it is a great antidote to dehydration too - and good for hangovers, apparently.'

Afterwards, Mary felt 'very tired, but in a nice way, and I had a really good night's sleep.'  Try to book a session at the end of day, so you can go straight home and relax afterwards, she suggests.

On the day following her treatment, she felt 'super-energetic and alert'.  The session also made her realise how important it is to go to the lavatory regularly - and the need to prioritize this, regardless of how busy you are.  According to Christina, it's simple to encourage more regular habits.  'It's a matter of routine.  No matter how rushed you feel, you should make a point of sitting on the lavatory at the same time each morning, and focus on moving your bowel, without straining,' she says.  Putting your arms in the air and moving them about helps the process, she adds ('I don't know why this helps but it does!') and also putting your feet on a couple of big books in front of the loo.  (You could leave a pile of glossy magazines to catch up on, too...)

Imran Ali and Christina Lamont, Integrated Medical Centre, tel:020 7224 5111.  For local qualified practitioners, colonic-association.org."

Sarah Stacey