Diverticulitis
If I had diverticulitis, how I would approach the problem to heal my gut.
by David Cooley

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am not prescribing or diagnosing. But I am a certified health consultant who believes that God designed the human body to repair and heal when given the right environment. So if I was suffering with diverticulitis, I would follow certain protocols and use specific foods and supplements to address the condition. I also realize that a person can be at different stages, so wisdom is needed to know where to start, what to use, and when to add more. If you choose to proceed with any of the following, and you have any concerns, we always suggest speaking with your health professional before beginning any diet, exercise, product or protocols.
Diverticulitis is a gastrointestinal disease characterized by inflammation of abnormal pouches, called diverticula, that can develop in the wall of the large intestine.
The muscle fibers of the colon become weak and herniations begin to protrude through the wall. Not glamorous to envision, but these herniated sacs can fill up with toxins, years of deposited waste or fecal matter and become a breeding ground for parasites. In addition, all this nasty stuff can slowly get reabsorbed into the blood stream, creating other symptoms and lead to disease.
The Culprit and Cause: Age is often blamed as being a cause, that its just part of growing older. But perhaps age really means we have had a longer period of time to weaken the wall through lifestyle choices, especially low fiber diets, being overweight, and living more sedentary lives. Let's be honest, years of eating a sugary, low fiber, cooked food diet, with meat, cheese, bread, processed foods with little fresh produce, and drinking sodas, milk, alcohol, coffee, and energy drinks, drastically increases the odds. Yes, the SAD diet strikes again.
What comes with eating a poor diet: toxicity, parasites, and sluggish colon. As we have emphasized in Pillar 2, toxicity and parasites is a huge contributing factor to aging, sickness, and disease. The gut is not excluded, a toxic gut not only causes a variety of diseases but is painful and very uncomfortable. The gut is affected by the food we eat. Most of it is not natural, but rather highly processed and filled with chemicals, pesticides and genetically modified. This wreaks havoc on the gut wall. Glyphosate, which is sprayed on non organic food is another problem. The intestinal cells are tightly joined together to create a protective barrier. Glyphosate, besides being poisonous, will break down that barrier, allowing undigested proteins to enter into the blood stream, not a good thing. Plus, a lot of the people consume meat that contain steroids and antibiotics that were given to the animal.
All these compounds are poisons that goes directly into the gut. Plus, think about the thousands of prescriptions people take to block stomach acid. Without stomach acid how are you going to digest food properly? You aren’t!
Another issue is parasites. If they get into the gut they colonize and damage the intestinal wall. Parasite are living creatures and poop, which is more toxic waste. If you haven’t read Pillar 2, I suggest doing that.
And lastly, if a person is not having at least one bowel movement per day, waste begins to putrefy in the gut and once again, can damage the intestinal wall over time.
Were to Begin
Change of Diet: If I were consuming the problematic foods mentioned above, I would stop these and adopt a more natural diet. I gave up dairy a long time ago, so thats easy for me, but if I hadn't, I would definitely eliminate it from my diet, along with all those simple carbs that turn to sugar.
In addition, preventive measures that may reduce the risk of diverticulosis, and its progressing to diverticular disease include: eating a diet high in fiber and low in animal-based foods, getting adequate physical activity, not smoking, restricting alcohol intake, limiting use of NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids) and opiate painkillers, and maintaining a healthy weight.
Colonics: I doubt you'll hear any medical doctor suggest the use of colonics. But let's take a closer look. Those that promote it, say water colonics are very helpful. And they can be done in the privacy of your home. I understand this recommendation. Not only is a person cleaning fecal matter and waste out of the colon, but used regularly, it makes sense that it could also help in cleaning out the pockets. And though this may seem extreme to some people, I truly believe that those who promote colonics believe in healing an organ or issue, not just soothing the symptoms. Some recommend doing a colonic every other day, for perhaps 1-2 weeks. There are those who believe it needs to be done for 1-2 months, along with other lifestyle changes to achieve healing. Bottom line, incorporating this step comes down to personal choice.
Aloe Vera Caps: Doing colonics or not, I would definitely use aloe vera to calm down reactions, to soothe and promote healing. Fresh aloe vera is great, but not always readily available. For that reason I would use the following product because it not only contains aloe vera, but also the amino acids L-glutamine and L-glycine. L-glutamine serves as a primary fuel source for the cells that line the intestinal tract. If deprived of glutamine they deteriorate and die. L-glycine along with L-glutamine support healthy intestinal and immune function.
The reason for choosing LifePlus Caps, is because of the synergistic affect of the ingredients, it's cold processed, bioavailable, and free of any contaminates.

More Things I Would Consider Doing …
A low-fiber diet is often recommended during the initial healing phase after an episode of acute diverticulitis. Gradually increasing fiber, over the course of a few weeks is recommended by diverticular disease researchers, until consumption reaches 20–30 grams of fiber daily.
NOTE ABOUT FIBER - people should be consuming 'minimum' 30-35 grams of fiber per day. The average is only 8-12, contributing to colon issues, such as diverticulitis and cancer. In Africa, they consume an average of 70-80 grams, and rarely have colon problems.
Plant-Based, Fiber-Rich Diet: Plant-based diets are high in fiber and may protect against diverticular disease. The study of fiber as it relates to diverticular disease often focuses on fiber’s role in promoting bowel regularity. Fiber also provides fuel for beneficial probiotic organisms.
Green Juices: I may or may not do this initially if there is a flair up, but at some point, drinking lots of green juices can be healing. Fresh juicing is loaded with nutrients, without the fiber. As stated above, if one has had a flair up, fiber must be slowly added back into diet. I would never opt for green juices (or smoothies) you find in grocery stores or even health food shops. NEVER. They come in plastic, have little or no life in them, and are often loaded with sugar. When juicing, always consume fresh green juices. If you don't have a juicer or have the time and means, I would use a green powder.
Benefit of a High Fiber Diet - Butyrate: Another benefit of a plant-based diet is something called butyrate. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid produced by intestinal bacteria when they digest and metabolize fiber. Butyrate is the preferred fuel of cells that line the colon wall. It helps maintain the intestinal barrier, is anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancerous.
Mucilaginous Herbs.: Mucilages are complex sugars found in many plants that form a thick, gel-like film when mixed with water. When ingested, mucilages form a barrier or lining on the intestinal mucosa, protecting against infection, soothing irritation, and promoting tissue healing. Here are some options: psyllium seed husk, flaxseed, and medicinal plants like slippery elm and licorice.
Probiotics: Not only would I take a supplement, but fermented foods will support building up good bacteria in the gut, like sauerkraut or non-dairy kefir.
Enzymes: taking enzymes BETWEEN MEALS ON AN EMPTY STOMACH speeds up healing, and not just for the gut. Enzymes run everything in the body. Initially, I would do at least 5 tablets 3 times a day, an hour before meals, or 2 hours after meals. I would do the 5 tablets or more 3x a day for at least 10 days. Then go down to twice a day, and for maintenance, once per day (for example upon waking in the morning). Taking enzymes on an empty stomach is something I adopted a couple decades ago. Not only do they clean unwanted things up, but they support enzyme activity systemically throughout the body. I will list the product I use below.
Proanthenols: These are antioxidants, extracted from grape seed and pine bark. This is an amazing product, and one of its many benefits is that it promotes healing. Proanthenols 100 is the product I personal use on a daily basis. It's part of the Basic Core supplementation discussed in the 6 Pillars of Health.
Omega Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and associated with promoting gut health by increasing the diversity of healthy gut bacteria. Especially omega 3 DHA. Product recommendation below.
Either Daily BioBasics or TVM Plus: I personally use Daily BioBasics, but TVM may be one's first step before moving up to Daily BioBasics. Daily BioBasics includes an amazing array of building block nutrients, often deficient in one's daily diet. Without all the daily nutrients a person needs, the repair and healing process slows down.
Colon Cleanse: If I was having a flair up, I would concentrate on the aloe vera caps mentioned above, add in slippery elm tea, and concentrate on the other items just mentioned above. But at some point, after slowly increasing fiber back into the diet, I would do our suggested 16-day colon cleanse. It's an easy and gentle cleanse, designed to clean the bowel, get rid of parasites, remove heavy metals, and alkalize the body. I will include link below.
Adopting the colon cleanse protocol once or twice a year is invaluable in supporting colon health, and helping to eliminate parasites.
This may seem overwhelming, so let me simplify it: If one is serious, diet changes are essential, with elimination of problematic foods. If one is dealing with a flair up, a liquid diet, along with specific supplements and incorporating minimal food initially is the starting point. Allow for some healing to begin, then introduce more food.
Supplementation is paramount, because you can target specific nutrients that promote repair and healing.
- Aloe Vera Caps
- The Basic Core group (Daily BioBasics, Proanthenols 100, Omegold (omega 3), and MSM.
- PuraLiyf or Liyfbiotic (probiotics)
- PuraZyme (enzymes to be taken inbetween meals)
Products I Personally Use and Recommend
I can't speak highly enough about LIfePlus and Puradyme, both these companies have been life changing for many people around the world:
Links to Order Recommended Products
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