The Princess of Wales knew the importance of cleansing to good health, high energy levels, and looking and feeling her best. Diana credited colonics and the regular use of cleansing enemas for her radiant, glowing complexion and silken hair.

Colon therapists everywhere are saddened on this fourth anniversary of her untimely death. She was our best friend.

Princess Diana is just one of many who swear by colonic irrigation as a cure for virtually all their ills. And many others are just beginning to discover the benifits of the bowel-cleansing technique that flushes toxins from the entire system. When you walk about "washing and vacuuming", the last thing on most peoples minds is their colon. Yet, those are the very words adherents use to describe the practice of colonic irrigation or as it's more commonly called colonics. Using plastic tubes filled with warm sterile water under pressure, colonic therapists literally wash and vacuum the colon.

The most obvious question is why would anyone want-let alone pay-to have this done? According to its practitioners, deposits of fecal matter and mucus adhere to the walls of the large intestine, forming a virtual breeding ground for toxins that can poison the system. Flushing these toxins from the body, not only cures diarrea, constipation and colitis but also allows the body to absorb vital nutrients.

Colonic therapists agree that stress plus a sedentary life-style coupled with the typical American diet-high in fat and sugar-are responsible for most of what ails us.

In fact, it was just such a diet, high in junk food, that prompted our volunteer, Ada Diaz, to try colonics. "I felt awful-bloated from all the chips,burgers and candy," she confesses. Before the procedure, Ada lay down on a table, clad only in a white robe, to have here stomach softly massaged.

Next, warm water was gently pumped through a tube inserted into her rectum. She remained comfortable, barely sensing the sterile water. Although she did admit to having a little trepidation before her very first session, Ada said she felt "much better" afterward and vowed to continue with colonic irrigations until she feels her system is completely detoxified. "It's a warming, relaxing feeling," Ada explained.

Princess Diana, who reportedly undergoes colonics once a week, quite agrees: "They take," she's quoted as saying, "all the aggro [aggravation] out of me.