March 12, 2008

The popular liver cleanse

This is part five of the detox series.

Photo from one thousand new ways  

The liver is the largest gland in the human body and is responsible for producing bile, metabolizing and performing other functions that keep us in good health. Other functions of the liver include glycogen storage, red blood cells decomposition and some protein synthesis.

The liver cleanse is all about cleaning up the site of major body detoxification so that it can perform its functions as best as possible. Eating healthy foods, drinking lots of water and eating water-rich foods is the best way for keeping your liver healthy. Unfortunately most people don’t do this and so a liver cleanse is a great way to remove as many toxins as possible from the body.

Although there are many programs, supplements and items to help you in your cleanse, you can also do it naturally and author Arvind Devalia writes about how he followed a plan from a book called “Sunfood Diet Success System” by David Wolfe.

I’ve taken his points and reproduced the five steps here:

• Freshly squeezed apple juice 3 or 4 times a day, using slightly sour green apples.

• Cassia bark sticks – to be sucked on in the evening of day 3 and 4. There is often confusion between cinnamon and cassia with even their packaging getting their names switched. Cinnamon is normally sold in powered form or in cigar like stems. Cassia bark is just that - it looks like the bark of a tree which is just what it is.

• On the 4th afternoon, at least 2 hours since the previous apple juice drink, drink 250ml of olive oil (organic, cold-pressed and stone pressed) followed by 250ml freshly squeezed juice made from fresh organic lemons. This sounds like quite a concoction but is key to the detoxing process. Sip slowly if it helps.

• After taking the olive oil and lemon juice, rest for the remainder of the day. Lie down on your right side with a hot water bottle against your belly just under the rib cage where the liver is.

• On the 5th day, resume “normal” eating but very gently and lightly. Continue to rest as much possible.

You can read Arvind’s learnings here.

This isn’t the only way to do a liver cleanse but it’s also how I do mine.

If you are interested in doing a liver cleanse, the best way is to select a method that works for you. Read a few books and find out the best one to suit you. If you have done a liver cleanse before, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment box below.

 

Popularity: 6% [?]

March 10, 2008

Five types of natural detoxes you can do

This is part four of the detox series.

Photo from funfolks 

There are many types of natural detoxes that one could undertake and here are five popular natural detoxes one could find out about:

• Colon cleanse - to clean out old food and chemicals that are in our system. This helps get rid of parasite that produce some of the toxins in our body.

• Juice fasting - nourishes the body with the vitamins and nutrients from fresh fruit. Live enzymes can jump start the systems in our body and get them to vitality again.

• Apple cleanse - for liver cleansing to remove toxins so the liver can function without being clogged.

• Water fasting - a stringent and effective way to detoxify your body because it forces metabolism of body fat and releases stored toxins into the blood stream for elimination. Can produce overwhelming toxic and sick bodies so water fasting should be for those who are very healthy.

• Lemon juice and honey fasting - for someone getting onto the path of detoxification as not as hard as water fasting.

In part five of this series, I will write about the popular liver cleanse in more detail. 

Popularity: 7% [?]

March 6, 2008

How will you feel after a detox?

This is part two of the detox series.

Photo from leslieduss    

One of the biggest confusions in the natural health movement is the lack of understanding of the benefits of a nutrition or detox program and so I’d like to clear some of that confusion up by explaining here what you may feel after a body detox.

Remember, every body is different and so reacts differently to a detox but some of the things you will feel are similar and here I will explain them.

A detox is simply a cleansing program that cleans up a particular aspect of your body. A liver detox for example cleans up the toxins in the liver so that the liver can function properly and do a better job.

During the detox it is likely that you will feel tired and may exhibit other symptoms such as heightened body odor, headaches, increased urine coloration amongst other things and this will usually happen in the initial few days simply because your body is cleansing.

Remarkable things happen in your body (as well as your mind) once this initial period is over. The amazing intelligence present in every cell of the body and the wisdom of the body in its operation immediately becomes manifest.

After a detox, you will feel cleaner both physically and mentally. You may also feel more alert and energetic and you will feel better after digestion of food because the process has been better than when you’re insides were clogged. 

It’s important that you kick-start life after the detox with healthy and conscious eating. Choose your food wisely and try to adapt new simple habits to keep you healthy. For example, commit to drinking more water, eat a big salad with every meal, eat fruit at least 30 to 60 minutes before a meal and avoid fizzy drinks, snacking and junk food.

The real excitement and test of your body begins after your detox and after the cleanse is complete. But a simple detox doesn’t completely cleanse the body, it’s how you eat after that defines your body’s new path. 

Put simply, when the quality of the food coming into the body is of higher quality than the tissues which the body is made of, the body begins to discard the lower grade materials and tissues to make room for the superior materials which it uses to make new and healthier tissue.

Popularity: 6% [?]

March 4, 2008

The basics of a detox

This is part one of the detox series

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Photo from bethanyking   

Detoxification is the process of taking yourself on a program designed to purge the body of intoxicating or addictive substances and used as a first step in overcoming physiology or psychological addiction.

The human body is magical in its abilities to detoxify itself. When you stop taking a particular type of substance whether it’s smoking, alcohol or just junk or processed foods, your body will naturally get rid of it so long as the damage is not lethal.

There’s no doubt that detoxification can cause some side effects in the preliminary stages for some people. These may include things like becoming really sleepy or groggy, needing to excrete more than often, starting to get a fever or rash, etc. 

More often than not, these develop because the body is working to get rid of all the toxic in the body and need a way to get rid of them. The side effects usually last a very short period of time and once over, as long as you observe what you take in your body thereafter, will be likely to not happen again. 

We live in a society that is susceptible daily to hundreds of man made chemicals and processed foods and for this reason it is very easy for our body to get intoxicated with such substances which if not cleaned up within ourselves can produce symptoms within us that lead to illness. 

The bottom line is that a natural detox is great for boosting one’s well-being and you will be surprised at how in touch you are with your body and how you feel. 

Popular detoxification processes usually last from 3 days to 30 days. Anything under 3 days although helpful is not sufficient to help detoxify the body. To find the right time length of your detox, it is important to follow a detox plan that is already created or work to create your own with a health care professional. 

Your detox should fit into your daily routine without affecting your work and lifestyle, so plan it in advance and pick a period of ti me when you don’t have any social commitments or distractions that will interfere with your regimen. Starting on a weekend can be beneficial as you will have two days alone to plan your recipes and stock up on the right food for the week ahead.

Popularity: 6% [?]

March 2, 2008

New Series: Detox 101

 

Photo from Sauri   

Why do many people go on a detox?

Is there some underlying threat of becoming unhealthy?

Or do they do it because it’s a feel-good trend?

This is the introduction for a 6 part series on detoxification and cleansing.

Each person goes on a detox program for their own motivations and reasons. Some do it just to “clear the clutter” and start a new chapter. Others do it because they’re feeling unhealthy and looking for another option.

One of the underlying motivations for many (if not most) people going on a detox is that they want change in their body and their health. The forthcoming series on detox will look at the following things:

• The basics of a detox
• How will you feel after a detox?
• How to prepare for a detox
• Five types of natural detoxes you can do
• The popular liver cleanse
• How to do a three-day juice fast
• My experiences on a three-day juice fast
• How to break a fast and what to do after a detox

Keep an eye out on the next few posts, read them and participate in the comments section by sharing your thoughts. Feel free to stumble the posts and digg or delicious them too. 

Popularity: 7% [?]

February 26, 2008

Five Foods That Will Rejuvenate Your Body

Photo from threelayercake

You are what you eat is a common saying and it is very true. Eating unhealthy food will lead to low energy, lack of good health and illness. People get into unhealthy habits and then turn to fad diets that will lead to more despair in their lives. They don’t stick to their plan because they don’t see instant results and they return to unhealthy habits.

What you need is a plan that will keep you eating and drinking healthy. You need to follow that plan. You can still eat foods you like, but you need to begin to mix it up with what I like to call “rejuvenating foods” that will keep you at top health, keep your cells energised and prevent cell death.

Here are five foods that will rejuvenate your body:

- Avocados. These delicious fruits contain oleic acid which has shown to help in lowering cholesterol. Avocados are also a good source of potassium which is a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure.

- Ginger. Known to relieve digestive symptoms, ginger is great to take either as supplements or in your daily juice. I take a healthy portion of ginger in my daily apple, carrot and ginger juice.

- Berries. Berries are rich in vitamin C and anti-oxidants amongst other things. Vitamin C is used in blood circulation and anti-oxidants are important in neutralizing harmful free radicals in the body.

- Melons. I specifically like water melons and eat at least two bowls a day when they’re in season. Water melons, as well as obviously being water-rich, give us a lot of fluids that our cells need to perform.

- Garlic. Garlic has long been considered a herbal “wonder drug”, with a reputation in folklore for preventing everything from the common cold and flu to the plague!

Eating healthy and using these rejuvenating foods in your daily diet is also a great way to look younger than your age. 

Popularity: 24% [?]

February 8, 2008

5 reasons to go RAW!

Photo from yoshimov

There is a global consciousness around raw food and health that has been growing over the last 5 years in the West. It is something that has already been there in the East. For example, a lot of raw food is made in India, although the use of ground spices are used to add more flavour.

Even if you look in your own networks - you may know of at least one person who is on a raw food and health plan.  Here are five reasons why you may want to consider going raw:

1. Water-rich content is the best component in any diet. Water makes up a large part of our world, and so to in our body. Therefore it naturally makes sense that we should take in as much water as we can, and one of the best ways to do so is to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. It’

s also good because it is much more better than processed and highly cooked foods.

2. Eat much more than you would of processed foods. The benefits of raw foods far outweigh that of processed foods and what you get out of it (which is very little). Raw food is pretty much all good for you so you won’t have to worry of loading your body with junk.

3. Eating raw has been shown to slow down the aging process. You’

ll feel better, have more energy and need less sleep. Bad breath and body odor go away. Eyes become brighter, voices more clear.

4. Spiritual.Eating raw helps one better tune in to the universal plan, and experience lots of synchronicity. Living food promotes clarity and higher consciousness.

5. Save time. Eating raw food and the creativity it brings out in you will over time lessen the amount of time you spend in the kitchen.

There you have five awesome reasons to consider going raw. If you’

re already eating raw foods, what are you learning? What made you go raw? Please share your thoughts…

Popularity: 5% [?]

February 4, 2008

What are you tolerating?

One month into the new year. How are you keeping up with your goals and targets set at the beginning of the year? And specifically, how did you cope in the January Wellness Challenge?

Today as we enter a new month, I wanted to discuss tolerations. Our health is one of the most important, if not the most important asset in our life and as a result it is important that we do all we can to look after it.

That means we must stop putting up with things that we only half want and things that are not giving immediate energy and vitality to us. To do this, make a list of 5 to 10 things you’re putting up with and currently tolerating in your health. You must feel that when you get rid of the things on your list, you will feel more complete, committed and in closer alignment with greater health for you and those around you.

For example, if you’re tolerating drinking because you want a pint of beer once in a while and you still know you don’t feel great after it, commit to just making the decision that you can stop drinking the beer and have a glass of water or wine instead. As you eliminate each toleration by removing it or finding a better substitution for it, feel yourself come into closer alignment with better health in the coming days and weeks. 

The idea is to bring about better health, internal comfort and feeling for your mind and body. 

Popularity: 4% [?]

January 25, 2008

Five awesome ways to improve breakfast

 

Photo from ginamig

Mum always said breakfast is the most important meal of the day and a healthy breakfast would make me a healthy young man. She was right and I should have listened more than I did. 

I’d like to think that my breakfast is the exciting meal of my day, mixed with so many juices and fruits that it’s electrifying and energizing like something out of this world. But I know that for most people, it’s not like this so here I’m offering five awesome ways to improve your breakfast daily and listen to what mum said.

Some people have time but just aren’t bothered about having a decent meal when they get up. To try and cater and offer some alternatives, I’ve come up with five things that aren’t the norm for breakfast and I hope it’ll inspire you to get up and try something different. 

1. Frozen fruit. Get up and have a bowl of your favorite frozen berries. My favorites are raspberries but you could mix them with blueberries and/or blackberries. Frozen mango is also a favorite of mine aside from berries. Why frozen? I have no idea - it’s just something different.

2. Porridge or oatmeal. Have a bowl of oatmeal. You could even add your frozen fruits to it to sweeten the oatmeal and make it more tasty.

3. Go all nutty. Eat a selection of your favorite nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, etc) whilst you sip your hot green tea. The nuts are rich in nutrition when taken in small amounts and can be washed down easily with your drink.

4. Make yourself a protein shake. I remember when I used to go to the gym actively about a year ago to work on my upper body muscle. After a heavy workout routine, I’d spend a £2 on a small bottle of strawberry flavored protein shake. It was the tastiest and most filling drink I’ve ever had and was it not for it’s expensive tag (I was already buying 4 a week at that time) I would have bought more than one every day. Now I’ve learnt to make my own. Simple: get a teaspoon of protein powder and add it to milk or water and have yourself an nutritious protein shake!

5. Water. I can’t forget water of a list. My regular readers know I’m a big water drinker. Drink a big glass of water first thing in the morning. If you don’t like water, squeeze some fresh lime into it to give taste and drink it. You’ll be grateful.

There are five ways you can improve your breakfast. Add some more by leaving a comment… 

Popularity: 9% [?]

January 16, 2008

My current breakfast plan

My current (and favorite to date) breakfast plan is a very simple and elegant one.

I get up at 7am and have a pint of water usually on it’s own as I like the taste of water. During the course of the night, we lose a lot of water through our breathing, snoring and heat so drinking a glass of water is essential to internal detoxification, cleansing and recycling. Regardless of what you have for breakfast, I highly recommend you drink a glass of water as soon as you get up. If you don’t like water, squeeze some fresh lime into it for taste.

By 7.30am I’ve had a shower and am ready to go. Between 7.45 and 8am, I make and drink a half pint of freshly squeezed carrot, apple and ginger juice. I love juicing fresh fruits. I usually buy enough fruits to last me the whole week at the weekend but if I run out, I will go to the shop and get some more. I also select fruits from the supermarket to ensure they ripe in time for when I need them. With fresh juice, you can also consume a lot more fruit than you would by eating it.

It is important to eat your fruit at least 30-60 minutes before a meal as it is water-rich and composed of simple sugars which are digested in the small intestine. If you eat fruit after a meal, you stop it from reaching its required destination, the small intestine, as it gets stuck in between food in the stomach. This is all part of the science of food combining and I have written about this particular item in more depth in my book How to Live Healthy in an Unhealthy World. Get it free here.

At 10am, I eat a handful of fresh berries with almonds or cashew nuts. I have decided in this current breakfast plan not to eat a proper meal before noon and for that reason I make up a mix of good nutritious stuff by having some kind of berries or grapes with a handful of nuts. 

At 11.15am, I eat a healthy fruit salad. During this time, I try not to mix too acidic fruits with those that are not too acidic. Each requires different enzymes to digest the fruits and a large mix of un-similar fruits will disturb the system. Usually, I would have pineapple with apple or grapes. Or pear with kiwis, melons, bananas, oranges. The best way is to chop them all up into small pieces and mix up into a bowl of fruit or a “fruit salad”

At 12.00, I proceed to prepare a delicious lunch. Breakfast is officially over and in another post I’ll cover lunch options I’m currently on.

The underlying message is that I consume a lot of fruit in the morning when my system is empty and can take up a lot of its required nutrients, vitamins and minerals from fruits very easily. At lunch, I’ll introduce the proteins and/or carbs. The other important message is planning. Plan your breakfast (or any meal) in advance and work at it and as a result you’ll see your benefits more readily. 

 

Popularity: 6% [?]