Mar 15, 2019 | Cooking Tips & Recipes, Nutrition
The following conditions may by helped by a body detox.
Our body detoxes every night as we sleep. But did you know that you can help this process along by adopting a cleansing routine once a month or periodically when the seasons change.
Not only will you feel great, but your body will work better and you may live longer!
Our body can store toxins, fatty deposits and waste, if we don’t eat well and drink enough water. It can manifest into feelings of being tired, sleep issues and generally not coping well with life. Toxins can be stored in your fatty tissues, and clog your liver. These can be things that you consume (processed foods, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption or drugs) , come into contact with such as chemicals, mercury fillings, or road fumes, excess salt and sugar, lack of fresh filtered water consumption and your work environment(exposure to air-conditioning, dust, chemicals or sedentary lifestyle).
Detoxing foods:
- Fruit and vegetable juices
- Water
- Raw food/sprouts/greens
- Whole fruits/vegetables/whole grains/legumes/seeds
Use a juicer or blender to make juices or smoothies. These will help you to detox, and help fill you up. They are cleansing and have the benefit of using raw ingredients, so all the nutrients will be available to your body
Skin brushing – do this daily before your shower or bath. Buy a natural bristled brush, dry brush your skin starting from the soles of your feet, working your way up your legs, in long sweeping gentle motions, towards your heart, then your arms and down your back. Dry skin brushing stimulates lymph flow and encourages blood flow to your skin, helping with the detox process. After dry brushing have your shower.
Deep breathing- most of us only do shallow breathing, which means we don’t use all of our lungs. Deep breathing helps feed our blood oxygen and helps with the detoxification process. Take a deep breath through your nose until your ribcage and then chest fill (move out), then exhale through your mouth with a ooooh sound.
Indulge in daily exercise-it is essential to exercise every day, it can be gentle exercise, stretching, stair climbing, dancing, swimming, bike riding, walking, Pilates or aerobics, whatever takes your fancy. Anything that makes you break into a sweat is suitable, although it does not have to, as long as you are moving.
Drink lots of fresh, filtered water- Still filtered water is best, as it helps hydrate your body and remove toxins. Sparkling water removed vital minerals from your body, so still room temperature water is best, 6-8 glasses a day.
Detox diet- this is a 1-4 day program, not a diet for life, so follow the steps to a better healthier body.
Warm lemon and water on rising- squeeze 1/2 lemon in a warm glass of water, this helps expel faecal matter from the day before.
Breakfast – Choose one of the following:
- Fruit- a large bowel of fruit (apples, pears, papayas, pineapple, cherries, peaches, plumbs, watermelon, apricots or berries only). They should be a room temperature, not cold out of the fridge.
- Miso soup
- Vegetable juice made from-1 cucumber, 1/4 piece ginger, 4 celery sticks, 100g alp alpha sprouts, 3 sprigs of parsley and I peeled carrot.
Tea break- drink a cup of herbal tea-choose from nettle, chamomile, dandelion, sage or Echinacea tea.
Juice break- make a fruit juice from seasonal fruits such as pineapple or a punnet of your favourite berries, 2 peaches and 1 apple or 2 firm papayas, 2 pears 1/2 teas grated ginger or 1 apple, 8 carrots, juice of 1 lemon and 2.5 cm ginger. Ginger should be peeled first.
Lunch – Choose from one of the following:
- Raw salad with sprouts
- Raw mint cucumber soup
- Raw sauerkraut
- Cooked grains – 1 cup of cooked Quinoa or millet or rice or amaranth mixed with fresh herbs and a side dish of greens ( broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, green leaves, Brussel sprouts or cauliflower).
Cucumber soup
Juice 3 cucumbers and 2 celery sticks. Add 1 cucumber chopped, 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and 1/4 of a leek finely chopped. May puree it in the blender to serve.
Afternoon break – herbal tea
Late afternoon snack – Veggie detox juice. Choose from one of the following:
- 6 carrots, 2 celery sticks and 1 apple
- 1/2 beetroot, 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk, 1/2 small cucumber
- 2 cucumbers, 1/4 -1/2 beetroot, a dill sprig
- 1 kale leaf, a handful od parsley, 5 carrots, 1/2 cm root ginger
- 2 celery stalks, a handful of parsley, 1 garlic clove, 5 carrots and 100g alfalfa sprouts
Before dinner – a cup of herbal tea and a handful of sunflower and pumpkin seeds or raw sauerkraut.
Dinner – finish the day with a raw salad with a handful of sprouts, If you are really hungry add a small amount of cooked grain. You can also have a bowl of miso soup.
After dinner have a squeeze of lemon in warm water, before a mineral bath.
Mineral baths are not only for women, men will enjoy a soak in the tub, your skin will love soaking up the minerals and nutrients you add. After filling the bath with water, add the following:
2 tsp flaxseed oil
1 teas liquid silica
2 teas Aloe Vera
3-4 drops of essential oils myrrh and frankincense.
Try to retire early, if you are still peckish; munch on some celery sticks and lettuce leaves, as the magnesium will help you sleep.
You can do this detox from 1-4 days. Make sure you drink up to 2 litres of filtered water a day (more if it is hot weather and you are sweating), supplement with herbal teas and juices, this will help eliminate toxins. Solid food such as fruit and vegetables and cooked grains, seeds and salad can be eaten, instead of juices. Don’t force the juices if you are not used to them, remember this is a detox not a diet you are adopting for life.
To enhance this process you may want to consider colonic hydrotherapy. Remember if you do a treatment of colonics, take some probiotics to add good digestive bacteria to your bowel. The benefits of colonics if that it will help remove built up waste in the bowel and colon.
Book in for a consultation before you go ahead with any detox, as you may not be able to proceed if you are taking medication for certain conditions. Call 0401031043 to make your appointment NOW!
Good luck!
Mar 15, 2019 | Nutrition
During winter we are exposed to the indoors more than any other time of the year. It’s cold and wet outside, the days are shorter and we do less socializing. This can have an impact on our wellbeing and our daily outlook on life. I have met many people who suffer from SAD (Seasonal affective disorder, and it can be debilitating. It affects our eating habits, mood and sleep patterns.
SAD is also known as winter depression, it usually occurs in the coldest, wettest, darkest time of the year. This is when we spend more time indoors and luckily it goes away during the summer months due to more exposure to the sun. The reason for this is we are exposed to more daylight, which increases our serotonin levels, in our body, our happy hormone. Scientists have proven that a lack of sunlight is linked to low mood, and lack of serotonin, made by our bodies.
In winter we get up in the dark, work all day, indoors and arrive home in the dark. Most of us do not get enough time to get outside to get the sun exposure we need to create, serotonin. We feel glum, depressed and tired. We find comfort in eating and having pyjama days on the weekends. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a pyjama day or eating comfort food, but too much of this can lead to feeling depressed!
So what’s the answer to this cycle. I suggest going for a lunchtime walk or sitting in the sun during your lunch break, to get some needed sun exposure. Fresh air is great for mind, body and soul! We come back to work feeling revitalised and energised, and ready to tackle the afternoon, whatever that may be.
Other ways to fit more daylight into your day.
- Park the car 15-30 mins away from work and walk in the sunshine.
- Ride a bike or take public transport and walk some of the way
- Go outside at lunchtime, and soak up some rays
- Go for a walk at lunchtime or break time to clear your head.
Not only will you get some fresh air, Vitamin D and lift your mood, you will also get some exercise, which can improve your health and fitness and reduce your stress levels. Start now, you will be guaranteed to feel good!
Book in for a consultation before you go ahead with any detox, as you may not be able to proceed if you are taking medication for certain conditions. Call 0401031043 to make your appointment NOW!
Good luck!
Feb 5, 2019 | Nutrition
Iron is required for a number of key functions in the body:
- Iron is an important in transporting oxygen in the blood and in the muscles.
- Iron is involved in the electron transport system. This system controls the release of energy from cells.
- Iron is required for red blood cell production.
- Iron is required for a healthy immune system
Inadequate iron in the body can impair aerobic metabolism by decreasing the delivery of oxygen to tissues and reducing the capacity of muscles to use oxygen for the oxidative production of energy.
Book in for a consultation before you go ahead with any detox, as you may not be able to proceed if you are taking medication for certain conditions. Call 0401031043 to make your appointment NOW!
Good luck!
Feb 3, 2019 | Nutrition
Iron status is difficult to assess, particularly from one-off blood measurements. Hard exercise results in an increase in the volume of plasma in the blood. This can dilute haemoglobin levels and incorrectly suggest that there is a problem with iron status. This condition is known as ‘sports anaemia’. It is most likely to occur in the early stages of a training program or when training load is increased. Sports anaemia does not need treatment. It is usually transitory and is unlikely to affect performance.
Book in for a consultation before you go ahead with any detox, as you may not be able to proceed if you are taking medication for certain conditions. Call 0401031043 to make your appointment NOW!
Good luck!
Feb 2, 2019 | Nutrition
A small percentage of the population has a condition called haemochromatosis. In this condition, iron accumulates in tissues causing damage and disease. Haemochromatosis often goes undiagnosed for many years. Iron supplementation is dangerous for people with haemochromatosis.
Some athletes have been known to have iron injections in order to rapidly increase iron stores. Research indicates performance is not improved by iron injections. There is a risk that anaphylactic shock can occur with iron injections. This can be fatal.
Written by AIS Sports Nutrition, last updated November 2009. © Australian Sports Commission
Book in for a consultation before you go ahead with any detox, as you may not be able to proceed if you are taking medication for certain conditions. Call 0401031043 to make your appointment NOW!
Good luck!
