Tag Archives: Detoxification

What is Cupping?

March 24, 2013 helenabarker Leave a comment

What is Cupping and how does it work?

Cupping is one of the oldest methods of traditional Chinese medicine. Today acupuncturists use cups made of thick glass, plastic or bamboo. Glass cups are the preferred method of delivery, because they do not break as easily and they allow the acupuncturist to see the skin and evaluate the effects of treatment.

In a typical cupping session, glass cups are warmed using a cotton ball or other flammable substance, which is soaked in alcohol, lit, and then placed, inside the cup. Burning a substance inside the cup removes all the oxygen, which creates a vacuum.

As the substance burns, the cup is turned upside-down so that the practitioner can place the cup over a specific area. The vacuum created by the lack of oxygen anchors the cup to the skin and pulls it upward on the inside of the glass as the air inside the jar cools. Drawing up the skin is believed to open up the skin’s pores, which helps to stimulate the flow of blood, balances and realigns the flow of Qi breaks up obstructions, and creates an avenue for toxins to be drawn out of the body.

Depending on the condition being treated, the cups will be left in place from 5 to 10 minutes. Several cups may be placed on a patient’s body at the same time. Some cupping treatments will also include small amounts of medicated or herbal oils being applied to the skin just before the cupping procedure, which lets the cups move up and down particular acupoints or meridians after they have been applied.

What conditions does Cupping treat?

Cupping can be used for a variety of conditions but is mainly used for muscular-skeletal pain, cold and flu’s and cold syndromes. It is very beneficial in the treatment of pain.

Is cupping safe? Does it hurt?

While cupping is considered relatively safe, it can cause some swelling and bruising on the skin. As the skin under a cup is drawn up, the blood vessels at the surface of the skin expand. This may result in small, circular bruises on the areas where the cups were applied. These bruises are usually painless, however, and disappear within a few days of treatment.

In addition, there are several instances where cupping should not be performed. Patients with inflamed skin; cases of high fever or convulsions; and patients who bleed easily, are not suitable candidates for cupping. Pregnant women should not have cupping on their stomach or lower back. If the cups are being moved, they should not cross bony areas, such as the ridges of the spine or the shoulder blades.

Detoxification, Natural Medicine, Naturopathy

Finish the 6 week Detox programme with a 2/3 day Juice fast

March 24, 2013 helenabarker 1 Comment

6 Week Detox Program finishing with a 2/3 day juice fast – This is a gentle Naturopathic programme that will change your lifestyle and make you glow from the inside out.

Well done, I know I need a pat on the back for completing the last 6 weeks. Eliminating some of those foods groups was tough, now complete the programme with the 2/3 day juice fast.

As I have said before Spring is the perfect time to cleanse for overall health and well-being! According to traditional Chinese medicine, Spring is when your liver is particularly activated. Like any irrigation system, things build up, and the system can tire under strain. Ours is no different. When this organ functions smoothly, physical and emotional activity throughout the body also runs smoothly. By eliminating alcohol, caffeine, meat, dairy, wheat/gluten & sugar you have done a lot of the hard work. The reason for doing the elimination over a long period of 6 weeks is so that you have gently cleansed your body and hopefully you won’t have a major healing crisis/reaction to the fasting. You can expect some on the normal fasting side effects, headaches, feeling cold, tired etc… Try not to do too much over the 2/3 days. You may have some side effects because the toxins in your body are being dumped into your blood stream and they will take 24 – 72 hours to clear through your system (Kidneys mainly). You can do gentle exercise, yoga and walking is OK but make sure you keep warm.

You can refresh with my earlier blog for the benefits of detoxing and fasting.

Juice fast

Juicing is the key to radiant skin and health. Also referred to as “cellular cleansing,” juicing is preparing and drinking fruit and vegetable juices. A juice fast is great way to nurture your body, rebuild your immune system and restore yourself to a healthy way of living. Raw fruit and vegetable juice contains many cleansing elements such as minerals, vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants to heal and detoxify the body safely.

Little energy is used by your digestive system during the cleanse, allowing the body to focus on rebuilding, renewing, and healing. You might be surprised by how much energy you have. The many health benefits of juicing far exceed those of eating solid fruits and vegetables.

At the most basic level, juicing gives us the opportunity to add far more vegetables to our daily diet. Juicing allows us to up the amount of raw food we consume which gives the body energy and boosts the immune system and the body’s cleansing process. Green juices contain lots of chlorophyll which is significantly effective in detoxifying our bodies. Chlorophyll can help make our bodies strong by detoxifying the liver. This detoxification will purify and help to rebuild our blood cells, remove mold, parasites and toxins from the body.

When fasting

It is necessary to strain the juices to ensure that solid pieces are not consumed. Solid food will encourage the digestive process to begin again and will make you hungry. This is not desirable. If you feel like you need more juice, more calories, or are a little low in blood sugar, you can repeat any of the juices during the same time period of any given day, I would recommend 3-5 juices per day. Most juices contain about 100-200 calories and are packed with vitamins and minerals. Also allow yourself to drink non-caffeinated Herbal teas.

Juicer

Earlier in the week I recommended this great value juicer, you can get almost anything through it as long as harder fruits and vegetables are chopped into smaller pieces. If you do not have a juicer you can use a blender and strain out the pulp.

Fruits are the cleansers and being very alkaline are good to do first thing in the morning and vegetables are the builders and good to do in the evenings. Avocados and Bananas do not juice well. Remember you can use herbs; mint and parsley are great in juices, also ginger.

Have 3 – 5 8oz glasses (large glasses) of juice per day plus 1.5 – 2 litres of clean filtered water

Please feel free to make up your own juices, more veg than fruit and try not to mix fruit and veg together as they impair digestion, exceptions to this are carrots (which break down simple sugars very quickly) and apples, which can comfortably be mixed with vegetables because of the higher starch content.

If you are hungry, eat raw veg such as peppers
NO Salad dressing, Salt & Pepper
NO Supplements
If you blood sugar is low have a piece of fruit

Both fruit and veg are high in Potassium and Magnesium so even though you may find this hard you are doing your body the world of good.

Juice’s

1. 1 Carrot grated, ½ Cucumber, 2 medium Beetroot, handful of Spinach or Kale & 2 Celery sticks and add Ginger and the juice of a lime to taste.

2. ½ Cucumber, 1 Apple, 2 Celery sticks, 1 Carrot grated – this mixes really well together

3. 1 Apple, Grapes and a Lemon – great in the morning

4. 1 Pear, Grapes, ½ Lemon & ½ Watermelon

5. Handful of Spinach & Kale, handful of chopped Broccoli, 2 Celery sticks and ½ Cucumber – surprisingly sweet because of the Kale

6. ½ Pineapple, ½ Cucumber & Lemon or Lime

Please feel free to make up your own and remember to dilute all juices with equal parts of clean filtered water.

When you have competed the 2 days, please ease yourself gently back into the world. Lots of soups and stews, nothing processed and see how much you can keep eliminated from your diet. If your ever feeling like you have slipped back into your old routine you can just do a 2 day juice fast but watch out for the side effects!!

Hope you feel well and full of vitality!

Helena

Detoxification, Natural Medicine, Naturopathy

Week 6 of my 6 week Detox Programme – Quitting Sugar

March 17, 2013 helenabarker 1 Comment

6 Week Detox Program finishing with a 2/3 day juice fast – This is a gentle Naturopathic programme that will change your lifestyle and make you glow from the inside out.

Well done, week 6 already, I don’t know about you but I feel great, my skin is clearer, I’ve lost a few pounds but the main thing is I feel alive. It has been tough but the good thing about this Detox is that it has been slow and hopefully some of the lifestyle changes you have made during this programme will become permanent. I know that is the case for me.

Anyway it’s not quiet over yet, this week we need to quit Sugar then this is followed by a 2 day juice detox. Sounds hard yes? But it should be easy, you have already eliminated from your diet a huge proportion of where sugars, mainly hidden sugars lie – up to now you have eliminated Alcohol (full of hidden Sugars), Caffeine (you will have not had any Chocolate), Meat (processed meats contain Sugars), Dairy (again full of hidden Sugars, especially Yogurts & Cheeses and ‘low-fat’ options) and Wheat/Gluten (full of Sugars especially processed sauces and pastries). So if you think about it this week should not be as hard as you think as you have eliminated all of the above & hopefully processed foods. You are a Vegetarian eating mainly veg, fruits, fish, eggs, beans & lentils – easy. Plus your sugar cravings should have of diminished some what as you have not been eating cakes, pastries, chocolate etc…

Now it’s time to ditch the fizzy drinks, any processed cereals and bars (the added sugars in some of the ‘healthy’ bars is phenomenal), sweets (these must go!), concentrated juices and squash, dried fruits and jams and many high sugar fruits such as Apples and Bananas.

Five Sugar traps to avoid

These foods are health-food shop favourites and are filled to the brim with sugar:

Low Fat Yogurt/Dairy – When manufacturers take the fat out of dairy they have to replace the taste and texture with something – that something is sugar. A ‘natural’ low-fat individual tub of yogurt can contain six teaspoons of sugar! ‘Low-fat’, ‘sugar free’ and ‘no added sugar’ labels are in fact full of sugar (fructose) and are highly fat creating; the ‘full-fat’ option is by far the healthiest!
Agave – This is a fashionable sugar-substitute and is made from a South American plant and marked as ‘low-GI’ and healthy. Beware; this is 70-90% fructose.
Muesli – Some muesli’s promoted at low-fat and healthy have recently been found to contain more sugar than Coco Pops – up to 44% sugar.
Dried Fruits, Dates & Goji Berries – Any product containing a lot of dried fruit is going to be full of fructose. When you take the water out of fruit your left with a lot of sugar – about 50-70%, Dates are the worst culprits.
Fruit Juice – A 375ml glass of Apple juice contains the same amount of sugar as the same glass of Coca-Cola – about 10 teaspoons. Some Vegetable juices such as Carrot and Beetroot are also high in Sugar. Eat your vegetables and fruits whole, Apples and Bananas are the worst culprits and Berries and Kiwis are the best.

Some Sugar facts…

Sugar comes in two halves – normal table sugar comprises of 50% glucose – which is safe (in moderation) and is easily metabolised by our bodies – and 50% fructose. Fructose is the issue. So when we say “sugar”, we are referring to the fructose component.

There is good sugar and bad sugar?

There’s safe and unsafe sugar. Glucose and lactose (in milk) are safe – they contain no fructose. They occur naturally in a lot of foods. Fructose, however, is, always bad. And fructose is fructose, whether it’s consumed in “healthy” forms or not – the body reads it the same way.

Honey is 40% fructose, agave is 70 – 90% fructose… these are often labelled as “good” or healthy sugars when they’re clearly not.

Fruit contains a lot of fructose too, but if consumed whole, the water and fibre content offsets things a little (although studies show we really should only be eating one to two pieces of low-fructose fruits each day).

What are some of the negative effects of too much sugar?

Weight gain is an immediate one. Fructose goes straight to the liver as fat. The issues spin off from there, primarily metabolic syndrome, which leads to diabetes, cholesterol issues and heart disease. Studies now link sugar to all these “modern” diseases, all of which have risen at the same rate as our sugar consumption.

My main aim of this detox programme is to quit sugar for good; there is an article in the Observer today titled ‘Is Sugar the new Tobacco?’ This is so true, look at the obesity epidemic that is apparent everywhere you look and especially with Children, re-education is needed to reduce our sugar intake and take charge of our health.

Eliminating Sugar will not only help you lose weight, lift your energy levels and get glowing skin it will have huge health benefits and help prevent against diseases such as Diabetes and Cancer’s.

I have discovered this woman in Australia called Sarah Wilson, she has an amazing book called ‘I Quit Sugar’, it really is amazing makes you realise the tasty things that you can create without sugar.

So good luck with this week, there will be updates throughout the week and on how to prepare for the 2 day juice detox.

Helena

Detoxification, Naturopathy

Week 4 of my 6 week Detox Programme – Eliminating Dairy

March 3, 2013 helenabarker Leave a comment

6 Week Detox Program finishing with a 2/3 day juice fast – This is a gentle Naturopathic programme that will change your lifestyle and make you glow from the inside out.

So how are you getting on with the detox, are you starting to have more energy and your skin looking brighter? I hope so, I can defiantly feel a difference and it’s so good to not be relying on Caffeine for that pick me up, I feel great. Still a way to go though, this week the food group to eliminate is Dairy.

There are so many misconceptions with Dairy, we are lead to believe from a young age (thanks to the government funded Dairy Council) that Milk is good for us and will help protect us from diseases such as Osteoporosis and Heart Disease and that it’s full of vitamins and minerals (yeah right!). In fact is that dairy is responsible for so many health disorders especially allergies, eczema, asthma, arthritis, bloating and acne as well as being high in saturated fat, cholesterol and calories.

Think about it, we are the only mammal on the planet that drinks another mammal’s milk; this surely has to be wrong. Here are a few further facts on dairy:

After weaning, milk is not an essential part of an adult’s diet, after the age about two the enzyme rennin, responsible for milks proper digestion dries up. Milk can damage the small intestinal wall leading it to be permeated; this can lead to a lot of health problems.
Dairy attacks the lymphatic system – this is the first line of defence for the body, cow’s milk is high in acid and this causes congestion of the lymph as bacterial cultures can develop very quickly, this is a primary source of infection for the body especially in children – ear infections, eczema, asthma etc…
Cultures that don’t drink milk have the strongest bones.
We are all lead to believe that the Calcium in dairy is good for our bones, realistically the calcium that we ingest into our body’s from dairy products creates too much calcium, this cannot be absorbed without magnesium, most people are deficient in magnesium, therefore the calcium is ‘free’ and cannot be used.
The high acids in dairy products are a main factor in Osteoporosis, instead of going for the diary option you should switch to green leafy veg. Many green vegetables have calcium-absorption rates of over 50%, compared with about 32% for milk. Additionally since animal protein induces calcium excretion in the urine, the calcium retention from vegetables is higher plus you are also getting the Magnesium you require to absorb the Calcium, so it is of more benefit.
Green vegetables, beans, tofu, sesame seeds, and even oranges contain lots of usable calcium, without problems associated with diary. Keep in mind that you retain the calcium better and just do not need as much when you don’t consume a diet heavy in animal products and sodium, sugar, and caffeine.
Milk and dairy are a huge factor in the production of Gall Stones
Because of the demand for dairy, cows need to produce 55 litres a day to be viable, this is not possible without the help of growth hormones and antibiotics, and we are also ingesting these nasty’s.

So as you can see there are many health benefits from eliminating dairy and maintaining a plant based diet. There are some really good dairy free options to look out for and most supermarkets and all health stores stock them.

Milk alternatives:

Every dairy product has a non-dairy alternative. Milk from cows and other animals is used as a beverage and in recipes for both sweet and savoury foods. You can get non-dairy milk from Soya, Almond, Rice and Coconut milk – my personal preference is from a brand called Kara, have a Coconut milk and it is not as sweet as some of the alternatives and is great for cooking with. If a recipe calls for buttermilk, simply stir 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar into 1 cup of soy milk and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

Yogurt alternatives:

With more people giving up dairy for health or dietary reasons, the selection of soy-based yogurts is growing. Peruse the supermarket yogurt section and you’ll find plain, vanilla and fruit flavoured soy yogurts. Soy yogurt seamlessly replaces dairy-based yogurt as a snack and in recipes.

Replacing cheese:

Tofu and vegan cheeses are delicious non-dairy substitutes for nearly all types of cheese. You may have to visit a natural foods store to find vegan cheeses, but tofu is available at most grocery stores. You can use crumbled, seasoned tofu in place of cottage cheese or ricotta.

Replacing ice cream:

If ice cream is one of your favourite desserts, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the vast selection of non-dairy ice creams made from soy, rice and coconut.

Replacing butter:

Your morning toast habit and love of baking don’t have to end just because you’re eliminating butter from your diet. Dairy-free or vegan butter substitutes come in stick, spreadable and shortening forms and can be used in many recipes, in addition to adding moistness and flavour to your breakfast foods. If you opt for margarine, go with organic and trans fat-free varieties.

One more tip, remember to read labels, just because you eliminate the obvious dairy in your diet (i.e., milk, yogurt, cheese and butter) doesn’t mean you are in the clear. Dairy may lurk in other everyday foods. Read labels on all packaged foods before buying or consuming. Be on the lookout for — and avoid — these common dairy-derived ingredients: casein, whey, ghee, lactic acid, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin, lactose, milk sugar and recaldent (found in dental products).

This week may sound as if it’s going to be tough, but stick with it, the health benefits from eliminating dairy are immense. Good Luck as always and please get in touch if you have any further questions.

Helena

Detoxification, Naturopathy

Week 3 of my 6 week Detox Programme – Eliminating Meat, Benefits of a Plant-based Diet

February 24, 2013 helenabarker Leave a comment

6 Week Detox Program finishing with a 2/3 day juice fast – This is a gentle Naturopathic programme that will change your lifestyle and make you glow from the inside out.

The food to eliminate from your diet this week is Meat. There are many health benefits from a plant-based diet, it will help decrease your risk of heart disease, lower your risk of cancer and stroke, reduce constipation, help you to lose weight while watching diabetes evaporate or osteoporosis be reversed as well as having profound effects on the planet’s resources and saving animals.

Many people are unaware that vegetables, in many cases contain much larger amounts of protein per calories that dairy or meat products. High levels of protein are found in green leafy vegetables, especially Spinach and Broccoli where as beans, lentils and grains are the staple of any vegetarian and vegans diet. Look out this week for some recipe ideas.

A very common symptom from eating meat is constipation. Are you constipated right now? Whether you are occasionally constipated or suffer from chronic constipation, as a high percentage of the population do, a plant-based diet will help solve the problem.

The transit time for all foods in your system should be 16 hours. So if you’re interested in testing your digestive timing, ingest some corn and time how long it takes to appear in your stool. The time from ingestion to the time the corn ceases to appear in your stool is the true transit time. To the extent that the interval is greater than 16 hours, you are constipated and waste products are remaining in your body long enough to cause disease.

Major danger can arise when we add meat products to a poorly functioning or constipated system. Red meat that stays in the system for over 16 hours begins to putrefy and becomes toxic. Not only will this create discomfort and intense odour, but food that purifies in the stomach, colon, or intestines creates a breeding ground for viruses, bacteria and tumours.

The toxins and diseases that arise from a constipated system aren’t the only reasons for concern. In addition to cancer, heart disease, diverticulitis, IBS, obesity, arthritis and a plethora of other conditions that have some link to constipation, the energy and straining required to relieve a clogged system can cause heart attacks, hemorrhoids, a ballooning of the intestinal wall, and can negatively affect the prostate.

Cutting meat out of your diet will detoxify colon and make your bowel’s work more efficiently, when you eat a healthy plant-based diet, your challenges with constipation will evaporate. Your acid/alkaline balance will improve making your body more alkaline and your skin will also benefit immensely and become healthy and glowing. Now there is a reason in itself to give up meat.

Give it a try, swap that Steak for a Tofu stir-fry, you will feel the health benefits almost straight away with not feeling as bloated and full. And remember Vegetarian and Vegan food is far from boring.

Keep up the good work!

Helena

Detoxification, Naturopathy

Week 2 of my 6 week Detox Program – Caffeine Detox – How are you Surviving?!

February 22, 2013 helenabarker Leave a comment

6 Week Detox Program finishing with a 2/3 day juice fast – This is a gentle Naturopathic programme that will change your lifestyle and make you glow from the inside out.

So, how are you surviving without that Caffeine hit? It’s hard and I’ll be the first to admit there have been points this week where I have just wanted to get a Cappuccino, but I’ve stuck with it :). If the latter half of the week has been easier, this is because Caffeine is leaving your system and if you are feeling a bit tired you have probably been relying on Caffeine for energy. If you have experienced any headaches, this is a sign that your body has been dependent on Caffeine. If you can over the weekend, sleep in for a while, relax and nap if needed to build your energy back up.

Here are a few more tips to help you stay off Caffeine:

Drink water

Drink at least 1-1.5 liters of purified water throughout the day. Staying hydrated will help prevent that caffeine withdrawal headache as well as flush toxins from your system.

Drink tea

Enjoy unlimited amounts of herbal tea as I said before there are hundreds of delicious blends to choose from, tantalize your taste buds!

Get moving

Get your body moving! Go for a walk, a jog or go to a Yoga class. Sweating will help to release the toxins from your system and exercise helps to release the endorphins that keep us upbeat and happy.

Grain alternatives

I spoke about these earlier in the week, there are several companies that make coffee alternatives made from barley, rye, malt and chicory. These taste very much like coffee and can be a fabulous alternative to coffee. However, if you are celiac or gluten sensitive, please avoid these.

Keep up the good work, you will feel great for it!

If you would like to ask me any questions please feel free to contact me.

Helena x

Detoxification, Naturopathy

Week 2 of my 6 week Detox Program – Caffeine Detox

February 17, 2013 helenabarker Leave a comment

6 Week Detox Program finishing with a 2/3 day juice fast – This is a gentle programme that will change your lifestyle and make you glow from the inside out.

Week 2 – Caffeine Detox

Well done, hopefully you have survived week one of my detox. Well, how was it? Did you manage to stay off the booze? I managed it, even when I went out for a Valentine’s dinner I managed to stay clear from the White Wine.

Even if you slipped up you should carry on with the Detox programme, as each week is accumulative you will continue to stay clear of alcohol.

This week the item to eliminate is Caffeine. This is going to be tougher as Caffeine is an everyday item, the main culprets being Coffee & Tea.

Below is a chart that shows the Caffeine content in everyday items:

Item Caffeine (mg)

Coffee, brewed (240ml/8oz) 60-120

Coffee, instant (240ml/8oz) 70

Coffee, decaf (240ml/8oz) 2-5

Tea, black, 5-min steep (240ml/8oz) 60-100

Tea, green (240ml/8oz) 20

Coca-Cola (355ml/12oz) 34

Milk Choc (30g/1oz) 1-15

Dark Choc (30g/1oz) 20

As you can see from this, it’s not just Tea & Coffee that you have to eliminate from your diet. Sorry the Chocolate has to go…! As you may know, Green Tea has many health benefits but I will come back to these at a later date, for now all you need to know is that it contains caffeine so it’s a no, no.

What you can drink:

It’s all about the Herbal Tea’s, these days the shops are filled with so many flavours and you will be surprised at how good they taste. I recommend that you get yourself a ‘Tower of Tea’, below is mine and I’ve been an Herbal Tea addict for a long time and I’m always finding new flavours. My new favourite is from a brand called Clipper and is an Orange & Coconut flavour – Yum.

Side effects from Detoxing from Caffeine:

Caffeine is a drug. It’s addictive, gives you a sudden rush of energy and offers you a bit of a high, which is usually followed by a bit of a crash. Once you start to feel the crash, more Caffeine is needed to maintain stimulation. But the biggest sign that Caffeine is a drug is that when you have a go at detoxing from it, you will experience crazy withdrawal symptoms.

Headaches, nausea and moods so bad…this is what prolonged periods of abstinence can do to the caffeine addicted.

Drinking Coffee is a ritual and symbol of important, busy people. The more responsibilities we have, the bigger the cup of Coffee we need to carry around with us. I never drank Coffee untill I started studying to be an Acupuncturist & Naturopath, I think that it was the working full-time and studying that did it. Now I can go through phases of one Coffee a week or one everyday and I’m partial to black Tea and dark Chocolate so this is going to be a challenge.

The more stress we have in our life, the more Caffeine we drink. It’s a vicious cycle. We need Caffeine to keep up with the pace of modern life, but if Coffee is your choice, itself actually helps to create nervous energy. Coffee wakes us up and gets us going, but over time this unnatural stimulation of our nerves creates stress levels that wreak havoc on our immune systems, hormones and our adrenals.

It is widely known that Caffeine enhances alertness and concentration, but the negative effects are pretty well downplayed. The health risks include inhibiting the absorption of essential minerals like iron, magnesium and zinc as well as B vitamins. Many studies have also linked heavy Coffee consumption with higher risks for miscarriages, osteoporosis and heart disease.

Drinking Caffeine is a habit that should be gradually given up – especially if you rely on more than one cup each day. Caffeine withdrawal is not fun – for you or for those around you. Here are a few things you can do to help you kick the habit:

1. Drink more water – you can help to flush out the Caffeine in your system by drinking a lot more water throughout the day.

2. Try Dandelion and Chicory root blend tea – this tea is a great Coffee substitute as it looks like Coffee and it still has a rich flavor. You can also add oat milk or almond milk if you prefer it creamy. This stuff is rich in minerals, provides energy and is also known for its detoxifying properties.

3. Get plenty of rest – when you take Caffeine away, your body won’t know what’s hit it. Without that false energy, you will most likely feel tired and more lethargic than usual. Be gentle with yourself and honor your body with more sleep and rest.

So Good Luck, this is going to be a tough week. Any questions let me know and I’ll check in, in the week to see how you’re getting on.

Helena x

Detoxification, Naturopathy

Detox & Fasting Programme for a brighter you…

February 9, 2013 helenabarker Leave a comment

6 Week Detox Programme finishing with a 2/3 day juice fast – This is a gentle programme that will change your lifestyle and make you glow from the inside out.

If your body is getting everything it needs, i.e. nutrients & minerals, your body can work properly. I work on the encouragement of self-healing and in my practice my emphasis is on ‘treating the cause not the symptoms’ and ‘treating the patient as a whole’.

I have mixed views on fasting, these fad diets of fasting for 2 days a week and then eating and drinking as ‘normal’ for the rest give out the wrong impression for a balanced lifestyle.

I do praise the benefits of fasting though if it is done properly. It gives your body a break from dealing with everything it has to break down and gives it time to regenerate and heal itself. You can eat during this fast, but only portions of raw vegetables or fruit. Fasting is an integral part of many cultures and done quite naturally in countries around the world.

Join me on this 6 week detox programme followed by a 2/3 day juice fast – this will leave you feeling amazing both inside & out.

The 6 week detox plan is to prepare your body for the fast, it just makes the whole process a lot smoother and it’s an easier transition for the body so it’s not such a drastic change all of a sudden.

We all have toxins in our body; they come in in many forms. Toxins are proteins produces by certain bacteria, animals or plants. The main toxins that we are vulnerable to are:

Exogenous Toxins – Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, recreational & prescription drugs, additives preservatives, hair bleach & skin creams etc…
Environmental Toxins – Pesticides, herbicides, solvents, petrochemicals, exhaust gases, carbon monoxide, fluoride, heavy metals etc…

And the list goes on…

The three basic ways to avoid Toxicity are to avoid heavy metals, eat organic food and live in an eco-friendly environment. There are simple ways that we can change our lifestyle that I will go over during the course of this programme.

6 Week Detox Programme – pre fasting

Week 1 – No Alcohol
Week 2 – No Caffeine
Week 3 – No Meat
Week 4 – No Dairy
Week 5 – No Wheat
Week 6 – No Sugar

That’s accumulative so you start the 2/3 day fast with none of these in your system, and depending on your diet at the moment it could be shorter than 6 weeks eg. If you’re a vegetarian it would only be 5 weeks.

It looks simple, but it gets tough…

I will keep you updated with my progress throughout the programme and also give you encouragement and helpful tips along the way. I will also give you the recipe’s for the juices well in advance and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need some advice in regard to the programme.

The 2/3 day Juice Fast starts at the end of the 6th week

2/3 day Juice fasts are a great thing to do once or twice a year. Spring and Summer are best as in Winter the Qi (vital force) retreats and you need building up.

The juices can be a mix of Veg or Fruit juices, and you can eat raw Organic fruit and vegetables throughout the fast just limit yourself to either fruit or vegetables in one day.

Vegetables are the builders and fruit are the cleansers & vegetable juices are best in the morning time.

Here are some examples of some juices but I will send more ideas and recipes in the coming weeks.

Veg Juices: Carrot, Kale, Celery, Parsley, Beetroot & Cucumber
Fruit Juices: Apple, Pear, Grape, Pineapple & Watermelon

Here is some Fasting info:

The body uses up 50% of its energy in digestion. By fasting, that energy can be utilised in other processes such as self-healing, tissue repair and enhancement of cell-mediated immunity. Fasting encourages toxins stored in fat cells and elsewhere to be mobilised into the blood stream to be dealt with by the Liver.

It is important prior to fasting that the main organs of elimination (Liver, Colon & Kidneys) be in an optimally efficient state – this is why the 6 week detox is required.

To prevent your body from going into a toxic overload due to inadequate levels of essential nutrients, the organic fruit and/or vegetables will prevent this. This is the reason that juice fasts are favoured over water fasts.

The Important Stuff…

Long fasts (more than 2 days) should be supervised by a Naturopath
During a ‘fast’, pollutants are mobilised into the bloodstream as fat stores are used up. A body overloaded with toxins can produce reactions which are unpredictable as the ‘cocktail’ of chemicals hits the bloodstream. Watch out for the side effects.
Common side effects of short term fasting include: headaches, nausea, coated tongue, dizziness, skin rashes, acne, aching limbs & muscles, feeling colder than usual, insomnia, urine may be cloudy or darker than usual and your bowels may stop functioning during the fast. These symptoms will pass as soon as the waste materials are through your Kidneys.
Benefits of fasting: Clearer skin and eyes, more energy, increased elimination, decreased pain and inflammation, increased concentration and a feeling of wellbeing.
Contraindications to extend fasting (beyond 48 hours) without provisional supervision: Pregnancy & Breast Feeding, Severe Liver disease or Anemia, Kidney disease, if you suffer from an eating disorder, mental illness or a chronic condition which needs medication.
Ensure that 2 litres of pure, filtered water is consumed on fasting days

So who is with me to start this week? It’s only 6 ½ weeks of your life, you will be completed before Easter. Put the wine away and start planning your next few weeks.

For me the 1^st week will be easy, I’ve been off the booze for a while but when we hit week 2, eliminating Caffeine…ouch. I wouldn’t be a big Coffee drinker, but I’m defiantly a Tea drinker and watch out for all the other Caffeine laden items, such as Chocolate. It’s going to be tough… Good Luck!

Remember if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Helena x

086~8163130

helena_barker@hotmail.com