Mind Body Connection

The American psychologist Louise L. Hay says that all the diseases that we are created by us and that we are 100% responsible for everything bad that happens in our body.

Whenever we are sick, we need to find out whom need to forgive. Grief, sadness, anger and revenge are feelings that came from a place where there was no forgiveness and to forgive dissolves resentment.

Below, you”ll meet a list of some diseases and their probable causes, prepared by Dr. Hay…

 

 

 

Diseases / Causes:

Tonsillitis: repressed emotions, stifled creativity.

ANOREXIA: Hate yourself.

Appendicitis: Fear of Life.

Arteriosclerosis: Resistance. Refusing to see good.

ARTHRITIS: Review stored for a long time.

ASTHMA: Feeling restrained, repressed tears.

Bronchitis: Family inflamed. Whoops, discussions.

CANCER: Grief deep sorrow kept for long.

CHOLESTEROL: Fear of accepting joy.

RELEASE: Resistance. Rejection for life.

DIABETES: deep sadness.

DIARRHEA: Fear, denial, escape.

HEADACHE: Self-criticism, lack of self-worth.

Knee pain: fear of resume, afraid to move on.

MIGRAINE: Suppressed anger. Person perfectionist.

Fibroids: Food wounds caused by the partner (a).

Frigidity: Fear. Denial of pleasure.

Gastritis: deep uncertainty. Feeling of doom.

Hemorrhoids: Fear of deadlines. Rage of the past.
HEPATITIS: Anger, hatred. Resistance to change.

INSOMNIA: Fear, guilt.

Labyrinthitis: Fear of not being in control.

MENINGITIS: Uproar inside. Lack of support.

NODES: Resentment, frustration. Bruised ego.

SKIN (ACNE): Individuality threatened. Do not accept yourself.

PNEUMONIA: Despair. Weariness of life.

HIGH PRESSURE: lasting emotional problem not solved.

LOW PRESSURE: Lack of love as a child .. Defeatism.

CONSTIPATION: Attached to the past. Fear of not having enough money.

LUNGS: Fear of absorbing life.

Quist: Food hurt. False evolution.

COLDS: Confusion, disorder, grief.

RHEUMATISM: Feeling victim .. Lack of love. Bitterness.

ALLERGIC RHINITIS: emotional congestion. Belief in pursuit.

KIDNEYS: fear of criticism or failure.

Sinusitis: Irritation to the next person.

THYROID: Humiliation.

TUMORS: Food hurts .. . Accumulating remorse.

ULCERS: Fear of not being good enough.

VARICOSE VEINS: Discouragement. Feeling overwhelmed.

So let’s take care of our feelings, especially those who hide from ourselves.

Remedies indicated: Self-esteem, forgiveness, love.

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The Secret to Optimal Health – Alkaline Diets

Advocates of an alkaline diet state that because about 75% of our body is made up of water, which helps to transport nutrients, oxygen and biochemicals in our bloodstream, this medium can either have acidic or alkaline properties.

This is measured by a scale called the pH factor where a pH of 1.0 to 6.9 is considered acidic, 7.0 is neutral and 7.1 to 14.0 is alkaline.

Essentially, the lower the pH, the greater the alkalinity. A healthy body needs a healthy pH level and our acid-alkaline balance should ideally be a ratio of 1:4 for optimum health. This means that for every part of acid there are four alkaline parts. This can be easily maintained by eating foods in a similar acid:alkaline ratio. Therefore, ideally we should ensure that about 80% of our food intake is alkaline in nature, while only 20% of it should be acidic.

Determining your balance.

Susan Lark, MD, co-author of The Chemistry of Success: Six Secrets of Peak Performance, asserts that being cognisant of your body’s acid-alkaline balance is crucial to achieving better health, as it affects various health issues, including immunity, digestion and general bodily function.

To function properly cells need to remain slightly alkaline. The problem is that most of us tend to maintain a high degree of acidity. Our fitness, or lack thereof, plays a role, as do certain medications and stress. In terms of diet, high-fat, high-protein junk foods and refined sugars trigger a response in the stomach, causing it to release a greater amount of acidic digestive fluids.

Thankfully it doesn’t require invasive or overly involved procedures to determine whether your body is alkaline or acidic. All you really need are some pH strips and saliva or urine sample. There a also some simple ye-or-no questions which may help make your determination. Dr Lark suggests that you ask yourself the following questions:

The signs

If you answer ‘yes’ to five or more questions, your body is most likely overly acidic:

  • Do you not feel your best after consuming fried foods, red meat, fast food, colas or desserts?
  • Do you regularly eat refined foods such as white flour and sugar?
  • Do you regularly take aspirin, antibiotics or unbuffered vitamin C?
  • Does vigorous exercise often leave you feeling exhausted?
  • After an hour of work at your desk, do you feel mentally and physically tired?
  • Are your muscles often stiff and sore?
  • Do you have a history of osteoporosis, arthritis or gout?
  • Have you already celebrated your 50th birthday?
  • Do you frequently catch a cold or the flu?
  • Are you susceptible to sore throats or food allergies?
  • Is your hair and skin dry?
  • Do you have large pores or are you ageing prematurely?

Our diet creates the imbalance

aerobic exerciseThrough the years the diet humans consume has shifted from alkaline to acidic, which has disrupted our normal alkaline levels. This has caused an imbalance that leads to the loss of essential minerals like potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium.

Just as acid rain damages forests and alkaline waste pollutes rivers, an unbalanced pH can destroy body cells and tissues by slowly ‘gnawing’ away at veins and arteries. If ignored an unbalanced pH will interrupt al cellular functions, including molecular transport, reproduction and energy conversion, resulting in serious degenerative diseases.

Advocates of an alkaline diet promote a diet heavy in fruits an vegetables, but light on meat, dairy, sugar and grains.

Many mainstream doctors say that the body has its own system to deal with acidity, so we shouldn’t worry about it. However, new research suggests that what the body does to regulate pH can lead to thinner bones and weaker muscles.

Every minute there are many functions that are carried out simultaneously within our bodies. For all of these functions to be carried out smoothly, on basic requirement is necessary: The body’s acid-alkaline balance, which must be maintained to enable the immune system to fight diseases and to prevent cell degeneration (ageing, illness and poor health).

Dr Linda Frassetto, a researcher at the University of California, says we are in the midst of an evolutionary change in the way the body reacts to its environment, and it is now trying to take step it has never had to take to save itself. As such, we are routinely exposed to some truly awful toxins, but it seems that our bodies have turned an evolutionary corner and may no longer be capable of caring for us adequately.

These toxins are one thing, but how our body adjusts is quite another, So what’s important is the ratio of acid minerals and alkaline minerals in our body, not the ration of acid minerals and alkaline minerals in our food. This is a crucial point in understanding the delicate balance within our bodies.

Most of us think everything can be fixed through our diet or with a pill. Of course, diet is hugely important, but we need to understand that the way a body reacts to what we put into our mouths isn’t about what we are eating. It’s about how well our body id working with the minerals it already has in it. Our acid-alkaline balance is actually all about what minerals stores or ‘buffers’ we have in our system. Too much acid and certain symptoms will begin to appear, while too much alkaline will cause the same.

Bob Livingston, Natural Health author, summarises the point well. “It is now believed by many authorities that most disease develops because of a lowering of the function and resistance of the body due to chronic acidosis.” In this regard, Dr. Goerge W. Crile, past head of the Crile Clinic in Cleveland and one of the world’s greatest surgeons supports this view. “There is not natural death. All deaths from so-called natural causes are merely the endpoint of a progressive acid saturation.”

Achieve a healthy balance through diet and exercise

Maintaining a healthy alkaline-acidic balance is not always easy, especially in today’s society where our foods are grossly over-processed and are highly acidic. Soft drinks, fast foods and processed foods deposit acid waste in our bodies that builds up over time and creates the ideal environment for diseases an cancerous cells to thrive.

75-80% of your diet should be salads, fresh vegetables, healthy nuts and oils and plenty of raw foods. Acid-forming foods like beef or chicken should comprise the remainder of your diet.

In addition to eliminating foods that raise your body’s acidity levels. alkaline diet promotes a healthy pH balance by maximising oxygen consumption, reducing stress and promoting relaxation. All of these can be accomplished through a healthy combination of moderate cardiovascular, resistance and mind/ body exercises.

The alkaline diet is supported by aerobic exercise because it delivers loads of additional oxygen to your body, which helps convert glucose to energy. Walking is a great way to exercise and can be done almost anywhere. It also allows you to focus on your oxygen intake as you move. Mild jogging, aerobic dance, bike riding and swimming are also favourable. Stress is also one of the quickest ways to raise your acidity levels, so be sure that the exercise you choose supports maintaining a no-orlow stress level.

Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates are all beneficial to the alkaline dieter because they promote natural, deep breathing.They also promote balance, flexibility and strength without overworking the body by putting it into an anaerobic state. Anaerobic workouts are generally defined as short duration, high intensity exercises that require large bursts of energy in a short amount of time, which results in the conversion of pyruvic acid into lactic acid. As lactic acid builds up, it changes the pH of the muscle tissues, This applies to those who enjoy plyometrics, sprinting, interval training, weightlifting, bodybuilding and the like. You’ll know you are working in an anaerobic state if you are breathing fast and hard, getting fatigued or feeling uncomfortable. When you exercise your muscles use oxygen in the bloodstream to fuel the aerobic energy pathway. Once you exceed the oxygen – carrying capacity of your cardiorespiratory system your muscles turn to anaerobic respiration literally ‘breathing without air’.

Stored reserves are burn in a chemical reaction that releases oxygen for the muscles to use, as well as lactic acid. As the acidity in the muscle rises it begins
to fatigue. This lactic acid buildup also purportedly contributes to next-day muscle soreness and stiffness commonly experienced after exercising.

Whether or not you’re intentionally working anaerobically, I highly recommend that you combat the excess acidity caused by your workouts by consuming more fruits and veggies to replenish the glycogen-based energy stores in your muscles. Adding whey protein to your diet, instead of relying solely on acidic meats, poultry and fish products will also allow you to increase your protein consumption to meet your exercise needs while still promoting an alkaline environment.

In addition to whey, there are other supplements that can assist in maintaining an alkaline environment in your body. Drinking sodium bicarbonate, for instance, helps to keep the acidity of your body down, while an intracellular pH buffer like Beta Alanine does the same thing, but on a lower level. Spirulina has also been proven to be a nutrient dense alkalising food, which both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) have recognised as a superfood.

And always remember to drink enough water as it is an important constituent in the alkaline-acid balance, and stay away from carbonated or fizzy drinks whenever possible.

Your Action Plan

The secret to optimal health using the alkaline diet is not in eliminating all acid-producing foods in your diet, but rather in creating a balanced acid-alkaline mix of foods at mealtime. This essentially means that you don’t need to starve yourself to stay in shape. A generous mix of both acid and alkaline-Producing food in the right proportions will sustain a healthy lifestyle. To ensure a sufficient supply of alkaline foods (75-80% of your diet) eat salads, fresh vegetables, healthy nuts and oils and plenty of raw foods. Acid-forming foods should comprise the remainder of your diet. This includes lean beef, chicken and lamb, but avoid fatty meats, dairy, cheese, sweets, chocolates, alcohol and tobacco. And beware of the hidden content in microwave meals and don’t overcook your food. If you choose to follow these tips then you can rest assured that a pH-balanced diet will reduce your risk of terminal diseases and will contribute to increased longevity, as well as a greater enjoyment of life in general through improved vitality.

  • Key benefits of eating an alkaline diet
  • Helps maintain bone mass
  • Helps to reduce body fat
  • Helps fight the ageing process
  • Higher energy levels
  • Better immune system function 8
  • Lower risk of chronic diseases
  • Weight control
  • Reduced risk of cysts

Flu-Proof Your Winter

By now you should be boosting your immune system to get through winter flu free. The body’s immune system is affected by many variables such as nourishment, sleep, stress levels, relationships and other health conditions. The one variable we can always control is what you eat. There are certain foods that when accompanied by a healthy balanced eating plan, can keep your immune system functioning strongly and decrease your risk of catching a common cold or flu. Plus as it gets colder you start feeling run down and lethargic, but if you keep your body supported with all the right vitamins and nutrients, you can keep your immune system fighting strong to ward off illness.

Green Tea Parties

You hear it so much these days; how good green tea is for you and how you should drink it often. Well that’s because Green Tea is a potent anti-oxidant which is key to keeping your body strong as it fights off the free radicals we find in our everyday environment (pollution, pesticides etc). On top of this, Green Tea supports the growth of “good” intestinal bacteria, while stopping the ‘bad’, namely e-coli, clostridium and salmonella that can wreak havoc on the digestive system.

Get Superhero Immunity with Superfoods

Spirulina is a great source of antiviral compound that will fight against colds and flu. Spirulina contains support nutrients for the immune system: protein, zinc, selenium and B vitamins. Studies have shown that Spirulina supplementation can boost the immune system by increasing immune cell activity.

Spice Up Your World

Adding a little spice goes a Long way in keeping your immune system strong! Not
only do they add great flavour to any meal, they also have strong anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-microbial propertieswhich means they’re great at fighting off the odd bug.

Drink Up

Stay hydrated in winter by making an effort to get your two litres each day. A glass of water might be the Last thing you feel like on an icy winter’s day, but it’s actually one of the best things for you! Even though you’re not sweating like in summer, your body needs plenty of fluids to keep your
body hydrated. And when you have a cold or flu, increase your water intake to around 10 glasses a day to help make up for lost fluids, speeding up your recovery.

Go Green!

Bacteria and viruses thrive in acidic environments, so keeping your body in a healthy alkaline state is the best way to fight off illnesses. Add more dark leafy greens such as rocket, spinach, watercress, basil and parsley to your diet to alkalize your body- and get a great balance of vitamins, mineral and phytonutrients which will enhance the body’s immune system.

Get your ZZZZZZZ

When you’re stressed and tired, your immune system weakens- so along with feeling run down, it’s easier to get sick. During rest and sleep, the body naturally restores and recuperates itself, so allow yourself to recover and fight illness by getting your 7-9 hours sleep each night. If you’re particularly stressed, Look for ways you can let yourself unwind. Yoga, Pilates and meditation are all good ways to let your mind and body to chill out.

Work Up A Sweat

It’s easy to start feeling tired and lethargic in the colder months. Go for a walk, take a yoga class or find exercises you can
do indoors to make sure you keep your body active! Getting your body moving will help to boost your energy, lift your spirits and support your immune system, keeping you feeling bright, healthy and Lively. Working up a sweat also gives your body a chance to release stored toxins through the skin.
An Orange a Day Choosing foods rich in vitamin C can help boost your immunity. Vitamin C also enhances the strength of immunity. Add some citrus fruits, melons, kiwi fruit, berries, red peppers, parsley and broccoli to your meal plan to get a good dose of this wonder-nutrient.

Let the Sea Help

Try seaweed for an extra immunity boost- it contains strong health-promoting
compounds. There are several different varieties you can experiment with, like Non i (available at Woolies). It’s great to add to salads or even to make your own sushi hand roll with some avocado and raw veggies.

Sip Soup

Soup is a great way to get some warm winter comfort, without Loading heaps of extra calories into your diet plan. And, if you use Lots of vegetables, it can be a great immunity-boost giving you an easy way to get in a big variety of vitamins and minerals. Choose healthy recipes to create a delicious and nutrient-dense soup, full of as many colourful vegetables as possible. This is also a great opportunity to throw in all your immunity-boosting herbs and spices.

Vanessa on Iron Deficiency (LotusFM interview)


So much as 91% of Woman and 80% of people overall are Iron Deficient. In this interview I specifically talk about the causes and remedies for Anaemia.

Eco diet boosts energy

Herald ArticleMIND AND BODY: intelligent method for healthy weight loss is at hand says nutritional expert

La Femme Correspondent

DETOX your body with an “eco diet” that includes mostly organic, natural and raw food to achieve healthy weight loss and increased energy.South African nutritional consultant Vanessa Ascencao has developed a new “eco diet” to help users look and feel great – and it’s mostly about food, and less about exercise.

Ascencao, who has a masters degree in science and nutrition, consults to businesses, TV and media personalities, as well as health and wellness companies such as OTC Pharma International and Bioharmony’s Patrick Holford brand.

She has worked in nutrition for a decade, developing healthy eating plans and assisting South Africans achieve optimum health and wellness.

Ascencao’s eco diet is the result of years of work in healthy and sustainable weight loss. It’s ecofriendly in that it advocates mostly organic and a high percentage of natural and raw food, and natural supplementation – in particular, spirulina.
In addition to slimming, the eco diet is aimed at:

  • Increasing energy
  • Decreasing stress
  • Reducing signs of aging
  • A mind and body connection, that is, feeling good and looking amazing

Ascencao explains that weight loss is simple: eat less and move more, “the law of thermodynamics always applies”. She says most diets are aimed at reducing calorie intake. “Ideally, though, we should lose fat and maintain lean body mass and this requires a different macro-nutrient ratio altogether, coupled with some resistance exercise.

“So, the right ratios of nutrients and not food per se are important. I believe the body looks for nutrients not calories in order to function optimally. “We also don’t want the result of all out hard work to be only weight loss. We want to feel good, look good, have a great sex drive, more energy, great skin and hair, a strong immune system, a positive outlook and a zest for life.” Ascencao says the eco diet is aimed at long term results and embraces a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix. She explains that a holistic approach begins with eliminating toxic foods from the diet, feeding the body the correct food to eliminate long term toxic and chemical build-up “and supporting this process with cutting edge nutrition and supplements which then create the internal environment to get your body lean through the correct nutritional and exercise regime”.

Ascencao explains that the more natural, fresh and whole the food consumed, the better it is for the waistline, and for overall health and wellness.

“The cleaner you eat, the leaner and healthier you’ll be. When we eat food in its natural state, or whole foods, we automatically eat less as they are less calorie dense. Here I mean lean proteins, fruit, an abundance of vegetables, some whole grains eat alters and essential fats. I am a strong believer in the link between what we put in our body and how we look.”

There is scientific evidence that the food we eat alters our body and brain chemistry, our mood and even our addictions, especially when food is laced with chemicals, sugars and hormones.

Ascencao says that if organic food is not available, choose hormone-free food. “At least half of your diet should comprise raw fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. The rest should comprise lean, hormone-free protein sources, mainly fish. Wholegrains like quinoa are great but stay away from the overly processed and refined wholegrains, including bread or anything with wheat.”

“Remember: natural, unprocessed food is nutrient dense. Processed food is calorie dense. Your body looks for nutrients and not calories, so make sure you feed it correctly!” As for exercise, Ascencao says diet contributes to 90% of results. “There is no need for endless hours of exercise. Your nutrition is the key to fat loss and exercise sculpts your body, the most effective being well performed resistance training.”

ECO ADVOCATE: Nutritional consultant Vanessa Ascencao recommends a mostly organic diet

Does food affect your Mood, or does your Mood determine what you eat?

happy girlThe Food and Happiness Factor  – Learn to manage your moods.

I can speak from personal experience on this as I have had food allergies that have affected so many different aspects of my health including my mood, I have had to learn to be aware of the effect the foods that I do eat have on my mood and my overall health.

If I get tired or sluggish after a bowl of oats for example, I know that perhaps oats are not the right thing for my particular constitution, or if everything seems a little too much and bigger than life when I go over my daily limit of coffee.  If I have sugar for example, I feel really down and out. If I haven’t eaten enough I get cranky and irritable. I think we can all relate, and have had similar experiences. How many people miss a meal, loose blood sugar control and are either lethargic or extremely irritable? I personally know many people who experience, what I call blood sugar blues (too many coffee’s, a slice of cake or a bag of chips and not enough “nutrition”) Often the link between food or lack thereof and mood is immediate. Many of us people often don’t see the connection between the two, we don’t understand why we can’t to get up in the morning, the ups and downs we experience daily, or why we struggling to face the world every day.

What I find interesting though is that not all food will have an impact on our mood, imagine eating an apple and it has an immediate effect?  It would be almost “drug” like to experience something like that. But, there are foods and drinks that impact our neurotransmitters almost immediately in a “drug” like fashion. Ever reached for a chocolate when you feeling low and felt a little better? Or a whole loaf of bread when you need some comforting? Or even a glass of wine to calm you down and unwind? Many of the foods we eat affect our brain chemistry in some way, some have a positive impact others not so much.

Certain neurotransmitters do affect the brain and, consequently, our dispositions in measurable ways. For instance, high levels of serotonin are associated with being calm, happy and relaxed, while low levels are linked to depression and aggression.

So how do we manage our mood through food?

One of the most well known and very simple way’s, is to balance our blood sugar levels. Everything we eat has an impact on our blood sugar levels. If you want to eat your way to happiness the key is to follow a diet that keeps your blood sugar level even and provides plenty of tryptophan and omega-3 fats, which helps you make and use serotonin in the brain. Changes in blood sugar levels can have either positive or negative effects on various bodily functions and may result in both physical and mental changes. Although these changes are typically associated with extremely low or high blood sugar levels related to diseases such as diabetes, even modest changes can have a significant impact on the way you feel. For example, the “sugar rush” and impending crash one experiences after a high simple-carbohydrate meal can have a profound effect on mood. For example in the morning, your body releases a chemical called neuropeptide Y, which signals your brain to eat something starchy, whether it’s a bagel, a piece of toast, a sugary cereal, or a bowl of high-fiber cereal. If you eat a starchy breakfast, your brain gets the signal that your blood sugar is higher and will shut off the chemical. If you don’t, the chemical stays elevated, fueling carbohydrate cravings throughout the day. And depriving your brain of glucose for too long will make you feel cranky, low energy, and irritable. On the flip side, eating carbohydrates boosts the brain chemical serotonin, which makes you feel happy and relaxed.

By maintaining a relatively constant blood sugar level, it is possible to take greater control over negative moods and bodily fatigue. Eating 5 to 6 smaller, well-balanced meals throughout the day should allow you to avoid the spikes in blood sugar that negatively affect mood and energy levels. Breakfast is by far the most important meal of the day as it assists the body in regulating blood sugar levels as we progress through the day.

Getting a good quality night of sleep is, of course, essential for being energized and in good spirits the next day, and a proper dinner is crucial for this. Don’t have a heavy dinner right before bed, your body needs to rest while you sleep, it doesn’t need to spend the night trying to digest a whole lot of food . Your liver needs to rest, as it is a crucial organ for detox, blood sugar control, elimination and immunity.

If you have trouble sleeping, watch out for spicy or gassy foods. Stick with grilled chicken, tofu, or fish, accompanied by brown rice or barley and steamed vegetables. Keep it simple.

Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D, has been studying the link between what we eat and how we feel ever since the early 1990s when she published her first book on this topic, Food & Mood. Since then, people have been sharing their stories of how that book changed their lives.

Here is what she says:

“Most people at one time or another have turned to food for solace or a quick-pick-me-up. Return home from work and snack from the refrigerator as a way to relax and unwind. After a long day, a dish of ice cream may be just the comfort food you turn to.

In the past, however, scientists believe that the brain was cushioned from these food choices by what is called the “blood brain barrier,” which shielded the brain from fluctuations in the blood and rest of the body caused by food, drugs, or other substances.

But the blood brain barrier is much more permeable than previously thought and what we eat does affect brain chemistry, right down to the basic nerve cell called the neuron and its transmitting chemicals called neurotransmitters (NT).

In fact, many substances in food are the building blocks for these neurotransmitters that relay messages from one nerve cell to another and are the very foundation of how we think, act, feel, and behave. Approximately 40 NT have been identified that alter appetite and affect mood.

The link goes further than just one meal. Food and mood are a spiral that can go up or down. Whichever comes first, eating poorly or feeling blue sets off the spiral.

Once a person feels bad, it is likely he/she will turn to quick fixes, such as sugary foods or caffeine, to get a temporary energy boost.

In the long run, however, these foods only aggravate the fatigue or depression and cause the person to return to all the wrong foods that perpetuate the depression and fatigue.

Or, a person may skip meals when trying to cut calories and lose weight only to find that the pendulum swings from abstinence to binge later on”

She also states in her book that the more natural someone’s diet the happier they are, the more sugar, chemicals, and processed foods we eat the more it affects are body and brain chemistry. It makes sense, we were designed to eat, digest, assimilate and absorb natural and whole food.

Here are some examples of foods that negatively impact on our moods:

  • Acid and spicy foods: for many people, eating spicy foods such as those containing cayenne or paprika, even chilli, can cause irritability. Acid forming foods, such as yogurt, deli meats and pickles, can also make some people feel edgy.
  • Take Aways – foods that are loaded with sodium, hydrogenated fat, in the wrong combinations – think of a Big Mac with chips and Mcflurry – can make you feel sluggish and moody. The digestive system has difficulty processing foods with such poor nutritional profiles.
  • Excessive amounts of caffeine (a stimulant) and alcohol (a depressant) can greatly impact your mood.
  • Avoid any form of sugar – in biscuits, cakes, confectionery, other sugary snacks and also foods with added sugar in the forms of syrups, dextrose and maltose.
  • Minimise your intake of fried food, processed food and saturated fat from meat and dairy to prevent damage to brain fats.

What to eat?

We get told this all the time, and it’s always the same regardless of the topic – whole, natural, unprocessed simple food.

The usual suspects, fruit, vegetables, some good quality protein, the good fats, not too much of everything and always some food for the soul, a treat now and then is great!

It is important to remember is that everyone’s body is different. Therefore, the way your body responds to certain foods may be different from the way other people’s moods are affected by that food. In order to get a better idea of your personal connection between mood and food, it is a good idea to keep a diary that tracks your diet as well as your moods. Eliminate or limit those foods that negatively impact your health as well as mood, you will find they are the same foods you shouldn’t be eating a lot of anyway. Eat in a way that supports your lifestyle, enhances your health, gives you energy, an inner sense of calm, and makes you FEEL good in a sustained way rather than for a few minutes.

Quick Detox tips: weekend Detox guidelines!

tipsTo give your system a break, you need to avoid:

1. Wheat. All wheat contains gluten and this irritates the gut. So, give your insides a week’s break.

2. Milk. It’s the most common food allergen and most people produce antibodies to it. In other words, it causes your immune system to react. It’s also mucus forming. Give your system a week off milk and all dairy products.

3. Caffeine. This might be the hardest part if you’re addicted. But that’s the point. Caffeine is an addictive toxin that makes your liver work hard to detoxify it. If you can bear it, cut out caffeine for one week. If not, then two cups of green tea a day is the thin edge of the wedge.

4. Alcohol. Of course, this is your liver’s worst enemy. Take a break for a week.

What to eat and drink:

1. Drink 8 glasses of water a day. After all, your body is 66% water and this alone will help you detoxify.

2. Eat superfoods to spring-clean your system including fresh apricots, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kiwi, papayas, peaches, mangoes, melons, red grapes and all types of berries. Vegetables that are especially good for detoxification include artichokes, peppers, beets, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, kale, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, tomato, watercress, and bean and seed sprouts.

3. Take liver-detoxifying supplements like Marcus Rohrer Spirulina, it is nutrient rich and loaded with essential nutrients. It cleansed and restores while giving you energy.

4. Make you evening meal just a salad and steamed vegetables with some olive oil and lemon juice. This will give your liver a break.

5. Eat fruit for breakfast, but only one type, don’t mix them.

6. Eat your protein at lunch time, some fresh fish and vegetables is a great lunch!

Do you really need to Detox?

DetoxEverybody knows somebody who has done a form of detox or other, and at this time of the year, where we all want to look our absolute best for summer, most of us are willing to do anything to ward off unwanted weight pronto! 

But do they really work and are they safe?  Shouldn’t our organs of elimination be doing all the work naturally?

First off, what exactly is detoxifying? “Detoxify” is defined as changing eating habits in an attempt to remove toxic substances or qualities.

When you detox, you are literally limiting yourself certain types of foods in order to follow the diet’s guidelines, or achieve a certain result, i.e. cleanse the liver, or the Gall bladder etc…. However, depriving yourself of certain foods can result in a lack of satisfaction, which is definitely not sustainable. One of the main reasons why I don’t believe in detoxifying is that most people end up cracking and going back to the same way they were eating.

You’re not going to detox in a significant way in 3 days or one day, and you don’t learn any real, improved long-term lifestyle habits to really detox.  I believe that some of the detox programmes  around  are just faddy diets in disguise.

The focus should really be to eat in a way that assists our organs and body as whole to do what they designed to do without doing anything radical. My personal belief is that people need to learn to eat, and develop a proper nutritional plan that will satisfy them, keep them healthy and in a way that is continually cleansing the body of toxins.  So no last minute juice fasts, or only eating barley and wheat grass for a week. The real work is what you do 90% of the time, day in and day out, not what you do for a week of every year.

Let’s face it, the world we live in is toxic, and although we can’t control our environment, we can control what we eat. That is why real detoxification is gradual and takes time. It is important that we transition slowly and adapt lifestyle changes so that it can be an ongoing process and not a short term fix.

I don’t believe in short term detox regimes, unless it is under medical supervision, I have seen people react very badly and actually get very sick due to following a detox diet that they read about or saw on TV. Consider that most of us have at least a few decades worth of eating acidic foods, the putrefying and fermenting residue of which is lodged as sludge in varying degrees in different parts of our body. If we decide one day to make a radical shift to our diet to eating only or a high percentage alkaline foods, namely fruits and vegetables,  or doing a water fast, we can really run into problems unless the process is supervised by a medical professional. Awakening too many toxins can have very unpleasant side effects such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, breakouts and other skin eruptions, diarrhea, etc. and can actually make us quite sick.  It is a lot more important to follow a lifestyle where you “detox” on a continual basis, day in and day out.

The trick is to understand what food/drinks we should be eating and drinking and of course limiting in order to achieve this.

The key is to really aim at FEELING and LOOKING your best!  You don’t have to give up all your favourite foods all at once, nor do you have to sustain yourself on broccoli juice, but rather develop a long term way of eating and make some new lifestyle  changes. Learn what is truly nourishing and healthy for your body and make better choices daily going forward.

Here are some easy and effective changes you can make that will really make a difference effectively and gently.

1. Fill up on GREENS, lost of veggies, salads at least twice a day! Every lunch and dinner should contain a raw salad and some green steamed or grilled veggies, These foods should be the premise of your eating plan.  . All the raw plant enzymes and chlorophyll go to work cleaning and detoxing our blood and systems.  The bitter greens like watercress and dandelion are excellent for  the liver. Include these when you can.

2. Try to consume the juice of 1-2 lemons every day. You can squeeze them over salads, in water, over veggies. . Lemon helps regenerate and support our liver by benefiting bile formation.

3.  Avoid all dairy products. We the only animals on the planet that consume another animals milk. Most of us are allergic and intolerant to dairy. We don’t have the enzymes to digest the lactase.. It is also mucus and acid-forming.

4. Sweat! Go to yoga, go for a run or a hike, hit the gym and have a good sweat!

5. Avoid all “fake and artificial” sugars.  These are very hard for your body to recognize and break down.  They are toxic and actually make you crave more sweet foods.

6. Stay hydrated- drink lots of water 20 minutes either sides of meals, but drink MINIMALLY with meals (so as not to dilute the digestive enzymes).

7. Ditch the fizzy drinks and limit alcohol, even the diet one’s they actually worse! They deplete the body of minerals, especially B Vitamins and are also very very acidic.

8. Occasionally treat yourself do good quality dark chocolate for dessert, just a small amount.

9. Chew your food really well. Eat slowly. Not only will you be able to extract more nutrients from your food, but you will feel full before you’ve overeaten.

10. Eat fibrous, filling salads for dinner and lunch. Raw and steamed veggies are amazing! We are meant to be eating these foods, they will keep you full but they also contain a high nutrient content.

Follow these simple strategies daily and you will notice a big difference in all areas of your life including your weight and energy levels, your immune system, your skin and even your moods!

You deserve to feel great all time time!!!

 

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