It is now the New Year and most of us lucky to live in affluent countries have more than likely indulged ourselves in the run up to Christmas and New Year.

This is also the time of year when we often make rash promises of changes that we are going to make in the New Year in the form of resolutions. That’s great but rather than make several individual resolutions, why not make a really critical one that will impact your body for years to come.

How about getting to know your body in detail and understanding what it needs to be healthy. That covers quite a few resolutions such as giving up chocolate, smoking and alcohol. Once you understand how your body works then you will know exactly what to do to keep it fit, healthy and last you a long lifetime.

The gentle detox is a gift that you can now give your body, preparing it for the year to come.

Our bodies will tolerate a certain amount of abuse but unfortunately, another by product of this modern day and age is that the sort of bingeing that we have just subjected our bodies to is repeated continuously throughout the year.

When I look at client’s food diaries over a two week period I now expect to see in excess of 21 units of alcohol per week. If a person is overweight they invariably have eaten too much or the wrong things including too many chocolate bars, cakes, sweets and biscuits. Christmas indulgence is actually a year long celebration these days and as well as following the healthy eating plan for life covered in the last few months, we also need to give our body a break from modern life from time to time.

I follow the Gentle Detox seasonally every three months. It marks the change in different eating patterns. The more stodgy, carbohydrate driven diet for the winter months to the lighter spring available food and the even lighter summer options.

To live long and healthy lives we need to nurture and sustain our body. Our organs, bones, tissues, skin and blood accumulate debris and toxins over a period of days, weeks, months and years. Under normal circumstances our body is very efficient in clearing out harmful toxins and has a number of systems in place to deal with them. Unfortunately, as I have just mentioned life is a little more toxic these days and we are bombarded through our skin, in the air we breathe and in the food we eat.

Our modern society is not just about what we eat and drink. The pollutants that are surrounding us on a daily basis attack every system in our bodies and we need to build a strong and robust immune system to cope with the age we live in.

Detox is a spring clean and a preventative measure. It will release the toxins from your body and improve your general health. For anyone already suffering the symptoms of toxic build up it should bring some relief to the symptoms and aid your recovery.

Unfortunately it would be impossible, short of living in a bubble to avoid all that modern day living throws at us, but we can cleanse and revitalise our bodies and enable them to deal better with our toxic environment.

SO WHY MIGHT YOU NEED TO UNDERGO A DETOX?

It is almost certain that unless you live on a remote pacific Island, you will be suffering from some form of general toxicity. If you look back at your life in detail you will be able to identify if there might have been specific exposure to toxins in the workplace such as heavy metals in industry, a dry cleaners or dentist surgery. You may have been a heavy smoker in which case you have certainly been exposed to over 4000 chemicals every time you inhaled tobacco smoke. You may have also used excessive stimulants such as coffee or alcohol that will not only have acidified your body but also prevented the absorption of essential nutrients it needs to be healthy.

If you are sick and in pain then it is very probable that you are suffering from an imbalance of acid/alkaline levels causing acidosis, which is an environment that toxins thrive in. More specific toxins would be ingested, inhaled or absorbed from the intestines, through the skin or into the muscle via injections. If you have undergone suppressive treatments such as radiation, chemotherapy or used medications that have driven the toxins back into the system, this will have resulted in stored poison.

You might also be suffering from either food allergies or more commonly food intolerances that are adding to the toxic overload.

An allergic reaction is immediate – it is a fast response. Intolerance is by contrast a slow reaction. Both however will lead to a build up of toxins in the body over time and they can lead to a number of diseases and certainly general fatigue.

Toxins surround us and their effects on us, as individuals, are varied. One person may have an immediate and life threatening reaction to a food such as peanuts, whilst another person can eat them everyday and not be affected in the slightest. You might be exposed to certain toxins on a daily basis but only notice the affects several years later when damage has already occurred. This is often the case in the one area of toxicity that that affects everyone negatively and that is Heavy Metal poisoning. Unfortunately we are not often aware that we have been exposed and the majority of us are storing these metals in our tissues in varying strengths. I have covered this area of toxicity in a separate article this month.

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN A DETOX?

To start with it is important that you get into the right frame of mind and also begin some preparations. You have to make some decisions about how you are going to tackle some of the more harmful habits you may have. For the detox to be successful you will need to give up smoking, alcohol and chocolate. Hopefully you will feel so fantastic at the end of the six weeks that you will never pick up a cigarette again, but you will not be giving up chocolate and alcohol for life. After the detox you can pick up the healthy eating plan for life and as you know you can enjoy all foods, just use moderation for those that are not as healthy as they might be.

Many people believe that going on a detox means starving their bodies into submission. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is vital that during what can be a very stressful experience for your body that it is supported throughout with nutrients and fluids to enable it to function efficiently. During the process you may well feel under the weather as the toxins are excreted firstly into the body from tissues and then out through the intestines. The last thing you need is a body that is already tired due to lack of nourishment.

There are certain foods or habits that you will need to give up for this six-week rejuvenating spring clean. If you are a heavy smoker then I am afraid you are not going to achieve great results because as I have just mentioned, you will be inhaling 4000 chemicals everytime you take a drag. You may however look upon this as an opportunity to give up smoking and clean your system at the same time.

Alcohol plays a role in most of our lives and at this time of year after all the Christmas parties and excesses we have probably drunk a great deal more than we would normally in the same period. To complete a successful detox you will need to give up alcohol for the six weeks.

The other item that you will need to give up for the time being is any processed foods including sauces, ready meals, ice cream etc. The only foods that you are going to eat are fresh, unprocessed and gently cooked vegetables, meats and of course fruit.

Caffeine does need to be taken out of the diet but I do make an exception for green tea, which of course in on our superfoods list. If you really cannot live without your morning cup of tea or coffee then that must be the only one for the day. You can then drink green or herbal teas to help your body eliminate the toxins.

Because some of us have food intolerances that we may be unaware of you will be avoiding the most common culprits and certain foods you will only eat every five days. Our bodies and our liver in particular are designed to deal with the occasional toxin that we take in. However if the toxin is present every day the body cannot deal with it and it therefore gets stored. To overcome this certain foods are only eaten irregularly and therefore do not have a chance to become toxic. You will find them highlighted on your food lists but they should be only eaten every 5 days.

Acidity in the body as I have mentioned is a contributory factor to toxic build up as it provides such a wonderful environment for them. To counteract this you will include certain foods in your diet that are ash forming rather than acid forming so that you can develop a balance throughout your system. We will take a look at the acidity and alkalinity issue at a later date.

Fibre is very important to move waste through the system and out through the intestines. We have two very important and nutritious superfoods that are perfect for the job. Porridge oats and brown rice are not only packed with nutrients, are slow burning to help you maintain energy but are also full of fibre and must be included every day of the detox. You may eat up to two slices of wholegrain bread per day; homemade would be preferable so that you are not taking in all the additives in store bought bread.

Last but not least is water. It is essential that you are drinking sufficient fluids to hydrate your body and to flush the toxins from the body as they are released. Fresh pressed juices and herbal teas also count towards the total amount of fluid you must drink every day so there is plenty of variety.

Be very careful about quick start programmes that reduce your calories levels to below 1400 calories for a woman and1800 for a man – it can cause your body to go into Starvation mode so that when you begin to eat normally again you will not only put back on the weight you have lost but extra weight as your body will be in storage mode.

I don’t think there is a day goes by that we are not reminded that our excessive lifestyles arn’t doing us any good. Whether it is mass consumerism and excess car use adding to the greenhouse effect or whether it is our excessive consumption of  junk food making us fat.  We need to seriously start to respect our bodies and the quality of the food we put into them if we are to avoid obesity and early death.

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6875091/Number-of-people-dying-as-a-result-of-obesity-doubles-in-10-years.html

Is it really down to the Government to police obesity? Arn’t we capable of being selective about what we put in our stomachs? Unfortunately it can be difficult to eat healthily when we don’t really know what healthy is because the idea of healthy has been hijacked by food manufacturers so they can sell us their dubious “healthy” products. Remember genuine healthy food has no need to make health claims on the packet!

There are many reasons that we as a nation are putting on weight. Some you may agree with and some you may not. Some may feel intuitive and others may seem a little far fetched until you think about them. Many are interlinked.

1. Choice and availability. There is much more choice when it comes to fattening snack foods than there has ever been.

 2. The marketing machine behind the big businesses that promotes these products has been refined over many years so that it has now become very efficient at ensuring we buy.

 3. Big business doesn’t care about how healthy the food is or the nutritional benefit. They simply want us to buy it. That sometimes means apportioning health benefits to foods that aren’t that genuine.

So we need to ask the question: In a consumer led society, who is really leading? Us the consumers or the big business selling us what they make us beleive we want?

One of the biggest food fads in recent years is the Low Fat phenomenon. Manufacturers have been more than enthusiastic to create low fat products for us to cater for this new trend. Since the seventies we have been advised to eat a low fat diet to improve heart health and reduce our waistline. The biggest problem with this advice is that it doesn’t take into account two fundamental problems with low fat foods. The following experiment shows very clearly how low fat food is not the answer to weight control.

Low fat hype

A recent American study involved two groups of people both with free access to cookies. One group was given regular cookies the other were given low fat cookies. What happened? The people with the low fat cookies simply ate more of them. In fact they ate a whopping 40% more of the low fat version!

There are two explanations for this behaviour. One is that because they knew they were low fat they gave themselves ‘permission’ to eat more. The other explanation is that fat actually helps us recognise we have eaten enough. Either or more probably both of these reasons would be responsible for these findings.

So what does this mean for us? Well why not enjoy the full fat cookie? It will probably taste better and quite possibly it is cheaper. And for the cookie manufacturer? It means bigger profits! The low fat version is probably sold for more since it is more desirable due to the low fat hype and we will consume more of that product! Every ones a winner! Except us that is because we are still piling on the pounds and spending more money helping to inflate shareholders wallets.

What is more, the food manufacturers rely upon the fact that in an ever more stressful world, we as consumers don’t tend to question or think too deeply about the claims they make simply because we have too much going on to “think” about everything. As shoppers, we tend to act in predictable ways. One of those ways is that we don’t question too deeply the clams that the manufacturer makes about their food. So for example we have, at some level based upon information in the press or from government agencies accepted that say omega 3 improves brain function, so when we spot the fish fingers with “contains omega 3″ on the box we buy them because we then don’t have to “think” about how to get omega 3 into our kids. It was handed to us on a plate (excuse the pun). The same is true of the statement which often apears on food “low fat”. Firstly the term isn’t defined clearly and secondly there is plenty of evidence to suggest that these processed low fat products don’t help us lose weight anyway. What is more disturbing is the way they are sold, the subtle suggestions in the marketing that make people buy them.  Believe me, I know about suggestions and how they influence us often without our knowlege.  Take for example the McVities “Go Ahead” range. Is this a proiduct name or an invitation? What about Asdas “Good For You” range of low fat products. Is a cake “good for you” jusat because it is lower in fat? You can bet it is still very high in sugar and quite possibly contains artificial sweeteners some of which are now thought to be carcinogenic. These product names act as powerful suggestions that ensure we buy the product without thinking too much. Supermarkets and food manufacturers rely upon us blindly accepting the claims on the packets and for most part that is exactly what we do. I have a simple rule that I instill in everyone who comes on my weight loss course but it is not just applicable to weight loss it is impotant for us to stick to it to ensure our health in general so I will share it with you today.

If a food or drink product has a health claim on the packaging then that product probably isn’t good for you. Genuinely healthy foods don’t claim anything. You don’t see health claims on a bag of apples or on a peice of  fresh fish but you do see these claims on the same fish once it has been cut into rectangles and covered with salt and starch laden batter.

Low fat processed products are not the answer to losing weight and they may even help us gain weight.  In fact all the statistics show that we are eating less fat in our diets than in the 1970’s yet we are still getting bigger. If this worrying trend continues then we face an uncertain future. A future filled with ill health and the restrictions that carrying too much weight will bring us.

REDUCE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE IN SIX WEEKS by Sally Cronin

There are currently millions of Britons who are taking blood pressure medication to control a condition that is, in most cases is diet and lifestyle related. By making some simple changes in diet and exercise it is possible to reduce your blood pressure significantly in just six weeks. It you are currently on prescribed medication then it is vital that you do not stop taking this without consulting your G.P. However, you can follow the plan and after six weeks ask your doctor if he feels that it might be possible to reduce your doseage. Hypnotherapy is an integral part of the therapy involved in reducing blood pressure as stress is a critical factor.

R Reduce your salt intake. You should not have more than a level teaspoon per day or 6 grams. If you eat a lot of processed foods you will be consuming far in excess of this. Sodium is essential for our bodies to keep a correct water balance: it is also necessary for nerve impulse transmission and prevents your blood from becoming too acidic or alkaline. However, take in too much and not only will it cause weight gain it can also drive your blood pressure too high. Look at the labels on the food and your mineral water currently in your cupboard and fridge and see how much sodium is in 100gms. Multiply by 2.5 which will give you the salt equivalent. So if a Pizza has 8400 mg of sodium you would times that by 2.5 giving you 21000mg of sodium or 21gm of salt which is 3.5 teaspoons or 3 times the recommended salt intake.

E Eat whole grain bread, rice and pasta and avoid all white, starchy foods. Not only will you be consuming more fibre which is essential for clearing out arteries of fatty deposits it will also provide you with B vitamins, essential for the metabolism of the carbohydrates and proteins that you eat. It will provide you with slow release energy throughout the day without spikes in your blood sugar.

D Drink plenty of fluids. If you are dehydrated your blood pressure will be higher. Avoid too many caffeine high drinks – restrict to one cup of coffee per day – decaffeinated would be best. Tea is still caffeinated but is fine drunk in moderation. To actively lower your blood pressure drink 4 cups of Green Tea per day – use a slice of lemon or ginger to taste or a teaspoon of honey. In addition to Green tea – drink 1 litre of low sodium mineral water per day or tap water and 2 fruit juices.

U Up your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables – not only will this provide more fibre to detox your whole system it will also provide you with anti-oxidants that will prevent normal healthy cholesterol becoming harmful. Clogged arteries full of LDL (harmful cholesterol) will result in high blood pressure.

C Calm down. Stress elevates blood pressure and if you lead a busy and hectic work and family life you need to find ways to relax. Learn to breathe correctly. Take in a breath through the nose slowly to the count of ten and let out slowly through the mouth to the count of 15. Repeat several times first thing in the morning – last thing at night and any time you feel you are becoming stressed. Listen to your favourite music – switch off your phone and take a relaxing bath. Take mini-breaks to relax and make sure that you are sleeping at least 7 or 8 hours per night.

E Exercise and lose weight if you need to. Your BP will drop significantly after the loss of just one stone. You will have to carry less weight putting your body and your heart under less strain. The closer to your optimum weight the better your blood pressure is likely to be. Exercise will help clear your arteries of debris, fill your system with oxygen rich blood and improve muscle tone. Not just in your legs but in your heart and lungs too. A strong heart can work harder.

B Be proactive. Understand how your body works and how you can make positive changes to your lifestyle and diet to reduce this potential silent killer. Work with your doctor so that you do not face a lifetime on pills to control a condition that in 9 out of 10 people can be managed with diet and exercise.

P Pack in smoking. Most people believe that smoking relieves stress. In fact it increases it. The several thousand chemical compounds in each cigarette are toxic to the body. Your arteries will harden and become brittle resulting in narrowing and apart from high BP you are also at a severe risk of strokes and aneurysms.

Should supermarkets be socially responsible? Not long ago we were all bashing Macdonnalds for selling high fat high salt and sugar junk foods. Macdonnalds responded by offering carrot sticks or fruit with their Happy Meals and a whole host of other more healthy options. But really, who goes to Macdonnalds for a healthy option? I know I don’t. I happen to like the occasional Macdonnalds burger and fries. Notice I said occasional. We are talking once every two or three months. It is a treat we all enjoy but we arn’t under any illusions about the food.

Supermarkets on the other hand have the capacity to sell us a wide variety of foods, some of which make the most outrageous health claims. How about Asda’s “Good for you” range of low fat but unfortunately high in refined carbohydrate products? They are not “good for us”  at all. You could possibly argue that they are not quite as bad as the full fat version but quite frankly that isn’t true. The refined carbs in these products are more fattening than the fat they replace because of the way carbohydrate is metabolised by the body!

So do Supermarkets need reining in? Why is it that most of the buy one get one free offers are mostly on junk food?  Why do supermarkets still place sweets at child level at the checkouts? How can we as consumers take back control?