It’s Coeliac UK Awareness this week and the story of how Emily Rantzen’s chance detox diet uncovered her gluten allergy, cured eczema and boosted her energy is in the news again.

In an article in Waitrose’s Weekend,  TV presenter, Esther Rantzen, relates the story of how her daughter Emily, who had suffered from ME, (Chronic Fatigue) for 14 years, decided to go on a New Year Detox and discovered she was intolerant to gluten.

Emily had apparently had suffered with eczema when she was a baby.  She was tested for allergies but gluten intolerance was not discovered nor thought of at the time.

It was only when Emily decided to go on the New Year Detox Diet which excluded ” almost every carbohydrate, including porridge” that the rash she had on her hand disappeared. Emily now sticks to a strict gluten free Stone Age Diet of fish, meat, vegetables and fruit and “is thriving and has far more energy”says Esther.

Food Intolerance and Eczema

Well that does not surprise me but it did Esther Rantzen. She did not know that an intolerance to gluten or wheat could cause a skin problem although it is well known that eczema can be related to food intolerance.

In their book Nutritional Medicine Dr Stephen Davies and Dr Alan Stewart say that in their practice they have seen rheumatoid arthritis, PMS, thought disorders, joint and muscle pain, fatigue, severe mental disturbance and a whole host of other problems clear up when wheat is excluded from the diet.

Wheat intolerance is not the same as celiac disease

Wheat intolerance is not the same thing as celiac disease (coeliac in the UK) though. Celiac Disease is an intolerance to gluten, a protein in wheat, oats, rye, barley, spelt and kamut. The gluten fraction in oats, known as avenin is very different to the gluten in wheat, actually gliadin, and many coeliacs can tolerate oats.

Eating gluten causes destruction of the lining of the bowel resulting in bowel symptoms and poor absorption of nutrients.

You can be intolerant to wheat without being a true celiac. Irritable bowel can be caused by an intolerance to wheat.

It’s not unusual for people to discover they are intolerant to certain foods when they introduce them after following a detox diet. It is not unusual for people to find that their skins become clear too.

Most, but not all, detox diet plans exclude wheat and often other gluten grains. Wheat is a difficult substance to digest and almost all people fail to absorb a large amount of starch from wheat. These starches get fermented by the bacteria in the digestive system which produces
acids that can damage the lining of the bowel.

Wheat is relatively new to man  

Wheat is a relatively new food to man and we now eat such a lot of it. People often eat it three times a day as cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta or a pizza for dinner.

Genetic testing has discovered that people have simply not adapted to the introduction of wheat into the diet. Researchers have detected gliadin, the principle type of wheat gluten, in the blood of 15% of people they tested.

Wheat & your thyroid gland

When the gliadin gets into the bloodstream the immune system makes antibodies to it and as gluten resembles the thyroid gland the body can attack the thyroid tissue by mistake.

Thyroid Expert Talks Gluten Sensitivity &… by thyroidsolutionsnyc

Why exclude potential allergy foods on a detox diet?

The majority of good detox diet plans will exclude food that many people are commonly allergic or intolerant to such as dairy, wheat, soy, shellfish, eggs, peanuts, oranges and strawberries. A reaction to foods that you are intolerant to whether you know it or not stresses your body and can contribute to leaky gut.

Dr. Alejandro Junger author of “Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself.”recommends also avoiding macadamia nuts, tomatoes, eggplants and bell peppers.

When you reintroduce foods these foods after you have finished the detox you should introduce them one at a time and watch for any reactions over a couple of days.

Emily accidentally drank a smoothie which had gluten in it and the rash returned. She said I’ve been putting up with painfully sore skin on my hands because I thought it was an allergy to some soap or detergent I couldn’t pin down and eliminate.

Gluten free for ME?

Now Esther is asking herself if Emily could have been spared those 14 years of ME if she had taken gluten out of diet. No doubt many people wrote and told her that it was worth trying but Rantzen was not a believer of what she would call alternative mumbo jumbo.

The thing that struck me is that above the article there is a picture of some gluten free chocolate brownies which Emily can enjoy. That, of course is the problem with many gluten free foods. They contain sugar and I don’t know where sugar comes in on the Stone Age Diet!

So, when you follow a detox diet plan you may uncover an undiagnosed food intolerance that could have been causing one of many possible symptoms such as a skin rash, eczema or low energy.

When I read the terrible story today of Alison’s reconstructive surgery following the removal of the melanoma on her leg it reminded me of when I did a body cleansing detox when I had a melanoma.

The story is about Alison, a 52 year old single Mum with two teenage children, who is undergoing a procedure called tissue expansion, where her skin is being slowly stretched to produce enough skin to fill in a deep crater in her calf.

This deep crater that has disfigured her is the result of the second wide excision that dermatologists usually do after the initial removal of a melanoma.

Reading the story made me thankful that I refused to have the second wider excision following the removal of a very superficial melanoma on my ankle 8 years ago and decided to do a body cleansing detox instead.

I was told that that the second wider excision was done as a precaution to ensure that they “got a nice margin of of normal skin”. As the mole was on my ankle where there was very little skin this procedure entailed a skin graft from my thigh and a 5 day stay in hospital with my leg imobilizied.

That didn’t appeal to me at all. I immediately thought of all the things that could go wrong like getting an infection, the graft not taking, and having to eat bad hospital food unless I had someone bringing it in for me.

I decided to do some research and get a second opnion. Although the doctors were telling me that a second excision saved lives I found some US research that concluded a second excision make no difference to the survival rates.

I consulted a Naturopathic Doctor

I consulted a Naturopathic doctor I knew of who specialized in helping people with cancer and, after doing a battery of tests to look at my immune system and toxic load in depth, we came to the decision that as the Melanoma was so superficial and the margins of the 1st excision were clear that I would do a body cleansing detox and not have the second excision.

I did not have the benefit of a sentinel lymph node biopsy as that had not been introduced then.

Main stream doctors tend to approach cancer by the cut, burn and poison method and rarely recommend detoxing the body to improve the odds of  the immune system dealing with it.

I knew that if I cleansed by body of toxic chemicals and heavy metals my immune system would work better and mop up any stray cancer cells in my body.

My GP said I was mad. But, my instincts and everything I had learned about detox and cleansing for cancer led me to believe that this was the right thing to do.

The consultant said that they would like to do trials to see if a second wider excision did in fact save lives but it would not be ethical to do. She said I would have made an ideal candidate for this but they needed more people like me!

Dramatic Rise in Melanoma Rates

According to the Daily Mail journalist the most common age for diagnosis of melanoma is over 65 but according to a recent article on Fox news “Melanoma rates increase ‘dramatically’ among young adults”.

So what is causing this rise?

According to Dr Bav Shergill, Consultant Dermatologist & Dermatological Surgeon ” skin cancer is almost always caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light”.

Alison said that in the 70′s when not much was heard of about the dangers of sunbathing she loved tanning her legs. She often lay out in the sun with tanning oil and took regular holidays to Spain.

I did the same in the 60′s. I even had a course of tanning bed sessions before I got married. My consultant said that would have caused it even though it was all those years ago.

The Melanoma Research Foundation says “Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, such as sunlight or indoor tanning beds is a major risk factor for developing melanoma. Using tanning beds before age 30 increases your risk of a melanoma diagnosis by 75 percent and occasionally using tanning beds can triple your chances”.

But others say Melanoma is not caused by early ultraviolet (UVA) light exposure.

An article by Dr Mercola states that melanoma increases are due to benign disease, not sunlight. He explains that “people are being diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer even when they have only a minimal, non-cancerous lesion, and these diagnoses appear to be skewing disease rates significantly”.

Are toxic sunscreen to blame?

He goes on to say that “Despite all the bad press linking sun exposure to skin cancer, there’s almost no evidence at all to support it. There is, however, plenty of evidence to the contrary.
Over the years, several studies have confirmed that appropriate sun exposure actually helps prevent skin cancer. In fact, melanoma occurrence has been found to decrease with greater sun exposure, and can be increased by sunscreens”.

So what caused Alison’s and my melanoma? Was it the sunbathing or was the toxic  sunscreens we used to blame?

If you have not already read my post on the toxicity of sunscreen you might want to go back to it after you have finished reading this post.  Alarming Toxic Chemicals in Sunscreens

As I read of Alison making the weekly trip from from her home to a reconstructive surgery clinic 30 miles away I know I made the right decision to do a body cleasing detox.

The tests showed I had higher than “background levels” of certain chemicals in my blood, high mercury and lead levels, a high viral load, and my immune system killer cells were low.

I was already eating a diet high in fruit and vegetables and had continued to drink a fresh juice at least once if not twice a day since the days of intensive juicing that helped me recover from chronic fatigue many years ago. That obviously wasn’t enough!

The Naturopath introduced me to the Vitamix and I made a cocktail of veg and fruit to drink every day. I had Far Infra red suanas, did coffee enemas, took liquid zeolite and increased the vegetables in my diet even more eating them for breakfast too as a thick soup.

This body cleansing detox eventually lowered the chemicals, toxic metals and viral load. After having follow up appointments with the dermatologist for 5 years I was eventually proclaimed “cured”.

I didn’t let this go to my head though. I am ever mindful that statistics show that  5% of very superficial thin melanomas are not completely cured. That thought keeps me on the straight and narrow as far as my diet is concerned and I continue to do a body cleansing detox twice a year.

If you are determined to fight your cancer naturally and are looking for proven natural methods
then I can recommend Naturopath Judy Seeger’s Ultimate Natural Cancer Cure Secrets – Foods That Heal”

A lot of people feel “tired”, and blame it on getting not enough sleep, stress or other external factors but rarely do they consider it anything to do with what they are eating. In “Eating for Energy”, leading fitness and nutrition expert Yuri Elkaim, explains the best way to detox your body and change “tired” to all day energy.

Yuri starts off by describing his own experience as a professional soccer player, eating what he thought was a healthy diet, yet always feeling tired. He explains how studying Holistic Nutrition opened his eyes to a completely different view of food and how it interacts with the human body.

How food enlivens or drains you

He says “My intention is to empower you with amazing insight into how your body operates at the cellular level and how every single food you put in your mouth either enlivens or drains you!”

Throughout  “Eating for Energy”, Yuri’s passion and enthusiasm shines through as he explains nutritional concepts in an easy to understand way.

He includes charts showing proof that the nutritional value of commercially produced food has declined over the years and shows that organic food provide more minerals.

Quite a few pages are devoted to explaining the concept of biological terrain and the importance of the acid/alkaline balance or pH of the blood. He explains how acidity can make you fat and keep you fat!

Enzymes in raw food

The chapter on the importance of enzymes for every function in the body leads to the merits of a raw food diet. The whole philosophy of Eating for Energy revolves around consuming a living, plant-based, whole foods diet although he is not adamant that you eat 100% raw food.  In fact he admits to eating only 85% raw food diet himself.

I was fascintated buy the way he explains how certain vibrational frequencies of electrical energy in the body and of food can be measured. The average of the core organs is 70 megahertz but a Big Mac contains only 5 and chocolate cake 1 -3!

It’s easy to understand then that if your diet is made up primarily of these foods your energy is going to be low. Green vegetables, by the way, have the highest vibrational energy of 70-90 MHz. No wonder they are so good for you!

Not all raw

You will be pleased to know that Yuri believes in a certain amount of flexibility in this diet and allows some “leisure” cooked foods. In fact he admits to having a weakness for pizza and sweets himself.

He does explain that on this diet you will detox your body of many toxins that have built up from years of eating low energy, cooked foods and that as your body becomes cleaner you will no longer crave unhealthy food so much.

After fully explaining the concepts behind eating for energy Yuri includes a step by step plan to put it all into action.  Most importantly, he includes advice on how to eat for energy at work, on the run, while travelling and eating in restaurants.

12 Week Meal Plan

He includes an incredible 12 weeks of meal plans, recipes and a smoothie and juice guide.  All the weeks menus help to alkalize your body and weeks 4, 8 and 12 are designed to gently detox your body after which you will be more energetic than ever. You will also notice that you have probably shed some stubborn fat too.

I have read a lot of books on nutrition and detox and I have to say that I don’t remember reading one that is so thorough and contains all the information you need to detox your body and embark on this new Eating For Energy lifestyle.

In this article I am going to explain how the incredible new Go Cell Vitality can help detoxify your system and detox cells.

Your cells contain the blueprint for perfect health. Unfortunately they cannot function efficiently when they become clogged with chemical toxins and toxic waste from lack of nutrients due to poor food choices and the stress of modern life.

Healthy cells = healthy body

For you body to truly remain healthy, it is vital to keep your cells healthy. Each cell in your body is surrounded by a membrane or envelope made up of a precise ratio of essential fatty acids that acts as a gatekeeper. It is responsible for letting the nutrients that you get from your food into the cell and the waste products of everyday metabolism out.

To function efficiently and detoxify your system all you have to do is supply them with the correct balance of essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Sound simple enough doesn’t it? But in today’s fast paced modern world the majority of people do not get the right materials for this to happen.

Toxic chemicals which get absorbed into your body interfere with cellular function. Food processing and modern farming methods mean that your body does not get anywhere near the amount and balance of vital nutrients that it needs to detoxify your system and function optimally.

Importance of pH

For your cells to function efficiently it is also vital that they are surrounded by clean and pH balanced plasma, the liquid part of the blood.

Once the pH begins to become imbalanced, the cells start to stagnate and lose their vitality, strength and nutrients. Toxic waste builds up and symptoms of poor health appear.

Go Cell Vitality

This is where Green Organics Cell Vitality plays an important role. Not only does it provide the right nutrients, it gently balances the pH of the cell. It helps the body repair itself and increases energy.

Cell Vitality contains trace minerals and elements, enzymes, and amino acids in ionic form which are easily absorbed by the body and into the cells. It provides biologically available nutrients directly to the cells.

Most nutritional supplements do not address the cellular condition of the body, and many supplements simply do not get absorbed at all.

Nascent oxygen destroys toxins

Cell Vitality is also able to generate nascent (newly born) oxygen which helps to destroy harmful toxins and micro-organisms and neutralizes harmful free radicals. It continues to work for hours after taking it.

Having enough oxygen is vital for cells to eliminate toxins and to clean up the inner environment as well as raise the energy levels of the whole body. The increased minerals, oxygen and minerals contribute to the detoxification of the lymph and surrounding tissues.

Cell Vitality acts in a time released way, increasing slowly and reaching its peak 6-12 hours after taking it. When it is taken 3 times a day an incredible cascading effect time releases the oxygen continuously. It creates a continuous and self perpetuating cleansing and rejuvenating effect.

No detox reactions

It ensures a slower destruction of the terrible toxins that have acumulated in the cell so your  body can eliminate them without severe detox reactions.

Cell Vitality also has the extremely important benefit of delivering vital and necessary nascent hydrogen. The hydrogen is needed by the body for use in building and repairing the immune system aa well as the body’s cells and organs.

Over time, you can see a marked difference in energy levels, as the cells heal, cellular and lymph detox becomes more effective and pH balances. Long term benefits generally show around 8 weeks of taking it 3 times a day, depending on individual makeup.

Taking this extraordinary supplement, Cell Vitality is a powerful way to detoxify your system and and maintain your whole body health. Get it here: Go Cell Vitality

The headline of an article in the Daily Mail yesterday read “The healthy juice with 22 teaspoons of sugar”  The journalist quotes researchers who warned ” Drinks regarded as healthy often contain far more sugar than we realize and can add up to 450 calories a day to our diet”.

The trouble with the statement is that they are equating refined sugar that has been added to some drinks with fructose, a sugar that ocurrs naturally in fruit. The article makes it sound as though juicing is bad for you so what about juice detox?

The researchers asked more than 200 people to estimate how much sugar was in certain beverages. The article states that Pomegranate juice contains 18 teaspoons of sugar in one paragraph and 22 in another.

Fruit contains natural sugars

It probably varies from make to make but the fact is the sugars in pure pomegranate juice are naturally ocurring sugars including fructose. Fructose has traditionally been regarded as a healthy sugar because it does not raise blood sugar levels.

When you drink a natural juice the fructose is absorbed from the intestines and is taken to the liver to be broken down into glucose. Because of this fructose has the lowest glycemic index of all the natural sugars.

Health Benefits of Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice even shows possible diabetes benefits. Professor Michael Avrim of the Rappaport Family Instutute for research in Israel says that the sugars in pomegranate juice are attached to antioxidants which actually make these sugars protective against atherosclerosis.

In fact, over the past 10 years there has been a lot of research that has identified ways that pomegranate, orange and cranberry juices can help to prevent or cure diseases.

Last week the Daily Mail carried another article about the “Secret sugars in your food” which once again lumped the natural foods like apples, bananas and raisins together with foods like ice cream, coke and a bar of Galaxy chocolate.

Natural fruit sugar classed as added sugar

The article states “Though sugar in the whole fruit counts as ‘good’ sugar, juicing removes the fibre, so it is classified as the more harmful ‘added sugar’.

There has been controversy over fresh fruit juicing because juice is not a whole food. When you eat a whole piece of fruit the fibre in it slows down the absorption of the sugars it contains, glucose, fructose, sucrose, galactose and maltose.

When you drink a fruit juice the sugars get absorbed more quickly and can increase blood sugar levels. Watermelon juice for example is high on the glycemic index but apple, grapefruit, pineapple and pear juices are low.

Fruit juice is linked with higher intake of essential nutrients

On the other hand drinking fruit juice is linked to a higher intake of essential nutrients. With so many people not eating anywhere near their 5 portions of fruit and veg a day drinking natural fruit juice is a good way of adding a serving or more of fruit.

A PRNewswire Press release states that researcher Dr. Carol O’Neil says  “Drinking 100 percent juice may be one important strategy to provide some of the essential nutrients that are currently under-consumed by Americans. One hundred percent fruit juice should be encouraged as part of an overall balanced diet.”

The key here of course is the balanced diet. If you drink fruit juice when the rest of your diet is unhealthy calorie laden food then it is not going to do you much good. But, juicing is an excellent way to lose weight or to keep weight in control.

Let’s not forget that for many years fresh juicing has traditionally been used by Naturopathic doctors as part of a detox plan to improve health and bring about the cure of many health problems.

Picture by Lighthouse Keeper

It’s officially Spring and it’s time to bare your skin and feel fantastic! No more hiding underlayers of bulky clothes. If you have layers of winter flesh to shed too then this Spring Detox Diet Plan will help you lose them quicky.

January is the time when a lot of people decide to go on a detox diet but it is so much harder when it’s cold. Detox is so much easier in Spring when it’s getting warmer (we hope) and the new seasons vegetables and salad stuff become available.

This Spring Cleansing Detox Diet plan I found in Woman Diet Special Magazine claims to boost your energy if you follow it for one week or enable you to lose 14 lbs if you do it for 3 weeks.

Avoid tea, coffee and sugar

The plan aims to balance protein,and carbs in a way that promotes weight loss and boost your energy. They say that if you are following the plan for 3 weeks you should drink no more than 2 cups of tea or one cup of coffee a day, two glasses of wine a week and that you can have two small sugary treats a week. (see my comment below)

I would say that you should cut out regular tea and drink green tea or herbal teas instead. You can get some pretty good tasting coffee substitutes these days too. Although some research is saying that drinking coffee has some health benefits it’s not good for everyone and you certainly should not drink it to excess. Don’t forget that coffee beans are one of the most highly sprayed crops on the planet.

As for wine, although it does contain some beneficial antioxidants, alcohol is hard on the liver as it is another thing it has to detoxify. There are plenty of antioxidants in fresh fruit and vegetables so it’s best to give up the alcohol for the entire 3 weeks.

Sugary treats? Yikes – don’t go there! Besides losing weight don’t you want to kickstart health eating habits for good?  If you want to keep off the weight you lose you can’t go back to bad eating habits. Sugary snacks is one. One snack leads to another.

If you fancy something sweet you could eat some fruit or a handful of dried fruit although it’s not a good idea to eat too much dried fruit, or you could have a fresh juice or green smoothie.

Animal protein for detox or not? 

This plan does include animal protein at each meal so is not too difficult to do. There is still a lot of controversy over whether you should include animal protein on a detox diet or not. My view is that it’s best to cut back on animal protein and include more easily digested beans or lentils with whole grains.

Bearing that in mind I include the plan exactly as given in Woman Diet Special magazine with a few notes of my own.

Energy Boosting Breakfast Smoothie                   

The Detox Diet Plan starts with the Energy Boosting Breakfast Smoothie every day.

Spring Detox Smoothie

1 tbsp natural bio-yogurt
150 ml semi-skimmed milk (see my note below)
150 ml fruit juice
1 tbsp oats
1 serving of the daily Spring Power fruit. (see plan below for daily fruit)

Directions

Put everything into a strong blender and whizz up until very smooth

My note:

I don’t like to mix milk and fruit juice. Much better to avoid milk altogether on a detox diet and use a nut milk or coconut water (not the same as coconut milk). Make sure the yogurt is organic.

Perfect Power Salad

Every day you eat a power salad for lunch adding a different protein of your choice.

Power Salad Recipe

2 handfuls mixed salad leaves
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 cucumber, sliced
1 stick celery, sliced
50g of either fish, chicken, turkey, ham or 2 tbsp cottage cheese or 2 hard boiled eggs.
1 tbsp low calorie vinaigrette (see my note below)
Daily power vegetable (see plan below for daily veg)

My note:

It would be better to avoid the low calorie dressing as many contain sugar and dubious ingredients. It’s much better to make your own dressing from organic virgin olive oil and lemon juice. You can easily make enough to last you the three weeks and store in a cool dark place.

It’s best to use organic or free range meat, fish, cheese and eggs too. Try some sprouted beans in place of animal protein for some of the meals.

Here is the 7 day Spring Detox Diet Plan:

Day 1

Breakfast

Spring Detox Smoothie with power fruit Blueberries

Snack

Handful of Sunflower seeds

Lunch

Spring Salad with power veg watercress

Snack

Apple

Dinner

Salmon with green vegetables & new potatoes (wild or organic salmon is the best)

Day 2

Breakfast

Spring Detox Smoothie with power fruit Pomegranate

Snack

Handful of Almonds

Lunch

Spring Salad with power veg baby spinach leaves

Snack

Pear

Dinner

Chicken stir-fry with small portion rice ( I suggest brown rice)

Day 3

Breakfast

Spring Detox Smoothie with power fruit strawberries ( organic best)

Snack

Handful of walnuts

Lunch

Spring Salad with power veg broccoli

Snack

Plum

Dinner

Grilled cod with peas, green beans and spinach

Day 4

Breakfast

Spring Detox Smoothie with power fruit Kiwi

Snack

Handful of pumpkin seeds

Lunch

Spring Salad with power veg grated beet ( beetroot)

Snack

Apple

Dinner

Warm chicken salad with roasted vegetables

Day 5

Breakfast

Spring Detox Smoothie with power fruit watermelon

Snack

Handful of brazil nuts

Lunch

Spring Salad with power veg sugar snap peas

Snack

apple

Dinner

Grilled fish cakes with plenty of fresh green salad

Day 6

Breakfast

Spring Detox Smoothie with power fruit raspberries

Snack

Handful of hazelnuts

Lunch

Spring Salad with power veg alfalfa

Snack

plum

Dinner

Baked mackerel with new potatoes and vegetables

Day 7

Breakfast

Spring Detox Smoothie with power fruit cherries

Snack

Handful of sunflower seeds

Lunch

Spring Salad with power veg sliced red pepper

Snack

apple

Dinner

Skinless roast chicken with fresh vegetables

My note:

Try a bean or lentil dish with whole grain brown rice and vegetables in place of some of the animal protein in the evening meals.

Don’t forget the exercise

If you want to lose the maximum amount of weight on the Spring Detox Diet Plan you must do some exercise.  You don’t have to spend hours at the gym though.  Brisk walking for 20 minutes a day or some rebounding on a mini trampoline is fine.

Combat cravings

To speed things up a bit and to stop cravings why not try out Go Slim Extreme,  a new 100 % natural product, that curbs unhealthy cravings, boosts metabolism and mood.

Go here to get your free 14 day trial:  http://trygoslimextreme.com

It’s officially Spring and it’s the best time of the year to detox. Eating a high percentage of raw food is considered to be one of the best ways to detox. But, if you don’t already eat a high raw diet you may be wondering how to get started on a raw food detox.

Karen Knowler, raw food coach, has been writing a series of articles that are aimed at people who want to go raw. She confesses that it took her 5 years to go completely raw but it does not have to take that long.

She explains that you should decide how much raw you want to eat. I believe that it’s often easier to ease into a new diet rather than jump into it with both feet. For one thing, if you are not used to eating a lot of raw food your digestive system is likely to rebel. For another, you may not be able to keep it up until you are used to the amount of produce you need to have ready and learn how to sprout.

Karen rightly points out that you should decide what you are going eat before you start. “You have to ADORE what you are eating”. It’s no good following a particular raw food detox diet plan if you don’t think you will like the food. Of course, there is nothing to stop you trying out a new food if you want to. Some new tastes take a bit of getting used to but your taste can and will change over time.

She give a list of foods that you might want to eat:

Tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, Brazil nuts, watercress, kale, lettuce, onion, avocado, nectarines, raspberries, bananas, mesquite powder, dates, nori sheets, coriander, Nature’s Living Superfood, macadamia nuts, almond butter, tahini, white cabbage, carrots, broccoli, red bell pepper, cashew nuts, almonds, hemp seeds (hulled), sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, sunflower greens, pumpkin seeds, Udo’s oil, olive oil, lemons, pure water.

You should eat as wide a variety of food as possible to get all the nutrients needed. Karen advised that you should make sure that you have at least 2 items from each of the following food groups on your list:

Fruit, green leafy vegetables, non-leafy vegetables, herbs, sprouted beans and seeds, Omega-rich seeds or oils, Nuts and seeds (soaked or unsoaked), Sea vegetables or algaes.

Here are Karen’s ideas of how to put it all together:

Breakfast ideas

A good rule of thumb for breakfast is fruit (unless you have candida) – however much you want, whatever type/s appeal, until satiated. If fruit doesn’t fill you up enough or you’re looking for something else, then try a filling smoothie or nut milk.

Or how about soaking some large dried fruits (like prunes, apricots and apple rings) in water until plump and pouring on a nut milk or rice milk? These are good standard choices that are quick to make and result in minimal clean up.

A green smoothie is a particularly great way to start your day if you are up for it. Try about 5 or 6 large handfuls of baby spinach blended with 1 mango and see how delicious and easy they can be! After just 3 minutes of chopping and blending you’ll have in your hands one of the most potent things you could possibly take into your body (so it has to be organic!). If you eat/drink one green smoothie a day your cells will be singing in no time!

Lunch ideas

For lunch, I’m assuming you’re easing in, so try for 50/50. That would be something like a good quality sandwich made from wholemeal organic bread with a delicious raw filling such as avocado, tomato and cucumber. This was one of my favourite transitioning staples way back when.

I also loved banana sandwiches – no butter, just bread with lots of ripe banana laid between the slices – very filling and very delicious. Or if you’re eating out, then a good choice is a large jacket potato, no butter, but with a fresh coleslaw and side salad. I used to love smearing avocado inside my potato instead of butter – mmmm!

Dinner ideas

For dinner, again, try for 50/50 if you can. Select one favourite cooked item such as pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, cheese, veggie burger or whatever, and serve with a large salad or some lightly steamed vegetables with a raw dip. It’s really very easy when you think about it!

One of my favourite meals along these lines was a large bowl of cooked wholegrain rice mixed with chopped avocado, tomato, red bell pepper, onion, cucumber and sprinkled with lemon juice – absolutely scrummy! I ate it night after night after night.

Another favourite was boiled organic baby potatoes swirled in a mixture of olive oil, crushed garlic, finely chopped basil and lemon juice and served in a large bowl of green leaves with all manner of salad items around it. Both are delicious and filling and, in the grand scheme of things, very, very virtuous.

Raw food helps you to detox because it contains all the nutrients and antioxidants needed by the liver detox system. It’s high in fiber which helps with colon cleansing , a vital part of a raw food detox diet. When you eat fresh, light, easy to digest food your body can put all its energy into detoxing rather than digesting.

Detoxing is a perfect way to get healthy. It can help you shed a few pounds or kickstart your new healthy eating program. It can restore your energy and help you improve your brain function. However, detoxing can come with drawbacks. Here are 5 tips for how to detox safely.

#1 Get doctor approval.

If you are being treated for a serious health problem such as diabetes, heart disease, low blood pressure, high blood pressure, kidney disease or cancer make sure you discuss your plans with your doctor.

If your doctor is not knowledgable about detoxing you should consult a doctor, naturopath, nutritionist or other health practitioner who is experienced in detox. If you are pregnant or very underwieght you should not attempt a detox program.

#2 Start slowly.

You can experience uncomfortable side effects if you detox too quickly. Some of the side effect you could get include dizziness, headache, skin erruptions, and bowel problems. Diarrhea isn’t uncommon. If you experience a lot  of uncomfortable symptoms you might need to reduce the intensity of your detox .

The detox symptoms are the result of your liver not being able to cope with all the toxins being released into your system at once. They can also be a result of withdrawal from caffeine, sugar, processed foods or chemicals.

If you normally drink a lot of caffeine, diet sodas or have a lot of sugar in your diet this can happen if you have taken long enough to wean yourself off them. You may get withdrawal symptoms as your body adjusts.

The best approach to detoxing is to ease into it. For example, you might start by introducing fresh vegetable juices or Green Smoothies in place of one meal and eat two solid healthy meals on the first few days. You should increase your vegetable and salad intake for the solid meals.

Then have juices or Green Smoothies in place of two meals for the next few days with one solid meal and then have only fresh vegetable juices of Green Smoothies for the next day or two. You can then ease back into eating solid foods by reversing the process.

Be aware of your body’s reaction and make adjustments as you go. For example, if you’re juicing and have a detox reaction you might reduce the juicing and eat one solid meal during the day.  Enemas can help on these occasions too.

#3 Keep a journal.

It’s a good ideas to keep a record of your symptoms and side effects you experience.  Make a note of what you ate and drank before you experienced the symptoms. That way you can recognize patterns in what you’re eating or your symptoms.

#4 Detox when you have some “me” time.

The best time to do a detox is when you can rest and relax. Starting a detox on a Friday and over a long weekend works well for most people. You will get the best results from your detox if you can take it easy and rest your mind. If you have to go to work, tend to family or have a lot of committments while you’re detoxing it can be extra stressful. Get plenty of rest and treat your body well.

#5 Drink pure water!

Although researchers are now saying that water does not help with the actual detox process I believe that water helps to dilute the toxins. Everything works better when your body is well hydrated.  It can make a difference to your focus and mental clarity too.

You should only drink filtered or good bottled still water.

Finally, if you follow these tips for how to detox safely and a well designed detox plan you should not experience any unbearable symptoms or side effects. Don’t attempt to detox without a solid and safe plan like the Definitive Detox Diet.  To your great health!

Whenever people opt for a detox diet plan, they might be subjected to some severe symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue and others. These symptoms are said to be very common and tend to happen due to the toxins that are discharged from the parts of your body where they have been are stored. They do not always escape out of your body that easily and swiftly.

So when you consider opting for such diet plans, you will always concentrate more on what types of foods you must include or exclude in your diet. However, there are certain other things that you need to do to ensure that the toxins that you want to eliminate from your body can actually get out of your body.

The first and foremost thing is that you need to drink more water. It helps you to stay hydrated always. It also helps your colon to stay hydrated and function in a proper manner to remove the toxins and waste from your body in a more efficient manner.

You can opt to eat food items that include more fiber content. It will help to shove the foods faster via the colon. You can consume vegetables, particularly leafy green ones, since they are considered to be a good source of fiber. You can mix two tablespoons of ground flax seeds, two tablespoons of psyllium husks with a quarter cup of rolled oats and more water. This becomes the first-rate fiber mix.

You can add a probiotic to your diet. Since you wish to clean your system, this becomes the most wonderful prospect to ensure that the number of beneficial bacteria which are present in your colon stays to be healthier and stronger in nature. You can take probiotics in the form of pills; yet, probiotic drinks are recommended since they are easily available.

Apart from all these things, exercise is the best thing that can help you lead a healthy lifestyle. Especially when you follow these kinds of diet plans, your lymphatic system will work better when your fitness is on top form. Even though you need to avoid forceful exercises especially when you are fasting, you can still do fair amounts of exercise to follow the diet plan in a proper manner. You can even perform light exercises such as walking, when you have low energy in your body.

Skin brushing is another way that you can follow to massage your skin. You should use a soft brush. Your skin has the ability to discharge toxins from your body easily. Brushing your skin will also help to inspire your glands and your lymphatic system. Both these parts of your body are said to support the course of action of detoxification in a much easier manner.

You can also opt for Colon hydrotherapy, even though it is an intense way to wash your digestive tract. This process will help when you have lots of toxins to wash out and also when you go through a fast. This process utilizes water to remove debris from your large intestine. These are the most important points to note before you decide to do detox dieting or decide on any detox diet plan.  For more diet tips visit: www.NewDietingTips.com

Having a healthy gut strengthens your body’s first line of defence.  It’s now recognised that tiny leaks in the lining of small intestine known as leaky gut overload the liver and it is essential to cure leaky gut before you start a detox.

In the last decade there has been a new awareness of one of the oldest immune weapons we have – our own gut lining!  A leaky gut can play a role in diseases as diverse as asthma and arthritis.

As well as absorbing your food the the lining of your intestine is meant to act as a barrier to keep out undigested protein and harmful bacteria, yeast or parasites. The lining gets damaged by things like aspirin, bacteria, or even the pesticides sprayed on your food.

Activated Immune System

When the lining becomes damaged and lets the harmful organisms or undigested food molecules into the body it is called “leaky gut”. As a result your immune system becomes activated and it can lead to auto-immune disease.

A whole host of health problems such as skin complaints, asthma,  food allergies, chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, headaches and musculo-skeletal problems can result from leaky gut.

To find out if you have a leaky gut it’s best to get an intestinal permeability test done at a specialized lab like Genova Diagnostics or Metametrix.

Gut Healing

Healing the intestinal lining is essential for health. A number of nutrients can help to heal a leaky gut. The amino acid Glutamine is the main substance that the intestinal cells need to renew and repair themselves. Zinc carnosine is a form of the mineral that is particularly effective for gut healing. Slippery elm is soothing and calming for a damaged and inflammed gut lining.

Supplements that are made specifically for healing leaky gut often contain a number of nutrients that may include aloe vera extract, NAG (N-acetyl glucosamine) and DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) as well as glutamine and zinc.

Detox the toxins

It is also important to address the accumulation of toxins that are already in your body as well as those that you constantly add. Toxins from the environment are increasing at an alarming rate.

In his book Food Allergy and Nutrition Revolution Dr James Braly says that, “Seriously allergic and sensitive people are essentially no different from everyone else – it’s a difference in degree, not kind. Their suffering is a clear warning to the rest of us about the incredible invisible dangers of our surroundings”

Various fasts used to detox can release the toxins from the fatty tissue too quickly, especially if you are overloaded with them from a leaky gut. Fasting also robs the body of the necessary nutrients needed by the liver to process the toxins ready for elimination through the bile or urine.

Very low calorie detox diets stress the adrenal glands and pancreas by making them regulate low blood sugar. Using a good detox protein powder like Ultra Clear Plus pH to mix with fruit juice or vegetable juice is an excellent way reduce calorie intake enough to rest the organs while supporting the detox pathways.

If detox pathways are slow or lacking in nutrients the toxins are unable to be eliminated and are left to recirculate and settle in your tissues, causing pain, inflammation and disease.

It’s important to heal a leaky gut if you are going to detox your body or you will be constantly overloading your liver with toxins leaking from it. You can find out more about leaky gut and how to cure it here: Leaky Gut Cure