My 3 day juice fast

I was very excited to try doing a juice fast. I have met several people who have done extended (7 days and more) juice fasts who have spoken to me about how amazing they felt-The clarity, the energy, the flat stomach. They all swear by them.

I have also been doing some research into the benefits of fasting and that we humans are designed to go through periods of fasting. It gives our digestive system a break so it can repair and heal and the latest study I read was about how your whole immune system can be rebuilt after fasting for just 3 days.

I love trying new things and experimenting on myself when it comes to health. I never feel comfortable recommending anything to my clients unless it is something I personally have tried. So I thought it cant hurt, I may as well give it a go. Worst case scenario I waste 3 days and maybe lose some weight.

After a big vegetable shop (my organic grocer sure did love me this week), and convincing my mum to join me on the adventure I was ready to begin.

Each day consisted of 5 juices. I had a template I was following but really just made up my own combos using the template as a guide. I also made sure to drink plenty of water and herbal teas. Lets just say I couldn’t venture too fat from the toilet for the 3 days. Lucky I chose a week where I didn’t have too much on.

The daily routine:

7.30am Glass of warm water with the juice of ½ lemon

8am breakfast juice

9am Green tea

10.30am morning tea juice

1pm Lunch juice

2pm Green tea

3.30pm afternoon tea juice

6.30pm Dinner juice

8pm Chamomile tea

To be honest it wasn’t as hard as I expected. After reading several blogs where people found it very challenging I was expecting the worst. I didn’t suffer from any extreme symptoms. My head was a bit groggy, especially the first day but it never developed into a headache. The second and third day I did have a bit of a stomach-ache but it certainly wasn’t present the whole time. I felt a bit hungry at times but the juices were so big and I felt so full of fluid that the hunger was short lived. I also expected to not sleep very well as in the past I have never slept well on an empty stomach but I was feeling quite exhausted and really had no trouble in the sleeping department. The chamomile tea and Epsom salt baths I was having before dinner probably aided too.

I think I felt the best on the second day, which may have been because I was busy and distracted that day. I felt quite energetic and positive. The third day I was feeling a little irritable but certainly not as bad as I expected.

What I found the most challenging was my thoughts. The fact that I couldn’t eat food meant that I was constantly thinking about it. Although I wasn’t that hungry, food was always on my mind. It certainly didn’t help that my husband decided to enjoy food that we don’t normally have at home and bring home a pizza for dinner. I think the mind games we play with ourselves are always our biggest challenges.

The other challenge was all the preparation. It took about half an hour to cut the veggies, make the juices and wash the juicer. Doing this 5 times a day became a bit tedious. By the third day I had simply had enough of the juicing!

I didn’t quite experience the huge positive effects others had spoken to me about but I think 3 days probably wasn’t long enough to really feel light, free and clear. It was just long enough to give my body a nice break and recharge. It will be interesting to see how I feel over the next few days but today I still feel a bit tired. I definitely do feel lighter in my stomach (I lost about 1.5kgs) and not as foggy in the head. I am truly glad I gave it a go, especially since it is spring. A little internal spring-cleaning J. I could see myself doing it again and possibly for even longer next time!

I certainly do advocate doing some for of detoxification at least once a year and think spring is the perfect time. The juice fast is just one of many ways to aid the body’s natural detoxification pathway which is so important in our society where we are constantly bombarded with toxins and pollutants.

If you would like more information on what type of detoxification might be best for you feel free to contact me.

I would also love to hear your juice fasting experiences!

Wanting to conceive in the near future? A detox may be in order!

Preconception care is extremely important when it comes to the health and development of the foetus. It is often an area that is overlooked and many people are unaware of how important it is to prepare the body before even beginning to attempt to fall pregnant.

By preparing the body for pregnancy we are giving the baby the best chance possible for not just health in utero but we are giving them the opportunity to be as healthy as possible for the rest of their lives. You are also giving yourself the best opportunity to fall pregnant, have a safe and healthy pregnancy and birthing process.


Detoxification is one thing that is particularly important when it comes to preconception care. Living in this modern world we are bombarded with chemicals and toxins on a daily basis. They are literally impossible to avoid from EMR from phones, computers and all things technological, to petrol’s and fumes in our environment, to chemicals and pesticides in our food, chemicals in our skin care, make up, cleaning agents and even in our plastic containers, water bottles are receipts.

 Now you may wonder what happens to all these chemicals that we inhale, consume and lather onto our skin? Our bodies naturally excrete some but our eliminatory system is not able to keep up with the burden and the majority are stored in our cells. So what does this mean for our babies? Did you know that our babies are born already polluted with a much too high toxic load for their tiny bodies? An American study found that a total of 232 toxic chemicals in umbilical cord blood; another found 287 different industrial chemicals and pollutants—180 of which are known to cause cancer in humans and 217 of which are toxic to the brain and nervous system. There has been a huge increase in many health conditions such as asthma, eczema, autoimmune disease and autism in children and all these have been linked to high toxin exposure.


Not only are these toxins unhealthy for the developing bub but high levels of toxins and heavy metals are one reason many people are having difficulty falling pregnant in the first place.

In my daily life I encourage a detoxifying lifestyle but I also encourage everyone to do a detoxifying program at least once a year to help flush out those unavoidable chemicals present in all of us. These are particularly important for men and women thinking about trying to conceive in the near future.


However, I must stress that if you are currently trying to conceive or thinking about starting in the next couple of months a detoxification program is not appropriate. This is because during detoxification, many toxins are released from the cells and are flowing freely through out the body. This means that they will flow right into the foetus giving them a much larger toxic burden and being counter productive. This is why I encourage people to begin their preconception care are least 6 months prior to actually attempting to conceive. By this time they should have a clean slate.
What can and should be done by those trying to conceive is to live what I call a ‘detoxifying’ or ‘clean’ lifestyle. To be honest this is actually what I encourage for all people all (well at least the majority) of the time.


Living a detoxifying or clean lifestyle:


1. Eat organic where possible. Certain foods are more important than others when it comes to organic. The toxic load from chemicals in our food only takes a few days to leave the body.
2. Use all natural skin care. This includes ANYTHING you are putting on your skin from deodorant, to moisturisers to make up.
3. Drink filtered water.
4. Swap to natural household cleaners.
5. Store food products in glass not plastic containers.
6. Eliminate processed, high sugar, high trans fat and highly refined food from the diet.
7. Be active daily.
8. Get outside and get some fresh air and vitamin D for 20 minutes a day.
9. Incorporate massage or skin brushing into your routine.
10. Be sure to be detoxifying your mind too. Negative thought patterns, stress and emotional issues all contribute to inflammation and need to be worked though constantly.


If you are 6 months away from tying to conceive then I encourage incorporating some more intense detoxifying strategies. These include:


1. Consume foods that aid in detoxification such as cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, bitter vegetables such as rocket and radicchio as well as increasing your fibre intake (fresh fruit and vegetables, linseeds and chia seeds).
2. Use herbal medicine to support your body’s natural detoxification pathways. The main herb used to liver support is St Mary’s thistle. There are many other wonderful liver herbs including dandelion, globe artichoke, turmeric and Schisandra.
3. If you have high heavy metals then doing a chelation program with your practitioner.


These are the major detoxification principles I employ and encourage anyone thinking about having children in the near future to begin now. Our children deserve the best opportunity at life possible and it is your responsibility to give them that chance.

If you have any health conditions please discuss this with your health care practitioner prior to commencing.


Wishing you and your family all the best for this exciting journey xx

My top tips for surviving the silly season

Yes it's hard to believe but it is that time of year again. Whether it be a work Christmas party, Chanukah, Christmas or new years festivities there is always a reason for too much food and drink. If you don’t want to end up with those extra kilos once January hits or can’t stand the aftermath of these festivities but also don’t want to miss out this is the article for you. Have a read of my 5 top tips for getting through this time of year without doing too much damage to your body or waistline.

1.     Hydrate- this is the most important thing I can emphasis e. Dehydration makes you feel hungry so you will eat more, while drinking a glass of water before a big meal means you will feel full quicker. If you are drinking alcohol you need to hydrate so you don’t feel terrible the next day! Alternate one alcoholic drink for one glass of water. This will keep you hydrated while reducing the number of alcoholic drinks you will consume. The body needs extra hydration at time when there is so much sugar and alcohol intake. Keeping hydrated will make sure your body can work properly to detoxify the load placed on our bodies this time of year.

2.     Have a snack before you go out. If you don’t want to over-indulge then don’t turn up for a big meal starving. Having a small healthy snack before you go out means you will not eat as much of the bad stuff when you are out. A few nuts, a smoothie or some yogurt are great snacks to fill your belly a little so you still have space for something yummy but not so much that you will feel ill later. This is one of the best ways to prevent stacking on the kilos this time of year.

3.     Opt for the healthy option. There is always something healthy at the table but our eyes tend to wonder to the unhealthy option. Try making the majority of your meal something healthy with just a small serving of the naughty treat. For example fill your plate up with salad so there is only a small space left for pie or whatever else you love to indulge in. For dessert have fruit with a small piece of cake. If you fill up on the healthy stuff you wont have much space in your tummy for a huge serving of the bad stuff but you also won’t feel like you are missing out.

4.     Have a milk thistle supplement. Milk thistle or St Mary’s thistle is a particular herb that helps the liver detoxify waste. This time of year with all the extra indulgences and drinks it is important to give your liver a helping hand. This will rid your body of all these toxins you are consuming so they are not stored to play havoc at a later date. Milk thistle will reduce bloating and hangovers too. I often recommend taking the supplement daily for the whole month of December with an extra dose on those days of indulgence.

5.     Digestive enzymes. Our body naturally produces enzymes to break down our food. However, sometimes when we overeat our body is not able to produce enough of these enzymes to digest all that we have shoveling into our bellies. That is why after a big meal we often feel bloated, lethargic and unwell. The great thing is that these enzymes are available as a supplement so you can help your body out by taking some digestive enzymes with your meal. This will enable your body to properly break down and digest your big meal so it doesn’t just remain sitting in your gut fermenting. Goodbye overfull, sick feeling :)

But most of all don't forget to enjoy this special time of year xx

Spring cleaning the mind, body and spirit.

 
So what is the meaning of spring?

Spring is a time of transition. It is a time where we throw out the old and to make space for the new. Goodbye cold miserable winter and hello warmer days, bluer skies and sunshine.

It is the time of year when most animals give birth to their young, and sometimes a time of year when there can be a few deaths; letting go of the old to allow space for the new.

It is also an important time for reflection and letting go of any thoughts or beliefs that may no longer be serving us. This allows space for new thoughts, ideas and projects to begin.

This out with the old and in with the new is something to consider in all aspects of our lives.

We often think of spring-cleaning as a time to go through our house or cupboards and throw out (or donate) those clothes that we haven’t worn in years. This is however; is just one example of the type of cleaning out we should be doing during spring. This un-cluttering of our lives can be extremely therapeutic.

In terms of our thoughts/emotions it s very healthy to clean these out too as unhealthy emotions such as sadness, anger and resentment can negatively impact our physical health if not released. I always find crying, talking to someone or journaling the best ways to get emotions out of the system. According to the philosophy of Jin Shin Jyutsu, simply holding each finger like a hot dog for 5 minute each day helps to release any pent up emotions and relating physical conditions.

Your physical body also requires a spring clean at least once a year!

A detoxification program aiding your organs of elimination is something I make sure I do at least once a year. It is so important to give the body some help eliminating all the nasty toxins and chemicals we are constantly consuming, inhaling and getting through our skin. A few tips for helping your body in its natural detoxification pathways are:

·      Keep hydrated (drink at least 8 cups of water per day)

·      Start each day with a glass of warm water and the juice of half a lemon or 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

·      Take chlorophyll

·      Use a Milk Thistle supplement

Detoxing the lungs is something we are doing everyday simply by breathing. However, as many of us do not breath to the full capacity of out lungs there is old, stale air stagnating at the bottom. Every day we should be practicing deep breathing to aid with relaxation, optimising the amount of oxygen travelling around our bodies as well as to expel all that stale air we no longer need. Spring is the perfect time to get into the habit of deep breathing. ­

Our lymph (an important part of our immune system) can also become congested so another great way to spring clean the body is by getting a massage. This is a luxury most of us love so it shouldn’t be too hard to convince you to go treat yourself! Massage helps to stimulate lymph flow and boost the immune system. Dry brushing is another technique you can try. It not only stimulates lymph flow but it also removes dead skin making way for new fresh skin cells. This will leave you feeling refreshed and beautiful from the inside out.

The oral cavity is another area where bad bacteria and toxins can build up. Oil pulling helps to draw out toxins from the oral cavity reducing dental issues as it helps to remove any nasty bacteria. Simply swish 1 tablespoon of coconut oil around in your mouth for 10-20 minutes first thing each morning to experience these wonderful effects. It will also help reduce bad breath and naturally whiten the teeth too.

All these techniques will leave you feeling lighter, fresher, happier, more energised and ready for summer!