Detox Your Way To Better Health

Spring is a great time for a good clean up, not only of your house and garage, but also your own body. 

With the season changing and the end of the year fast approaching, take this time to think about how you are feeling.  

Perhaps over winter your body has become a toxic dumpsite and is crying out for help?  But how do you know if you need to detox?  

Top 5 Questions To Ask Yourself

1. Do I feel less healthy and energetic?
2. Do I often have difficulty thinking clearly?
3. Do I often feel tired, sluggish, flat and get sick often? 
4. Do I have digestive disturbances (wind, bloating, constipation, candida or heartburn)?
5. Do you eat junk food, drink alcohol or make poor lifestyle decisions?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you may be in need of a ‘spring clean’. These are the types of symptoms you may experience when many of the toxic substances you have been exposed to have accumulated within your body, leaving you feeling less than your best.

Our Integrated Detoxification Program is recommend as a safe and effective professional detoxification program to improve the way in which your body eliminates toxins and to bring you back to a state of health and vitality.

Toxic Exposure - A Reality of Modern Life

Toxin exposure is seemingly unavoidable in our modern world. Every day we are exposed to toxins like heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals, food additives and pollutants, which are present in the air, water and food that we consume. 

Toxins do not only come from our external environment; toxins can also be generated internally by ‘unfriendly’ bacteria, yeasts, and parasites in our digestive systems.

Your body has numerous mechanisms to help eliminate all these toxins, but these detoxification pathways can become overwhelmed if you produce, consume or absorb more toxins than you can easily clear. A professional detoxification program supports toxin clearance through these pathways, leaving you feeling healthy and energetic.

A Safe and Effective Detoxification Program

Detoxifying is serious business and your safety and comfort during detoxification is important to us. Undergoing the wrong type of detox for your individual needs may actually leave you feeling sick and tired. This is why you should not attempt a detoxification program without the guidance and support of a trained health care Practitioner.

5 Ways To Start The Detox Process at Home

 

1. Drink More Water
2. Consider adding super foods to your diet like Goji Berries and Spirulina
3. Eat more greens
4. Add fresh herbs like Rosemary and Tumeric to your cooking
5. Include bitter foods like endive in your diet

Make a Clean Start with Professional Help

If winter has left you feeling tired, sluggish, and less than your best, a detoxification program can help you to make a clean start with renewed health and vitality. 

Our $295 Integrated Detox Program Includes

• Nutritional, herbal and essential probiotics to cleanse, support, rebuild and regenerate your body and eliminative systems 
• Comprehensive booklet and directions to guide you how to safely and effectively detoxify and to get the best results possible.
• 6 weeks of guidance and email and telephone support from a fully qualified naturopath trained in detoxification.

Call 1300 133 536 to find out more about a safe and effective professional detoxification program to suit you. 

Or why not start today? 

 

http://www.massattack.com.au/shopping_cart.php

Corriander Chelation Pesto

3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup Brazil nuts

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

2 cups packed fresh coriander

2/3 cup flaxseed oil

4 tablespoons lemon juice

Process the coriander and flaxseed oil in a blender until the coriander is finely chopped. Add the garlic, nuts, and seeds,and lemon juice and mix until the mixture is finely blended into a paste. It freezes well, so purchase coriander in season and fill enough jars to last through the year.

Coriander and garlic are well known chelation agents for ridding the body of heavy metals. The seeds are rich in minerals and antioxidants and Brazil nuts are high in Selenium which is an important antioxidant for detox and fertility. Lemon juice also helps to support liver function and is rich in Vitamin C.

Two teaspoons of this pesto daily for three weeks is said to be enough to increase the urinary excretion of mercury, lead and aluminum. 
Use on toast, as a dip or on cooked vegetables or fish.

Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing medical herbalist and naturopath specializing in restorative endocrinology for women, with over 14 years clinical experience.  She is both an accomplished writer, editor and technical training advisor for the Complementary Health Care Council.  A recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award, Narelle adopts an integrated approach of both medical science and traditional complementary health care principles.  www.massattack.com.au

Spring Detox time!

As the weather starts to warm up and the cherry blossom starts to appear (although I have noticed some sneaky ones in bloom already!), our thoughts turn to summer and how on earth we will squeeze into those dreaded bathers. Now is the perfect time to focus on your health to get you looking and feeling fit for summer. It’s a beautiful time of year so make the most of it and enjoy yourself!

The main player: When most of us think Detox, we think of the liver. This is one of our most important organs as most things we consume will pass through the liver for processing. The excesses of modern living can put a strain on the body as a whole so it’s no surprise that liver function can be compromised with the ongoing work load that it has.

Symptoms of a compromised liver include:

• Menstrual irregularities: due to an oestrogen dominant environment that the liver can’t process efficiently. Oestrogen dominance is seen in conditions such as PMS, Fibroids and Endometriosis
• Weight gain: due to hormonal imbalance and sub-optimal digestion
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Muscle aches and pains
• Digestive upsets
• Nausea
• Reduced or non existent morning appetite
• Poor sleep
  

Following are some easy Spring Detox tips to give your liver a helping hand and to get you on the road to good health:

• Spring clean your fridge and cupboards. Eliminate refined carbs and processed foods containing trans fats, additives and preservatives. Apart from having the potential to be toxic to the system, these foods can really disrupt digestion
• Eat more raw, fresh foods including fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, beans, legumes
  Include moderate exercise 3-4 times a week
• Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. I know you probably hear this all the time but this is a reflection of how important it is. Our bodies are 2/3 water and it is essential to many body processes. Not only will it help you remain hydrated, it will also help eliminate toxins
• Start your day with the juice of ½ lemon in warm water. This is a fantastic way to cleanse your system and will get your day off to a fresh start
• Increase your intake of bitter foods – endive, chicory, silverbeet, radicchio, outer leaves of cos lettuce, dandelion root, and grapefruit. These foods stimulate the liver by increasing bile flow, which will assist in removing those substances that your liver breaks down.
• Limit chicken and meat intake to 1-2 times per week. Synthetic hormones used to farm these animals can interfere with our own hormonal system, adding to an already oestrogen dominant environment and contributing to weight gain and menstrual irregularities
• Have a break from wheat and dairy to give your digestive system a much needed break
• Ensure you are getting adequate amounts of fibre in your diet to assist regular bowel function. This will help bind toxins and hormones to get them ready for elimination
• Limit alcohol consumption. In order to prevent liver damage, it is recommended to have no more than 2 standard drinks a day. 2-4 drinks per day are thought to be a hazard and 4+ drinks per day are thought to be harmful.[1] If weight loss is a priority, the extra calories alcohol provides should be further reduced to a maximum of 3-5 drinks per week
• Reduce your coffee intake. Try herbal tea instead
• Reduce your exposure environmental toxins where possible. Buy green/environmentally friendly cleaning and beauty products, reduce exposure to pesticides and plastics (glad wrap, plastic drinking bottles, plastic food containers)
• Put some fresh flowers in the house or office to remind you of the new beginning that Spring brings and work towards turning over a new leaf

* It’s important to mention that a “healing crisis” may occur when beginning a Detox. This happens when you start to feel worse before feeling better and symptoms such as headaches, lethargy, digestive upsets and moodiness are not uncommon. This is a normal reaction to change and usually passes within a few days. Please also keep in mind that it is important to contact your health care practitioner before commencing a specific Detox program to make sure it is well suited to your needs.

The road to Bikiniville may not be a constant downhill slope but by adopting some healthy, positive changes today, you can start to get your body geared up for the summer months ahead. With the warmer weather fast approaching, now is the time to take control of your health and show yourself you can do it. You’ll be sparkling, inside and out!

Emma Scasni is a qualified naturopath at MassAttack Health Clinic and has a keen interest in women’s health. Emma is passionate about all aspects of natural health and is happy to offer support and advice to new and existing MassAttack members. MassAttack specializes in natural treatment programs for women with hormonal imbalances such as PCOS, Fibroids, Endometriosis & thyroid imbalance. Narelle Stegehuis, CEO of MassAttack, is the recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award 2006 and can be contacted at narelle@massattack.com.au

[1] Ruth Trickey, (2003) “Women, Hormones & the Menstrual Cycle”, Allen & Unwin NSW, pg 384

Feeling liverish?

Once thought of in the past as a culinary delight, today the liver is more thought of as a saving grace after that one glass of red too many. Being the largest internal organ in the human body, it seems likely that it will have an important role to play in maintaining our health and well being. But what exactly does the liver do for a living and how can its dysfunction contribute to our dysfunction?

An adult liver weighs an average of 1.4-1.6 kilograms and is vital for our survival. It is a driving force behind our metabolism and digestion and also acts as a storage unit for vitamins and minerals, helps breakdown red blood cells, aids detoxification and is a major centre for many biological reactions. What’s more, it has amazing potential to regenerate lost tissue and can grow back to its original size with as little as one quater of its usual mass.[1]

With so many vital roles to play, it makes sense that in order for these things to happen, the liver must be functioning at its full potential. This is often easier said than done as the many excesses of daily life contribute to what the liver has to process. These commonly come in the form of:

• Alcohol
• Drugs – prescription, over the counter and recreational
• Cigarette smoke
• Environmental toxins :herbicides, pesticides and hormones used in food production
• Stress
• Poor diet high in refined carbohydrates
• Synthetic chemicals found in common beauty products

With a number of these things circulating through our system at any given time, we rely on our liver to take care of them and see them safely on their way. But like most things that are overloaded, our liver will eventually reach breaking point and just not have the ability to do its job properly. This is when we start to develop liver related symptoms such as:

• Menstrual irregularities
• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Muscle aches and pains
• Digestive upsets
• Nausea
• Reduced or non existent morning appetite
• Poor sleep

Most people don’t associate the liver with hormones but it is the liver that breaks down the hormones once they have done their job throughout our body. It is for this reason that the liver can have an impact on hormonal imbalance. The steroid hormones pass through the liver to be metabolised and these include:

• Sex hormones: controls the menstrual cycle and reproduction
• Cortisone: preparing us for the fight or flight response
• Aldosterone: controls the balance of sodium, potassium and water, thereby influencing fluid retention

Let’s look specifically at oestrogen and testosterone. Once oestrogen passes through the liver, it is broken down into a less active form which can then be excreted into the intestine where a number of things can happen. Elimination via the bowel can take place or the oestrogen can be activated once again and re-absorbed through the bowel wall and back into circulation.[2] This re-absorption will increase the level of oestrogen in the body and contribute to oestrogen dominant conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, PMS (lumpy &/or painful breasts, heavy &/or painful menstruation) and weight gain, especially around the hips, bottom and thighs. This weight distribution is the classic example of a pear shaped body.

Testosterone, like oestrogen, circulates in both males and females. Its synthesis begins in the liver and if not metabolised efficiently, can cause elevated levels to re-circulate through our system. Elevated testosterone levels are found in conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and due to the masculinising effects of this hormone, contribute to male pattern hair growth and acne that are so common with PCOS. Increased testosterone levels can also affect the menstrual cycle, reproductive function and weight gain especially around the abdomen. This is your classic apple shaped body.

So if you feel like your liver can do with a helping hand, here are some simple steps you can incorporate to ease the toxic load:

• Limit alcohol consumption. In order to prevent liver damage, it is recommended to have no more than 2 standard drinks a day. 2-4 drinks per day are thought to be a hazard and 4+ drinks per day are thought to be harmful.[3] If weight loss is a priority, the extra calories alcohol provides should be further reduced to a maximum of 3-5 drinks per week.
• Increase your intake of bitter foods – endive, chicory, silverbeet, radicchio, outer leaves of cos lettuce, dandelion root, and grapefruit. These foods will stimulate your liver by increasing bile flow, which will assist in removing those substances that your liver breaks down.
• Ensure you are getting adequate amounts of protein in your diet. This will help to bind toxins and get them ready for elimination.
• Antioxidants, such as Vitamins A, C, E, beta carotene and selenium will protect liver cells from damage.
• Lecithin protects liver cell membranes from damage from the constant barrage of toxins and free radicals they come into contact with. It acts as an emulsifier and is derived from soybeans or egg. Sources include brewers yeast, grains, legumes, fish and wheatgerm but can also come in capsule or granule form (it can be sprinkled on cereals and soups or can be added to smoothies). It’s also fantastic with assisting the digestion of fats and absorption of fat soluble vitamins.
• Sulphur containing foods found in foods from the cabbage family, garlic and dandelion can help with detoxification.
• Exercise at least twice a week. Not only will this help your body eliminate toxins, it will leave you feeling fantastic.
• Squeeze half a lemon into a cup of warm water first thing in the morning to give your body an early morning cleanse.
• Opt for natural beauty products.

Making a conscious effort to reduce the toxic load presented to your liver will assist in achieving and maintaining good health and well being. If you can identify with any of the above mentioned liver symptoms, spare some thought for your overworked liver and cut it some slack. You will reap the benefits…

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver#Liver_as_food
[2] Ruth Trickey, (2003) “Women, Hormones & the Menstrual Cycle”, Allen & Unwin NSW, pg 58
[3] Ruth Trickey, (2003) “Women, Hormones & the Menstrual Cycle”, Allen & Unwin NSW, pg 384