May the earth move in 2014!

Happy New Year! Crisp January days are perfect for ridding the body of ghosts of Christmas repasts. Good nutrition is the baseline of good health. Food is our fuel. Our bodies cannot run well on low-grade fodder. Food choices and advertising can blind us to the fact that the less processed a food is, the more nutritious it is too. Establishing good eating habits based on real food, preferably organically grown or raised, is a sustainable long-term approach to good health and healing. Everything [and] the kitchen sink If our system is full of gunge we will always experience problems, no matter how well we eat. Clearing the digestive tract is essential for high-level health and getting the bowel moving efficiently is key to that process. Our bodies cannot detoxify properly if the exit is sluggish and we cannot create superior health until the issue is rectified. To use a plumbing analogy, if the kitchen sink is blocked, no matter how much fresh water we pour down it, it will back up until the drain is physically cleaned out. In the human body, the drain is the bowel. According to naturopathic tradition, roughly 80 percent of disease originates in the bowel/colon area. If the bowel empties only sporadically, a build-up of toxins from foods, liquids, unfriendly bacteria and metabolic wastes occurs. The body then reabsorbs these festering nasties, leading to uncomfortable symptoms and illness. As the bowel is the highway out of the body, there is no point in doing a kidney or liver cleanse until it opens regularly, as toxins released from these organs will simply join the traffic jam in the gut and get diverted back into the bloodstream. Food. Water. Lifestyle. Friends Emptying the bowel efficiently depends on good food, good hydration and a healthy lifestyle. The bowel-friendliest foods are fibre-rich plant foods. Lots of fibrous vegetables, greens, beans, sprouted foods, root veggies and some fruits (especially apples) help whoosh things through the digestive tract. Raw foods contain more fibre than cooked foods but some nutrients are best absorbed from uncooked foods, while others are better absorbed from cooked foods, so a combination, including lots of raw foods, is good. Drinking two litres of warm still spring or filtered water a day, plus non-caffeinated herbal teas, encourages bowel cleansing. Freshly pressed vegetable juices are also great cleansers. Relaxing and exercising make a surprising difference, too. The digestive tract tightens up in times of stress. Relaxing helps loosen it. Even a brisk stroll can demonstrate the power of exercise; ever fumbled desperately for your front door keys after a walk, while your bathroom lies serenely on the other side…? Foes While cleansing, avoid sugar, table salt, flesh foods, dairy products, processed foods, white grain products, trans fats, vegetable oils, sodas, alcohol and caffeinated drinks. Coffee and tea can have a profoundly moving short-term effect on the bowel but they encourage dependence on substances long-term and over-stimulate the kidneys. Better to give the bowel what it needs to work 24/7, rather than eating fibre- and water-free foods and then flogging it with stimulants. Earth movers (JCB category) When combined with good food, hydration and lifestyle, certain foods and supplements act like super-draino! Slippery flax and chia seeds, soothing aloe vera juice, bulking psyllium husks and fiery cayenne pepper aid bowel cleansing and digestive health. Specially designed products, such as Ultralife Detox (available from The Hopsack) and Pukka Fibre Plus (also @ The Hopsack) contain ingredients that clean and soothe the digestive tract. Ask the Hopsack detox wizards for advice tailored to your needs. Benefits Once the bowel is functioning properly, cleansing other organs (e.g. the liver and kidneys) can begin. Over time, as nutrient absorption, blood flow, lymph flow and waste removal improve, the body will show signs of better health, from clearer skin to fewer headaches to a sunnier outlook. Comfort cleansing Cleansing can lead, initially, to temporary but niggling symptoms, such as headaches, loose stools and skin eruptions. Try these tips to lessen the pain…

• Quit caffeine before you start cleansing. Caffeine detox is a major headache/nausea trigger.
• Take one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) in a small glass of warm water every morning to alkalise the system. Chase with a pint of warm spring or filtered water.
• Try dry skin brushing.
• Take an Epsom Salts bath.

Cleansing preps the body to benefit from good bacteria. Keep your eyes peeled for our next blog on naturally fermented foods… Further reading on… Aloe vera Cayenne pepper and Cayenne – a life saver NB If you are unwell and/or taking medication (prescription or OTC), please consult with your doctor before cleansing and/or taking detox products, as bowel cleansing and product ingredients might affect dosages. Product ingredients could also potentially interact with drugs.