What is an elimination diet?

by

Many food intolerances go undetected or undiagnosed because of one simple reason: most people never isolate the offending food or foods from their diet. If you eat something everyday that is creating a low level of inflammation, then you will have a chronic inflammatory condition. People can suffer for years with colitis, gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rashes, skin problems, headaches, even asthma and other chronic health complaints not knowing that they may just have a food intolerance.

Find our how to start an elimination diet at home

Unfortunately, there are currently no accurate tests available to test for food intolerances, which create a much milder reaction than a typical IgE reaction from a full blown food allergy. So, people with intolerances can remain undiagnosed and can continue to suffer without any direction on how to alter or improve their diet. There is one method that does work, though. It may take some trial and error, but an elimination diet is the best available way to figure out if you have any food intolerances/ unknown hidden source of inflammation in the body.

What is an elimination diet

An elimination diet is just that – a diet of elimination, in other words, taking out certain foods from the diet in a systematic approach. With each stage of elimination, you monitor your conditions – whether it be an itchy rash or other skin outbreak, gas pain or bloating, headaches, insomnia, even irritability and moodiness. The question to ask yourself with each elimination phase is this: Is my symptom better, same or worse? If you do have a food intolerance, you can quickly see a pattern in not too long of a time. For example – every time I eat x food, y food or z food – I find myself scratching under my arms and when I don’t eat those foods, I’m not itchy at all.

The best part of doing an elimination diet is that

  1. You can find patterns in your reactions relative to what you are eating;
  2. You feel more confident knowing that you are not crazy and that you are actually reacting TO something and
  3. Moving forward, you have the power to choose when you want to take a chance with something you eat or if you prefer to eat “safe” clean foods instead.

If you’ve had a chronic inflammatory condition like I had with my horrific eczema that was caused by ONE food additive, then you know how truly awful it is to wake up every morning not knowing if it’s going to be a good day or a bad day and when you have a flare, not knowing how long you will suffer. Your life gets constantly sidelined by your illness and you just pray for a day when you’re not in pain and/or thinking and feeling miserable.

The other best part of doing an elimination diet is that you have to potential to get your life back. If you can control your flares and inflammation, then you can regain a sense of normalcy which is a welcomed relief after being sick. Although it is a lot of work and you have to be strict with each phase in order to get results, an elimination diet is totally worth it in the long run when you have the freedom of good health again.

How to do an Elimination Diet

Trust me when I say it’s much better to work with someone on this, especially if you want to fast track the whole process and get results as quickly as possible. With my health coaching and Iridology clients, I ask a series of questions relating to certain symptoms to understand what types of food may be the problem. Here are just a few:

  • Do you have headaches, sensitivity to light and sound or trouble sleeping?
  • Do you feel itchy, have rashes, red bumps, flakey scalp, cracked lips or ridges in your fingernails?
  • Do you have aches, pain, stiff joints or suffer from hot hands and hot feet?

All of the symptoms are pieces of the puzzle and will help me to immediately start asking very detailed questions about what types of food you eat. The questions I might ask include:

  • Do you use flavored salt such as garlic salt?
  • Do you use soup stock in your cooking (even organic veggie soup stock)?
  • Do you eat seaweeds such as miso soup, nori rolls, kelp or other seaweed snacks?
  • What is your normal breakfast every day?
  • Do you always eat the same lunch or does it vary? If it varies then what do you eat?
  • Do you drink flavored tea such as orange blossom?
  • What type of jams or jellies do you buy?

I will have you going to your cupboard and fridge and checking labels and ingredients for me. We’ll go through each ingredient together, one by one and I will explain which one I think is the problem and why.

If there are other foods a certain ingredient may be in, I will ask you – do you also eat any x, y or z? Most people are blown away by the level of detail that we get into so quickly, but that’s what’s needed in ordered to find the offending foods, additives or combination of both. You see, you can have an intolerance to a food ADDITIVE just as much as you can have an intolerance to a food itself. So, we always have to look for both. If you only look for one, you can miss 50% of the problem or more. We have to have 2 perspectives at once – the potential of an ingredient in a food being the problem as well as the potential for a simple food intolerance itself, such as an intolerance to almonds, onions, celery, gluten or wheat. Usually people who have an intolerance of some type will be sensitive to a few foods or additives at the same time.

Additionally, if we do identify a “normal” food like oats as the potential inflammatory food, then we also have to look at the botanical family of foods related to that food since they can have similar proteins and can cause cross-reactivity.

Can you see why I suggest to work with someone who has experience with elimination diets?! Yes it can be complicated and it can feel overwhelming BUT if you can crack the code, then you’re basically home free.

Start with a Reaction Journal

If you’re feeling ambitious and want to start this process on your own, then the best thing to do is to keep a Reaction Journal. Start the journal by writing exactly what your symptoms are and when they seem to occur. For example: loose stool, urgency to go to the toilet mid-morning, some pain with passing of stool, puffy eyes, dry eyes, itchy neck and swollen feet. Whatever problems you have write them down, even if you’re not sure whether they are all related or not. All of this information can help you in the future.

When you have a reaction, note it in your Reaction Journal. Here is an example:

“Wednesday ate cheese panini with avocado and mayo for lunch, side salad of iceberg lettuce and ranch dressing. Stomach bloated up afterwards, had mild pain or soreness in the gut. Very tired all afternoon, foggy brain.”

Add as much detail as you know or can remember. What type/brand of mayo? What type/brand of bread in the panini? Notice how I included the type of salad dressing. All of those details become critically important when we are looking at ingredients. There is a plethora of possibilities in just this one example of what the problem could be and that’s why keeping track of information and reactions is so important. (By the way, I’d put my money on either the cheese, the bread, the mayo or the ranch dressing. The foggy brain is often a sign of sensitivity to canola oil, and that could be in the mayo and the dressing. Pain and bloating can be a reaction to dairy, cheese enzymes or wheat and/or other ingredients in the bread or even hidden glutamates in the dressing.)

Moving forward, if you do want to try the elimination part of the diet, then you take out all of the potential problematic foods and try each of the remaining foods on its own. Eat only avocado by itself – do you feel better, same or worse? Repeat the same process with the iceberg lettuce. Then, add ONE of the suspect foods back in at a time, not adding more than 1 suspect food in a 3-day period. So for 3 days, eat the bread as the only new or suspect food in your diet. Along with the bread, eat only foods that you know are safe. (If you don’t know what else you can eat, then just stay as basic as possible with no oils, salt or spices.) How do you feel? (Obviously don’t continue to eat it if you feel bad.) If you are ok, then add one more food back in again. And so on and so on.

Hopefully you address the entire diet at the same time so you have a list of what foods you are eliminating and you can monitor the whole diet – breakfast, lunch and dinner – all at the same time. This is what I do with my clients, but focusing on one list or one type of food additive (such as preservatives or flavor enhancers, for example) within the entire diet at a time. Continue to keep your Reaction Journal, because it’s possible that you will get the major offenders out quite quickly but it might take some additional time to get out the low level reactors. Everyone’s level of sensitivity and reaction times are different; there is just no one-size-fits-all approach.

Don’t give up!

If you ever feel discouraged, just think about how many months or even years you’ve been sick. If the cause of your suffering was easy, you would have figured it out by now. The first time I did an elimination diet, I had no idea what I was doing and no one to help me and it took me 9 months to figure out what foods were the cause of my rash. Nowadays, when I work with a new client, I usually figure it out for them in 4-6 weeks or less (usually less if they are more attentive in following the elimination guidelines).

Don’t forget – when you do find the offending foods, it’s best to divorce them and say bye-bye forever. No one night stands and no getting back together. You’ll probably experience a real process of grief that takes place when you have to remove foods from your diet (why me/this isn’t fair, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and eventually….acceptance). I always warn my clients about this, try to prepare them for it and encourage them to get a coaching package so they can work through it and get the emotional and mental support they need over a series of weeks or months. If you go it alone – be prepared and give yourself some space to be human. It’s a big step in your healing journey. Good health awaits!

For more on how to start an additive-free diet diet, how to manage food allergies or what minerals you may specifically be deficient in, book a private health consult with me via Skype.

How to Book Your Health & Nutritional Coaching Session:

1. Take photos of your eyes with a digital camera.
2. Email the photos to me for approval.
3. We schedule a time to meet via phone or Skype!

More on Food Additives:

When is the BEST time (and WORST time) to START a detox

by

Finding the time to slow down and disconnect these days is getting harder than ever. You want to do a detox, reboot and recharge so you can feel better, right? But when you look at your calendar, you’ve got work commitments, social evenings planned, and holidays, birthdays, anniversaries coming up all the time. There is always a reason why it’s not a good time to start a cleanse. How is it even possible to fit it in? I’ve been doing juice fasting, water fasting and various types of cleanses successfully for over 20 years. In this article, I share my top tips for knowing and planning the best time to start your detox…and even better, how you can stay committed to actually following through and doing it!

Plan your detox right at the right time and you will succeed!

When is the WORST time to start a detox

If you start your detox at the wrong time, chances are you will not succeed with it. Don’t make the mistake of convincing or forcing yourself to make a radical all-or-nothing approach in this. If you don’t have a plan going into your fast then you will not have a plan in breaking your fast and you will end up exactly where you started – feeling bloated, miserable, with bad food cravings and possibly bingeing – on food, alcohol, refined sugar, carbs or even recreational drugs. Trust me, I’ve seen and heard every version of these stories having worked with fasters for over 20 years. Learn from the mistakes of others and YOU can be a REAL success story!

Do NOT start a detox or juice fast if you are:

  • Working on your master’s dissertation and/or working on a huge school or work project. You may think that fasting will clear your mind and help your creativity, but you are just putting more pressure on an already high pressure situation. Focus on eating a healthy clean food diet, avoid refined sugar (that alone can help to clear brain fog) and boost your mineral reserve instead.
  • In the middle of selling your house, planning a wedding, getting ready to move to a new country or starting a new job. I get it – you’re human and want to look your very best for a new chapter in life. You want to lose weight and have clear skin for that new job. No one wants rashes or pimples on their face for their wedding! It’s totally normal. However, all of these situations are already high stress moments in life. Give yourself some room to breathe by not adding more stress. Limit your food intake, go on a gluten-free and sugar-free diet but do not start fasting.
  • Going through a break-up, divorce, death of a loved one or other emotional trauma. Positively this is not the time to add more to your emotional plate. Fasting can be intensely emotional as you stir up old molecules of emotion when toxins are being released. Have a good cry, seek support from friends and loved ones, and heck, allow yourself to do some emotional eating if you want….but do not start a detox now. Be your own best friend, not your worst enemy. Give yourself time and space to heal. After you are feeling better, you can think about doing a cleanse as part of a spiritual and emotional reboot.

When is the BEST time to start a detox

Starting a detox when you are energetically grounded ensures a much higher chance of success and allows you to focus on your long-term goals in making positive changes to your diet and lifestyle. Ultimately, good health is a journey… not a sprint to the finish line. Fasting is a wonderful element to add to an already healthful lifestyle. A detox can be an opportunity to raise your spiritual awareness, to center your energy on a particular creative goal, to allow the body extra energy for healing and to engage in preventative maintenance, ie give your body an “oil change.” When you see and feel the results – better digestion, higher energy levels, more emotionally centered and that amazing feeling of being “healthy” – you will know it was worth it to wait for the right time.

Long-term, you achieve good health in the day-to-day healthy habits that you commit to over the course of years. That can include meditation, yoga, exercise, making fresh food at home, eating more raw organic fruits and vegetables, having regular steams or far infrared saunas to promote detoxification through the skin, supporting your body nutritionally with variety and a rainbow of colors in your diet, having an Iridology analysis to determine the supplements your body needs (a-hem), getting alkaline, taking nutritional supplements to get all the minerals your body needs, doing other forms of detox such as parasite cleansing, heavy metal chelation or a liver/gallstone flush, getting regular and restful sleep and engaging in positive and loving relationships. It takes time to implement a lifestyle of healthy habits… you can’t do all of that in just one fast!

Be realistic about your goals for what your detox may bring and also be ready and prepared to step back in the “real world” with a good solid plan. Breaking a fast correctly is just as important (if not more important) than the fast itself. Having a health coach can definitely help you transition at the right pace and continue from strength to strength.

DO start a detox if you:

  • Are feeling emotionally, mentally and/or spiritually grounded, stable and ready to make a positive change in your life. Walking barefoot on the earth and wearing the color red helps to ground your base chakra more quickly. Good crystals for grounding energy include hematite, tiger eye, garnet, obsidian, and black tourmaline – so if you need help in getting grounded, these crystals can help.
  • Have time, space and energy to work on your healing. Especially in the first few days or week, you’ll most likely need more time to slow down (I know it seems strange but it’s true!) . It’s best to schedule less and have no commitments to any major projects, deadlines, decisions, travel, or other activities that require a lot of emotional or physical energy. I once had someone email me saying she planned to start a 40-day water fast while selling and moving her house and also planning her daughter’s wedding. Oh, and she was going to start a blog to document the whole experience too. Talk about pressure! Needless to say, she didn’t last more than 2 days before quitting her fast. Put an autoresponder on your email, create a comfortable space for yourself and prepare to go within. Amethyst is a wonderful crystal for slowing down the “monkey mind.” If you feel your mind spinning while trying to slow down, try putting an amethyst cluster near your bed or in the bedroom to promote more relaxation and a restful sleep.
  • Seeking positive emotional support and are able to avoid negativity. Some people are actually addicted to negativity and that in itself is a problem that should be addressed before starting a detox. External negativity can also be a real problem. You’d be surprised how quickly a little spat in the parking lot or someone making a snide remark on your social media can completely throw you off-track emotionally and actually be a trigger to breaking your fast. As much as possible, avoid stressful encounters or situations before you start your detox and have a support system in place for you to seek help if you need it during your cleanse. Here is another case where you can really benefit from having a health coach to be a non-biased emotional support guide. If you’re feeling the need for some unconditional love to help boost your heart chakra, try using kunzite or pink tourmaline crystals during meditation. Kunzite helps to release anger, resentment and hurt while boosting the heart with love, acceptance and pure joy. You can also lay a kunzite crystal on your heart chakra (center of chest) when lying down to go to sleep.

Remember: Any detox is better than no detox!

As you start to navigate the world of cleansing, you may make the mistake of starting a fast at the wrong time in life. And that is OK! Having the courage to start a fast is a big thing and not to be underestimated. Even ONE day of fasting is better than none. Don’t beat yourself up if you quit early or if you didn’t realize how hard the detox would be and picked the wrong time to start. You can always try again at another time, a better time. The most important thing is to NEVER GIVE UP.

Eventually you will get there, but not if you stop trying. In another post, I discuss how to know when to break your fast since that’s another essential element to success. Meanwhile mark your calendar for your next cleanse, start clearing your schedule and remember: ENJOY THE HEALING JOURNEY!

How to Eat Clean: Start with Green Smoothies!

Green Smoothie for DummiesCheck out my book Green Smoothies for Dummies – I’ve got loads of recipes using dark leafy greens and many delicious combos without any chemical additives, flavorings or refined sugar. It’s so easy!

Clean your body from the inside out and watch your skin improve, your hair and nails get stronger, your eyes look brighter and your waistline slim down….all naturally and effortlessly! It’s simply amazing and your only regret will be that you didn’t start drinking green smoothies sooner.

When you take care of your whole body, you get whole body health.

When you let your food be your medicine, you are always moving towards better health.

Find the book Green Smoothies for Dummies on iTunes or amazon.com!

For more on how to achieve your health goals and actually start feeling great, book a private health consult with me via Skype.

How to Book Your Health & Nutritional Coaching Session:

1. Take photos of your eyes with a digital camera.
2. Email the photos to me for approval.
3. We schedule a time to meet via phone or Skype!

More on Immune System:

More on Spiritual Health:

Gut-Brain Axis: Probiotics are the Missing Link to Depression

by

Science has finally caught up to what many of us have been trying to say for years: How you feel comes from your GUT. Restoring gut health must be part of your mental wellness program. If you or someone who know is suffering from depression, there is HOPE. And it could be a lot easier to overcome than you think.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

The information below is from the book This is your Brain on Parasites by Kathleen McAuliffe:

“In the gut, resident microbes take a share of every meal you eat, but in return they aid in digestion, synthesizing vitamins and disarming dangerous bacteria that you ingest. They also churn out virtually every major neurotransmitter that tunes our emotions – notably GAMA, dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and noradrenaline – as well as hormones with psychoactive properties.

“To varying degrees, scientists now suspect, intestinal microbes influence whether you’re happy or sad, anxious or calm, energetic or sluggish, and, by signaling the brain when you’ve had enough to eat, perhaps even whether you’re fat or thin.

The Gut-Brain Axis is real

“Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly how gut bacteria get messages delivered to the distant output of the head, but they have a few ideas.

“Some psychoactive compounds made by gut bacteria, they believe, are detected by the enteric nervous system – a think skein of neurons that runs the entire length of the gut. This network has more neurons than the spinal cord – hence its nickname, “the second brain’ – and it connects to the big brain upstairs via the vagus nerve, a major route by which gut bacteria make their voices heard. Indeed, 90 percent of information transmitted by this cable goes from the viscera to the brain, not the other way around, as science for many years had assumed.

It’s not “in your head”…it’s in your GUT

“Intestinal bacteria may engage the immune system, which can lower our mood and energy level, yet another pathway by which our microbiota might change our behavior. Perhaps related to that observation, depressed people tend to have abnormally high amounts of certain gut bacteria, and they are more likely to have elevated biomarkers for inflammation – an immune-mediated response.

“Intriguingly, certain gastro-intestinal (GI) disturbances – notable ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease – are marked by disruptions of the gut microbiome, and these illnesses are associated with an unusually high incidence of mental disturbance in comparison to serious diseases that afflict other parts of the body. Indeed, 50 to 80 percent of those who suffer from these conditions are clinically depressed.

“More surprising, specific abnormalities in the composition of the human microbiota have been linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – a condition characterized by increased anxiety, depression, and impaired social ability.

Could probiotics help millions of people who are debilitated by serious mood disorders?

“Clinical trials are now underway to test probiotics on people whose primary problem is anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder. The results are not in yet, but studies of groups whose mental woes may originate in GI troubles offer encouragement. In one study of thirty-seven patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders (an umbrella term for irritable bowel syndrome and other common gastric complaints that can’t be tied to an underlying abnormality), for example, probiotic treatment not only improved their symptoms but also brought about a significant reduction in their depression and anxiety based on both self-reporting and measurements of stress markers in their saliva and urine. The outcome was impressive given that all of the subjects had previously been treated – without success – at multiple medical centers.

“A sprinkling of clinical investigations also suggest that probiotic remedies can soothe colicky babies, a condition that torments 20% of newborns along with their frazzled, sleep-deprived parents. In one trial, the approach reduced crying and fussing by 70 percent.

“Gathering evidence hints that supplements of healthy bacteria may help to buffer already high-functioning people against everyday stress and strains. For example, a randomized, double-blind trial in France on fifty-five people with no history of psychological disturbances found that regular consumption of a probiotic reduced blood levels of stress hormones and subjects’ ratings of their depression, anxiety, and ability to cope – improvements not seen in the control group.”

Probiotics can’t hurt and may help, so why NOT try?

With no harmful side effects, no damage to the hormonal system, metabolism or liver, no additive properties and no need for other supporting prescription medications, I cannot see any logical reason why NOT to take a daily probiotic. At the very least, you can add a probiotic to your daily regimen, even if you and your doctor decide to keep you on anti-depressants. With nothing to lose and so much to potentially gain, it’s a no-brainer (or an all-gutter!).

Even if you don’t suffer from clinical anxiety or depression, studies are showing that you can feel better too. Everyday stress can actually be reduced, just from taking good gut bacteria!

What type of probiotic to take

I recommend several types of probiotic. Taken together, they increase the chance of rebalancing the microbiome in the gut. Remember, it’s not just one type of good bacteria that you need. There are as many as a thousand different strains of good bacteria in a healthy gut.

Recommended probiotic daily schedule:

  • Morning – Take 1 Jarrow brand acidophilus capsule with or after breakfast
  • Lunch – Take 1 Garden of Life HSO probiotic tablet with or after lunch
  • At night before bed – Take 1 Udo bifidus capsule at night before bed

(Note: while traveling, it’s best to take only the Jarrow brand 3x daily because it’s easy to travel with, can be transported without refrigeration and it’s more convenient to have only one brand to carry. At home, increase your variety of bacterial strains in the gut by rotating between 3 different brands each day.)

For more on how to achieve your health goals and actually start feeling great, book a private health consult with me via Skype.

How to Book Your Health & Nutritional Coaching Session:

1. Take photos of your eyes with a smart phone or digital camera.
2. Email the photos to me for approval for Iridology Analysis.
3. We schedule a time to meet via phone or Skype!

More on Gut Health:

More on Motivation:

Does the Squatty Potty Really work?

by

If you’ve never heard of a Squatty Potty, then you are definitely not up-to-date with the latest trend in bathroom accessories (and yes, there are bathroom trends!). This simple yet practical toilet stool has taken the digestively-challenged world by storm, literally! Times have certainly changed since I started working in the field of detox nearly 20 years ago. Back then, I couldn’t talk about poo without everyone running as fast and as far away as they could. Now, I can write and share a full article about something that is helping people have better bowel movements! In this blog post, I’m going to share my results in using the Squatty Potty at home. Does it really work, or it is just hype?

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free product in return for my honest review and experience with the product.
All thoughts and opinion expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the developing company and/or its affiliates, in any way.

The Squatty Potty 2.0 model fully extended to the 9 inch position

Why I wanted to try the Squatty Potty

Admittedly, my husband wasn’t so thrilled to be part of this experiment, but in reality he was the one who needed help in the a-hem..toilet department. Having suffered with constipation his entire life, he understands more than anyone how frustrating it is when you don’t “go” every day. When I first met him, he was literally amazed that I could be in and out of the bathroom in less than 3 minutes, for a Number 2! Often, he would sit on that porcelain throne for 30 minutes or more, praying to the heavens above for any miracle cure. Many times, we would have to wait all morning before going out because he still “had to go.” In some cases, he wouldn’t have any bowel movement for 3 or 4 days at a time. I was in shock! When he first told me this, I immediately scheduled a colonic for him. And can you believe – he actually went through with it? His first colonic ever (but not his last!) Now… that’s true love!

Fast forward several years and many detoxes later, and things has vastly improved for my husband’s gut health. If he eats well with green smoothies, fresh fruit, a daily probiotic and plenty of water throughout the day, he generally does exceptionally well and is actually quite regular these days. But, if any of that gets off track, his colon will be the first to let him know. It’s awful to see someone you care about not be able to go to the toilet and really feel miserable as a result. Naturally, I kept thinking – what else can I do to help him improve this situation? Having heard of Squatty Potty and having used many squat toilets myself over the years while living in SE Asia, I thought that using a stool and changing the position of his sitting could help. The only way to know for sure was to give it a try!

We received our new Squatty Potties by mail in an unmarked box with no exterior labels, which was reassuring since I can imagine that some people would prefer complete privacy with this type of purchase. My first impression was that the company has done really well to put a fun and cute spin on a topic that was formerly more on the taboo side and for many still is not so easy to discuss. Even I was accused of giving #TMI when I texted a good friend to tell her we just received our Squatty Potty! Anyway, the packaging and branding of Squatty Potty is great. The stools were wrapped in turquoise blue tissue paper, with a paper unicorn crown (for the new King of Poop) and a button that proudly states “I Pooped Today.” Classic! All of this made me even more excited to give the Squatty Potty a try.

Squatty Potty: What is it and who needs one?

A Squatty Potty is a modern-day version of the squat toilet, brought to you with all the comfort of your Western-style porcelain throne.  The Squatty Potty is a step stool designed to fit easily around the base of your toilet seat. It works like this: Sit on your toilet as you normally would, gently lift your legs, rest your feet on the stool and let the bowel movement begin. By lifting your legs slightly, the transverse colon gently rises thus preventing any “kinks” in the colon and allowing the pipes to flow, so to speak.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only. 
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition. 

Squatty Potty Slim Driftwood Teak Model in 7 inch height

If you have a history of constipation, inflammation in the colon, or a feeling of not fully evacuating then the Squatty Potty is worth a try. In terms of how many people could actually benefit from something like this, just look at the statistics. Approximately 70 MILLION Americans have digestive disorders, prompting in nearly 60 MILLION visits to doctors’ offices and hospitals each year.

Clearly, what goes in doesn’t always come out.

Low stomach enzymes, an unhealthy “microbiome” or bacterial balance in the gut, an over acid environment, toxicity, and/or inflammation are warning signs that the body is not eliminating well. (Remember, any bowel disease ending with the word “itis” is a disease on inflammation, like ulcerative colitis, gastritis and diverticulitis.) What’s worse is that more health problems can arise from all this internal stress. As Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” I agree!

Our results: Using a Squatty Potty

In theory, I knew that the Squatty Potty should work. But still, I wondered – could a toilet stool really mimic the true Asian squat and offer improved evacuation? The answer is: YES! I am actually impressed at how well it works!

On the day the Squatty Potty arrived, my husband tried the 2.0 model set at the standard 7″ height. Within 10 minutes, he was out of the bathroom (that alone is amazing!). Without getting too graphic, he said, “More just kept coming out! Every time I thought I was done, there was more!” Well, that never happens. Usually it’s the opposite and more in lines of, “I kept pushing and nothing came out” OR “I pushed and pushed and only got a rabbit turd.” If you’ve been in that situation, I am sure you can relate.

I can only guess that my husband has some prolapse of the colon, which can definitely keep the large intestine in a more kinked position. Changing the position of the colon created an immediate positive effect. Every time he uses the Squatty Potty, he has a release and it’s always more than he thought he was going to have. That’s simply amazing!

For me, the results were also good. In my case, I am very regular and have a large bowel movement every morning. Could the Squatty Potty help someone like me, who doesn’t have any digestive problems and goes to the loo every day? Yes! When I’ve used the Squatty Potty, I have my normal release, and then I have another almost full poo immediately after. Almost like two poo’s at once. Definitely I feel improved evacuation and I feel flatter in my stomach after. I can only surmise that more is getting through even my clean and healthy pipes, just from the change in position of the colon.

Asian Squat Toilet vs. Western Sit Toilet – What’s the poop?

An Asian squat toilet is a simple style of toilet design that consists of a hole in the floor and 2 porcelain treads for your feet on either side. You stand in position, squat and then go. This design is used in many parts of the world but is mostly found in Asia, hence the name “Asian-style” toilet.

Who would want to squat like a dog to go to the toilet?! Well, imagine the days before real toilets existed. What would have been the easiest and most natural position to a-hem..fertilize a tree? There’s no way you would stand and bend at the knees (muscles shaking) as if sitting on the loo. Naturally, you would squat in a low position, close to the ground. Squatting is easier on the joints and less tiring on the muscles, but more importantly it puts the transverse colon in the correct position and lifts any prolapse in the colon. Kinks in the colon are lifted naturally, especially where the ascending and descending colon turn. All of this allows you to “go” quickly and easily, standing up after to check for any predators and be on your way.

The first man-made toilets copied the style of squatting and in many parts of the world, squat toilets were the norm. This made perfect sense until more modern day folks decided that sitting was the preferred position of defecating.  That’s when the Western toilet arrived, and along with the Western diet (refined sugar, wheat and dairy), came many new digestive ailments.

I used many squat toilets over the course of several years while living in SE Asia. In my experience, public squat toilets are way cleaner than public Western toilets. It’s a relief to not have to sit on a dirty seat splashed with who-knows-what. Using a squat toilet also helps strengthen your leg muscles and gives the body a good stretch. It just feels more natural. I also think that I had more volume evacuated whenever using a squat toilet.

Is it better to squat on the toilet? That’s kind-of a trick question because believe it or not, a lot of Asians who have never used a Western toilet will actually stand on the seat of a Western toilet and squat!

Is a squat toilet better? In my opinion, yes. I wish we had the option to build an Asian style toilet in our home here in the United States – I would definitely do that!

What Squatty Potty model is best?

I had a hard time deciding which Squatty Potty model to try. I didn’t really like the medical look of the traditional Squatty potty. I just recently painted one of our bathrooms and I wanted to maintain a sleek, modern style there.

Also, my husband is 6’8″ tall and weighs 220 pounds. I was worried that the slim teak style might actually break from his weight.  At the same time, I didn’t know which height would work best for him. I read a few reviews from tall people who said that the 9″ was too high for them, and their knees were in their face. I was leaning towards the new 2.0 model which allows for 2 positions and adjusts between 7″ and 9″ heights.  But, I didn’t like the medical-looking style. So, what to do?!

In the end, I chose the Squatty Potty 2.0 for one bathroom and the slim teak model for the other one. We’ve been very happy with both. Initially, my husband was happy using the 2.0 at the 7″ height. After 2 weeks, he decided that he wanted to adjust it up to 9 inches. Starting at 9″ probably would have been too uncomfortable for him, and may have discouraged him from trying. Definitely, having the flexibility to change the height is really nice. The driftwood teak slim design in the other bathroom satisfies my desire to have a nicer look. I tend to use that bathroom more than my husband, and the 7″ height of that stool feels more comfortable for me. The slim stool is sturdy in design, even with the weight of a 220-pound man.

I also LOVE the idea of the Porta-Squatty, which folds up easily for travel. Since traveling is always more challenging for my hubby in terms of staying regular, I could see where this could really come in handy.

In the case of optimizing one’s poo, position does matter!

How to Improve Gut Health

In addition to getting the squat position right, there are other natural remedies that also help to keep things “moving”.

To improve gut health, you can:

  1. Increase fiber. Add 2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed to a green smoothie daily
  2. Take a daily probiotic, one at night before bed.
  3. Don’t overeat. Set regular mealtimes.
  4. Add fermented foods to your diet.
  5. Detox and/or colon cleanse once a year (at a minimum).

Finally…don’t forget to Listen to your Gut! Your body is giving you signals when things aren’t right. Stay in tune with how you feel. Heartburn, acid reflux, indigestion, gas, pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and/or abdominal pain are all signs of imbalance. Pay attention when things aren’t working. The faster you make changes, the sooner you can feel better.

Read more on natural health and healing here:

What your Poop and Pee can tell you about Your Health

How to Do a Castor Oil Pack for Liver Cleansing

How to Do Onion Socks for Healing


For more on how to do a detox at home or how to navigate through your detox symptoms and start feeling great, book a personalized health consult with me via Skype.

How to Book Your Health & Nutritional Consultation:

1. Take photos of your eyes with a smart phone or digital camera.
2. Email the photos to me for approval.
3. We schedule a time to meet via phone or Skype!

More on Skin Cleansing:

More on Liver Cleansing:

What to do for Food Poisoning: What You Need to Know

by

Food Poisoning RemedyHaving what you need to heal naturally can save you a lot of unnecessary suffering. Don’t let your next business trip, holiday, romantic dinner, salad bar night or long-haul flight be ruined. Prepare yourself for travel or unexpected belly bugs by knowing what to do for food poisoning.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Food poisoning can occur when you eat or drink something that is contaminated with infectious organisms. Bacteria, viruses and parasites – or their toxins are the most common causes of food poisoning. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. They’re usually mild but unpleasant. If you’ve ever had food poisoning, you know how unpleasant it can really be!

Don’t think that only tourists who go to India get food poisoning. You can get food poisoning both at home or abroad. Food that was thawed and re-heated, not cooked properly, stored incorrectly, handled on an unclean surface, or not cleaned at all can create potential hazards.

I think everyone knows someone who got sick from seafood, but it can happen at salad bars and with raw food too.  Travel is also a definite risk with things like Bali Belly and Montezuma’s revenge. Believe me when I say you don’t want to add those experiences to your bucket list!

 

How to Stop Food Poisoning

1. Take Activated Charcoal capsules immediately at the first sign of food poisoning (cramping, malaise or nausea after eating food). Take 3-4 capsules of Activated Charcoal with a glass of water. Do not eating anything else. Slowly sip water to stay hydrated.

2. Wait 20-30 minutes.

  • If your symptoms subside, continue to drink water. After 1 hour, eat a banana for potassium and to help with electrolytes.
  • If you still have cramping or nausea, take 2-3 more capsules of Activated Charcoal. (In rare cases of more intense food poisoning, you may need to take a few more.)  Once your symptoms subside, wait 1 hour and then eat a banana as your first food.

3. After you manage to eat a banana without feeling sick (this may be 1 hour up to 3 hours after), then start taking Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE). Add 8-12 drops in a glass of water and drink 3x daily. Continue for 3-5 days after the food poisoning. At this point, you can slowly add other foods back into your diet as well.

4. Follow up for a good 30 days with a daily probiotic or added fermented foods in your diet like kombucha or raw sauerkraut to help bring more good bacteria into your gut. Take 1 probiotic capsule at night before bed.

Note: Activated Charcoal is safe if you have food poisoning while pregnant or nursing but do not take GSE if you are pregnant or nursing unless approved by your doctor.  

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is nothing new; in fact, it’s been used for thousands of years as an ancient remedy in Chinese, Ayuredic and Western Medicine. It’s usually made from wood or coconut shells (no, you don’t want to use the charcoal briquettes from the bbq – they’re NOT the same!). Activated Charcoal works through a process called “adsorption” which means to bind to rather than to absorb. Think of Activated Charcoal like a natural super sponge that goes into your guts and soaks up all the chemicals, toxins and bad bacteria then safely carries it out through your poo. As a side note, your poo may turn black the next day after taking charcoal but this is completely normal so don’t be alarmed!

Today, hospitals still use Activated Charcoal an antidote for drugs and poisons in pregnant women and children. In Asia, it’s widely used as a remedy for poisonous snake bites in household dogs and cats. If you live in Australia, you can keep activated charcoal at home and in your car in case of snake or spider bites. Of course, for any poisonous bite you should seek medical attention immediately but you can take charcoal on the way to hospital to help minimize damage.

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) is a great follow-up to the charcoal capsules. The charcoal soaks and absorbs as much of the bad stuff as possible and then the GSE kills any bad remaining critters. Grapefruit Seed Extract is extremely anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic…and it’s completely natural, made from pressing the oil from the seeds of grapefruit.

Always take GSE with water, i.e. diluted. Never take it straight from the bottle because it’s very concentrated!

While living in Thailand, I cured my dengue fever with GSE. In less than 2 hours my fever broke after taking a triple dose of GSE. And yes, I have the blood test to prove that it really was dengue fever! The stuff is simply amazing.

Probiotic

“Probiotic” means healthful to life. A probiotic capsule contains billions of good bacteria to help get your gut back into balance. Any time you get food poisoning, you can have an imbalance in your microbiome..that’s the combination of microbial communities that are actually part of your immune system as well as your digestive zone. Re-instating more good bacteria helps get your microbiome up and running again and that means you should bounce back faster with more energy and no lingering gut pains. If you’re traveling with probiotics, you want to find a brand that does not require refrigeration. I recommend the Jarrow Formula Jarro-Dophilus brand (see more info below).

Stop Food Poisoning

Travel Arsenal and At-Home Kit

I recommend to have both of these supplements at home in case of any emergencies. It’s also very wise to travel with them because once you’re already sick, you usually don’t have the energy or desire to shop around for what you need. The sooner you start taking the charcoal, the more effective it is.

In SE Asia, you can find charcoal capsules in any pharmacy. They even sell them by the single pill! But in Central and South America, they’re virtually impossible to find. It’s much better to be prepared and just bring your own.

What to Buy

You can find all of the above at your local health food store. Or, save time and money and just buy online at iherb here. If you’re an amazon fan, you can find all the products under the Supplements Tab on my amazon astore.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician. Read full disclaimer here.

More on Traveling Raw:

More on Raw Food: