Intermittent fasting – What’s the best way?

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There’s a lot of information on intermittent fasting these days….but how do you decide which way is best? Find out the most popular ways to do it, and what I recommend after trying them all!

Intermittent Fasting – When How and Why

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent Fasting (or “IF”) is a term that began shortly after the Michael Mosley documentary Eat, Fast and Live Longer in 2012. The film looked at the health benefits of eating a calorie restricted diet. After the movie, people started trying Intermittent Fasting more and more, and the world of IF morphed into a life of its own. Intermittent fasting can be a number of things, but it’s an umbrella term for a length of time of non-eating vs. a length of time of eating. Basically, with IF, you’re going to skip a few meals somewhere along the way.

The Original 5:2 Method

The 5:2 diet essentially consists of eating 5 days per week and fasting 2 days per week. In Eat, Fast and Live, Mosley shared his experience with 5:2. It showed that even if he ate bad food during his 5 days of eating, he could fast for 2 days with good results: blood sugar and cholesterol levels improved AND he was able to lose weight too. This Original 5:2 diet quickly became the gospel of the UK. Pretty much every British client I had for Iridology or Health Coaching back then was on the 5:2.

Over time though, the cracks started to appear. The reality was that people couldn’t keep up with 5:2 in a fast-paced busy life. After a few months of losing weight, they would go off the fasting days completely and soon gain the weight back. One of the problems I saw with the 5:2 approach was this “Hey you can eat JUNK FOOD for 5 days a week, fast for 2 days and STILL lose weight” mentality. The problem was that no one was really working on good healthy eating habits AT ALL. It almost seemed too good to be true, and it was.

My Spin: 6:1 with a “7 to 7”

I was always a fan of the 6:1 IF approach. Way before the days of the 5:2 craze, I enjoyed the benefits of a 6:1 diet myself with good results. The nice thing about eating for 6 days and fasting for 1 day per week is that you can manage your life around it a lot more easily than a 5 and 2. If you’re going to do this as a lifestyle, you have to be practical and reasonable about it how you do it. No one can do an extreme fast or diet forever. Chances are if you start too extreme, you’re going to give up quickly and shoot back to an equal and opposite (bad) extreme after. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen that happen to people in the 20+ years I’ve been fasting.

Did you know if you fast for just one day a week, after seven years you will have fasted an entire YEAR of your life? That definitely adds up to some serious anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, reducing free radical damage and reversing of dis-ease in the body. Big healing points all around. But, you have to commit to doing it for SEVEN YEARS (and hopefully longer).

My favorite way to do a 6:1 is with a “7 to 7” rule. Once a week, I fast from 7PM to 7PM. I still get 24 hours of fasting, but I also get to eat every day. How does it work? So if my fasting day is Monday, I have my last meal on Sunday at 7pm. Then, I wake up on Monday and fast ALL DAY until 7pm. At 7pm, I break the fast with a light meal such as fresh fruit, a green smoothie or a fresh veggie salad. In my experience, the “7 to 7” version of a 6:1 diet is something that fits into a busy life. It can be done even you’re super busy and it works because you don’t have the stress or pressure of that FULL DAY of fasting looming over your head every week. Remember, we’re looking for long-term success. Anyone can fast for one day a week ONCE, but can they do it again and again and again over a period of real life events?

More extreme: OMAD

Eating One Meal A Day, better known as OMAD, has developed quite a following as of late. Within the world of OMAD there are many variations as well…depending on whether someone eats raw food, keto, paleo, low carb, high carb, smoothies, juices or other.  I have my own theory as to why this method become popular which I will explain below.

I naturally gravitate to OMAD in summer months when it’s hot outside and the body seems to require less food anyway…at least that’s how it feels when it’s 30C or 85F+. Especially in the summer, I prefer to eat just once daily in the afternoon around 2-3pm when it’s too hot to work outside and well before the sun sets.  In the morning I might have a piece of fresh fruit, a cucumber with salt or green juice around 10 or 11am, but nothing else until the mid-day meal. This approach helps to keep my energy levels up, and optimizes my work time since I can go outside again in late afternoon and work a few hours in the gardens until evening.

Hard Core: OMEOD or ADF

Intermittent Fasting doesn’t stop at OMADers… there is another group even more extreme called OMEOD (One Meal Every Other Day) or Alternate Day Fasting (ADF). OMEOD or ADF is exactly how it sounds – eating one day, fasting one day, eating one day, fasting one day – and of course there are many variations over the number of hours to fast and the types of food to eat. From what I can see the main purpose of this approach is to lose weight although there are some people who use it to reduce inflammation, histamine reactions, skin problems, digestive issues and joint and body pain.

I’ve tried OMEOD and while it may work for some, I personally don’t like it and I don’t think it works for a long-term approach to finding a healthy balance of fasting and eating. It’s like my body, mind and spirit feel perpetually confused by the “are we eating or fasting again” thing – back and forth and back and forth – and after a few days, my body and spirit feel more dizzy than grounded. It’s also very difficult to fit this schedule into a busy working life with real relationships.

Why are OMAD and OMEOD so popular then? My theory is that people feel better when they are not eating so they are looking at any and every way they can go back to not eating. It’s almost a survival instinct and it does make sense when you look at it like that. The real question is why do they feel bad from eating? Consider this: What if the food you are eating is contaminated with toxins and those toxins are creating your inflammation, pain, depression, histamine intolerance and general malaise? And what if those toxins, or heavy metals, are also in 100% certified organic food? One thing I can tell you is this: When you grow your own CLEAN food and it’s free of heavy metals, you WANT to eat every day. The body craves healthy fruit and vegetables. Of course, your body is naturally repelled by poison. If you are continually feeling better when you fast and constantly feeling bad when you eat, then it might be time to grow your own food.

Is Intermittent Fasting safe?

A lot of people worry about Intermittent Fasting in general – is it safe and can I do it? If you are pregnant or breast feeding, then any type of fasting is not for you. If you are diagnosed with a disease or on any medications, you should check with your medical doctor first. As with anything, if you start IF, start with baby steps. No need to jump to extremes straight away. You have your whole life to experiment with this, and that’s what makes it fun!

My experience: What works Best

Without a doubt, fasting is an amazing tool to use for health, healing and longevity. Especially for a good spiritual and physical reboot, I prefer longer fasts of 10 days or more. Ideally I try to do at least 2 long fasts a year (anywhere from 7 to 21 days and sometimes more). In terms of IF, what works best for me is to be flexible and adjust my fasting regimen to what’s happening in my lifestyle at that time. When I’m at home, I like to fast on Thursdays, once a week. I’ve tried other days and ways (I used to be a Monday faster) but I find Thursday fits well into my busy schedule and doesn’t affect my weekends.  When I’m traveling, I make my travel day a fasting day. Why not? No need to worry about what to eat on the road and fasting seems to minimize any jet lag which is great. In summer, I tend to skip my 6:1 routine because our gardens are producing an abundance of food and who wants to fast a whole day then?! Ultimately, you need to find what works best for you and not force yourself into anyone else’s mindset. Don’t be afraid to try new or different variations. What’s most important is that YOU succeed and feel better as a result. When it’s right, you’ll know.

And after the fasting, put and equal focus and attention on eating well too! Ultimately, good health does not come from your fasting days; it comes from the healthy balance of eating and fasting.

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 Detox:

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How do you know when it’s time to STOP fasting

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If you’re in the middle of a fast and think you should stop, what should you do? When is the best time to stop a fast, and how do you know it’s the right time to stop? Don’t panic! It’s going to be ok. Take a deep breath, relax and let your mind get in tune with your body. I’m going to share what I’ve learned working with hundreds of fasters as well as having done my own personal juice cleanses, water fasts and detoxes over the years. You can do every fast right and you can do every fast wrong. Knowing when to stop and how to break your fast is one of the most important parts to get right.

How do you know when to stop fasting?

When NOT to Stop your Fast

The worst time to break your fast is in the evening or at night when you’re feeling emotional. As soon as you feel off track, it’s easy to crave junk food and to want to quit. But, you can easily see that this is not the best time or the best way to break a fast, and it’s not coming from a place of healing. If this happens – tell yourself that you CAN break your fast the next day, in the morning and with healthy foods. If you wake up the next day and still want to break the fast, then go ahead and do so. Chances are that you won’t want to quit though. Usually if you can pass that emotional wave, you’ll wake up feeling ready to continue with your cleanse.

Another big mistake is to let your ego run the show. This can happen if you tend to be more active on social media during your fast. Announcing the number of days you will fast or posting daily updates of your cleanse can quickly turn into a competition and can really be a slippery slope. If you feel that you need to continue fasting because you “can’t let others down” or you will feel like a failure for not “completing” your fast, then you’re no longer in a grounded energy of mind, body and spirit and you are no longer fasting for yourself. If this happens, get away from social media and reconnect to YOU. The only person that you came here with is you and the only person you leave here with is you. Don’t fast to please others or to win the “I’ve done the longest or the most fasts” game.  It’s not a game that can be won.

There’s nothing wrong with having a number in mind of how many days you want to fast when you start. In fact, it’s normal to do so and part of human nature. It can also be helpful to have a goal in mind so that you can mentally pace yourself and stay on track. But, you have to be willing and ready to change that number if need be. If you’re body tells you that it’s time to stop, then you have to be ready to listen. In some cases, you may want to continue longer and that’s ok too. What is key is that you are making the decision that is best for YOU.

When to Continue Fasting and When to Stop

If you’re in the middle of a healing crisis, ideally it’s best to continue with your cleanse as long as you’re feeling up for it. In most cases (according to the Hering’s Law of Cure) a healing crisis should not last for more than 3 days. You know that you’ve had a healing crisis when you feel better afterwards and when your symptoms of dis-ease have passed.

You’ll know that it is the right time to stop fasting when you are feeling spiritually connected, emotionally grounded and physically stable while also having a strong and centered feeling that it’s time to stop. Your body knows when it’s ready.  When you’re energetically grounded, it will be easy to break your fast gently and with healthy foods or drink.  Remember: your body chooses the pace of your healing. Even when you fast for spiritual prayer or healing, stay connected to your physical body. You need that body to work for you when you go back into the world of eating!

Breaking the Fast

To break your fast correctly, most detox experts agree that you should eat a 100% raw food diet for half as many days as your cleanse. This helps the body transition back to eating at a healthy pace. For a 21-day fast, plan to eat a 100% raw food diet for at least 10 days after your detox. How quickly you transition back to normal eating and how quickly you add fats back into the diet depends on what type of cleanse you did – water fast, juice fast, mono fast, colon cleanse with herbs or other. In general, it’s a good rule of thumb to stay with a no fat diet until you have your first bowel movement which will hopefully occur naturally after 1-3 days of eating. After that, you can slowly add more good fats such as organic nuts, seeds and cold-pressed oils. Ideally, fasting becomes a normal part of healthy living, like spring cleaning your house or servicing your car every year. When done correctly, fasting can be an amazing tool for healing.

Breaking your fast at the right time is an important part of healing

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 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 anti-Aging:

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

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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:

Can your eyes change colors on a juice fast?

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This is a question that I’ve been asked a lot over the years: “Can my eyes change colors from doing a detox, juice fast, master cleanse or even from becoming vegan/vegetarian?”

The other question that a lot of people have is: “Should my eyes change colors if I am doing a lot of detox, and if they are not changing, does that mean the cleanse or master fast isn’t working?”

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. 

Iridology and Detox/Fasting/Cleansing

First, let me address the first question; that is, can the eyes change? The short answer is: Yes. (The long answer is: No.) Keep reading to find out why!

What can happen in certain eye colors is that layers of coloration can dissipate after the body gets cleaner, whether it’s from a detox or positive change in diet. The most common color changes you may experience are:

  • Green eye turning blue
  • Grey eye turning blue
  • Brown eye turning green

Let me explain each one.

1. Green eye turning blue. The green hue usually occurs from a buildup of uric acid in the body. In Iridology, we would call this a “uric acid subtype by color.” During cleansing or a significant change in diet, old, accumulated uric acid waste may be released through the kidneys and skin. Often times this person had a history of skin problems before. The skin is sometimes called the “3rd kidney,” because when the kidneys are overworked, they will often give their excess work to the skin. The real problem behind the scenes is the kidneys and poor elimination of metabolic wastes. Once the uric acid is released, the yellow hue on the eye may lessen, making a green eye appear more blue in color. (It was always a blue eye actually, which is why the long answer is: No. More on that below….)

2.  Grey eye turning blue. A grey eye may have an over acid condition in the body. In Iridology, we would call this an “over acid subtype by color.” From a distance, the eye looks grey but when you look up close, you can see more white fibers on top of the blue fibers. This may indicate an imbalance of pH in the body. Usually it comes from too many acid-forming foods in the diet (such as coffee, wheat, refined sugar, processed foods), and not enough alkaline-forming foods (fresh fruits and vegetables). Prescription medication can also make the body acidic. A chronic over-acid condition in the body creates a tendency to be more stiff in the joints and a higher risk for a weakened immune system. Many people will suffer from chronic acid reflux or GERD for years, not knowing that the acid problem they have is actually a huge red warning flag for their health. The body is trying to expel the excess acid waste on its own! Eventually you may be more likely to have another health problem down the road, whether it be arthritis, gastritis, diverticulitis, auto-immune disease or even cancer. When a person switches to an alkaline diet (more fruits and vegetables) or does any type of detox that flushes out acid waste, those white fibers in the eyes may start to fade. The end result is that the blue fibers underneath start showing more, and the eye appears to have changed in color, from grey to blue.

3.  Brown eye turning green. This is probably the most profound change you may see, and that’s a brown eye changing color to green, or even in some cases blue. How is it even possible? The “brown” eye is a “mixed eye color” in Iridology, or a Biliary constitution. It’s not actually a true brown eye. While from a distance it can appear more brown in color, when you look up close you will see yellow, orange, brown and sometimes even blue fibers in the eye. In a true brown eye, you will see only brown up close. The “mixed eye” is what I call a “mood ring eye” or a “cat eye.” It’s very changeable in color, depending on the lighting and background colors. Different conditions in lighting may pick up different colors in the eye, making it appear more or less yellow, orange, etc. My clients with this eye color will sometimes tell me they have a “honey colored eye.” During the process of cleansing, as the kidneys strengthen and the overall toxicity lessens, these darker colors may start to break up in the eye. The yellow and blue fibers remaining may make the eye appear green. In some cases, the yellow fibers may also lessen in color, leaving more blue fibers and giving the look of a blue eye.

You may be wondering, “Why is the long answer “No”?” In Iridology, there is no such thing as a green eye, a grey eye or an amber, light brown or honey-colored eye. There are only 2 natural eye colors: blue (Lymphatic constitution) and true brown (Hematogenic constitution). Those honey eyes are known are the “mixed eye” color, or Biliary constitution. Biliary eyes can also be brown, darker brown, green or orange in color. (Note: it’s not always easy to identify the difference between a Lymphatic and Biliary person and always better to consult with a Certified Iridologist.) In Iridology, a “green eye” is a blue eye with a yellow hue (it could be uric acid but may also be other things as well/uric acid is the most common). The “grey eye” is a blue eye that may have toxicity in the colon or an over-acid subtype by color (it may also be other things as well). A “brown eye” may be a blue eye with several other subtypes by structure or color, making the eye appear brown in color from a distance. So, you can see how the eyes don’t really change in color after all; they just start showing their original, dominant color more. Of course, healing occurred still, and that’s what is most important!

As an experienced Iridologist, I can tell you many stories about eyes I’ve seen change over the years and health conditions that improved for people after fasting. Could it just be a coincidence? Maybe or maybe not!

  • Stomach enzymes may improve
  • Overall pH can may more alkaline
  • Uric acid may be released
  • Skin may show healing
  • Lymphatic system may clear
  • Blood may become cleaner and more active (more “chi energy in the body”)
  • Kidneys may strengthen
  • Colon may clear toxins/mucous
  • Liver may improve
  • Layers of toxic accumulation may release
  • Stress and old tension may be released
  • Even molecules of emotion may release!

Note: Iridology does NOT diagnose disease.

Many changes that may appear in the eye are too subtle for an untrained eye to see. Usually it will take at least 10 days of cleansing (and preferably more, up to 21 days is better) to see real changes in the iris. Don’t try to identify markers yourself, unless you are working with a qualified Iridologist. The reason why is that you may not catch all the important points to consider, and you may not understand how certain markers affect other markers in the eye. And of course, you probably won’t know which things should change first and which marks may take longer to change, if at all. That can set you up for unnecessary disappointment and/or unrealistic expectations in your healing.

That leads me to the final question: “Should my eyes change colors if I am doing a lot of detox, and if they are not changing, does that mean the cleanse or master fast isn’t working?”

Not everyone is going to experience a dramatic eye color change with their healing journey. That said, an Iridologist should be able to see some positive change still, even if it’s not a full change in eye color. Some markings in Iridology are inherent, meaning they will not change. Most important is to pay attention to how you feel and what your body is showing you. Are your energy levels better, has your sleep improved, are your eyes brighter in the whites (or sclera), is your mind sharper, has your body odor lessened, has your elimination improved? Are you feeling happier and more at peace with yourself? If you’ve answered yes to most of those questions, then your detox program has worked and you should consider it a success, regardless of your eye color!

One more important point, not to be underestimated. There are 2 parts to healing, don’t forget: 1/2 is elimination and the other 1/2 is rebuilding. Too often people get locked into the detox-detox-detox phase and they forget to stop and rebuild. Too much elimination leads to a low vitamin, mineral and alkaline reserve. Other people swing back and forth from detox to retox. And the retox never involves clean eating or a consistently healthy diet. That can set a person up for deficiencies too. Those deficiencies will show up in the eyes. That person may expect their eyes to be perfect in an Iridology reading because they’ve done so much fasting, but I will see right away that the body is out of balance still. As the saying goes, “The eyes never lie.” In all my years of working with Iridology, I can definitely say that is very true!

Remember: Balance is the key to success in life. Good luck and happy detoxing!

For more on how to do a detox at home, plan a successful post-detox or to get your Iridology reading, 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 Gut Health:

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Why the “Detox Myth” is a Myth!

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The latest trend in the detox world seems to be debunking the whole idea of detox. You may have seen articles written by nutritionists or health coaches that say the body is designed to take care of itself and that it detoxes on its own when you go to the toilet every day, naturally. They may also say that your body is already designed to take care of environmental toxins thanks to your skin, liver, kidneys and lungs. Some “experts” are saying juicing doesn’t do any good at all (Read more on my take of these things below).

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. 

Fresh juices and smoothies cleanse the body, mind and spirit!

Fresh juices and smoothies cleanse the body, mind and spirit!

Why people are saying that detox or juice fasting doesn’t work

With so many opinions out there, it can really start to feel confusing. Why would natural health professionals try to persuade you or anyone against drinking a few juices or green smoothies to better your health?  If you look a little deeper, it seems quite clear that: 1) most people who are against detox are actually too scared to have ever even tried it and 2) fear-mongering articles generate a lot of google hits, a sad but true reality.

I can’t tell you how many times someone has challenged me to a detox duel, trying to argue that there is no need to ever clean the body out and demanding peer reviewed scientific studies for my claims that it does work. Do you need a scientific study to prove that the cut on your arm will heal or that your broken ankle will mend itself?

“The most popular criticisms of fasting are written by people who have never missed a meal in their lives.”
– A. Rabogliati, M.D.

Controversy makes for great publicity. If you tap into someone’s fear (i.e. doing this is wrong and goes against your body) then you can also manipulate them very easily to buy your special magic supplement, protein powder, pill or special other “detox” which just happens to be the perfect alternative to doing a juice fast, cleanse or detox, according to them.

What goes in doesn’t always come out

It’s true that your body is designed to eliminate wastes through your elimination organs; that’s your skin, colon, lungs, kidneys and liver. On a daily basis, your body is performing “natural detox” tasks as you release acid waste through your urine, solid wastes through your poo and other wastes through respiration, or breathing. But, what goes in doesn’t always come out.

Constipation, shallow breathing, dehydration, deficiency of minerals, acidosis, breathing toxic air, chemicals on the skin, too many chemical food additives, pesticides, prescription drugs, heavy metal contamination and imbalance of gut bacteria can all disrupt that perfect system. There are now are 3,000 chemical additives in food alone, and the numbers keep going up every year. Your organic body can only handle so much and after a few years or more, the body that was designed to take care of itself is overworked, toxic and exhausted. The result: bad skin, aches and pains, headaches, dark circles under the eyes, bad breath or body odor, poor circulation, low energy, digestive problems, polyps, hemorrhoids, trouble sleeping, chronic cough, mucous, kidney stones and even infertility.

Symptoms of imbalance are the reality of most people’s lives today. Just look at the rates of dis-ease and more importantly, how fast those rates are increasing. The most common diseases in the world today – heart disease, diabetes and obesity – are all diseases of excess. Do you personally know anyone who died from a lack of protein? But what about cancer….do you know anyone who had or has that? Speaking of which, do you know anyone who got cancer from drinking wheatgrass shots, green juices or green smoothies? It’s clear where the real danger lies. Too much fat, cholesterol, refined sugar, fried foods, processed foods and sugar drinks are wreaking havoc on people’s organic bodies. Anyone who gives their organs an occasional break from the onslaught of constant toxicity is giving their body the greatest gift ever imaginable – a chance to catch up on internal housework!

Does doing a Detox work, and if so, how?

Think of the oil filter in your car. When your car needs an oil change, do you put the new oil in with the old filter? Of course not…because the old filter is full of gunk and will not work well, even with the new clean oil. Changing the filter with a new one and then adding clean oil is the way to keep your car running longer and better.

The same runs true with your body. A “detox” is a natural tune-up for your body. If you’ve ever done a colon cleanse and seen (or smelled) what actually comes out, you KNOW that it’s nothing you ate recently. A detox works like this: you clean out the sludge, impacted old fecal matter and excess mucous with fresh cold-pressed juices, green smoothies, colonics or enemas and then bring in natural, whole and pure food (i.e. new fuel).

Once your body is back in tune aka “cleansed,” your eyes shine brighter, skin is clearer, body odor is less, urine is clear, poo is easy to pass and you have more energy, naturally. There is no need to convince anyone who feels that much improvement in just 7 days that detox really works!

In fact, the only scientifically proven way to achieve anti-aging is through caloric restriction, i.e. fasting.

The real myth is calling Detox a myth!

The idea of fasting for physical, emotional and spiritual purification is not some kind of diet trend; in fact, people have been doing it for thousands of years. Calling detox a myth is the only fad I can see, and I’m sure it will pass as more and more people experience the miracles of fasting themselves.

Detox is not recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding women, young children or in certain medical conditions. You need to be ready for the process of detox, both physically and emotionally. In the years that I’ve worked with detox clients, I personally witnessed medical miracles in the realm of detoxification: a woman with MS arriving in a wheelchair and walking out 3 weeks later, multiple cases of psoriasis and other rashes healed within just 7-10 days, worms released, migraine headaches gone, arthritis gone, acne healed, vision improved, constipation/digestive disorders healed, kidneys healed, fibroids/cysts healed and of course weight loss, clear skin and increased energy levels.

In short, don’t let the naysayers fool you. Your body will thank you for any chance to detoxify itself.

A fresh juice is a welcomed hit of energy & nutrients for your body

A fresh juice is a welcomed hit of energy & nutrients for your body

More on Detox:

More on Skin Cleansing:

More on Liver Cleansing:

Fasting shown to reduce inflammation: Research from Yale University

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If you’ve ever done a fast before, you’ve seen for yourself how quickly inflammation is reduced. In just a matter of days, you can see rashes disappear, puffiness going down, joints moving easily without pain, brain fog clearing, eyes brighter and blood sugar levels stabilizing. Well, finally…scientists are proving it!

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.

Reduce Inflammation

“Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that a compound produced by the body when dieting or fasting can block a part of the immune system involved in several inflammatory disorders such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

In their study, published in the Feb. 16 online issue of Nature Medicine, the researchers described how the compound β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) directly inhibits NLRP3, which is part of a complex set of proteins called the inflammasome. The inflammasome drives the inflammatory response in several disorders including autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, and autoinflammatory disorders.

“These findings are important because endogenous metabolites like BHB that block the NLRP3 inflammasome could be relevant against many inflammatory diseases, including those where there are mutations in the NLRP3 genes,” said Vishwa Deep Dixit, professor in the Section of Comparative Medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

BHB is a metabolite produced by the body in response to fasting, high-intensity exercise, caloric restriction, or consumption of the low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. Dixit said it is well known that fasting and calorie restriction reduces inflammation in the body, but it was unclear how immune cells adapt to reduced availability of glucose and if they can respond to metabolites produced from fat oxidation.”
(Source: Anti-inflammatory mechanism of dieting and fasting revealed, Yale School of Medicine)

When I did a 40-day water fast a few years back, I had the privilege to experience this phenomena first-hand. Water fasting means to drink only water, in the same way that juice fasting means to drink only fresh juice. Only water is consumed during the fast. No food is eaten. Natural Hygienists agree that having small amounts of fresh lemon or lime in the water is ok; however in that water fast, I didn’t do that. Two years later I did a 25-day water fast in Vilcabamba, Ecuador and in that fast, I did drink fresh herbal teas like mint, sage and parsley and also added lemon to the water for the first week. After that, I went straight to water. In both fasts, I experienced a profound reduction of inflammation and a deep sense of healing, both physical and spiritual.

Even 1 day per week of fasting can greatly help to reduce inflammation.

If you’re interested in learning more about water fasting, check out my eBook: A Comprehensive Guide to Water Fasting. This book is immediately downloadable in either .pdf or .epub format:

Water Fasting

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.

 

Detox Reaction vs. Allergic Reaction or Intolerance – Which one is it?

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Understandably, it can be really frustrating to start eating better and still not feel your best. You might feel confused, discouraged or even angry that you are trying so hard and not seeing the results you want.

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.

What happens if you start a new cleanse, supplement or detox product and find yourself feeling worse? Doesn’t feeling bad mean that you are having a detox reaction and you should “suffer through it?” And doesn’t foggy brain, fatigue, sugar cravings and rashes always mean you have candida? Definitely, no, or at the very least, mostly no.

Symptoms of a Detox Reaction vs. Allergic Reaction

Symptoms of a Detox Reaction vs. Allergic Reaction

I’ve been in this field for a long time and I want to share with you one of the biggest mistakes that people are making today in the world of detox and natural health: They are calling everything a detox reaction.

In my opinion, the most “over-diagnosed” and incorrect problem that people get labeled with when they’re eating healthy (especially high raw food or vegan) but still feeling bad is: 1) They have candida or 2) They are still detoxing. I’ll address the candida issue in another post, but I can tell you that in my experience of seeing well over 4,500 clients, 95+% of the time, both of these assessments are false.

Did you ever consider that you might actually just have a food intolerance or sensitivity to a food additive? Believe it or not, this happens much more than you could ever imagine. And, when you take the suspicious food out of your diet, you can feel better in a matter of days. Finally, you can start enjoying some real healthy bliss! Read on to understand the difference between a real detox reaction and a potential allergic reaction or an intolerance to a food or food additive.

What is a Detox Reaction

When your start to do a detox, as old, excess toxins flush out and unwanted bacteria, microbes and viruses die off, you can actually experience a temporary detox or cleansing reaction. Based on the work of Dr. Karl Herxheimer in the late 1800s, this temporary feeling of illness is known as the Herxheimer effect and is actually an intense sign of healing. These reactions can indicate that your body has started to cleanse itself as it quickly tries to catch up on the overload of toxins being released.

Symptoms of a Detox Reaction

  • Mild headaches, nausea, chills, sweating.
  • Fatigue, aching muscles.
  • Mucous, body odor, rashes.
  • Dizziness, weakness or even foggy brain.

Typical Length of a Detox Reaction

A detox reaction will last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. If you are experiencing a real “healing crisis,” normally that will last from 1 to 3 days total. Usually after the detox reaction, you feel amazingly better, and you will not have that symptom again. For example, you could feel chills or nausea or intense exhaustion, then a few hours later (or after an enema), feel totally energized.

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Click on the Disclaimer Link below to read the full disclaimer for this website!

What is an Allergic Reaction or Intolerance

True allergic reactions are much more rare than intolerances but they’re definitely on the rise (thank Monsanto and GMO foods for that). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there’s been a continued rise in allergic diseases in the industrialized world for over 50 years.

An allergic reaction occurs when your body sees a food such as shellfish, peanuts or wheat as a foreign body or allergen, and starts to attack it by creating antibodies and inflammation.

Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction or Intolerance

The symptoms of an allergic reaction can vary from mild to severe. If you are exposed to an allergen for the first time, your symptoms may be mild. These symptoms may get worse if you are repeatedly exposed to the allergen.

According to the Mayo Clinic, The most common food allergy signs and symptoms include:

  • Tingling or itching in the mouth.
  • Hives, itching or eczema.
  • Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat or other parts of the body.
  • Wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing.
  • Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting.
  • Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting.

If you have a food additive intolerance, such as an intolerance to Monosodium Glutamate, you can experience:

  • Headaches, chills, fatigue, aching muscles, dizziness.
  • Insomnia, sensitivity to light or sound.
  • Heart palpitations.
  • Fatigue (especially the following day).
  • Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting.
  • Hives, itching or eczema.
  • Swelling of the lips, eyes, face, tongue and throat or other parts of the body.
  • Wheezing, nasal congestion or constricted breathing.

Typical Length of a Food or Food Additive Allergy/Intolerance Reaction:

An intolerance or allergy can last indefinitely, especially if you continue to eat the food or use the product that you are intolerant to. The problem with “intolerances” is that they usually have a delayed reaction time and they don’t give nearly as severe a reaction as an “allergy.” That’s why they can easily go undiagnosed for years. After a reaction, you may feel temporarily better, but if you eat the suspect food again, you will have the exact same symptoms over and over and never find yourself feeling better.

As you can see from looking at the above lists, it can be easy for a novice to label a food allergy or intolerance incorrectly and call it a detox reaction – the symptoms are almost exactly the same! In rare cases when someone is taking too many detox supplements or doing too many detox protocols at once (far infrared sauna, colonics, zapper, parasite cleanse, heavy metal detox etc.), I recommend to slow down the detox itself and determine the best order and pace of detox for the individual.

In the old days of detox, almost 20 years ago, no one was doing this stuff and the people who were really knew what they were doing. In the world of detox today, there is a TON of misinformation out there. Someone who made 1 green juice or fasted for 3 days is suddenly on every forum as the guru of detox. As with everything, this is a blessing and a curse at the same time. It’s a blessing because more people are getting out there and trying a fast or cleanse for the first time and that is simply awesome. And I no longer get booed out of a room for talking about coffee enemas, lol! But it’s a curse because people are being misled down the wrongs roads.

What kind of foods can you be intolerant to?

You can react to certain fillers in supplements (like malodextrin); chlorella in your green powder blend, Miso soup, seaweed snacks, vegan butters, vegan mayonnaise, and pesticides. I’ve even had clients react to whole foods like tomato paste, sesame seeds or celery. Once we get that food out of the diet, the reaction goes away and then we know for sure that we’re dealing with a classic food intolerance and not a detox reaction. How does it work? I can usually identify which foods you need to remove after 25-30 minutes of Q&A about your symptoms, current diet or recent detox.

If it is a detox reaction, then a few things to get you through a healing crisis include: a castor oil pack, detox onion socks, epsom salt baths, activated charcoal, liquid bentonite clay, extra Vitamin C, magnesium, distilled water, prayer/meditation (to maintain an alkaline pH) and rest.

For more on how to do a detox at home or how to navigate through your detox symptoms and 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 Detox Reactions:
What are the symptoms of a Herxheimer (Detox) Reaction?

More on Detox:

What are the symptoms of a Herxheimer (Detox) Reaction?

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When your start to do a detox, juice fast or cleanse, you might expect to start feeling better right away. However, sometimes the exact opposite happens. As old, excess toxins flush out and unwanted bacteria, microbes and viruses die off, you can actually experience a temporary detox or cleansing reaction. You may suffer from mild headaches, nausea, chills, sweating, fatigue, aching muscles, mucous, body odor, rashes, dizziness, weakness or even foggy brain for a few hours or in some cases, a few days. Based on the work of Dr. Karl Herxheimer in the late 1800s, this temporary feeling of illness is known as the Herxheimer effect and is actually an intense sign of healing. These reactions can indicate that your body has started to cleanse itself as it quickly tries to catch up on the overload of toxins being released.

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.

 

What is a Herxheimer Reaction, cleansing reaction and healing crisis?

What is a Herxheimer Reaction, cleansing reaction and healing crisis?

In his book The Healing Crisis, Dr. Bruce Fife explains that the removal of disease-causing agents is the catalyst for both cleansing reactions and healing crises. He notes that, “most any harmless method that strengthens the body’s natural healing processes can induce a healing crisis. This could involve switching to better quality foods, taking homeopathic medicines, cleansing the colon, fasting, juicing, using healing herbs, massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, vitamin therapy, exercise, etc.”

Dr. Fife states that when you enter a cleansing process, “often chronic conditions from which you are suffering will temporarily get worse. If you suffer from arthritis, joint pain may increase. If you are troubled with chronic migraines, you may have terrible headaches. A psoriasis problem may run wild. Hemorrhoids may flair up. PMS may intensify. Allergies may get worse. Asthmatics may experience breathing difficulties. Blood pressure may increase. Any number of other symptoms may surface during this time that may appear unrelated to existing health conditions. Sometimes these conditions improve after the crisis. Sometimes it takes several crises to cleanse the offending toxins from the body and stimulate healing. At times, health problems can improve immediately after a crisis, and at other times, they improve gradually.”

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Click on the Disclaimer Link below to read the full disclaimer for this website!

Cleansing Reaction

A cleansing reaction occurs any time your body is releasing toxins faster than it can eliminate them. For example, you may stir up an old piece of undigested food that was stuck in the colon, temporarily releasing bacteria and toxins into the bloodstream as the liver works to filter out the excess build-up. A cleansing reaction is usually a sign that the liver is a bit sluggish and not fully doing its job. This is also a sign that your body most likely needs regular cleansing every year and a long term change of diet to strengthen its immune system.

If you experience a cleansing reaction, you can try to help speed up the elimination of toxins by:

1. Having a colonic to help flush the colon

2. Doing an enema at home using distilled water (or an organic coffee enema)

3. Taking extra minerals – either liquid minerals, green juice, wheatgrass or green smoothie (depending what type of detox you’re doing)

4. Drinking more (distilled) water to help flush the kidneys

5. Practicing dry skin brushing to help the lymphatic system

6. Taking a restorative detox bath

7. Using a steam or far infrared sauna to sweat toxins out directly through the skin

8. Trying the detox onion socks overnight

9. Taking extra Vitamin C for added antioxidants

10. Applying a castor oil pack to the liver for 40-60 minutes

Usually a cleansing reaction will last a few hours at the most. I do not advise anyone to “tough it out” or suffer through the cleansing process. Consulting with a detox expert (like myself!) can help you make the best and safest detox plan so you don’t put added stress on your elimination organs – your liver, skin, kidneys, colon and lungs.

Healing Crisis

Having an actual healing crisis is more rare than a cleansing reaction. A true healing crisis occurs when the body has been getting stronger and cleaner and is a true sign of progress. A healing crisis may mimic any disease or condition you have had in the past, but it’s abbreviated, typically lasting from a few hours to a few days.

In the book The Healing Crisis, Dr. Fife offers simple suggestions on how to listen to your body during a healing crisis. “The symptoms you develop during a crisis will guide you as to what to do. If you are tired – rest. If you are thirsty – drink. If you have a fever, your body is trying to build up heat; keep yourself warm and let the heat run its course. For aching muscles, a warm bath might help. Pain in the lower back is often caused by the kidneys crying for water, rather than the result of being sore back muscles. Drink more water. If you have diarrhea or are vomiting, the body is trying to empty itself, so don’t try to eat. You will lose fluids, so you should try to drink water to keep from being dehydrated. Drinking a lot of water during a crisis is usually a good practice because water (especially distilled water) will help to dilute the toxins in the bloodstream and aid their removal.”

When you are going through a healing crisis, it definitely helps to have the guidance and support of a detox expert. The key is to remain calm, focus your mind on healing, and support your body back to health, slowly.

Hering’s Law of Cure

When you’re experiencing a healing crisis, remember the homeopathic law of cure, also known as Hering’s Law of Cure:

Healing occurs from:

1. The inside-out (meaning the from the internal organs first, then to the joints and skin),

2. From the head down (the body clear symptoms in the head first, then to the trunk, hips and toes), and

3. In the reverse order as the symptoms have appeared (your most recent ailments are cleared first).

This is the process the body goes through when returning to a healthy state, naturally of course.

For more on how to start a raw food diet, how to do a detox at home 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 Detox Reactions:
Detox Reaction vs. Allergic Reaction or Intolerance – Which one is it?

More on Detox:

Why you shouldn’t weigh yourself during a detox

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Have you started your detox, finally (hooray!)…but find yourself checking the scale twice or more daily? Are you feeling disappointed that the numbers are not dropping as fast as you expected? Read on to find out why you should NOT weight yourself during your detox. And don’t worry, you’ll still get the results you want by the end!

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.

If you're checking the scale too much during your detox, it's time to get yourself in check!

If you’re checking the scale too much during your detox,
it’s time to get yourself in check!

I’ve literally worked with thousands of men and woman doing different types of detox programs over the years – from juice fasting to boot camp style detox to raw food cleanses to vegan cooked food to smoothie & superfood detox programs. And I can tell you the biggest mistake that nearly every first-time (and sometimes second and third-time too) faster does: they weight themselves constantly during their detox. After a bowel movement? Check the scale. Morning enema? Weight check. Afternoon yoga class? Better see if those downward dogs dropped any extra kilo, just in case! Evening meditation? Maybe quantum physics works for weight loss too…? Do you find yourself constantly weighing yourself, hoping for a certain number to reveal itself as the days advance on your program?

Why you shouldn’t weigh yourself during a detox

It’s totally normal to want to see how much weight you’ve lost while you’re fasting or cleansing, so don’t feel bad! But actually, that’s exactly the problem that you set yourself up for if you do start weighing yourself too much and that is that you can really feel bad IF you are not losing as much weight as you think you should, and especially if you find yourself comparing to what other fasters are losing. “Man, that guy in Room 8 lost 10 KILOS already and I only lost 3 – what is wrong with me?!” Sounds familiar?

What happens during a detox

You should lose weight on your program if you follow the instructions. See more on that below. But, here’s the deal: when you detox, you might retain water for a day or two as your body creates inflammation during a healing crisis or cleansing reaction. During that time, the scale might “appear” to not move, but suddenly on the 4th day, you will see that you lost 3 or 4 pounds in one day as the water is released. There are also times when you simply retain water from an enema so you can actually “appear” to gain weight, but the following day (or later that night) your kidneys will pee all the excess fluid out. From Day 1 to Day 7 or Day 14 or Day Beautiful (however long you fast), you will see that you’ve lost weight, even if the scale goes up and down in between.

The danger of weighing yourself too much

What number you see on the scale should never define you and it should definitely not distract you from enjoying the wonderful experience of feeling your body get cleaner during a detox. If you focus too much on the scales, you can start to feel bad. Really bad. You might start to doubt your intentions, or feel guilty that you aren’t losing as much as someone else, or feel overwhelmed with disappointment that you won’t hit the number you want by the end. Feeling bad can make you lose focus, and even become tempted to cheat or give up. It also splits your energy. Instead of focusing your mind of the fantastic pure and perfect person that you are, you start thinking less-than-perfect thoughts of yourself. Remember, your thoughts create an energy that your physical body will follow. Can you imagine what will happen if you are stuck on a thought like, “I’m too fat,” or “I’m not losing weight?”

More than ever, detox time is a time to think only loving and positive thoughts of yourself. Spend your time visualizing yourself in the perfect weight and health that you want. Can you see how much more power you give yourself to make long-lasting change with thoughts like, “I am beautiful” and “I feel good with my body”?

When to weigh yourself

If you want to check the scales, weigh yourself on Day 1 and on the last day of your program (so that means 2 times total) and that’s it! What happens in between is as much of an emotional and spiritual journey as it is physical. Open yourself to the process and experience your program to the fullest. Doing a detox is the best gift you can give yourself! Congratulate yourself of taking the time out and for putting yourself as a priority in your life. You will benefit from the experience for the rest of your life!

Stick to the program

If your main goal is to lose weight, then it’s really important to follow the instructions for your detox program. That means if your detox says “1 carrot juice per day,” you can have 1 carrot juice per day, not 3 carrot juices per day. If it says, “last meal or drink at 8pm,” you shouldn’t be having your last meal or drink at 11pm. This sounds pretty logical but you would be surprised how many times someone came to me and said, “This program doesn’t work,” only to find that they were not actually following the instructions and adding a few extras in on their own. I’ve even had people tell me that they added a bit of food to their program, because they like it or feel better that way. Well that’s okay with me really. Just remember, don’t blame the scale!

Detox Tip: If you find yourself feeling really hungry on your detox, then drink water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice or a bit of raw apple cider vinegar. It helps to cut the hunger, keeps your pH alkaline and is low in calories too – a win for your detox goals and for you weight loss goals too!

Inhale, exhale …look up to the sky and FEEL the love and gratitude for your detox time!

Inhale, exhale …look up to the sky and FEEL the love and gratitude for your detox time!

Stay focused!

I work a lot with my clients and fasters during all types of detox programs to use the power of their mind to stay focused during their cleanse. Why? If you can control your thoughts, stay focused and feel positive during your detox, you are much more likely to continue your success and keep the weight off after your detox. If your mind is scattered and you’re thinking negative thoughts, then you set yourself up for going back to all your bad habits when you start eating again. Take advantage of your detox time, and make a mental “reset or reboot.” Visualize yourself making the very best foods choices and feeling healthy and beautiful. Set your intentions and use the power of affirmations to create the reality you want in life. Combining a physical cleanse with mental focus gives you amazing results. Here’s to a healthy, gorgeous you!

For more on how to start a raw food diet, how to do a detox at home 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 Manifestation and Weight Loss:

What’s the Best Juicer? How to Choose a Juicer

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Buying a juicer is a commitment to actually start juicing. Believe me, I wish there was a self-cleaning juicer out there too, but there isn’t! I consider this a more advanced stage of healthy food prep because of the added time and effort it takes to make juice. For that reason, I encourage you to really think about what you’re most likely to use on a daily basis. Do you have extra time to prepare ingredients for juice and to clean the juicer? Or, are you more likely to blend a green smoothie that takes less than 5 minutes to make and can be stored in advance?

I recommend that you make green smoothies for at least 6 months before you even think about advancing to the world of green juices. When you’re comfortable with the green smoothie recipes and ingredients, it will be much easier for you to make the leap into juice.

When you’re ready, the next step is to decide what juicer is right for you. And if that wasn’t enough, there are actually 2 different types of juicers. If you’re not ready then take this information in as a side note, to be used at a later date, but don’t worry about the details too much now. Below, I explain the different types of juicers.

What to look for in a juicer

Features to look for in a juicer

With juicers, there are two main types: masticating and centrifugal. Those terms describe how the ingredients are mashed, spun and/or pressed and actually separated between a fiber and liquid form.

The other main feature to look for in a juicer is the size of the shaft where you place the ingredients for juicing. You will see some juicers listed as big mouth or wide mouth; that means you can take an entire apple or pear and easily fit the whole fruit in the juicer shaft as opposed to cutting it into quarter-size pieces and placing it in a smaller shaft. While it may seem that this feature makes it faster or easier to juice, it doesn’t change the cleaning time which is the most time-consuming part of the process.

Masticating

Masticating juicers are the best juicers for making green juice because the slow-press motor can easily squeeze the juice out of high-fiber leafy greens. Sometimes referred to as cold-press juicers, masticating juicers operate at a slow speed and produce a higher amount of juice. Masticating juicers can juice fruits, veggies, leafy greens and wheatgrass. They are usually sold online or in more specialty stores and they come at a higher price tag.

Centrifugal

Centrifugal juicers are readily available at normal retail outlets and are the most inexpensive type of juicer to purchase. With a centrifugal juicer, the ingredients are pulverized through a fast-spinning blade that extracts the juice through a strainer. These machines can’t handle leafy greens, wheatgrass, sprouts or herbs and are better suited for fresh and veggies. Because of the faster spin, they make less juice per volume of ingredients.

Top picks for juicers

Omega

The Omega 8004 is my personal top pick of juicers for making green juice. It’s a masticating juicer, and in my opinion, is easier to clean than other masticating brands or models. The 8004 has a great motor and can also juice wheatgrass (see below). Price starts at $199.95.

The Omega Juicer is a GREAT value for your money and an excellent juicer

Cuisinart

The Cuisinart Compact Juice Extractor is a centrifugal juicer that comes in at an affordable price with a nice design and a reliable brand name. Priced at $89.00.

Cuisinart Compact Juicer is a great value and a good starter juicer

Hamilton Beach

The Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor is also a centrifugal juicer with a nice clean, simple design. The fantastic price makes this juicer a great option if you’re on a budget. Priced at $59.85.

Good value for your money with this Hamilton Beach Juicer

Keeping your Juicer Clean

My advice for how to clean your juicer is this: Do not drink your juice until after you clean the juicer! If you drink your juice immediately, you’re much more likely to move onto something else and forget about the juicer until later. By then, all the pulp will be stuck to the juicer parts making a bigger job to scrub everything clean.

Your best bet: As soon as you finish juicing, unplug the juicer to make sure that the power is off. Take the juicer apart and rinse all the pieces with a sponge, warm water and dish detergent. Add the juice pulp to your compost pile if you have one. Once your juicer is on the drying rack, you can enjoy your freshly made juice! This is a house rule in my kitchen and it really works.

Choosing a wheatgrass juicer

If you’re interested in juicing your own wheatgrass at home, you’ll need a masticating juicer. The Omega 8004 is a great model for making fresh wheatgrass. Other options include the Champion juicer, and the Hurom vertical slow-press juicer.

Do you need to juice, and should you be juicing?

That’s a great question! Find out more about whether or not you even need to juice here.

Looking for a new blender too? Check out my guide on Battle of the Blenders: Which one is best?

For more on how to start a raw food diet, how to do a detox at home 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 Juicing and Smoothies:

Do you need to juice, and should you be juicing?

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With all the hype about green smoothies for fitness, health and detox, you might be wondering: do I need to be drinking green juice or fresh juice too? And, if I only have time for one, which is better: blending or juicing?

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.

I personally make a green juice for breakfast and a green smoothie for lunch every day and I love them both! But there are some real differences between blending a smoothie in a blender and making a juice in a juicer. Find out how and why below.

What are the health benefits of drinking fresh juice?

Juicing FAQs

Why is juicing important?

Juicing is important because it gives you the opportunity to high-boost on vitamins and minerals. In one meal, you wouldn’t normally have the capacity to eat ½ bunch celery, 10 carrots, 8 large kale leaves, an entire handful of parsley, 2 apples, a lemon, and a cucumber. Take all of those ingredients, put them in the juicer, and you’ve just ingested all the same nutrients in a few easy sips.

What are the pros/ benefits of juicing? Any cons (to one’s health and otherwise)?

The reality of living a busy lifestyle and not having time to prepare food at home today means that most people are not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables and are therefore nutritionally deficient. Juicing is a way to combat this, and so that’s definitely a pro. The con is that it takes time to prepare and it’s takes even more time to clean the juicer. Most people don’t own a juicer, so it’s also an added expense to have to buy another appliance. For those reasons, I usually recommend blending smoothies in a blender. In a blender, the fiber remains intact and so you just drink everything. Blending is definitely more practical and easier to continue doing long-term. Any new habit has to be a healthy habit for life.

Who should juice? Why? Who, if anyone, should not?

Just to be clear on terms, juice is made in a juicer. The juicer separates the fiber from the liquid and leaves only a liquid to drink (the juice). If you take those same ingredients and put them in a blender, the fiber will remain intact and you will have a smoothie, which is thicker and more filling than a juice. Traditionally people think of a smoothie having milk or yogurt, but you can easily make a healthy smoothie with fruits, greens and 1 cup of water. You may have heard of ‘Green Smoothies’…well, that’s what it is: fruits and greens blended in a blender. I think everyone should have 1 Green Smoothie per day.

So, who should juice? Anyone who is sick is already nutritionally out of balance and most likely deficient. Ideally they should be high-boosting with nutrient dense foods to try to get the body back into balance, so a daily juice would be great for them. For diabetics, fresh fruit juices are usually too high in sugar and in that case, make only green juices instead, like cucumber, kale, lemon, ginger and parsley.

Take the time to make a green juice – it’s an investment in your health!

Is there a limit to how much juicing one should do? Is there such thing as excessive juicing?

I usually recommend adding fresh leafy greens (like celery greens or boy choy) to any fruit juice just to balance the natural sugars with the greens. People can do 100% juice fasts, ie drinking only freshly made juice, for up to 60 days at a time with no ill effects. For the average person, having 1 fresh juice or smoothie per day is a great addition to their daily diet. Think of getting your vitamins fresh from Mother Earth and not a pill!

Should juicing replace entire meals or be a supplement?

It really depends on the individual, their energy levels and their goals. The average person can have a green smoothie for breakfast as a meal replacement because the fiber in the smoothie keeps them from being hungry and it’s a great way to start the day with fiber, alkalinity and minerals and chlorophyll from the greens. I work one-on-one with my clients to determine the best meal plan for them.

Is juicing the same as detoxing? If so, are the terms interchangeable?

Juicing is not the same as detoxing. One glass of fresh apple, ginger, lemon juice is not going to put you into detox mode (although it will high-boost your mineral and vitamin reserve). The process of detoxification starts when the body has been eating light raw fresh fruits or drinking only fresh juice for at least 36 hours. If you continue drinking only juice at the 36-hour mark, then you are going into ‘detox,’ and that means your body starts using the enzymes it would normally use to digest food and directs the energy inward to internal housekeeping. Think of your organs having extra paperwork and a backlog of work on their desks. Suddenly, no more papers are coming in so everyone has a chance to catch up on their jobs. That’s detox. If you are eating refined sugar, bread, fried foods or drinking coffee and alcohol, you are still adding more work for those organs and no detox will occur.

When and How to Juice

Initially you may enjoy having fresh juice on the weekends when you have more time to prep the ingredients and clean the juicer. You may also find yourself making juice when you’re ill as a natural recovery remedy. On a daily basis, making a green smoothie is faster and easier, and because of that, you’re much more likely to keep doing it every day. This article covers the key points in making juice and what equipment you need. For more information on making fruit smoothies or green smoothies in a blender, go to this link.

Experiment with different fresh & organic ingredients in your juice

Making juice is more labor intensive and a bigger commitment in terms of time and money for a few reasons:

  • You need a juicer. A juicer is a different appliance than a blender. It’s an added expense if you don’t have one already.
  • You need more ingredients to make one 16-ounce juice than you do for a 16-ounce smoothie.
  • You need to spend more money on the extra ingredients required. It takes time to cut up the extra ingredients too.
  • Cleaning a juicer takes more time than cleaning a blender because a juicer has several parts (unlike a blender that just has a pitcher and a lid).

On average, it may take 6-8 minutes to clean your juicer in addition to 5-6 minutes of prep plus 2-3 minutes of juicing, for a total of at least 17 minutes to make a juice. Compare that to a 5-minute green smoothie and the difference really adds up!

How long does a juice stay fresh?
Without any fiber, juice oxidizes very quickly and that means you need to drink it immediately after making it. If not, the juice will start to go off and in just a few hours, it can go bad. This is a major difference between green smoothies and green juices.

Making a green juice

Besides cutting up some extra ingredients and cleaning a few additional parts of the juicer, it’s really not difficult at all to make a green juice. One thing that is important for green juices is the type of juicer you have. (Note: If you’re interested in juicing your own wheatgrass at home, you need a masticating juicer. The Omega 8004 juicer is a great model for making fresh green juice and wheatgrass juice. Other options include the Champion juicer and the Hurom vertical slow-press juicer.) I explain more on that in my article about Choosing a Juicer.

A green juice is a high-boost of minerals, vitamins and chlorophyll

Green juice recipes are very similar to smoothie recipes with just a few exceptions. The following are ingredients not to use in a juice:

  • Banana, dates, nuts, seeds and avocado – Due to their high density, they don’t really have any liquid to juice.
  • Superfood powders – You can add your favorite superfood powder, ground flaxseed or chia seeds to your glass of juice and stir just before drinking, but you don’t want to add it to the juicer. With powders, there’s nothing to juice!

Fruits and greens with high water content, like cucumber, orange, lemon, apple, pear, pineapple, watermelon and celery are great options for juice ingredients. You can also add carrot, beet, daikon, ginger, fennel or leek. My favorite greens to add to juice are parsley, cilantro, basil, kale, Swiss chard or collard greens. Organic fruits and greens are best, but do the best you can with what you have when starting out. A non-organic juice is still better for you than a frozen dinner or fast-food lunch!

Tip
Save the stems from your large green leaves like kale, spinach, Swiss chard or collard greens after making a green smoothie. Store them wrapped in a plastic bag in the fridge. When you’re ready to make a juice, add the stems to the juicer. That way, the stems don’t go to waste and you’re getting the added nutritional benefit of the minerals, vitamins and antioxidants from them in your juice.

If you're ready for juicing, this is the juicer for you!

If you’re ready for juicing, this is the juicer for you!

For more on how to start a raw food diet, how to do a detox at home or what minerals you may specifically be deficient in, book a private health consult with me via Skype.

How to Book Your Health 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 Colon Cleansing:

My boyfriend followed my Raw Food Diet and got Anemia!

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Before I met my boyfriend, he was a normal meat-eating guy and definitely a sugar and bread addict. Luckily, once we got together, he was open to trying my “rabbit salad” and “strange smoothies” ie. raw food style of eating. To his surprise, he immediately felt better and without any pressure from me, he decided himself to go on a high raw food and vegan diet! It was really great to witness his transformation. In the last 2 years, his energy levels improved, his skin cleared, his digestion improved immensely and he continues to look younger and younger. Because of such positive results, he even joined me on a 10-day and 14-day juice fast. Most recently, he completed a 21-day water fast with me in Vilcabamba, Ecuador.

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 Results of His Blood Test. It’s easy to become anemic on a Raw Food Diet if you don’t eat GREENS!

Over the last 6 months, however, he was starting to feel exceptionally tired. My schedule was pretty hectic with a lot of travel and we initially thought it was from all the buses, planes and changing hotels which would make anyone tired (including me!). But it just seemed to get worse. So, when we arrived to Israel, he went to the doctor and ordered some standard blood tests. The result: Low Red Blood Cell Count (RBC), Low Hemoglobin, and Low Hematocrit. What does that mean? He has a case of iron-deficiency anemia.

Vegan foods high in IRON: Cherries, Organic Apricots, Molasses and Leafy Greens

What is Anemia?

Anemia can occur for a few reasons, but is most commonly associated with a lack of iron in the blood. Iron is an essential part of hemoglobin, and low iron levels result in decreased incorporation of hemoglobin into red blood cells. Because hemoglobin normally carries oxygen from the lungs to the capillaries, anemia leads to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in organs. This can make a person feel lethargic, dizzy, weak, generally unwell and even a bit foggy in the brain.

Did the Raw Food Diet fail for him?

The truth is, although my boyfriend followed me on the raw food journey, he never really liked eating dark leafy greens. He didn’t like the taste of spirulina, in fact, he hated it. So, he wasn’t eating enough greens, either powdered or fresh. In the morning, he would make a big batch of fresh fruit smoothie, pour out some for himself, and then add the green superfoods and leafy greens for me. One of my “go-to” snacks is always a handful of dried organic apricots. But he never really liked those either. Being a former refined sugar lover, he would choose organic dates instead. It’s easy to see that he was simply not getting enough high-iron content foods in his daily diet. So, I don’t think the raw food diet failed him and I do not think that a vegan or vegetarian diet is dangerous to his health. He just wasn’t attentive to getting all the minerals his body needs. (And he also wasn’t listening to me saying “You need to eat more greens!”)

As a side note, the last time I was tested for iron, it was just below the threshold of being too high! The doctor actually told me to stop eating red meat! I didn’t say a word but silently laughed to myself, because I haven’t eaten meat in over 21 years!! I knew it was from my daily Green Smoothie. Somehow my body knew how to hold on to just enough iron and not have too much. When we give the body what it needs, it knows what to do…that’s the internal intelligence of our healing system!

What now?

The blood test results were a big wake-up call. The same day that he received the results, my boyfriend immediately started adding spirulina to his smoothies and started taking a liquid iron supplement. After only 2 days, he noticed the difference. His energy levels picked up and he had an easier time waking up in the morning. Now he is also making a conscious effort to eat more greens in his diet as well. He is not eating meat and has no interest to eat meat, but he did decide to try some plain vegan seitan (with no added flavors so no flavor enhancers). He cooks the seitan with some olive oil, organic cumin and cayenne pepper and adds it to a big raw food salad. (Note: Seitan contains wheat and is not a good option for anyone who is a celiac or sensitive to gluten.) He seems to be remembering to take his daily B12 supplement now too because he is just overall more aware of the importance of getting all the nutrients he needs!

Because of what happened, I will also take an iron supplement for 1-2 months to help get my body back on track just in case I am deficient as well. With over 8 months of non-stop traveling to Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, we did not always have the chance to eat as much variety in our diets. For that reason, I could now be low in iron too. Living in one place makes it very easy, and I am now happy to be having 1 green juice, 1 Green Smoothie and 1 fresh wheatgrass shot per day along with my normal salads and fruit.

Vegan Sources of Iron

There are definitely vegan and vegetarian food options that are naturally high in iron, like cherries, dark leafy greens, molasses and/or organic apricots. Green superfoods like spirulina, chlorella, dulse or kelp are also good sources of iron. Having some organic powdered greens in a Daily Green Smoothie is a great way to get a healthy daily dose of iron. Rotating greens helps to get all the nutrients you need, so be sure to switch out your greens between kale, spinach, bok choy, parsley, beet greens, collard greens, Swiss Chard and whatever other edible fresh greens you can find in your local farmer’s market or organic supermarket. If you are new to a vegan or raw food diet, it’s a good idea to get your blood tested in the first 6 months to be sure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs.

Do you Need to Take a Supplement?

Whether you take an iron supplement is really up to you, but I don’t think it’s necessary if you are attentive to eating greens in your daily diet. If you do decide to take an iron supplement, be sure to find one in liquid form because iron tablets (or pills) tend to have a constipating effect. If you become pregnant, you will need more iron and for sure, you should consider taking an iron supplement.

Example of Ferrum Chromotose Iris

In the Science of Iridology, we have a subtype by color called Ferrum Chromotose which shows an inability to store iron. An example of this subtype is shown here. You can see the “tiger striping” or light brown and dark brown stripes in the iris. This is an inherited trait, and if I see this marking during an Iridology Analysis, I will always advise the client to be attentive to getting enough iron in their diet. It should be no surprise that my boyfriend has this marking in his eyes and I do not. If you have this marking, you are more likely to suffer from anemia, especially when there is a lack of high-iron content foods in the diet.

On a daily basis, the only nutritional supplement I take is a B12 complex. I personally think it’s important for everyone to take a daily B vitamin complex, including meat-eaters. Most B12 is lost in the process of cooking and many people (especially meat-eaters) have reduced or limited absorption capabilities.

Need more guidance? I offer personalized nutritional counseling, health coaching and Iridology sessions by Skype and email to help you achieve your best health ever!

Here’s to your health!

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