Jacqueline Wildish - Nutritional Therapist
(B.A. Wits. Dip. BCNH London. MBANT. MSAANT)

The dreaded word… DETOX. Thoughts of hunger, fasting, strong-will, discomfort and deprivation come to mind. Not something you want to face after a season of festivities. The good news is, you don't need to punish yourself to become healthy, and can detoxify in a way that will support and be kind to your body, and have a longer-term benefit. If you need a health overhaul or are suffering with any of the symptoms mentioned below, a well-managed detoxification is one of the best New Years treats you will give to your body.

Detoxification is a way of ridding the body of unwanted toxins. Toxins can come from outside and inside the body, and can start to accumulate from the day we are born. Environmental toxins include: heavy metals (e.g. mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic), cosmetics, detergents, alcohol, caffeine, poor nutrition, medications, pesticides, detergents, pollution and smoking. Toxins and internal debris that clog up metabolic processes within the body include gallstones, too much cholesterol, unwanted hormones, bad bacteria and yeast or parasites in the digestive tract. In addition, your body is capable of producing its own toxins, which is does, daily.

The current approach to detoxification is to support the organs directly involved in detoxification – the liver, the digestive tract and the kidneys, through correct nutrition, supplementation and the use of appropriate herbs. Yes, you can eat while you detox – it’s about choosing health-giving foods and avoiding those foods that add to toxicity. Starving yourself is taxing to organs such as pancreas, thyroid and adrenals, can cause low blood sugar, amongst other symptoms, and can place further strain on the body.

Dr. Khush Mark (consultant in Nutrition and Metabolic Typing with degrees in Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pathology, Oncology, Human Nutrition and Practical Homeopathy) distinguishes between detoxification and cleansing, and says that the two go hand-in-hand. She links detoxification to cleaning a car using an automated system to wash the outside, and cleansing, to taking your car for a valet where the inside and outside becomes clean and shiny.

Cleansing is a more targeted form of detoxification and includes practices such as liver or gall bladder cleanse, parasite cleanse, cell or kidney cleanses, Candida cleanse and heavy metal detoxification.

Cleansing and detoxification may just turn your health around and slow down or even prevent the formation of some illnesses including: irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, obesity, acne, infertility, eczema, fibromyalgia, depression, hair loss and more.

If you have any of these symptoms, or suffer from the following, you will benefit from a detoxification:

Avocado provides healthy fats, which raise serotonin levels and keep you happy, whilst cucumber, packed with mineral-rich fluid, aids digestion by keeping you hydrated. The taste of this soup can be dramatically altered by replacing the lemon with lime.

Ingredients:

1 L Organic Carrot Juice
80g milled Raw Almonds
1 medium sized Organic Cucumber
10 leaves of Fresh Organic Basil
1-2 Avocados (depending on size)
Black Pepper and Himalayan Rock Salt
Squeeze of Fresh Organic Lemon Juice

Method:

• Juice your Carrots.
• Mill your nuts.
• Add all the ingredients to the blender.
• Add the avocado a little at a time to thicken the soup.
• Add black pepper and salt to taste.
• Serve and enjoy immediately!