DETOX

 DETOXIFICATION

   Our body has its own natural ways of removing toxins with no special diets, medicines, or juices…But there are many ways you can help your body boost its natural detox system.

   In our modern times, we all need to do a full detoxification at least once a year. In our daily lives, we are subject to a variety of pollution sources (air, water, medication, processed foods…). Detoxification has become a necessity: As we clean our body from the outside, it needs to be cleaned from the inside. The main goal of detox is getting rid of toxins and heavy minerals like mercury, aluminium, cadmium, copper, lead…

   There exist many ways. I would like to share with you a complete and full protocol for a detoxification. This method is introduced by Moroccan prominent nutrition expert, Dr Mohamed Fayed. This protocol includes four steps combined all together to get most benefit for our body:

1- Fasting

2- Wet Cupping Therapy

3- Vegan diet

4- Sport

1-       FASTING

   Fasting is a main doctrine in many religions like Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism… If you want to do a detox, fasting must be on top of your list.

   There exist many types of fasting, but the widely known are the intermittent fasting and long fasting. Intermittent fasting has become a worldwide trend in the last years. It is the practice of limiting your food consumption at certain hours of the day. And there is the regular fasting method that requires abstaining from eating for at least 12 hours a day. When fasting, our body mechanisms continue to work steadily but slowly. It helps your system get rid of stomach toxins.

 

AUTOPHAGY: THE MIRACLE OF FASTING

   When fasting for more than 12 hours a day, it triggers what is called AUTOPHAGY.  The word comes from the Greek word autophagein. Auto means self and phagein means to eat or devour. The word autophagy literally means eating yourself. In other words, our system creates a cleaning mechanism that get rid of everything that is not needed, not functioning well or harmful to our body, including cancer cells.

   The Japanese cell biologist YOSHINORI OSUMI was awarded the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine in 2016 for his discoveries of mechanisms of autophagy. His research was about the recycling of our cells and their renewal or rebirth when fasting. During the autophagy process, our cells become so strong that they can destroy all kinds of viruses and bacteria and get rid of all damaged structures from our body.

The benefits of fasting are limitless:

·     Help reduce obesity: The process of fasting will make the liver and enzymes break down cholesterol and fats. Then it converts them into bile acid and then energy or heat which stimulates faster metabolism. 

·     It regulates high blood pressure: when fasting, glucose and stored fats are used to produce energy. As a result, our metabolic rate is reduced as well as some hormones like adrenaline.

·     Fasting rests the digestive system:  the whole system and the organs responsible for digestion actually get to take a break. But the work of this digestive system does not stop; it only happens in a reduced rate. Fasting also helps maintain the balance of fluids in our body.

 

2-       WET CUPPING THERAPY

   Cupping is an ancient medicinal practise used in China and Middle East. There are many types of cupping therapy. The widely known and used are dry and wet or blood cupping.

   There are many misconceptions surrounding the blood cupping. Some say it can be dangerous and it is not safe. Others say there are not enough scientific studies regarding the cupping therapy. One thing is sure is that all those who performed the blood cupping have seen the true magic to their overall health.  

 

 

 

 

FYI:  PEOPLE WHO SHOULD NOT PERFOM WET CUPPING

 

-     Not recommended for someone with a terminal illness.

-     For persons who are taking blood-thinning medications

 like aspirin and warfarin. The reason is the risk of infection

 as the incision site will not close properly

    The benefits of wet cupping are numerous:

-     Pain relief (back pain, migraines, sciatica.)

-     Removal of toxins from blood

-     Improves blood circulation

-     Cure the chronic fatigue syndrome

-     Helps with High blood pressure

-     Helps with many diseases such as Anaemia,

 Haemophilia, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Eczema…

-     Beneficial for mental health (anxiety, depression…)

·

3-       VEGAN DIET

When performing a detox, you need to pursue a vegan diet. It is necessary to pursue a rich and balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, seeds, healthy fats… In the meantime, you need to stay away from all processed foods for it will automatically compromise the whole process of detoxification. The goal of detox is to clean our systems from the junk and waste products. You can get everything your body needs from natural products: vitamins, fiber, carbs, minerals, antioxidants….

   A vegan diet is mainly based on plants like vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and all their natural derivative products. These foods can have tremendous impact on your overall health because of their rich content in vitamins, fiber, folic acid, minerals, and antioxidants. These vegan-based nutrients are also low in calories and in cholesterol. As for their immense benefits, they can help lower blood pressure, prevent heart diseases and stroke and much more. So, let us dive in together to explore the main four food categories that can constitute the vegan diet, and their incredible impact on our health and life. Let us go!

 

FRUITS & VEGETABLES

·     Fruits and vegetables are the main constituents of the vegan diet. They are loaded with all kinds of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fiber, and folic acids.

-     VITAMIN A:  Also called beta-carotene. It is essential to eye health, the immune system and growth. It is found in sweet potatoes, cooked kale, turnip, carrot, spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli, pumpkin…

-     VITAMIN C:  Very essential to the good health of bones, healing wounds and the production of collagen. Vitamin C can be found in sweet yellow pepper, parsley, mustard spinach, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, lemons…

-     VITAMIN E: It is an antioxidant that protects red blood cells and fight free radicals. The vegetables that are rich in vitamin E are Red sweet pepper, turnip, beet greens, asparagus, broccoli, spinach…

·     MINERALS: fruits and vegetables are a great source of minerals like potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and iron.

·     FIBER:  It helps with keeping our sugar level in check. It also relieves from constipation. Fiber-rich vegetables and fruits include carrots, green peas, broccoli, artichoke, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, tomatoes, apples, pears, raspberries.

·     FOLIC ACID:  It helps with the formation of chromosomes, red blood cells, DNA and RNA. It is also essential for brain function. Vegetables that are rich in folic acids: Asparagus, brussels sprouts, leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula), broccoli…

·     ANTIOXIDANTS: They are very important in fighting free radicals and cancer cells.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Fruits and vegetables are crucial for a good health. They help prevents and protects against cancer and other diseases like diabetes type 2 because of the richness in phytochemicals.

 

 

WHOLE GRAINS

Whole grains include foods that contains all three parts of the grain: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. The most common whole grains are barley, bulghur (cracked wheat) oatmeal, quinoa, black rice, brown rice, red rice, popcorn, whole wheat-flour…. Whole grains are rich in fiber. The mineral and vitamin content in whole grains is huge. It includes:

-     Iron

-     Magnesium

-     Phosphorus

-     Selenium

-     Vitamin A

-     Vitamin B 1

-     Vitamin B 2

-     Vitamin B 3

-     Vitamin B 6

-     Vitamin B 9

-     Vitamin E

   The richness of the nutrients in whole grain foods can have an immense impact on your health:

-     Help maintain good levels of cholesterol

-     Help lower blood pressure

-     Protect from heart diseases and strokes

-     Protect from diabetes type 2

-     Protect against certain types of cancer like cancer of the large intestine and rectum

 

NUTS & SEEDS

Nuts and seeds are as important as all the other food categories. They are a great source for protein, healthy fats, fibers, minerals, and vitamins.

·     The most common nuts are almonds, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, peanuts…

·     The most common seeds are: Pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Shia seeds, poppy seeds…

 

 

Unless you have an allergy to certain nuts, the benefits of

 eating nuts are so important to your body:

-     Help with weight loss because of the unsaturated fats

 that give you the impression of being full

-     Help reduce rheumatoid arthritis

-     Protect against Alzheimer and dementia

-     Improve good cholesterol levels

-     Prevent cancer because they are rich in Vitamin E.

 

HEALTHY FATS

   Fat is a type of nutrient just like vitamins and minerals.

Our body needs these fats to absorb other nutrients, protect our heart and brain health.

   Some fats are considered very bad for our health like the trans fats that exist in margarines and some other processed foods. They are called the saturated fats. But there exist different fatty acids that are very essential to our body because they have an important role in our body’s daily functions. They are totally safe because they are unsaturated and 100% natural. Healthy fats can be found in several ingredients like:

- Olive oil and sesame oil

- Olives

- Avocados

- Nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews

- Seeds such as pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds, flax seeds

- Fish oil and in some fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines)

- Sunflower oil

 

   The benefits of theses fatty fats are numerous:

-     Help reduce the risk of heart diseases 

-     Lower bad cholesterol levels

-     Reduce inflammation

-     Maintain healthy blood sugar

-     Excellent for heart and brain functions

-     Good for skin

-     Help with sleep

 

4-       SPORT

   As the Roman poet Juvenal once said: “Mens sana in corpora sano”. This famous quote means a healthy mind in a healthy body. It summarizes the impact that sport can have on your entire life.

   Sport is both good for the body and mind. When practising a regular physical activity, it requires time, energy, and dedication.  Practising a physical activity can teach you certain skills such as discipline, teamwork, leadership, self-confidence, respect. The benefits of practising sport on your body are many:

·      It can help you prevent all kinds of cardiovascular problems.

·     It helps keep your muscles and bones structures very strong.

·     Sport reduces the risk of some chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart attack.

·     Moreover, sport is a great means to let go all stress.

·     Besides, it can be very beneficial in so many ways: it can improve your mood, concentration and helps with sleep habits.

 

CONCLUSION  

 

 The combination of the four above points in your detox plan can be a life changer. It is a kind of rebirth. You will witness the radical changes in your body as days go by. Consequently, you will be ready to confront the upcoming hardships of your daily lives with more confidence and determination.