The silly season complete with over indulgence and little exercise is over now and you’re not feeling so good. You’re energy levels are low, your digestion is sluggish, you may be experiencing more headaches or muscle tension or you may not be sleeping so well. This is perfectly understandable considering so much is demanded of you over the Christmas period. It’s natural to feel a little burnt out. And since it’s the season of summer, there’s no better time to start re-charging the batteries by taking time out for yourself to detox and get back on track.

Detox is a modern concept that has been introduced because our lives have become so much more complex. These days we juggle a lot of the different aspects of our lives: we balance careers and families, drive everywhere, skip meals, buy convenience food cause we’re rushing, eat take away, drink alcohol whenever we feel like it, smoke cigarettes, snack more, wear fashionable yet restrictive clothing, we sit all day and we drink coffee to keep us going. This is all fine in moderation but unfortunately-this is our life.

If this lifestyle sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone. Increasingly our modern lifestyle makes so many demands of us, isn’t it time you took back control? After the hype and excitement of Christmas is the best time to start afresh. So you’ve enjoyed yourself over the silly season…. that’s great…. but now it’s time for you and your body to recoup and make the best start possible to the New Year.

Everybody is talking about “detox” but what does it really mean for you? It means you will have more energy, sleep better at night, boost your immune system, lose weight and improve your complexion. At Cronulla Osteopathic Centre it means one-on-one teamwork with your Chinese Medicine practitioner Sarah Folwell, who will diagnose and treat you according to your individual constitution and life situation, that’s the Chinese Medicine way! Sarah will focus on re-balancing your body utilising such tools as acupuncture, massage and cupping, as well as developing a herbal formula tailored to your needs. This will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Your practitioner will also focus on your eating plan and give guidance for exercise and relaxation. Get ready to be the best you can be for 2007!

Chinese medicine is a holistic healing paradigm that encompasses re-balancing you from the ground up. Chinese medicine looks at the body in terms of Qi (energy). Your may not have enough Qi, or it may be stagnated in parts of your body and not getting to the areas where it’s needed. Signs that this is the case are; sluggish digestion, a tendency towards constipation, alternating bowel habits, headaches, dull skin, pimples, irritability, tiredness, tense muscles and a feeling of being run down.

If this sounds like you, then you need to follow these seven steps to prepare yourself to detox and you can leave the rest to us. In Chinese medicine, the Stomach and Spleen are the main organs associated with digestion. Energetically they form the ‘centre’ of the body and it is said that if the centre is well, everything else down stream will also be functioning well. The Liver is also an important organ in Chinese medicine as it is responsible for the smooth movement of Qi (energy) throughout the body, particularly in relation to digestion, harmony of emotions and menstruation. When we continually eat problem foods, such as too much meat or alcohol for example, our Qi becomes stagnated and we are more easily irritated, frustrated and our digestion is also impeded.

So with that in mind, the following seven changes will need to be made to your diet:

1. Start eliminating sugar now.

For the period of your detox, no sugar should be eaten because it weakens the digestive system. The sweet flavour is the flavour of the Spleen and when we eat too much of it, it weakens this organ which is integral to digestion in Chinese medicine terms. Indicators that it’s weak are a swollen tongue body, sometimes with teeth marks, feeling tired and poorly toned muscles. 100 years ago sugar was eaten once or twice a year as it was a precious commodity. Today we eat it almost every day and it is in most pre-packaged food and sauces. It’s interesting to note that 100 years ago we mainly died from infectious diseases, where as today we mainly die from preventable diseases often related to our diet.

2. Give alcohol a miss.

Alcohol also contains sugar which is a no-no over your detox period. It also dehydrates the body which leads to premature aging and we all know the effects of a hang over! Our liver has more than enough to cope with, considering we drink tap water with chemicals and eat food that has been treated with pesticides. Your detox is going to give some time back to your liver to regenerate as well!

3. Say bye-bye to processed food.

This has any number of flavourings, colours and preservatives which all help to stagnate our Qi (energy), make us feel lethargic, contribute to headaches and poor skin and hinder a smooth digestive process. Where will you find these types of food? Fast food take away, frozen dinners, dips, sausages, other pre-packaged processed meats, sauces, chips, powdered soups and more. During the period of your detox you must become a label reader. Anything that features numbers, for example 621 - which is MSG, or ingredients you don’t understand, means it’s no good for you and so don’t eat it.

4. Dramatically decrease your meat consumption to fish only.

For the detox period, fish should take up 10% of your diet. That means 2 meals a week. Fish is good because in the wild it moves quickly and therefore will not be stagnating in the body. Chinese medicine believes that the energy the animal has in the wild is reflected in the body after we consume it. For the rest of the time you’ll be eating vegetables, grains, beans and lentils. This will mean it’s time to get out the recipe books or treat yourself to a few new ones. 100 years ago people ate meat once or twice a week because it was so expensive. They also led much more physically active lives. Today many people eat meat of some kind almost every day. We are over-nourishing ourselves to the point where it is stagnating in our body and ultimately causing disease.

5. Where possible, choose organic fruit, vegetables and grains.

These days conventional produce is full of chemicals, resulting from herbicides, pesticides and environmental factors in general, so now is a good time to take a break from them. Organic fruit and vegetables are grown under very strict guidelines and do contain more nutrients than regular produce. In particular, try including more food that helps to clear your Liver Qi: sprouted grains, asparagus, taro, cabbage, turnip, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beetroot, Jerusalem artichoke, sourdough rye bread, mild dispersing pungent flavours such as; spices, onions, garlic, mustard greens, watercress, turmeric, basil, mint, peppermint, cardamom, cumin etc.

6. Start to eliminate dairy products.

Apart from containing many saturated fats and difficult to digest lactose, they produce fluids in the body, which the Chinese refer to as dampness. This hinders digestion and so for the period of the detox, it’s best to avoid them. To ensure you’re getting enough calcium, make sure you eat some Japanese seaweed products as they are high in calcium but also contain lots of micronutrients (Nori, Kombu, Wakame), other foods high in calcium are sesame seeds, almonds, sardines with bones and spinach.

7. Be careful not to eat too much cold or refrigerated food.

In Chinese medicine, this is said to dampen out the digestive fire and we don’t want to do that. Your digestion needs to be strong and then everything else will fall into place. So this simply means not going over the top with salads, iced water, raw vegetable and fruit juices. Lightly cooking food is easier to digest because the cellulose walls of the plant cells have been broken by the heat enabling our body can take in more nutrients.

If it sounds like your ready to take on the challenge to a new healthy you, then your next step is to get in touch with Sarah at Cronulla Osteopathic Centre.

Many of her clients tell her how relaxed and energized they feel after a treatment and how much better they feel after taking their herbs and following their unique diet plan. So why don’t you call Cronulla Osteopathic Centre today on 9527 3322 and let Sarah’s skills and enthusiasm benefit you!