Maintaining Good Health- What Foods to Avoid

Although I have not embarked on a real detox program yet, I am starting to do slowly so that my body does not get shocked. As I am also a diabetic, I have to be careful not to overdo it and become hypoglycaemic. Yesterday, we had only a sandwich for lunch and "yong tau foo" for dinner. This morning my blood glucose level was 6.7 as opposed to 8.1 two days earlier. I had not been monitoring my glucose levels since end of December because we ran out of strips. We eventually bought a new glucometer ( of the same brand) which had cheaper strips and I had to learn to take the blood sample on to the new strip which was the opposite from the previous one. Only after 5 tries did I succeed. What a slow learner...

Anyway, I was pleased that my last appointment with the physician showed that my health status is considered satisfactory. I was anaemic in August but after 2 months being on 2 iron pills twice a day, the iron in blood improved tremendously. Thanks to my inhouse doctor, Zayye. I am also happy to note that taking fish oil supplements also helps.I have been taking fish oil and garlic oil for over a year and now my triglycerides levels are good compared to taking statins alone. I had been on statins for quite some time and the overall lipid levels were not so encouraging especially the triglyceride and LDL levels. The morning trips to the park have also helped in improving our overall health.

So we, my husband and I, started taking apple mixed with celery drink yesterday. Actually the book recommends that two green apples and 1 stick celery is pushed into a juice extractor to get the juice. It would taste better if you use an extractor. Since I was too lazy to clean up after the juicing, I just blended everything in a blender. Well, tomorrow I will take the extractor out from the cabinet and not be lazy.

Today we also start retaking the psyllium husks. 2 tablespoons of psyllium is mixed with water in a mug.It has to be taken immediately before it gels. Psyllium has a lot of soluble and insoluble fibre and will help reduce blood cholesterol and clean up our colon, thus helping to prevent colon cancer. Psyllium also help in dealing with diarrhoea and constipation. But as a precaution, you have to drink lots of water if you take psyllium. Another tip is, it has to be taken at least 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after, as it may prevent the absorption of nutrients into the body.

Back to detoxing, the food to avoid during detox includes all that contain coloring, preservatives, flavorings, additives, artificial sweeteners and hydrogenated vagetable fats.so it is back to nature and organic foods. No junk food here. We have to train our brain to recondition and our tastebuds to change their preferences from sweet to less sweet, from creamy to less fatty and from no vegetables to more vegetables.

Most people who detox also refrain from red meat, wheat and dairy as red meat and dairy products they may contain residual hormones and growth promoters and antibiotics. Meat also contain saturated fats that block the arteries and cause damage to organ, joints and glands. As for me, when I cook meat, I will remove visible fat before boiling. I will them cool the meat in the fridge and use it later after skimming off more fat. I feel we still need the end nutrients from meat as meat is also a source of iron and protein.

Some people on detox also refrain from eating fish as they fear the mercury content in them. Actually eating smaller fish is okay as the smaller fish has not lived long enough to imbibe the mercury into their bodies.

Salt can substituted for fresh herbs and lemon juice as too much salt can overload the kidneys and cause fliud retention and eventually heart failure. Large amounts of sugar would affect blood sugar levels and a constant high blood sugar is bad for overall health. The sugar now becomes a toxin and makes you a sluggish person. Do you not notice that you become sleepy after a heavy meal?

Coffee and alcohol is definitely not included in a detox diet. However, tea especially herbal teas are encouraged. Taking heaps of Chinese or green tea with no added sugar is good as tea act as a diuretic and can get rid of the toxins faster. But you must not overdo this as the diuretic can affect your electrolyte levels and reduce your potassium and other miro-nutrient levels.

Well, detox is not only for the old. The young should regularly do a detox to vitalise their bodies and avoid paying the penance in their old age. Good health has a lot of benefits. Don't fall seriously ill before you realise this. It may then be too late.