Anyway, as usual there was a lot of food. Rice with meat curry, fried spicy chicken, mixed vegetables, fried eggs and anchovy sambal with jering. For desserts there was coconut jelly, satsumas, and ketupat pulut in palas leaf. Instead of the birthday cake, glutinous rice cooked in turmeric (pulut kuning) was served. I did not eat the pulut kuning and fried eggs as there were simply too much to eat.
Since December, we have been attending a lot of weddings and enjoying a lot of good food. Recently, I bought a book on Detox produced by the Australian Women's Weekly which gives a complete guide on how to rid the body of toxins and comes loaded with recipes. I have yet to start the detox program because one needs to be in a relaxed mood in order to do so. Detoxing may result in headaches and tummy aches due to withdrawal symptoms.
First of all, why do we need to detox? The following are some of the uneasy symptoms of feeling unwell:
- Always tired due to low energy level and have difficulty falling asleep
- Suffers from bad or dull skin (dry and itchy), pimples and boils
- Frequent viral infections/lowered immunity
- Constipation, diarrhoea, irregular or sluggish bowel movements
- Puffy eyes with dark circles
- nauseous
- joint aches and pains
- prone to sinus problems and allergies
- hair is dull and greasy or with dandruff
- suffer from frequent headaches
- night sweats
- bad breath
- flatulence
- water retention
- less focused in thoughts
- mood swings
- anxiety or depression
- stressed
Detoxification can be done through fruit and vegetable cocktails, nutritional supplements, baths and hydrotherapy.
Side effects in the initial stage of detox include:
fatigue
malaise
aches and pains
emotional duress
acne
allergies
headaches
symptoms of cold and flu
These symptoms are part of the healing process caused by temporarily high levels of toxins in the blood prior to elimination and cleansing.
According to the book, one needs to rest during a period of detox and not take painkillers to cure a headache. Instead lots of water and herbal teas are recommended. Caffeine, sugar, white flour, white rice, saturated and trans fats are out. Unhealthy foods are to be replaced by fruits and vegetables, filtered water, herbal teas, pulses and grains. The only kitchen utensils in the kitchen suitable for a detox diet are the steamer and the juice extractor.
Good Detox Foods:
(I have compiled the following list from the book mentioned above as well as from sources I have collected over the years. I am only putting the good effects of these foods and not the nutrients they contain that help in the detoxifying function.)
Alfalfa: General tonic; used as herbal tea
Anise: Sweetens breath and refreshes the palate and helps promote restful sleep;used as herbal tea
Apples: Improve endurance and stamina of muscles and nerves and a great antioxidant. It protects respiratory system,help lower cholesterol and also act as laxative
Asparagus: Detox kidneys and restore blood alkalinity
Avocados: Help lower cholesterol and remove fat soluble toxins
Bananas: Promote good memory and healthy blood
Barley: Nourishing and good blood cleanser
Beetroot: Liver cleansing and help nourish nerves and brain.
Borage and Basil: Clear the blood of toxins and promote healthy hair and nails; used as herbal tea
Broccoli: Good for strong bones. Also stimulates the liver.
Cabbage:Expels waste and cleans the blood
Caraway Seeds: Helpful in clearing the complexion;used as herbal tea
Carrots: Cleanse, nourish and stimulate the kidneys, liver and digestive system
Celery: Diuretic and laxative.
Chamomile: Eases stress and tension and induces natural sleep;used as herbal tea
Cherries: Remove toxins from kidneys, liver and digestive system.Could help protect against cancer
Chickpeas: Promote healthy bones, kidneys, nerves and muscles
Chillies: Increases body metabolic rate
Cilantro: Removes heavy metals from the blood
Cucumber: Prevent water retention, promote health of heart muscles, hair, nails, skin and thyroid.
Dandelion: Enhances the flow of bile and acts as a liver tonic and keeps healthy complexion;used as herbal tea
Echinacea: Improves lymphatic filtration and drainage, removes blood toxins and stimulates the immune system
Fennel: Diuretic;used as herbal tea
Garlic: Natural antiseptic, keep body alkaline and garlic oil clear the respiratory and lymphatic systems.
Ginger: Clean, rejuvenate and stimulate the digestive system
Grapefruit: Good anti-oxidant
Kelp: Takes weight of hip area;used as herbal tea
Lavender: Reduces stress, promotes restful sleep;used as herbal tea
Lemongrass: Helps clean complexion and give healthy skin; used as herbal tea
Lentils: Low in fat, high in fibre
Lettuce: Promote calcium metabolism and eliminate excess uric acid deposits from bones and bloodstream
Lemons: Help in repair and healthy functioning of nerves and assists in proper elimination of of waste and cleansing of the lymphatic system as well as stimulate the liver and gallbladder
Milk Thistle: improves liver function by eliminating dangerous toxins and stimulates the formation of new liver cells
Melons: Clean the kidneys
Onions: Promote better blood circulation and prevents nerve and mental fatigue. Have antiviral and antibacterial nutrients
Oranges: Protect the body from infections
Papaya: Aid in protein digestion
Parsley: Simulates the kidneys to eliminate toxic wastes
Peaches: Protect from stress effects, protect lungs and respiratory tract and help expel harmful mucus from the body
Pears: Provide alkaline healing and cleansing minerals which benefits both the lymphatic system and eliminate carbon dioxide from the lungs
Peppermint: Relieves stress;used as herbal tea
Pineapples: Have anti-inflammatory properties and help in digestion of protein
Rose hip: General tonic,good for skin;used as herbal tea
Sea vegetables: remove heavy metals from the body
Sesame seeds: Excellent protein source and assist in formation of blood platelets and with iron, can purify blood
Spinach: Regulate the pH of the blood and levels of certain minerals
Spirulina: Eliminates heavy metal, strenthen immune system and improves gastro-intestinal health
Strawberries:Have anti- carcinogenic effects and good source of iron
Spearmint, Thyme and Witch Hazel: prevents bad breath, refreshing gargle, good for sore throats;used as herbal tea
Tofu: Low in fat and good protein source as well as has ability to bind with heavy metals to eliminate them from the body
Tomatoes: Stimulate the liver to filter out waste and help in production of gastric juices, maintenance of good fluid levels and reduction of excess blood fat
Watercress: Cleanses the blood, improves skin complexion and brightens eyes
Wolfberry: Neutralize free radicals and strengthen the body immunity
Yogurt: Contains good bacteria that cleanse the digestive system and keeps intestine flora healthy
Before actually going through the detox program, one has to be mentally and physically prepared. I will continue with the list of foods to avoid and things to do in the next posting. Meanwhile, I am still waiting for the right time to start a detox program.
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