3 Day Simple Detox Plan

     

        In my practice, I came across few individuals suffering with symptoms ranging from a simple dandruff on scalp to explainable joint pains, fatigue etc. Unfortunately these guys term their symptoms or relate to major diseases by reading the XYZ content on Internet, from fellow patients etc.They end up knocking doors of multiple specialists and getting prescribed with lots of unwanted medications. I don’t blame  the doctors for this all the times, it’s a kind of attitude of the patient which makes the doctor prescribe and sometimes it’s the patient who persists to take medications by exaggerating the symptoms. Once you start feeling diseased without any proper diagnosis or supporting medical tests…… You really start having a disease.

        Human body is a miracle, it’s a gift given to you by God. It has enormous capacity to heal itself. Your duty is to provide enough support and rest to the external body and internal organs during the “not feeling well” situations.

        This is when I ask my patients to slow down a bit from their existing busy schedule and listen to their body. Many diseases have unknown origin … that we call as idiopathic origin. Modern medicine believes in bacteria, viruses, fungus etc that infect your body, but what is that environment in the body which is making it easier for you to get infected? Why one suffers with lower immunity ? Why few people end up having deficiencies in spite of consuming supplements?

The reason could be...

1. Dearrangements in internal body functions
2. Lower digestion, assimilation and absorption
3. No proper elimination etc.

        During these times one should get their bodies detoxed and restrain from   unwanted, unhealthy foods to support the body from its healing process. Our bodies do have organs to detox all the toxins, chemical substances, biological end products etc, but detox processes help these organs to function well by providing some rest to these organs.

        When your body is not feeling well, it might show in the form of a simple fever, cold, indigestion, constipation, lethargy etc. Instead of running to the doctor on the day one for getting antibiotics, paracetamol etc....just rest and eat less.

 REST & EAT LESS :

• When you don’t feel well, your digestion, absorption get slower. That is why you should eat less, preferably semi- solid foods, soups ,juices and drink lots of water rather than indulging in 'tasty' junk foods. Have you observed, your pets won’t consume much food when they are ill and prefer to go on a fast and lie down till they feel better. You are not nourished by the quantity or quality of food, you are nourished by the amount you are able to digest and utilise.
• Enhance elimination by drinking lots of water and  juices.
• Rest your body and mind.

DETOX PROCESS FOR GENERAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT :

        I am  giving you a 3 day programme ,which is simple,effective and does not need a medical supervision (unless u have some major illness). It’s not an ideal detox programme, in which you are supposed to stay at health centre which provides you therapies ranging from mud therapy-hydrotherapy,massage etc apart from the diet. This is simple, practical for general public.

        If you have 3 days of long weekend. Let's say a Friday, Saturday, Sunday make up your mind for the detox and prepare yourself mentally that you're going to follow the diet strictly:

• Do not have alcohol.
• Don’t smoke.
• Don’t eat foods of animal origin or meat products.
• Minimize coffee or tea(better to stop)
• Minimize energy drinks(better to stop)

1. Wake up early between 5:30 -6:30 AM
2. Consume ½ liter of water (if not at once, with a interval of half an hour).
3. Evacuate your bowels, if you are constipated then have a cup of warm water/green tea with no sugar.
4. Carry on with your regular exercise routine (but make sure that it’s not strenuous). I  recommend simple stretches, yogasanas and long refreshing walks rather than jogging, weight lifts etc.
5. After exercise  one can consume a glass of (200 ml) of water mixed with ½ lemon and 2 tsp of honey or Jaggery to get some energy or you can opt for any other natural drink of your choice after a gap of 5-10 minutes
6. Prefer a warm to cold bath.

The above 4 steps are going to be same for next two days.

DAY 1

LIQUID DIET :

        It’s not suitable if you are suffering with any of the following ailments.(you can go ahead under a guidance of a medical Practitioner or at a specialized Wellness centre ) Gastritis, ulcers, diabetes, anal fissures, hemorrhoids, migraine, if you are on certain medications like ecosprin, clopidogrel, anti epileptics or any other life saving medications, analgesics, antibiotics etc. in these conditions your body is  required to consume solid foods. If you wish to detox,you can go ahead with semisolid foods, soups with vegetables, grains ,sprouts, half boiled vegetables with zero oil preparations etc.

Preparing yourself mentally is very much necessary to follow liquid diet (even if it’s for a day). If you are not prepared mentally …. I am sure you will end up by eating by the end of the day.

        One might get slight headache (if you used to have tea, coffee or any other addictive substances),nausea, vomiting once or twice (if the stomach is too much acidic), restless, feverish,weak etc…..but these are good symptoms, your body is trying to throw up the toxins and heal itself.. All these will subside in a day or two. You just need to be calm and support your body by consuming lots of water (6-8 glasses of water) and other 6-8 glasses (150-200 ml) of fruit juices throughout the day.

        You can go with any of the liquids including but not limited to lemon juice, orange , pineapple, litchi, water apple, pomegranate, coconut water, clear soups, buttermilk/ yogurt ¼ cup mixed with 200 ml of water etc.

DAY 2

• You can start your day with a glass of juice (any of the above mentioned).
• For breakfast … you can have a soup.
• For lunch- 2 varieties of fruits (less than 500 gm) +100-150 gm of raw salad (1 bowl)
• For evening time – a glass of clear soup
• For dinner,same as lunch.

DAY 3

One can start day with a healthy vegetarian breakfast, including any from the given list:

Breakfast:

• Oat meal
• Cereals
• Steamed preparations based on your culture, locality

Lunch:

• Wheat bread/pulka/ quinoa/ soft cooked rice+lots of vegetables.

Dinner:

• Fruits +salads+soup

DAY 4-5

• Either you can continue day 3 menu as long as you can.
• You can resume to your regular diet slowly.

One can repeat this 3 days programme once in 15 days or a month.
The opinions and suggestions written in this article are purely personal.

How Do I lose Weight-Lifestyle Changes

 LIFESTYLE CHANGES

        

        Living close to nature is a major step towards achieving weightloss and maintaining health. We are making major advances in science and technology but going very far away from nature and natural ways of living. Our ancestors were in close contact with nature, following the laws of nature. For eg, people in the olden days were used to waking up in the morning by hearing sounds of birds, domestic animals not by using alarm clocks, which can be set at whatever time we want. People were obliged to eat home cooked meals due to the absence of plethora of hotels due to which there were less chances of consuming artificially cooked and stored foods. Eating with families also was very common.The togetherness made a great difference in mindset of people during those times. They also had to work and do more physical work to maintain their lives everyday. They slept early as there was no availability of TV and internet and no option of going to parties, pubs, clubs etc. They ate vegetables, cereals, grains which were grown naturally without the use of pesticides; they ate meat of animals which were not fed artificial animal feeds.

       

        One can achieve weight loss quickly by doing strenuous exercises, quick diets etc but maintaining thereafter requires a lot of efforts. It becomes easy when you have a clear understanding of an ideal lifestyle, good dietary habits and leading a stress free life. If you are sick, malnourished or suffering with diseases and maintaining an ideal weight is not your goal, optimal physical and mental health should be one's goal. Let’s see what your ideal daily routine should look like.....

1)Early to rise and early to bed:

        According to Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medical system, waking up at one and half hour before sunrise (3.30 AM - 5.30 AM) should be the start of your daily routine (Dinacharya). But we can try to wake up at least half an hour before sun rise. Our bodies are tuned according to the sunrise and sunset. One's mind is fresh and pure early mornings, one's body is active after hours of sleep. Pineal glad( which releases melatonin hormone) is most active during early hours. According to the Yoga philosophy APANA VAYU (downward flowing prana) which is situated in the pelvic floor, is more active in the early hours which will help in better bowel movement, nourishes organs of digestion and elimination.

         
         Most of our body functions are most active in the morning and starts declining by sunset. When you start your day in the morning at these hours and make a habit of exercising you will notice remarkable changes in the body including but not limited to a better digestion, improved metabolism, better sleep, better exercise capacity and a stress free mind.                      

What about people who do night shifts?
One still can try their best to make a regulated daily routine in their given timings....

2) Bathe in cold water:

        According to Hydrotherapy, different temperatures of water have different effects on our health.

Cold is restoring and rejuvenating in nature. Our Yogis have been doing this since ages having a cold dip in rivers in the early hours.

Though it feels uncomfortable to pour cold water in the morning, the advantages are many. The moment you pour cold water on to your body: 

1. Your body starts producing heat as an defense mechanism (which helps in burning brown fat), your body requires more oxygen to produce heat that's the reason your breath becomes deeper, which in turn helps in better oxygenation and also in improving cardio vascular health.
2. Superficial blood vessels contract on exposure to cold water bringing momentary increase in blood pressure, followed by dilatation of blood vessels there by improving blood flow towards internal organs.
3. Cold water tightens the skin, cuticles of hair,improves smooth muscle functioning thereby helps in elimination etc.

        Remember cold water bath is not for everyone. People with high blood pressure, previous history of cardiovascular attacks, Epilepsy, Rheumatoid arthritis, certain skin diseases and weak individuals, very old and small children can opt for warm temperature or gradual baths from neutral to cold.

        
        Initial discomfort of having cold shower will gradually reduce. People who are looking at weight loss must keep cold baths to short duration less than 5 minutes for better results.

3) Make a habit of having breakfast: 

        Why am I specially mentioning this point is because if you don't give a kick start to the body (improved metabolism) in the morning, you will end up consuming more calories throughout the day because of hunger, low energy, fatigue, mood changes.

        
        Most of us run to our offices without breakfast. It may be due to lack of time (waking up late) or not habituated to eating breakfast or feeling energised with just a cup of coffee or tea which suppresses your appetite in a unhealthy way.

        
        Your body is under fasting whole night, it’s very important that you provide glucose to your brain with a good diet: otherwise you end up irritated and less energetic with a fatigue.

        
        Obese individuals should eat a minimal breakfast which should consist of complex carbohydrates, protein and few calories from fat.

        
        It's OK to go on juices like lemon with honey/lemon with jaggery/ smoothies etc,during detox sessions and initial weight loss sessions but on long run you must stick to a healthy breakfast.        

In general:

• Brown bread, cereal, oat meal
• Traditional Indian breakfast like poha,upma  with less oil, idli or any other steamed preparations.
• Boiled eggs, sprouts, low fat milk, buttermilk,soaked nuts
• Porridges... etc.            

        I personally prefer to eat  1 banana (or 1 small bowl poha/ idli(2)) with a glass of buttermilk +50-100 grams of sprouts / soaked nuts(2-3)

4)Stress free life:

        Who has no stress? None of us. We go through stress everyday. We can't work without stress. Positive stress is a good motivating force to complete your task on time,to achieve positive goals in life,to prepare your body for the fight and flight reaction to face any physical dangers. 
     
        Negative stress,negative thoughts make you depressed, helpless, lonely, weak etc etc ... You will end up over eating,abusing your body with alcohol ,drugs and create imbalance in the bodily functions which might lead to bigger health issues like major hormone imbalances,fertility issues etc....
Ex: hyperacidity which is the result of your stress leads to over-eating, untimely eating causing over weight. Fatigue in the body makes you feel lazy, inactive and you tend to put on weight.
     
        I come across few individuals in my daily practice who seem to have less negative stress, happiness in spite of  ongoing bad situations in their lives. When I analyse it further, I realise they are leading a simple life and much more content with life than most of us. We might not be able to change the on going situations or phases of our lives,but  we can definitely try to safe guard our health by practising ...

• Simple breath meditation for atleast 5 minutes a day.
• Deep relaxation of your muscles can be done by focusing on each and every body part and consciously relaxing(while in lying down position)
• Consciously focusing on positivity (remember your thoughts are so powerful enough to attract what you think....think positive ..You attract positivity).

How do I lose weight -Exercise

     

     
        The moment you hear word exercise, laziness sets in, you think that what if i don't continue exercise after I start, what type of exercise I should like going to gym / yoga / Jumba dancing / aerobic exercise etc. I came across many people specially women think the household works and office works, commuting from the home to office etc give enough exercise to their bodies. Moreover we here a word "no time to exercise". Most of us are guilty enough for not exercising .Let me give you a brief introduction of the existence of the habit of exercise from the ancient times.

Our ancestors never really did a set of exercises in gym, but they had to lot of physical work to survive. Survival of the fittest was a crucial throughout the human evolution. The interested one practised Yoga, Martial arts to be fit physically and mentally . According to many philosophers and historians in the west and east fitness, proper nutrition and spiritual balance were the basic fundamentals of healthy living promoted through the centuries. Women also used to do lot of physical works ranging from grinding, pounding grains to working in the fields, men worked from building empires to participating in wars.

GENERAL RULES FOR THE EXERCISE:


        Iam going to write few practical issues people face in terms of exercise and put forward few general guidelines one should be aware of before starting exercises.

Increase your exercise gradually

        If you are taking exercise for the first time, start with a low intensity cardio/ walk/ simple stretches/ basic yoga asanas and not to go for weight training, sun salutations, advance Pilates even if you have a flexible spine and joints. I see people going for 4 minute intense workouts like Tabata exercises, jumping, skipping etc on the 1st week of the exercises and ending up with painful joints and sore muscles, gradually increase the intensity and timings over a period of 2-4 weeks.

Breath deeply  

       You must be wondering where does your fat go when you lose weight, how will it disappear from your body? When fat is burned (oxidized) it converts into water and carbon dioxide. Ultimately you will lose in the form of sweat and the breath. You must emphasis on good breathing and try deep breathing while exercising.

Empty stomach

        Early mornings or late evenings are preferable timings of exercising. If not possible in mornings and evenings you should at least make sure that you have completed your meals before 2 - 5 hours of exercise. Few experts say that one can have a small snack or caffeine related drinks before your exercise to boost up metabolism, but for me I prefer to go on empty stomach. Diabetics or  people feeling low energetic before exercise can eat 1-2 dates / raisins/ 1 tsp of jaggery/ honey to energise themselves.

Exercise carefully

        Obese or overweight individuals, who also suffering with few diseases like arthritis or any other joint related issues should initially give importance for: 

• Milder forms of walk 10- 15 minutes/ yogic stretching.
• Sitting bicycles 10-15 minutes
• Joint strengthening exercises 10-15 minutes

Individuals with lower back pain, neck pain with a diagnosed vertebral disc issues should opt for:

• Slow walking 15-20 minutes
• Spinal strengthening exercises 20 -30 minutes
• Few abdominal strengthening asanas and back strengthening asanas.

        Healthy and young individuals can opt for 45 minutes to 1 hour exercise / weekly 6 days. One should maintain the increased heart beat during exercise for at least 10 minutes to get maximum calories burn. I have seen people exercising sometimes stop losing in spite of doing regular exercise, during those times change the activity to something different to again start losing weight. You can also try few changes in the diet to boost metabolism.

        I suggest yoga for individuals whose main reason for putting on weight is hormonal imbalance. Only yogic exercises in combination with pranayama, meditation, stress relaxing techniques can bring hormonal balance and helps in losing weight as well in maintaining.

Few exercise one can take up depending on the type and causes of over weight.

1. Cardio and weight training
2. Aerobic exercise
3. Yoga, pranayama 
4. Pilates
5. Jumba  etc

You can check for the specific Exercises or Yogasanas for abdomen / thighs / hips in next few blogs.

How Do I Lose Weight-Diet

        A successful weight loss programme must consist of the following, which will not only keep you in losing weight but also in maintaining weight and optimal health.

1.      Proper diet

2.      Adequate exercise

3.      Regulated daily routine & changes in life style

4.      Positive mental attitude

5.      Supporting therapies & supplements

1.PROPER DIET:

        These days there is lot of appreciation for the benefit of proper diet in the medical world. Diet when taken properly cures and prevents lot of ailments we suffer from. When you don't have a proper diet, even the supplements and medications don’t digest and assimilate properly in the body. There is saying in Sanskrit, "you are what you eat". Natural and healthy diet itself detoxes the body. Before I write down a diet chart for an effective weight loss, I would like to pen down a few guidelines regarding:

        A) What to eat

        B) How to eat

        C) How much to eat

       

The above said principles are not just for weight loss and detoxifying the body, these are for every individual who wish to live a healthy life.

A)WHAT TO EAT?

        Human body is a highly complicated structure and we are gifted to have our bodies in this life. One cannot afford to eat whatever his senses direct to him to and indulge in whichever food one likes. Just to note a few of the astonishing facts of organs in our bodies

        Eg:

• 126 billion cells of WBC (each life span of only 9-12 days); constantly circulate in our body to protect us from infections.
• Our heart pumps 1 million litres of blood to the body in a life span of 70 years through 60 mile long blood vessels.
• Human nervous system functions with the help of about 50 billion neurons.
• Air spaces in our lungs can cover a tennis court , when spread out etc.,

Isn't it amazing? Our body is a living wonder and we need to protect our body physically and mentally through sustained and conscious efforts.

Criteria of a good diet:

●      Pleasant to look at - not burnt, not deep fried, not over boiled.

●      Smell good- one should not feel the dominant smell of one particular ingredient.

●      Taste good- all the tastes like spice, sweet, pungent, salty, bitter etc should be balanced in a whole day meal

●      Nutritious. 

In general

a) EAT PREDOMINANTLY VEGETARIAN DIET

        Based on history and human evolution, since man has evolved from being a predominant meat eater, human gastrointestinal tract can accommodate both animal and plant based foods. According to me, plant based diet is much easy on digestion. Unlike our ancestors, we don't get meat from wild animals (which has lesser fat) in comparison to domestic animals. The animal feeds, medications, vaccines which we are giving to our chicken and lamb etc are synthetically made, artificially grown and genetically manipulated. One should completely avoid animal source protein in few Allergic conditions and autoimmune diseases, Kidney failures etc.

There are a number of evidences to show that predominantly animal based diet is playing a major role in developing of obesity, heart diseases, cancers and many other chronic diseases.

Most of my patients question that do they have to avoid non-vegetarian forever? How can they meet their protein requirements of the body? Vit b12 requirements..?

Most of the world population lives on non-vegetarian diet. Till a person reaches 20 yrs of age, there is lot of requirement of the protein and some amount of good fat for the proper growth of muscles, bones and neurons in the brain. Till you are 20 -25yrs one can continue eating non-vegetarian food provided the meat is hygienic, safe and cooked with great care and with minimal salt, oil and spices. After that age, one can limit eating to twice a week.

Few advantages of Vegetarian foods

●      High content of Dietary fibre which helps in losing weight and promotes easy bowel movements and reduces hunger.

●      2-3 servings of fruits & 4-5 servings of vegetables a day reduces the risk of heart diseases and colon cancers. Fruits and vegetables contain lots of antioxidants and flavonoids which reduce the signs of ageing, degenerative diseases and boost immunity to great extent.

b) REDUCE THE CONSUMPTIONS OF SALT, SUGAR, REFINED FLOURS, WAX COATED FRUITS, FOODS EXCESSIVELY EXPOSED TO HERBICIDES, PESTICIDES

        Excessive salt intake when combined with low potassium overloads the kidney resulting in water retention (bloating) or circulatory disturbances like high blood pressure etc.

Excessive use of sugar in the form of sweetened drinks, energy drinks, puddings, sweets (direct sugars) maintains blood glucose at higher levels. 

c) REDUCE THE INTAKE OF FAT

        I am stating to reduce the amount of fat intake to a greater extent and not to completely stop eating as you require few of essential fatty acids to maintain a balance in bodily functions.
Fats are on top of the food pyramid which should occupy the smallest percentage of our day to day diet.

Fats to be reduced which are in the form of 

●      Deep fried vegetables, snacks or meat

●      Lots of dairy like whole fat milk more than 200 ml per day

●      Cheese, Butter, more than 1 tsp of Ghee etc.

Moderation is the key

d) DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

        This is given the least importance by lots of people. It not only makes you eat less but also reduces the unnecessary urge to eat. Most of the times one confuses hunger with thirst. Recommended doses of water helps in fat metabolism and elimination of toxins through the eliminative organs. One must keep drinking water throughout the day and not wait till you start feeling thirsty. Most of my patients complain that they are occupied with work that they forget drinking. I tell them to keep a bottle on their table and grab water every now and then instead of grabbing a cup of tea or coffee. One can put few lemon drops or Mint or Basil leaves in bottle for that extra fragrance.

I see few people drinking water more than required amounts, which leads to fluid and mineral imbalance, water retention and also puts strain on kidneys.

On an average, healthy individuals require 30-40 ml of water/kg body weight... roughly about 2.5 to 3 litres, with exceptions in few kidney disorders where one need to restrict fluid according to their physicians reference.

Start your day with half a litre of water at room temperature as it helps in bowel movement , boosting up your metabolism for the rest of the day and balancing your fluid for the rest of the day as people complain hat they cant drink much water during office hours.

e) CALORIE RESTRICTION

If you want to lose weight you should stick on to 

LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIET / 

LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX DIET 

LESS FAT

MODERATE PROTEIN 

        I don't recommend complete protein diets as its quite difficult to stick on to ketone diets and also there are reported side effects which I have seen in few of my patients.Many of the world population depends on carbohydrates as base of their diet (Potatoes, Rice,Wheat etc.)

You can find hundreds of weight loss diets on Internet...But not all suit everyone. One should get the proper advice before they start any kind of diet to get maximum results.

You can look for varieties of sample menu,foods to be eaten,few recipes which have been tried and tested by weight loss individuals in next few posts 

B)HOW TO EAT & HOW MUCH

EAT THE LIQUIDS AND DRINK THE SOLIDS..

Eat slowly and with calm mind.

        The thought of food, look and smell itself signals the brain to release Digestive Juices and enzymes in the stomach. Eating with a calm mind is more effective, which safeguards your digestion.When a person is stressful, depressed brain tricks you eat to satisfy and make you feel happy for a moment.

Your digestion starts from your mouth. You have salivary enzymes which are necessary for the digestion. One should chew food properly for about 10-20 times depending the consistency of the food eg: Meat needs to be chewed more to make it softer. Your food should get the liquid consistency in your mouth before you swallow. 

●      Makes you feel full faster hence reduces the calorie intake

●      Easy digestion and absorption.

●      Helps in hydrating the body.

●      Brings the feeling of satisfaction in the brain.

Don't drink water before, during and after your main meal.

One can sip water but not drink 1 glass of water before 15 minutes, during and after 30 minutes of meal as water interferes with the gastric juices, Ph levels, bile acids etc which are essential in killing germs in the food to help in proper digestion and absorption of nutrients into the blood stream.

Eat only 3/4 the of your stomach

One should not indulge in eating till one burps. Leave some space for the movement of food inside the stomach, your stomach has capacity to increase in size in the long run if you forcibly eat more which in turns leads to overeating, hyper acidity, indigestion etc.

Leave a gap of 3-4 hours between meals and maintain fairly fixed timings

If your delayed your meal by more than 45 minutes, it is better to better skip the meal and manage with fruits and liquids(exceptions in diabetes)

You may compensate for the nutrients (not the quantity) in your next meal

There is a saying in Sanskrit that says “Untimely meal is a poison”

How many times one should have cooked meal?

According to yoga philosophy: 

Children and adults below 25 years and pregnant - 3 times/day

Above 25 years - 2 times

Above 60 years - Once

But again there are many exceptions according to the place you live, disease of the sufferer and the psychology of the individual.

ROLE OF FASTING IN WEIGHT LOSS

        Fasting is abstinence from all kinds of solid and liquid foods. Fasting can be of various types ranging from Water fasting, Juice fasting, Fruit fasting etc. Fasting is one of the best tools to detox and give a kick start to weight loss.

Healthy individuals who are willing to detox the body and also lose few pounds can take 1-3 days liquid fast without any supervision.

One should take the fasting under the supervision or with consent, if a person is suffering with hyperacidity, ulcers, severe constipation etc. Psychologically weak individuals also need proper guidance.

Fasting shouldn’t be done by individuals who are suffering from severe diabetes or any other metabolic syndromes, chronic diseases, hyperthyroidism, TB, severe anaemia, terminal illness etc.

You can check for 3 days detox programme in next few posts.