Cleansed and Cured FAQ

CLEANSED & CURED CLEANSED & CURED

How detoxing works to heal your body

BRETT ELLIOTT About the book

Over 20 years of clinical practice, Brett has reached more than 100,000 people in more than 45 countries with his herbal body cleansing programmes, which have cured many of the most common health conditions of our time.

Brett introduces the term ‘chronic metabolic toxicity’ and clearly explains how this imbalance can lead to our most prevalent health complaints. You will gain an understanding of how our body can become overloaded, acidic, inflamed and unable to maintain a healthy foundation.

Disclaimer: The information in this book about medical conditions, nutrition and health is written for informational and educational use only. It is does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice. You should not use the information in this book for diagnosing or treating a medical condition, but consult a physician in all matters regarding your health. The information has been written to help you to make informed choices about your health and support your general health and wellbeing. The Publisher and Author cannot guarantee the safety or effectiveness of any treatment or advice mentioned. We recommend in all cases that you consult a medical practitioner before taking or discontinuing medications. Do not stop taking prescription medicine. Please note also that herbs and some medications interact, so check with your health practitioner first before taking any herbal supplement.

Text © < >, 2018 Typographical design © David Bateman Ltd, 2018 © < >, 2018

Published in 2018 by David Bateman Ltd 30 Tarndale Grove, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand

www.batemanpublishing.co.nz

ISBN 978-1-86953-

This book is copyright. Except for the purpose of fair review, no part may be stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording or storage in any information retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. No reproduction may be made, whether by photocopying or by any other means, unless a licence has been obtained from the publisher or its agent.

No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organisation acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by David Bateman Ltd or the author.

Book design: Nick Turzynski, redinc. Book Design, Auckland Illustrations:

Printed in China through Colorcraft Ltd, Hong Kong/Printed in China by Everbest Printing Co. Ltd/Toppan Leefung Printing Ltd

Next Brett discusses herbal detoxification and how this can address the underlying subclinical condition of chronic toxic overload. You will learn how specific natural herbs and foods can help solve the world’s most common health conditions, simply by treating the underlying cause. Brett’s favourite detox diet recipes are included.

Finally, Brett will share his healing secrets and principles for achieving what he calls ‘ultimate health’. This is not just a health programme but is the beginning of a transformational personal journey towards realising your full potential in life.

After all health is one thing you just can’t buy, and yet it’s your biggest asset. Contents

Introduction

X

SECTION 1 Setting the Stage

1 What’s the biggest worldwide health epidemic in history? 2 Currently accepted causes of Metabolic Disease 3 The Primary Substances of Concern Pollution Pharmaceuticals Food Household Emotional Metabolic 4 What is Metabolic Toxicity?

5 The Detox Revelation

SECTION 2 Taking action

6 Making the Decision 7 Your personal plan of attack 8 Cleansing and Healing Foods Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet Benefits of Going Organic Avocado Beetroot Blueberries Carrot Cayenne Celery Cucumber Eggplant Garlic Kale Leek Lemon Onion Orange Pineapple Pumpkin Sweet potato Tomato Spinach Nutrition Revisited Raw Food — Colour counts

9 Cleansing and Healing Recipes

Barley grass Black walnut Cascara Sagrada Cilantro and Chlorella Cloves Dandelion Ginger Globe artichoke Golden Seal Milk thistle Peppermint and Fennel Psyllium Husk Slippery Elm Turkish Rhubarb Wormwood

Avocado, Broccoli & Cucumber Salad Beetroot Celery & Chive Salad Beetroot & Grapefruit Smoothie Mixed Berry Smoothie Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric Smoothie Chocolate Mousse Chocolate Orange Mint Smoothie Eggplant Stir-Fry Kale & Lemon Smoothie Melon Salad Mushroom Stroganoff Chinese-Style Sweet and Sour Vegetables Sweet Potato Salsa Thai Pumpkin Soup Thai Red/Green Curry Tomato & Leek Soup Thai Carrot & Apple Salad

10 Cleansing and Healing Herbs How to detox with herbs How Herbal Medicine Works Aloe Vera

SECTION 3 Making the Connection

11 Health Condition specifics

The metabolic disease connection High blood sugar High blood pressure High cholesterol

12 Ultimate Mind Power

Healing Secret 1 — Keep it Simple Healing Secret 2 — Health is Peace Healing Secret 3 — The Parts That Make You Healing Secret 4 — Energy Simply Moves Fasting and Meditation

Conclusion References Index INTRODUCTION | 11

National health systems around the world are struggling with the growing tide of chronic diseases. People are queuing up for heart bypasses and kidney transplants.

Introduction

This book has been written for you as a tool, to empower personal healing and growth. The power is now in your hands to change your life and never look back. You can stop searching and start your healing journey today.

With the advent of the information age we are overwhelmed with cheap information, bombarded by advertising messages, at the mercy of being manipulated by biased media reporting and swayed by social media opinions on absolutely every subject. There is also a jungle of over 1 billion websites to find our way through. When people can basically say whatever they like with no real accountability, where is the actual truth to be found?

When it comes to our health, most of us rely heavily on our doctors’ advice, and yet our doctors are only schooled in pharmaceutical medicine and constantly fed propaganda and incentives by ‘Big Pharma’, the multibillion dollar pharmaceutical giants. They mean well, but they only know what they choose to know. So we receive a filtered version of the truth controlled by regulators with big business interests at heart. If you are looking for natural alternatives they usually don’t offer any, and you will have to go looking for yourself.

But the last thing you need when feeling unwell is to walk a minefield of misinformation online, or spend your money on natural health products and alternative practitioners that may or may not work for you. There are literally thousands of home remedies and miraculous vitamins, herbal supplements and potions available, few of which bother to explain how they actually work.

Shouldn’t we really understand what has caused our health problems rather than constantly patching up the holes? It is my mission, to share with you the actual cause of our most common diseases.

In the third world the biggest killers (apart from malnutrition) are the bacterial and viral infectious diseases. In the developed world these are minimal, while chronic degenerative and metabolic diseases are out of control, killing over 70% of us and rising. 1 Yet the health system and modern medicine has virtually nothing to offer by way of a cure.

In New Zealand we spend over 1 billion dollars a year on degenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and dementia and its related care alone. 2,337 Over 25% of the population suffer with prediabetes, which can lead to diabetes, our third biggest killer.3,338

Thirty to forty% of the world’s population suffer from metabolic disease, which is a combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol (fatty liver) and weight gain. 4,339 These factors contribute to our three biggest killers, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Even our children are beginning to suffer these health problems.

Childhood cancer is escalating, while an epidemic of youth obesity and its related diabetes is sweeping the world. Allergies, food intolerances, irritable bowel syndrome and liver disease are all too common.

If you are not suffering one of these yourself it’s very likely someone in your immediate family or household is. Considering our advanced technology and medical wizardry this modern health epidemic is still spiralling out of control. Something significant is wrong with the way our society is living and how the government is managing public health.

I saw this happening 20 years ago, when I started my practice as a medical herbalist. Since then it has escalated at an alarming rate. There are occasional flashes of insight coming from the media, but nothing that seems to reach the public on a significant level. Whatever happened to investigative journalism? Sadly it appears to have been replaced by ‘joke news’.

Ultimately we live in a world motivated by big business profits and socalled ‘public health’ has taken a back seat, even becoming a secondary, 12 |

emergency repair industry in itself. From a ‘Big Pharma’ perspective there is more money in selling medications to a sick public than investing in clinical trials for natural plant-based medicines (which can’t be patented), long-term public education strategies and preventative dietary health solutions. It’s not a conspiracy theory, but it’s good business for the pharmaceutical industry. Not so good for our government-funded, insolvent healthcare system, which we ultimately pay for out of our own pockets.

I have seen over 20,000 clients in my herbal clinic and helped over 100,000 people in over 45 countries in the last 20 years. Not to blow my own trumpet, but simply put, it means what I am sharing with you is from personal experience, mainly because my heart cries for those millions of people out there who have been let down by the system. I have seen it over and over, the same mistakes, the same outcomes and lack of understanding. I want to help you to understand the incredible power that your body has to heal itself and the simple method of triggering this healing process. Today you have opened the door to an infinite healing potential within yourself.

I will provide a vast amount of research and link you to solid scientific data to back up my rationale and the herbal medicines and foods I use in my practice but not everything I am going to share is 100% scientifically proven. I will also be sharing some of the case studies and results that I have seen over the years, along with my favourite recipes and self-healing principles that you can use at home.

Ultimately you will see how inner body cleansing can be a cure, then learn how to apply this in your personal situation to help yourself, your friends and your family.

SECTION 1

Setting the Stage WHAT’S CAUSING THE BIGGEST WORLDWIDE HEALTH EPIDEMIC | 15

1 What’s causing the biggest worldwide health epidemic in history?

When you think of worldwide epidemics, diseases such as influenza and measles come to mind. In fact these infectious and contagious diseases have been around for a long time and come and go in regular cycles. The epidemics I am going to talk about in this book are completely different and much more modern. They stem from our lifestyle rather than some pathogen or infection.

You probably know somebody in your own family who has suffered with a breathing difficulty, diabetes, a heart attack, a stroke or even cancer. That’s because these are the biggest killers globally and they are definitely on the rise in recent decades.

Take cancer. In 2012 alone, there were 14.1 million new cases and 8.2 million deaths worldwide. The most commonly diagnosed cancers were lung (1.82 million), breast (1.67 million), and colorectal (1.36 million) and the most common causes of cancer death were lung cancer (1.6 million deaths), liver cancer (745,000 deaths), and stomach cancer (723,000 deaths).1

Apart from these cancers, the top 10 leading causes of death in 2012 globally can be seen in the World Health Organization chart opposite.

These top killers end the lives of up to 70% of us. They result from the biggest epidemic in history, but they are not actually the epidemic themselves. In other words the real epidemic is not listed as a cause of

death. The real epidemic is not spoken about and is not addressed by governments, public health systems or the media. It has been swept under the carpet and ignored for the same reason many businesses ignore something that involves time and money, but little immediate profit. It’s just too hard to deal with, especially from a commercial business perspective, because there is no quick fix, drug or medical device that offers a solution.

The real epidemic is something much more difficult to accurately quantify and manage in a public health or primary health care scenario. The real epidemic is called ‘metabolic syndrome’, also known as ‘metabolic disease’.

Metabolic disease

Metabolic disease is a cluster of the most dangerous heart attack risk factors: diabetes and pre-diabetes, abdominal obesity, high cholesterol 16 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

WHAT’S CAUSING THE BIGGEST WORLDWIDE HEALTH EPIDEMIC | 17

This puts metabolic disease way ahead of any other disease in terms of mortality (death) yet the problem is not as well recognised.2

Breaking News!

The world’s biggest health epidemic, metabolic disease, is spiralling out of control and killing up to 70% of the population.

and high blood pressure. Incidences of all of these conditions are skyrocketing and what staggers me is somehow they have become normalised.

It’s almost to be expected now to be medicated for one or more of these conditions when you pass the age of 40. Are we all blinded by this new normal into thinking it’s all OK? I don’t think it’s ok and want to break the cycle.

Some quick facts about metabolic disease:

n A quarter of the world’s adults have metabolic disease (over 2 billion) n People with metabolic disease have a five-fold greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes n Up to 80% of the 200 million people with diabetes globally will die of cardiovascular disease n People with metabolic disease are three times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared with people without the syndrome and twice as likely to die from it2

There’s a simple explanation why this massive epidemic is under the radar. It’s not the metabolic disease that kills us, it’s the heart attack,

stroke, diabetes or lung disease that kills us, so nobody blames metabolic disease. Mortality from these killers is escalating out of control and modern medicine seems to be unable to cure them. It comes down to a blatant lack of education and a disgraceful mismanagement of public health.

We are constantly queuing at the doctor, the outpatients clinic and even the emergency department to get patched up, medicated with drugs and receive emergency surgery. Just take a pill and that will fix it. This is the chronic failure of modern medicine, the pharmaceutical/medical school healthcare model, and a result of our instant gratification, quick-fix, nutrient-deficient lifestyles.

Yes the doctor may say ‘stop smoking’ or ‘cut back on the booze’ but do we really take them seriously, or wait until there is a looming operation before making any lifestyle changes? What dietary or lifestyle changes will really make that much difference anyway? Like the narrow-minded sceptics say ‘alternative medicine is all hocus pocus, snake oil and natural practitioners are all charlatans’. Really?

Why do these natural practitioners study for many years, and then devote their lives to possibly the most difficult professional available in which to succeed? Believe me, I’ve been in practice for 20 years and it can be a real struggle staying self-employed in natural medicine. Not something you would choose as a quick scam to make money. In fact most holistic practitioners go through a health crisis, healing pilgrimage and conversion process before taking up the torch themselves.

If herbal medicine wasn’t effective, why are they searching for the next breakthrough antibiotic in New Zealand bush fungus as we speak? 340 The first mainstream antibiotic was penicillin, which was discovered in mould. I believe the future of true healing medicine will continue to be found in plants.

I remember seeing my surgeon at the age of 26 after my back had given out. I could hardly walk after 10 years of drain-laying, and I had three severely ruptured discs. He said, ‘your back is beyond healing and we need to operate immediately’. Three lower vertebrae were to be fused with titanium rods and screws. As a young man I had no idea of the 18 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

WHAT’S CAUSING THE BIGGEST WORLDWIDE HEALTH EPIDEMIC | 19

options, but I said ‘isn’t there any alternative, like minerals or something’. His answer was an angry ‘NO, it’s all a load of rubbish, you’re wasting your time. We need you in the operating theatre next week’.

I immediately walked out, disappointed, and headed for the library. I proceeded to read nearly every natural health book I could find, and I was struck with the revelation that there were alternatives. Nearly 25 years later and my back has healed. I now see my chiropractor every three weeks, eat well and stay active and the problem is solved. The truth is, your body can heal itself of almost anything, given the right ingredients. Those ingredients should not be artificial, chemicals or drugs or course, but we will get to that later.

The point is, when we start feeling unwell, off colour, generally tired all the time and begin to feel aches and pains in our body, something is out of balance. When our digestive system kicks up and makes us uncomfortable on a regular basis, or when we can’t sleep or feel depressed, stressed and unhappy, something is out of balance. It is this balance we need to address and our first option should always be something safe and natural, without side effects.

It’s the old adage ‘nip it in the bud’. If we act sooner rather than later we can avoid the spiral of medical mayhem that begins with our first prescription. We will talk more about herbal medicines later, but for now I want to explain how this ‘metabolic syndrome’ imbalance affects our health.

Let me start by saying this: ‘Health is a state of peace when the body, mind and spirit resonate in perfect harmony.’

When the body is in perfect balance we experience health. In medical terms this is called homeostasis (the tendency towards a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes). When the body loses homeostasis we start to experience ill health. So what exactly happens during disease, which represents a loss of homeostasis?

Metabolic disease is a disorder of energy utilisation and storage, diagnosed by a co-occurrence of three out of five of the following medical

conditions: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high triglyceride or cholesterol levels.

The International Diabetes Federation definition of the metabolic syndrome (2006) is: central obesity AND any two of the following symptoms:

n Raised triglycerides n Reduced HDL cholesterol n Raised blood pressure n Raised fasting plasma glucose or previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes (2)

You will find specific information about these symptoms individually in Section Three.

Studies have shown the prevalence of metabolic disease in the USA to be an estimated 34% of the adult population, and the prevalence increases with age.3

Metabolic syndrome represents the clinical diagnostic entity identifying those individuals at high risk with respect to the (cardiovascular) morbidity associated with insulin resistance.6

Metabolic disease is also known as metabolic syndrome X, cardiometabolic syndrome, syndrome X and insulin resistance syndrome, but we will use the term metabolic disease/syndrome. There are a number of known causes of metabolic disease, which I will explain briefly to give you some background, but be aware at this point, we are setting the stage for an argument around toxicity.

It all sounds a little complex but in fact it couldn’t be simpler. When the body is overloaded with any one substance that causes an imbalance, that substance has become toxic. It begins interfering with health and disturbs the fine balance of homeostasis.

Let’s look at this disease in a little more detail before we move on to the real causes. CURRENTLY ACCEPTED CAUSES OF METABOLIC DISEASE | 21

syndrome. 4 Scientists still don’t fully understand what causes insulin

resistance, but excess weight and physical inactivity definitely contribute. Prediabetes usually also occurs in people who already have insulin resistance.

2 Currently accepted causes of metabolic disease.

It appears clear that the world’s biggest lethal health epidemic is simply related to processed fat and sugar over-consumption. Why aren’t we told about this, when it’s metabolic syndrome that’s responsible for killing the majority of us?

Low-grade Inflammation — People have chronic, low-grade inflammation throughout the body. Researchers don’t know whether this causes metabolic syndrome or worsens it. A high level of circulating blood sugar, fatty acids, fatty liver and metabolic acids underlie this low-grade inflammation, which gradually worsens with age.5

Fatty liver or high blood triglycerides — High fat levels in the blood and liver are an accepted risk factor for developing metabolic syndrome. Your liver creates the majority of your cholesterol and also regulates your cholesterol levels.341

Genetic Factors — This is one area we have little control over, although it is known that our genes can switch on and off in response to psychological state, our thoughts. 342 This is accepted within the science of epigenetics,

which is a deep topic for another day. It’s worth looking it up online.

Obesity — A waist measurement of 80 cm (35 inches) or more for women or 90 cm (40 inches) or more for men is a known metabolic risk factor. Too much processed fat and sugar in the body can cause obesity and lead to insulin resistance over time.6

Insulin resistance — Many factors contribute to metabolic syndrome, including decreased physical activity, genetic predisposition, chronic inflammation, free fatty acids, but insulin resistance appears to be the common link between two of the key elements, obesity and metabolic

By now you must be beginning to see the picture I’m painting with regards to the world’s biggest health epidemic. Over 2 billion of us suffer with this condition and yet there is very little emphasis placed on it by the health system or media.

It is caused by excess fat, excess sugar and the resulting low-grade inflammation. I find personally find this very upsetting, especially considering my family are at risk. Knowing about it could save their lives.

News Flash!

The major cause of metabolic disease is excessive consumption of processed fat and sugar.

But there’s more to this picture than meets the eye. What about the underlying low-grade inflammation that was also linked to metabolic disease? There must be another link involved that is disrupting our body and causing this systemic inflammation.

Yes, the overconsumption of processed fats and sugars are a major cause, but what else contributes to the body’s loss of control? You may notice that a lot of annoying little symptoms start appearing before a 22 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

WHAT’S CAUSING THE BIGGEST WORLDWIDE HEALTH EPIDEMIC | 23

major health disruption?

Aches and pains, bloating, itchy skin, coughs, shortness of breath, congestion, indigestion, headaches, restless sleep and general fatigue often begin to appear before the visit to the doctor or health store. This is because all of these are also connected with long-term underlying low-grade inflammation.

Metabolic acid could be at the root of this systemic (total body) inflammation. We won’t go into detail about acid here, but suffice it to say, metabolic acid is an enemy to health and the same foods that cause metabolic disease also load the body up with acid. We will come back to the acid discussion shortly.

My conversion to natural medicine began in the local library in New Plymouth in 1995 where I found a plethora of books on all manner of selfhealing techniques, meditation, acupuncture, and dietary regimens. I was struck powerfully by the concept of fasting and the writings of pioneers such as Bernard Jensen, Paavo Airola and Paul Bragg. These inspiring writers all talked about fasting on fresh fruits and vegetables as the secret to attaining optimum health, so I started experimenting.

I believed that the only way to truly know something it to test it yourself. I was also reading a lot of spiritual texts at the time and I found some connections to healing there as well. They spoke of herbs such as hyssop, thyme, frankincense, garlic and others herbs. I was fascinated by the connections between all ancient cultures and the practice of herbal medicine including the Ayurvedic system in India, traditional Chinese medicine and Maori, African and American Indian beliefs. In-fact almost every culture on the planet was using herbs as medicine.

Even today 25% of our modern drugs are synthesised from.

I was on accident compensation for my back for two years, so would read every day, go out and ponder my life path and consider the gravity of what I was learning. The feelings I was receiving were overwhelming. I must be discovering something important I thought. I was being called on a mission to help people. I had to fully realise the secret that was unfolding before me.

I enrolled in a correspondence course, a diploma in Herbal Studies, and started to wallpaper my apartment with text from herbal materia medica and planted herbs into pots. My experiments began with a combination of foods. First I started fasting on raw food and within a few days I began to feel an incredible electric energy within my body. My bowels started moving easier and my skin started to look clear.

This sparked the next phase of my process. Maybe I will add some of these amazing cleansing herbs I was learning about. So I made up a mixture of burdock, goldenseal, ribwort and red clover. What a nastytasting mixture, but I was determined to give it a try. I remember during this stage of my journey getting to the point of fasting for 10 days on nothing but oranges (not recommended). This was a revelation.

I woke up one night in the middle of the night and was suddenly blown away by this clear empty space and an almost cosmic energy blowing through my head, like wind, electrical and magnetic energy rolled together. It was blissful, and my body felt weightless. The energy was overwhelming and I was completely taken up in rapture. It was a spiritual experience brought on by the fasting and herbs combination. The funny thing was, I also realised that this was the path to healing my spine. I know right there and then that I had discovered the secret to absolute healing. I had to find a way to share it with the world and nothing was going to stop me. That was in 1995, so it’s taken me 22 years to get to this point of writing it down with the hope that I can help you, or someone in your circle of family and friends.

I will be sharing more of my experiences with you as we go through this book, plus some of the case studies from my clients over the last 20 years. In the meantime let’s get back to the topic of this massive health crisis we are facing.

Metabolic disease is now at epidemic levels affecting a quarter of the world’s adults and we know that processed fat and sugar are a major factor and metabolic acid and inflammation underlie this condition. What I want to talk about next is the fundamental problem of toxicity. I believe that toxicity is the piece of the puzzle that is being missed. I don’t 24 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

WHAT’S CAUSING THE BIGGEST WORLDWIDE HEALTH EPIDEMIC | 25

mean simply drug toxicity or alcohol poisoning, but general overload and systemic (total body) metabolic burden.

There are dozens of potential substances that can become toxic over time. You could say anything can become toxic, even air or water can be toxic when overconsumed. Let’s look at how this concept of toxicity may be causing our metabolic disease epidemic.

Introducing metabolic toxicity

To begin with, according to the Oxford Dictionary the word metabolic means ‘relating or deriving from the metabolism of a living organism’.

Metabolism means: The chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.

‘the metabolism of fatty acids in the liver’ ‘abnormalities in protein metabolism’

In other words metabolism covers tens of thousands of chemical processes that take place inside a living organism. Metabolic toxicity can therefore arise whenever a foreign chemical, artificial substance or introduced compound interferes with (poisons) normal healthy metabolism. A detox or a cleanse would therefore involve either abstaining from the substance or assisting in its removal.

We also need to look into the definitions of the terms detox, toxin and detoxification to understand metabolic toxicity.

You may have heard the word ‘detox’. This is a very controversial topic as we become more aware of what pollution, chemicals, additives and all manner of poisons are doing to our environment and how they are affecting our health.

There are a lot of sceptics when it comes to detox programmes and herbal detox products. They say, ‘it’s a scam, there’s no evidence’ and ‘you don’t need to detox because your body does that by itself’ or ‘your liver and kidneys do that’. This view is understandable but is simply based on

lack of information. This section is going to address those sceptics with a little science and logic. I am about to prove that our body absolutely does not detox itself properly by any stretch of the imagination.

If you’re looking online at cleansing or detoxing your inner body and considering various natural detox products then you will probably find some of those sceptics during your search. You will also find a lot of programmes and products that are simply cashing in on the massive growing detox trend. It’s very hard to know who to believe, so I base my views only on scientific research that I have referenced. The rest is actually just plain old common sense. I’m sure you will put the pieces together. After all, you have read this far, which already makes you a serious thinker and explorer.

Let’s start by defining the word detox.

Detox — a definition

The word detox is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as: A process or period of time in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances; detoxification7

However the word detox is used in only one context by the mainstream medical system. The medical profession use the word detox to refer to drug and alcohol detox, and that’s the only use of that word. This is a very narrow view of the word detox.

We medical herbalists on the other hand use the word detox as an abbreviation for the word detoxification as defined by the Oxford Dictionary. And, I think that needs to be understood. ‘Detoxification’ means the process by which the body breaks down and eliminates toxins from the system — not specifically alcohol or drugs. Therefore the word ‘detox’ is the correct term to be used during any programme that encourages the body organs to naturally perform detoxification in any way, shape or form while simultaneously avoiding further toxin ingestion.

So what is a toxin? 26 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

Toxic / Toxin — a definition

case study

WHAT’S CAUSING THE BIGGEST WORLDWIDE HEALTH EPIDEMIC | 27

A toxin is a toxic substance. Again I refer to the Oxford Dictionary to define toxic:

Poisonous.

‘the dumping of toxic waste’ ‘alcohol is toxic to the ovaries’

Relating to or caused by poison. ‘toxic hazards’ ‘toxic liver injury’

Very bad, unpleasant, or harmful. ‘a toxic relationship’8

Toxins are defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as: A poisonous substance and especially one that is produced by a living thing.9

Poison / Poisonous — a definition

Ok so we’ve established the meaning of the words detox and toxin and we know that these toxic substances are poisonous, which according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary means: Something (such as an idea, emotion, or situation) that is very harmful or unpleasant, a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism, something destructive or harmful, an object of aversion or abhorrence.10

Now we have a full description of what we are referring to when it comes to what the word detox means in relation to a detox programme.

As discussed previously we have established that excess fat and sugar are toxic and can cause metabolic disease, but what other substances can be toxic and what effects can they have? We are only going to expose the tip of a massive iceberg in this book, but I think this will be enough to give you the general idea of how ‘being cleansed’ can ultimately mean ‘being cured.’

One person who completed our programme in 2011 said this: ‘My husband and I did the detox together and did a four-day prep before starting to take the herbs. During the prep days I did feel hungry but once we started taking the herbs and making smoothies and juices the hunger went away.

We got creative with veggies and were pleasantly surprised at how delicious a plate of veggies could be with a mix of spices. We are not big meat eaters anyway so cutting out meat wasn’t that big a deal for us. I didn’t think I was so dependent on bread and cheese, so again the first few days without it were hard.

We drank plenty of water and herbal teas and since finishing the detox I haven’t really returned to drinking tea or coffee much at all, in fact I think in the past couple of weeks I’ve only had two to three cups in total.

The mucoid plaque thing started happening and we were going very regularly!! I had the odd times of bloating but nothing unbearable. Overall I feel really good after the detox. My hair and skin feel lovely. I am waking up in the morning now with more energy, instead of having the first thought pop into my head of I can’t wait to get back into bed to sleep. A few days after the detox we went to a function where I must admit I overindulged in rich food and wine, it made me feel very sluggish in the days following. I am definitely eating less now and holding back from stodgy carbs and processed foods.’

Hippocrates was right. Our food should be our medicine and not causing toxic overload and disease. Food is, however, only a part of the picture, a large part yes, but there are many more things to consider. 28 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

WHAT’S CAUSING THE BIGGEST WORLDWIDE HEALTH EPIDEMIC | 29

Hippocrates said ‘Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness.’

3 The primary substances of concern

I take this to mean fasting or abstaining from that which burdens your body with extra work to process will help increase your healing power. This makes perfect sense when you think about it. The first thing you lose when unwell is your appetite. On the flip side, giving your body super nutrition with pure healing food can be seen as self medication. Fasting on soup, broth, herbal teas, soft fruits and salad is ideal for convalescing. This is exactly the process we are going to describe in Section Two: Taking Action.

So what is it that we need to detox from? I guess when talking about metabolic toxicity anything that eventually interferes with a healthy metabolism can be included. We could literally fill an entire book on the subject of toxicity by listing toxins and their negative health effects.

But for now I’ll just go into the main reasons that our bodies need to undergo a regular internal cleansing programme. It’s due to six major groups of toxins.

n Pollution n Pharmaceuticals n Processed Food n Household n Emotional/Mental n Metabolic (acid)

Let’s talk about each of these in brief. 30 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

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Pollution — environmental toxins

There are many pollutants in our environment including car emissions, chemicals from factories, household dust, pollen and mould spores, smog, contaminated water and heavy metals.

Chemicals generated by human activity can and will find their way into water supplies. People are exposed to outdoor air pollution every time they go outside. Mobile phones, satellite TV, radio, high voltage power lines and other appliances all emit pollution in the form of electromagnetic radiation.

I don’t plan to frighten you as we can’t worry about every little thing, or go and live in a cave, but this gives you some idea what we are surrounded by. Our bodies certainly have a lot to cope with. Yes they are powerful machines but like any machine, without a good flush and service eventually a breakdown will likely occur.

EXAMPLES n Water: Source-water contaminants of concern include arsenic, asbestos, radon, agricultural chemicals, and hazardous waste.23 The strongest evidence for a cancer risk also involves arsenic, which is linked to cancers of the liver, lung, bladder, and kidney.17 n Air: The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2012 around 7 million people died (one in eight of the total global deaths) as a result of air pollution exposure.11

n Heavy Metals: Significant deposits of mercury, previously nonexistent, were found in the lungs, kidneys, endocrine organs, liver, and heart of patients even after amalgam fillings were removed.31

Pharmaceuticals

We all know that alcohol, cigarettes and other recreational drugs are toxic if used excessively. Few know, however, that even properly prescribed drugs cause millions of hospitalisations a year, there are thousands of cases of drugs having serious adverse reactions and some people even

die from drugs prescribed to them. This makes prescription drugs a major health risk.

There is also the largely hidden epidemic of side effects from drugs that usually have few offsetting benefits.

This is not surprising when you consider the multi-millions that are invested in developing these drugs and performing clinical trials. It is often many years before negative side effects or toxicity are reported and by this time it can be too late for many. Liver damage is a major side effect which occurs all too often. Pharmaceutical drug toxicity is a major concern.

The body is not designed to detoxify synthetic drugs, especially the liver. The side effects of any drug should be seriously considered before making the choice to take that drug. Natural and safe alternatives should always be used in preference, or at least given the chance to reverse the condition before toxic drugs are used. Food can also be used as medicine, especially where sensible changes in diet can be made to impact the outcome. Pharmaceuticals are heavily marketed to a largely uneducated public and the side effects are not spoken of. If you read the fine print you will find almost every prescription and over-the-counter drug has a long list of side effects.

These side effects are due to the fact that the body struggles to process these artificial substances and they easily disrupt homeostasis, giving rise to toxic effects. The long list of side effects often far outweighs the potential benefits in many cases.

If you are on any prescribed or over-the-counter drugs I suggest taking a good hard look online for the side effects, by visiting the manufacturer’s website or downloading the government health authority’s datasheet on your drug. Search for natural herbal alternatives and give them a try to see if you can get off the drug. Keep reading and you might find your alternative right here. 32 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

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EXAMPLES n Drug-induced liver injury (DILI): This has become a leading cause of severe liver disease in Western countries and therefore poses a major clinical and regulatory challenge. 21 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the largest class of medications used for pain and headache, can cause individually unique forms of liver toxicity.22

n Adverse drug reactions: The European Commission estimates that adverse reactions from prescription drugs cause 200,000 deaths; so together, about 328,000 patients in the U.S. and Europe die from prescription drugs each year. The FDA does not acknowledge these facts and instead gathers a small fraction of the cases.12

Processed food

There are over 500 food additives allowed into the food in New Zealand and this does not include the chemicals actually used in the factory during processing. The effects of artificial chemicals in food is relatively unknown, especially when these are consumed over a lifetime.26

Flavours, colours and artificial sweeteners found in man-made, processed, artificial, lifeless foods all contribute to fatigue and increase your toxic load. Processed, refined food products are virtually enzyme and nutrient devoid. They do not provide you with the natural, living and life-giving properties that (real) food should.

EXAMPLES n Aspartame: The artificial sweetener has been linked to seizures, headaches, mood disturbances, and reduced mental performance. A study, published in 1996, argued that an increase in the rate of brain tumours in the United States could be related to consumption of aspartame. 14 It is used in approximately 6,000

hyperactivity in some children and in soft drinks may react with added vitamin C to make benzene, a cancer-causing substance.14 n Processed meats: According to the most recent estimates by the Global Burden of Disease Project, an independent academic research organization, about 34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide are attributable to diets high in processed meat.9

Household toxins Parasites

When the digestive system is compromised long-term by ingestion of processed foods, parasites like worms, bad bacteria and candida find an environment in which to thrive. There can be over 100 types of parasites and worms living in our bodies. These organisms are prolific in our environment. A clean digestive tract can defend against parasites but a clogged bowel is an open invitation to them.

Household chemicals

Our homes are full of toxic chemicals, such as make ups, sprays and antiperspirants. The spread of dangerous chemicals in our everyday environment could lead to a global human catastrophe. ‘If we get exposed to endocrine disruptors at the wrong time in life it can have serious effects,’ says Professor Åke Bergman of Stockholm University. ‘A number of human diseases can be caused by exposure to chemicals. We do not know yet how many, but research is ongoing.’345

EXAMPLES n Antiperspirant: A recent study reporting raised aluminium levels in human breast cyst fluids provides evidence warranting further research into a link between aluminium-based antiperspirant use and breast cyst development.334

processed foods worldwide.

n Sodium benzoate: This preservative is suspected to increase

n A large international general population study showed an increased risk of new-onset asthma associated with cleaning work and with domestic use of cleaning sprays.335 34 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

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Emotional stress

There is definitely a link between stress and disease. We don’t often think about our emotions as potentially toxic, but think again. Stress increases the risk for diabetes mellitus, especially in overweight individuals, since psychological stress alters insulin needs. Stress also alters the acid concentration in the stomach, which can lead to peptic ulcers, stress ulcers or ulcerative colitis.

If there’s one thing you can be sure of, if you completely detox yourself physically but don’t consider the emotional stress as part of the programme you will unlikely succeed.

EXAMPLES n Studies have shown that short-term stress boosted the immune system, but chronic stress has a significant effect on the immune system that ultimately manifests as illness.20

n Chronic stress can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries (atherosclerosis), especially if combined with a high-fat diet and sedentary living. The relationship of stress with psychiatric illness is strongest in neuroses, which is followed by depression and even schizophrenia.20

n Stress increases the risk for diabetes mellitus, especially in overweight individuals, since psychological stress alters insulin needs.20

n Stress also alters the acid concentration in the stomach, which can lead to peptic ulcers, stress ulcers or ulcerative colitis.20

Metabolic toxins

Toxins can accumulate within our own bodies by insufficient natural processes such as overloaded digestion, lung or kidney function.

Acid is a primary metabolic toxin

There are two major organ systems that help maintain the pH (acidalkaline balance) in our blood, the kidneys and the lungs. They work closely together and use a number of complex chemical exchange systems to do that, which we won’t go into in great detail about here. Suffice to say, an acid state develops when the two major systems that control acid levels in the body, the lungs and the kidneys, are under attack. if the lungs or the kidneys can’t do their job properly the body will begin to accumulate acid.

We mentioned acid earlier as one of the underlying imbalanced states connected with metabolic syndrome. It’s vitally important to correct an acid state because many common ailments we suffer from today can be the result of excess acid in the body.

The lungs are largely affected by toxic pollution and stress levels while the kidneys struggle with processed food, fast foods and high levels of starch in the diet. We can do our best to avoid pollution and we can reduce stress levels by making changes in our lifestyle and taking time out to relax.

However the biggest factor we can easily influence is our dietary acid load, which we will discuss later on when we talk about detox foods.

EXAMPLES n Acid related ailments include gout, osteoporosis, kidney stones, diabetes, acid reflux, back and muscle pain, cardiovascular disorders, stunted growth, high blood pressure and cancer.

n Acid-alkaline imbalance is considered a type of systemic (whole body) stress. There are numerous chemical pathways in the body affected by diet-induced acidosis that may be cancer promoting.44 36 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

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Shocking Fact!

By now you will have gathered the dangers in our manmade world and their detrimental impact on our health. We are being slowly poisoned by our modern lifestyles; the resulting toxicity is causing our most common ailments.

4 What is metabolic toxicity?

Now that we’ve gone through just a few of the multitude of potential common toxins you can see the myriad of substances that could be interfering with your health. Of course, your body is designed to deal with a natural toxic load, but in todays developed world we experience a chronic bombardment and begin to struggle. Metabolic syndrome, inflammation, pain, skin and respiratory irritations are sure signs of this toxic overload. As your metabolism fights to maintain homeostasis and eventually loses the battle, metabolic toxicity occurs.

Your metabolism is not purely the rate your body generates energy, which gives rise to the everyday colloquialism ‘you must have a high metabolism’. Your metabolism is actually a combination of tens of thousands of chemical reactions involved in sustaining life. Every chemical reaction that takes place in your body is part of your metabolism and is essential to health.

Put another way then, if any substance interferes with, or causes an imbalance to any natural chemical process in your body continuously then it could be classified as a metabolic toxin. Why do you think it’s so difficult to quit caffeine, nicotine or even simple sugar? The reason is because you are going through a detox and experiencing withdrawals.

People never book into rehab because they need to quit coffee or sugar, energy drinks, eating sweets, ice cream, cakes, sausages, pastry or deep fried food. Instead these people are left struggling with addictive habits that slowly but surely erode, poison and destroy their metabolism. This is what metabolic toxicity looks like; a slow death by emotional/chemical addiction to everyday poisons; a gradual slippery slope into a grave dug by our teeth. 38 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

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Chronic homeostatic toxicity

Metabolic toxicity is the state when your metabolic function is interfered with and if this continues for a prolonged period of time, such as occurs with bad dietary habits or while under chronic stress, then homeostasis (healthy balance) is lost.

It is this ‘chronic homeostatic toxicity’ that leads to disease, serious inflammation, acidity, internal chemical imbalance and ultimately an acute attack. This could be kidney stones, a heart attack, gall stones, intestinal ulceration, stroke, lung disease and even cancer.

You can see when reviewing this chapter how toxicity can lead to the most common fatalities in our society and why cleansing your internal body could potentially reverse or curb these disease processes.

I would challenge any medical professional who questions the need to perform inner body cleansing and detox diets to read this book and think again. I am sure you will agree; the evidence is crystal clear. We need to detox! 40 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

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relief from during the programme were actually the body’s inflammatory precursors of metabolic disease. Take these stories for example…

5 The Detox revelation

In the pages to follow we are going to give you dozens of foods and herbs that are proven to alleviate the symptoms of auto-intoxication and reverse metabolic toxicity along with references to hundreds of clinical studies and scientific research, should you desire to check them out.

For thousands of years, detoxification has been practiced within the healing arts. Today up to 80% of the world’s population still turn to natural medicine for primary healthcare 343 and 25% of modern pharmaceuticals have their origins in herbal medicine. 344 Herbs are being researched by universities and

laboratories all over the world in attempts to find novel compounds and bioactive substances from which they can synthesise new drugs.

The beauty of this era is we have a combination of traditional knowledge dating back thousands of years in every culture on the planet, and millions of modern scientific research papers available digitally. This blend of ancient and modern has led to the dawn of many herbal medicines gaining the full credit they deserve. As a medical herbalist, I now have access to the worldwide database of research and to high-quality herbal ingredients made under pharmaceutical good manufacturing practices (GMP).

Over the last 20 years I have found my herbal detox programme to be the ultimate foundation to health and have seen many tens of thousands change their lives by taking the challenge and following the plan for a couple of weeks each year. The stories of success have been so consistent that I began offering a 100% guarantee after the first five years of feedback. It took me another five years to realise the complete pattern of events that were taking place during the process connecting it directly to metabolic disease. I then realised that nearly all of the symptoms people experienced

case studies

I had elevated liver enzyme readings for several years, which resulted in completing a liver biopsy. Diagnosis was that I had a fatty liver. Every six months I complete a blood test to keep an eye on liver enzyme levels. I completed the Brett Elliot Detox Diet, a couple of times within a six-week period. Really happy with results, more energy, just feeling better. Routine blood test was due last week, which I completed. My doctor texted through result saying that liver enzyme results were normal! Fantastic. Worked for me. Ross



My husband has high cholesterol that he was due to go on medication for. He went in for another cholesterol test after finishing the 14-day detox. We have just received a phone call from the nurse stating that his results were amazing and asking what had he done — he now no longer needs medication for high cholesterol as he is back in the safe range and only has to have yearly check-ups. He now is a healthy weight, is sleeping through the night and no longer craves unhealthy food. I have also had great results. I no longer have IBS symptoms, I feel alert, energised and am also lighter. I urge anyone who is thinking of doing this to take the plunge and stick with it as it’s only 14 days out of your life and the results have been life-changing for us.’ 42 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

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case study

I can’t express how happy I am to hear these stories from people, which come in almost every day. The power of changing a few things in your diet and taking a few specific herbs can be nothing short of miraculous. If there is one thing you can do to maintain health, or even reverse the progression of a metabolic imbalance, a body cleansing programme is it. I’m not saying it’s the cure for all diseases, but it’s certainly a step in that direction. Given the right ingredients your body has an incredible healing power. After all, ‘health’ is your natural peaceful state. For your body to remain in a state of health all it needs is space, peace and clarity. The rest is really just a case of letting go and letting be, getting out of the way mentally and allowing the process to take place. That’s what cleansing and being cured is all about.

Metabolic syndrome can be easily reversed by doing a herbal detox programme.

Let’s recap. A toxin is any substance that interferes with normal healthy functions, often simply just by getting in the way. For example, industrial airborne waste, smoke and fog combine to form smog, which can block healthy lung function. In virtually the same way, flour and water combine to form glue, which can block healthy bowel function. Toxins come in many forms. Everything from chemicals, pharmaceutical drugs, waterborne heavy metals, alcohol, cigarettes, air pollution, exhaust fumes, cleaning agents, artificial food additives and metabolic acid are toxins. And then there are less commonly thought of toxins such as radiation, noise, low-grade media, negative emotions and self-destructive thoughts.

A toxin can be seen as anything that serves no beneficial purpose within you, is difficult for your body to process, builds up, causes irritation, acidity, inflammation and oxidation, and eventually interferes with healthy functions and disrupts internal communications. This is especially important with regard to subtle hormonal, immune and DNA signalling.

In the year 2000 I was operating my home clinic in Tauranga and had just completed putting together my first herbal detox pack for my clients. I think I had only sold perhaps the first 50 packs and was getting great feedback. I remember this gentlemen (who we’ll call Simon) coming in off the street. He described his condition as chronic blocked sinus. I could clearly hear in his voice the blocked nose effect similar to a bad head cold. Simon, who was on holiday in NZ from the UK, explained how his sinus had been blocked for nine years and how he’d tried every drug, spray and remedy on the market, but nothing worked. I immediately went for the detox programme. I suggested some extra raw onions, garlic and mustard as good foods to increase during the detox process. Of course Simon was on holiday so I didn’t see him again. To my surprise a couple of years later Simon unexpectedly walked into my clinic again. ‘Hey Brett,’ he said, ‘I had to come back and see you. You have changed my life. I completed your detox programme and you wouldn’t believe it, but in the last few days my sinus cleared up. It was like the plug was pulled out and the pressure was released. The amazing thing is, it never came back and I’ve been completely clear ever since. I can’t thank you enough. I feel like a new man. I will complete the process again’ 44 | SECTION 1: SETTING THE STAGE

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Have you ever had interference with your radio, cell-phone or television signal? This is very similar to how a toxin affects your body internally, physically, emotionally and mentally. The body’s version of static, poor reception, bad sound, unclear picture and even a complete loss of signal can occur within you as the toxins interfere with the body’s subtle internal communication network.

Getting toxins out of your life can bring a new sense of clarity, peace and, ultimately, greater health. I recommend completing a good herbal detox twice every year so your body can stay on top and you remain balanced and healthy. It’s not just the herbal detox programme itself, but during the process new good habits can be formed, which often remain long after the programme is completed.

A detox programme is alkalising, colon-cleansing, liver-protecting, reduces inflammation, eradicates parasites, and soothes and cleanses the digestive system and colon.

Some of the other conditions I have seen alleviated by inner-body cleansing include: acne, allergies, arthritis, asthma, bloating, blood pressure problems, blood sugar problems, boils, candida, coeliac disease, colitis, constipation, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, eczema, fatigue, fluid retention, gas, gout, haemorrhoids, headache, heartburn, high cholesterol, indigestion, irritable bowel, lazy bowel, memory loss, mucus congestion, obesity, palpitations, parasites, psoriasis, reflux, sinusitis, skin rashes, stomach or peptic ulcers, weight gain.

The reason so many health conditions benefit from cleansing is very simple. Our most common irritating health issues stem from inflammation, irritation and some form of metabolic disturbance. By removing the disrupting toxin, the biochemical process is no longer interfered with, metabolism can return to normal and the inflammation can recede. Symptoms then disappear.

You might be wondering how you are going to go about performing a detox and fit it into your busy life, let alone avoiding toxins and finding everything you need to thoroughly cleanse your body. We are going to talk about what’s involved in coming sections, including the herbs, foods

and other practices that will make a detox programme successful. The fact is, it’s really not that hard once you get started. It’s actually convincing yourself that you need to do it, then making the mental commitment and planning a date to start that’s the biggest obstacle. I am here to help you with that.

QUICK REVIEW

The world’s biggest health epidemic, metabolic disease, is spiralling out of control and ultimately killing over 70% of the population from heart and lung disease, diabetes and cancer.

 The major cause of metabolic disease is excessive consumption of processed food, triggering fatty liver, metabolic acid, inflammation and pain.

 We are being slowly poisoned by our modern lifestyles; the resulting metabolic toxicity is causing our most common inflammatory ailments.

 Metabolic syndrome can be easily reversed by completing a herbal detox programme.

Personal Challenge If you think a regular inner-body cleansing programme might be a good idea then read the rest of this book and discover the ultimate herbal detox programme — starting with making the detox decision and how you can prepare yourself mentally. 46 | SECTION 2: TAKING ACTION

MAKING THE DECISION | 47

6 Making the decision

SECTION 2

That elusive happiness that others seem to have — is it real? Do they really have it or do we just like to imagine they do? How can we get it — and when?

Taking Action

I had been chasing something all my life and never finding it. No matter what it was, it was always just beyond reach. I was the cat chasing the mouse, which sped away just as I was about to get that prize in my hands. Have you ever felt that way, so close, but so far? Happiness, peace and contentment, they must be just around the corner, you keep telling yourself.

Why does it seem that we never quite reach the point of true satisfaction and then if we do, it doesn’t last more than a brief moment? We constantly need more, we need some new and exciting possession or entertainment. It seems our entire population is chasing ‘the dream’ and also spending large amounts of our time and energy trying to convince each other that we need that dream. Are you keeping up with the Joneses?

What ‘the dream’ might be…

 Business success  A new house or home improvements  The perfect relationship  New cars  The perfect body

 The latest technological gadgets  Sporting achievement  Instant food gratification  Status, power and position  Money in the bank by the millions

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Do any of the items on the list above feature in your dreams? Most fitted into my list of dreams too, Aha! The list, do you have a list? Yes, good, it’s fine to have a list of dreams and goals. We all know that planning things, having vision boards and writing goals down will help them manifest.

There are many methods of manifestation including harnessing the law of attraction, deliberate creation, quantum physics, positive thinking etc.

But are we encouraging inner peace or physical health by manifesting? Or have we been subtly deceived? Even though we may believe that things will all fall into our lap because we have the secret methods of manifestation, we have still been duped.

The problem with most of these methods is that they inherently involve the creation of an emotional expectation and desire. If you truly want it and believe you can have it then you can manifest it right? Think and grow rich and you are what you think. However, even if we fully understand these methods we still subtly fill our hearts with desire by using them. We are still chasing a dream, adding more and more desires to our list.

I do truly believe in the positive thinking approach, but energy focused on attaining desires generates an ongoing emotional need and and ongoing emotional need or endless unquenched desire is not healthy because it means we feel like we are never actually truly happy.

An emotional need has been created and this causes us to feel unsatisfied until we see the next reward, then the next, then the next. The wish list keeps getting bigger as does the emotional need. We always seem to be chasing the dream somehow. Thus, toxic overload, consumerism and consumption go hand in hand. If we are always chasing the perceived dream we have a continuous, insatiable hunger. That’s often where a destructive stress-addiction cycle begins.

Advertising — What we need?

On the average day, we see more than 5000 advertisements. 322 How cleverly and how subtly they feed the desire centre in our hearts. It’s not even just direct advertisements that we’re exposed to but also more general ideas around lifestyle, beauty, wealth, health, food, pleasure and satisfaction,

liberal sex and immoral behaviour that we can become convinced are desirable. Is this feeding our souls with actual nourishment?

I believe we can be led up the garden path by advertising if we are not very careful. Advertisers are very good at their job — that’s what they get paid to do. So, they sell us the dream, the desire and the feeling of lacking something, to create a need for the particular item being advertised.

Then there is the ego trip and the status, power and position that come with possessions. There is nothing wrong with material wealth

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and good leadership in itself, and I certainly wouldn’t encourage poverty, but continual unquenched emotional hunger for unnecessary luxuries should be avoided. I know it’s easier said than done!

Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire.

Epictetus (Greek philosopher)

I challenge you to reconsider your desires and dreams and question how they may create your list of priorities in life. Are you feeling fulfilled or are you chasing a dream? Asking this crucial challenging question of yourself is going to help with the detoxification and healing process ahead.

Burnout

If you have your own business or you work for a company then you will be familiar with this scenario. Every year they must make a larger profit, be more productive, and improve efficiency. There are more documents to fill out, more procedures to follow, more red tape and regulations to work through. The cars, computers and communications get faster. We eat, walk, talk, breathe and even think faster as a population with passing years. Parts of the world have had an increase in the pace of life of up to 30% in the last two decades.323

Unfortunately, at the same time this is happening, we as individuals start to slow down. We get older and our body clocks gradually wind down. We feel that there are not enough hours in the day, we don’t have time for family outings, games with the kids, holidays, relaxing, reading, music or meditation. We are always tired and stressed, constantly rushing, eating on the run, multi-tasking, frustrated and angry with our loved ones, drinking, smoking, taking drugs, getting depressed and eventually falling sick. This is how chasing the dream looks for many working people and I’m assuming you relate to some of these patterns.

Physical, emotional and mental health is what we aim to achieve with

inner body cleansing, along with a feeling of contentment and peace. I will talk later, about the principles of healing, which supersede all other laws, and how these can bring your dreams and your reality together as the life you’re living in the present moment. Right now, it’s all about making the decision to cleanse and purify your body and potentially detoxify your life in the process. If these areas are worked on simultaneously then profound healing is possible.

The car radio

We all wake up in the morning happy, refreshed and full of life, right? We wish. Often, it’s more likely that we drag ourselves out of bed and off to work. While driving through traffic we turn the car radio up loud so we can’t hear the noise outside, ignoring other people and pushing each other around on the road. Often, we miss our vehicle service and continue driving the car until it eventually starts to rattle or knock.

The car is an analogy for our body. You can liken the car radio to our thoughts. It is estimated that we have up to 50,000 thoughts daily, and I surmise substantially more than that if you allow for the average reading speed of 250 words per minute which totals 240,000 words per day. The world around us is also acting like the car radio, constantly blasting us with information and distractions in the form of advertising, television, movies, magazines, work, friends and family demands and household chores.

How are we supposed to stay aware of what is going on at the deeper levels of our being? The engine of our car, our body, may be knocking but we keep driving ourselves harder and faster to keep up with all the demands of our increasingly busy and fast-paced lives. The noise we drown out with our car radio may be something as small as a headache, back pain or reflux. Then next thing you know we missed a couple of body services and forgot to get the oil changed.

Breakdown

Some of the most common health concerns we suffer in modern society can be connected to this pattern precisely. Heart attack, cancer, diabetes,

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arthritis, digestive disorders and mental stress can all be traced back to a hectic pace of life. We either eat, drink or smoke the wrong things and then keep preoccupying ourselves with media or other activity as a form of distraction from what is really going on. Then one day… Boom! The engine makes an almighty noise and smoke starts to pour out of the windows. This is ‘breakdown’ and may or may not have happened to you already. It is pretty common before the age of 35 in the rat race and many men actually die these days before they reach the age of 50 due to stress-related heart attacks.325

We have our priorities out of order and simply by taking the time get ourselves a good service, most of the above issues can be avoided. The herbal detox programme I will outline shortly is put together as exactly that — a good service or even an extreme makeover from within.

First you will be given some methods of physical detoxification, followed by principles and insights into your body’s amazing power to source energy, direct from nature, to heal itself. Please consider taking the time to put your inner peace and your health first and trying this out.

Priorities

Do you want to be who you truly are or do you want to be what others expect you to be? How much do the media, society, friends, family and work dictate what your priorities are? Probably more than you would like to think. We are constantly bombarded with messages telling us what we should make top of the priorities list.

Even those who offer guidance on principles of deliberate creation often put money and possessions at the top of the list. What we should truly be seeking is not what we are led to believe. You might already be aware of this, but I just want to remind you. I urge you to be brutally honest and not be shy to openly test yourself with the ‘reality check’ process on the next couple of pages.

Take a look at the priorities list below and imagine what physical, emotional, and mental energy you give each heading. Imagine yourself starting a normal day and try to feel what is driving you as you get up and

going. This is one way you can gauge your priorities. Take your time and read these slowly. Contemplate what each heading means to you and evaluate where each topic rests amongst your priorities, ranking them from one to ten. I have mocked up a list, but please get a piece of paper and put them in your personal order of priority. Please do this before reading further.

Priority List A

1. Money

2. Possessions

3. Youth and good looks

4. Status and position

5. Free time

6. Food & drink

7. Love and affection

8. Relationship happiness

9. Your health

10. Inner peace

You’ve heard of the saying ‘putting the cart before the horse’? It’s a way of expressing that something is being done in the wrong order and certainly seems to be the case here when I tell you that no matter what order you put your priorities in, it will always be the presence of inner peace that can manifest everything else without stress. This knowledge can change the order of the list.

Inner peace (homeostasis) brings health to the body, gives rise to happiness, affection within relationships, increases time together, promotes healthy eating, which results in extended youth and good looks. How successful will your life be then?

Compare your list to my ideal list below. Imagine you have your priorities in this new order. See how it feels to have number one sorted out, then the second and the third, and so on. Try this list, imagine your priorities in this order and see how it feels. Read this very slowly and take note of your feelings.

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Priority List B

1. Inner peace

2. Your health

3. Relationship happiness

4. Love and affection

5. Free time

6. Food, drink and music

7. Youth and good looks

8. Status and position

9. Possessions

10. Money

In conclusion, consider this. True health will never be within reach so long as you have inner turmoil and stress. If you can achieve the first of the priorities in life, inner peace, then status, position, possessions and money are not so important, but they can be the natural result. By putting our priorities in this order we get all the dominos in a row and they fall with ease, because we are now in alignment.

The energy previously spent in the constant struggle for the least important things is what causes our inner peace and consequently our health to go out the window. Do the health check-up on yourself and be sure your list lines up with list B, especially with regards to ranking inner peace and health well above possessions and money.

The middle portion of the list is not so black and white. The detox programme is designed to help you achieve a profound change within your energy field and usher in a new phase of health and happiness.

I know very well how easy it is to fall into the traps of the modern world and have a list similar to List A. I have been there myself, we all slip up from time to time. That’s why I have asked you to take this brief moment to remind yourself of your priorities. Let’s manifest inner peace as your first priority. Sounds difficult? It can be a lot easier than you think.

If you have a look around at the animal kingdom you will find that almost every creature on earth has inner peace. Even those animals

surrounded by predation can actually be at peace with it. An elephant can lose a cub to lions and within hours be drinking water alongside the very lion the killed her baby. They know the natural order by instinct, and move on, and ultimately so do we. It’s just that our thoughts and beliefs, along with the world and all of its temptations get in the way.

In order to place our personal energy in line with the higher laws of nature, inner peace, grace and love we may need some tools. It is very hard to get clear and really feel the power of this subject when we are disrupted by toxins and addictions. The chemical imbalance in our body disturbs subtle emotional and mental processes. When we make the decision to change our lives, detox our bodies and take ourselves to the next level, a detox programme can be just the tool we need.

You have now completed an evaluation and hopefully have already made the big decision to realign your priorities. If so, then the first step in your healing is completed and we can now focus on getting cleansed and cured.

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7 Your personal plan of attack

In order for an inner body cleanse to transform your health and allow deep healing to take place you need to detox for a specific period of time. That time frame is directly related to your condition.

If you started feeling unwell one year ago then it could take one month to feel 100% recovered. If it’s been 10 years then expect 10 months of commitment to get your health back.

For most of us the disease process is gradual and silent. It’s not until we take a blood test and the doctor reports that you have high cholesterol or blood pressure the threat of medication occurs.

In this case I suggest taking a couple of weeks to do a solid detox programme using the principles in this book as a guide to cleanse your body. Once you have done that then look at making one significant change in your diet, one in your lifestyle habits and one in your attitude or philosophy, then try and cement the changes. Come back a year later and repeat the process making one more change in each area. If you can do this annually then you will look back in 10 years with great satisfaction.

I have many clients that have completed this process over the last 20 years and can testify to this approach. I am always in the throes of healing myself, as I believe this is part of our purpose as human beings. We need to make incremental changes in order to grow and progress. If we fail to make changes then we gradually decline and deteriorate. Change and growth are an essential part of being human. In the coming pages, I will share my favourite cleansing foods, recipes and herbs. Then we will give some advice on specific health conditions and share simple universal healing secrets.

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It pays to start with the food, move on to the herbs and then begin to work on yourself on the body-mind level further into the process. Introduce one cleansing food at a time by bringing it into your regular diet over a period of months, even years.

Going vegetarian, eating organic, quitting caffeine, alcohol, smoking, snacking habits, sugar, bread, pasta or even starting regular exercise all takes time to carve in stone. It has taken me many years to get myself to a point where I feel I am truly in control. I know how hard it can be, and that’s why I recommend taking your time. You will never be perfect and should always allow yourself a treat.

The point of doing a solid two-week detox programme to cleanse your body initially is so you feel profound effects, inspiring commitment to at least make the next incremental change in your life habits. Some people come back and do the programme twice a year and move a little faster. It all depends how much health improvement you need and how fast you think you can move without falling off the wagon. The secret is in finding your pace and not rushing the process. If you take things too quickly then you run the risk of giving up, and we don’t want that. Take your time, read the book slowly so you can contemplate, ponder, meditate and prepare yourself. Start the programme when you feel empowered and driven.

Let’s begin with the foods. When you read the information about the foods I want you to visualise the power of these plants, full of light and life. Try to remember some of the information and eat the foods each day as you read about them. It has been proven by medical research that 30% of the therapeutic effect of drugs is placebo. 326 That’s why double-blind placebo clinical trials are performed, to allow for this placebo effect. The same principle applies to the healing benefits of food and herbs. Read about the health benefits and then eat the food and you will gain 30% more. The power of your mind is never to be underestimated. You really have the power to transform your body.

8 Cleansing and Healing Foods

The Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

Research shows that adopting a plant-based diet is a cost-effective, low-risk intervention that may lower body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It may also reduce the number of medications needed to treat chronic diseases and lower heart disease mortality rates. Physicians are advised to recommend a plant-based diet to all their patients, especially those with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity. 176 In other words, going vegetarian could help stem the tide of the world’s biggest health epidemic, metabolic disease.

Vegetarianism and Protein

All vegetables are a complete protein source and vegetarian diets should provide more than adequate protein for an active, fit and healthy adult. Research shows that the percentage of protein in vegetables exceeds minimum daily requirements, provided you eat enough. It has to be real food of course, meaning wholefoods, not processed, refined, nutrientpoor foods. A vegetarian or vegan diet will be deficient in protein if a person eats nothing but cornflakes and lollies every day. Ok, that’s a silly example in order to make a point but seriously, it is only extreme, unbalanced diets that are likely to fail to hit the protein quota.

Vegetarians, be assured that you do not need to refer to a chart of foods to combine at every meal either. Research shows proteins don’t even need to be combined daily let alone at each meal — so long as adequate whole vegetable food is eaten there will be enough in the amino acid pool over several days to meet the body’s requirements. 327 Take fruit, for

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Vegetarian Athletes

Vegetarian Diet in a Nutshell

It’s still a common question; can vegetarians perform as well as their carnivorous counterparts in physical competition? Take a look at the achievements of the top-level vegetarian athletes below, and you should have your answer.174

 Martina Navratilova — Won 18 Grand Slam singles tennis titles and 31 doubles titles, a record she still holds today.

 Dave Scott — Holds the record for most Iron Man World Championship victories ever.

 Carl Lewis — Earned a total of 10 track and field Olympic medals over his career, nine of them gold.

 Mike Tyson — While he’s no longer in the boxing ring, he’s expressed that his vegan diet has made him feel powerful and explosively energetic.

 Bill Pearl — Multiple winner of the Mr Universe title who proudly admits to being vegetarian for almost 35 years and states that he still carries enough muscle mass to win another Mr. Universe title.

 Lizzie Armitstead — Winner of Great Britain’s first medal of the 2012 Olympic Games, taking silver in a gruelling 87-mile road cycling race, Lizzie was just 10 years old when she told her parents she wanted to become a vegetarian.175

example; even fruit contains all nine amino acids, but it gets only about 5 to 10% of its calories from protein.

Vegetarians and Metabolic Disease

Vegetarians are often healthier in general and their diet can potentially help them avoid the world’s biggest health problem, metabolic disease.176

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, include beans, legumes, seeds, nuts, and wholegrains and avoid or limit animal products, added fats, oils and refined, processed carbohydrates, especially sweets.

The major benefits for people who decide to start a plant-based diet are the possibility of reducing the number of medications they take to treat a variety of chronic conditions, lower body weight, decreased risk of cancer, and a reduction in their risk of death from heart disease.176

I am 90% vegetarian (not vegan) and I do not write this to offend anyone’s personal diet choice. I am, however, passionate about passing on factual dietary recommendations for everybody. That said, the figures speak for themselves and resolving metabolic disease being the primary concern, it’s essentially a no-brainer. If there’s one change you could make in your life, this could be a serendipitous opportunity.

The Benefits of Going Organic

We all know this famous quote by Hippocrates: ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’

As a health practitioner I know this to be true and it is central in my approach to achieving results with any client. For it to work, however, we need to source extra high-quality, healthy, nutritious food but this can be tough in modern profit-driven markets. With an increase in awareness of how our food affects our health, some of the negative aspects of industrial farming are becoming more apparent. The foodgrowing industry commercially spray and fertilise their crops to make them grow bigger and to poison pests and deter birds from eating their crops, thus maximising yield and profitability. But in the process consumers can end up with artificially enhanced, nutrient-devoid food.

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Detoxification and Healing

two-thirds of the 3015 produce samples tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2013 contained pesticide residues — a surprising finding in the face of soaring consumer demand for food without agricultural chemicals.178

If you want to allow your body its full potential to grow, heal and tap into life energy then going organic makes perfect sense. Eating organic produce alongside a herbal cleansing programme is the ideal combination to get a quality internal body cleanse.

I believe that by using herbs to enhance your body’s natural detox processes and by eating organic produce alongside you can potentially double the nutrient levels in your body. This can encourage rapid healing and cleansing simultaneously.

For example:

Apples: 98% of conventional apples had pesticides present.

Celery: tested positive for 57 different pesticides.

Capsicum: up to 15 pesticides on a single sample.

Peaches: more than 60 pesticides have been found on peaches. Grapes: 64 different pesticides were found on grapes.

Lettuce: 78 different pesticides were found on lettuce samples. Cucumbers: 81 different pesticide residues were found on cucumbers.

Global trend

Organic food production emphasises sustainable practices such as conservation of water and soil, reusing resources and eliminating the use of harmful pesticides and chemicals in food.

By 2015, data for organic production and consumption is recorded annually from more than 160 countries, and regulations are in force in more than 80 countries or regions. 181 The global organic food market was expected to grow from US$57.5 billion in 2010 to US$104.7 billion in 2015. Europe has the largest market share with revenue of $28 billion. The Rest of the World, which includes Latin America, Australasia, and others, is expected to grow at the highest annual growth rate of 16.5%.

The global organic food market is growing due to increasing concerns for improving overall health, rising consumer awareness about organic food benefits, increased organic farming in the world, increasing number of retailers providing a variety of organic products and implementation of government regulations.180

Full of poisons

Over 66% of commercially sprayed produce sitting on supermarket shelves had pesticides present. Tests were performed on produce available on the American market and the results were staggering. Nearly

Even in 2017, 70% of produce was still shown to have pesticides present. You would have to agree, after looking at these results, in order to effectively cleanse your body during a detox it would help to go organic.

Much higher nutrient levels

In another study researchers found that crops grown organically had what they called significant and meaningful differences in composition. The organic foods had much higher level of antioxidants which are key nutritional components known to have major health benefits. They also found these crops to have much lower levels of pesticide residues.179

According to one study when considering the consumption pattern of organic consumers, an increase in intake of a selected set of nutrients and contaminants was observed. 182 People who eat organic are therefore better nourished in general. Not only do they tend to eat more vegetables and fruit, but this produce is of higher nutritional value.

On the flip side, the combination of ingesting pesticides residue while eating mineral-deficient food must certainly contribute to trace mineral deficiency and further the case for chronic toxicity.

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Health benefits of eating organic

Another study compared non-organic food consumers with organic food consumers and found those who ate organic had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This effect was significant for men. 177 Is it any wonder when you consider what all these chemicals must be doing once they enter our bodies?

case study

Because I do a lot of exhibitions, I often bump into my old clients. One day recently a young gentleman came up to me with his story.

Ten years ago I was suffering with chronic fatigue. I was at the point where I was bedridden for a period of months. I couldn’t even raise the energy to cut my fingernails and they had grown huge. I found your detox programme online and thought this could be helpful. It was only a few days into the programme I found myself with the energy to get out of bed. That was a major turning point for me as I realised how food had affected me. I made the decision to go vegetarian and eat organic and am now back to 100% health.

We talked for about 30 minutes and I realised how deeply the detox had changed his life in a permanent fashion.

You also now embark on a journey of discovery. Let’s enter the world of cleansing and healing with food and herbs. We will begin with my favourite detox diet foods, all of which we will use in the recipes later.

My favourite detox diet foods

Avocado (Persea americana)

Avocado is delicious, satisfying and an excellent source of good fats. It’s versatile too, you can use it to make a dip, have it in a salad or even make it into a dessert. But what are benefits of eating avocado, especially during your detox diet? Let’s find out!

The avocado tree belongs to the family Lauraceae. It is native to Central America and cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates around the world. It’s widely used in the Ayurveda medical system and for evidence-based phototherapy (herbal medicine). The plant is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments such as hypertension, stomach ache, bronchitis, diarrhoea, and diabetes.183

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THE SCIENCE Antioxidant: Avocados have the highest fatty antioxidant capacity among fruits and vegetables. The primary avocado carotenoids are a subclass known as xanthophylls; oxygen-containing fat-soluble antioxidants. Good Fats: Avocado oil consists of 71% monounsaturated fatty acids, 13% polyunsaturated fatty acids, and 16% saturated fatty acids, which help to promote healthy blood lipid profiles and enhance the bioavailability of fat-soluble vitamins and phytochemicals.

There are eight preliminary clinical studies showing that avocado consumption helps support cardiovascular health. Exploratory studies suggest that avocados may support weight management and healthy ageing. (185)

An analysis of adult data suggests that avocado consumers have higher HDL (good) cholesterol, a lower risk of metabolic disease, and lower weight, BMI, and waist circumference than non-consumers.

CONCLUSION The combination of good fats in avocado fits perfectly with its traditional use for inflammatory conditions along with those related to metabolic disease including blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes issues. I suggest eating avocado freely as part of your cleansing diet.

Try these recipes: Avocado, Broccoli & Cucumber Salad (see page XXX), Chocolate Mousse (see page XXX).

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris)

Don’t spill the beetroot on the tablecloth. The bright red stains won’t come out easily in the wash. You might remember this from your childhood. It can be an acquired taste but, once found, beetroot is a favourite food for some. The extract is used as a food colouring, while sliced and canned beetroot is popular worldwide in salads or on burgers. I always eat a lot of beetroot on a detox diet for its liver-protective effects, but also because it encourages cleansing via the bowels.

THE SCIENCE Beetroot is high in dietary nitrate, which may confer beneficial health effects via reduction of inflammatory nitrite and nitric oxide, which improves the regulation of vascular health, immune function and metabolism.

Both beetroot and its juice are rich in betalain compounds, which are categorised as betacyanins. These are responsible for the red/violet colour of red beetroot. Betalains are water-soluble phytochemicals that have been shown to perform anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and protective activities.

Liver protection: Extract of beetroots given orally to rats have exhibited significant dose-dependent liver-protective activity. 186 A recent study

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with humans has shown that beetroot juice protects against chemicallyinduced liver injury and increases the activity of liver detox enzymes. Results indicate that beetroot may exert its liver-protective and anticarcinogenic effects through the activation of genes.187

Blood pressure: Beetroot is currently purported as a health-promoting food that might be useful for reducing the risk of developing the cardiovascular diseases hypertension and stroke and the immune disorder, inflammatory bowel disease. 190 According to the results of one study with rats, the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein and tumour necrosis factor alpha were significantly lower, total antioxidant capacity was increased and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol were all decreased. Although both raw and cooked forms of beetroot were effective in lowering blood pressure, blood vessel function and systemic inflammation, the raw beetroot juice had greater blood pressure-lowering effects.188

Antioxidant: Results of one study suggest beetroot as a new nutritional strategy to give high contents of bio-accessible nutrients (nitrate, antioxidants and potassium) that are potentially relevant to improve cardiovascular health and exercise performance.189

Anti-cancer: Studies by Dr. Sandor (Alexander) Ferenczi (Nobel Prize winner) pioneered of the use of beetroot juice as a cancer therapy in the nineteenth century and studied its strong anti-tumour effect on humans, as it contains the tumour-inhibiting natural red colouring agent betaine.190

CONCLUSION You simply can’t beat beetroot when it comes to colour and so it seems, the liver, blood and heart benefit equally. Use beetroot liberally during your detox diet for this very reason. Not only that, but it satisfies a healthy appetite when semi-fasting.

Try these recipes: Beetroot, Celery & Chive Salad (see page XXX), Beetroot & Grapefruit Smoothie (see page XXX).

Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)

Blueberry is also known as bilberry, especially within herbal medicine. Legend has it that during World War II, British and American pilots discovered that eating bilberry jam before night missions greatly improved their night vision. Bilberries then became a staple for Air Force pilots. Since then, extensive research in Europe has shown that bilberries contain specific compounds that have beneficial effects on the eyes and circulatory system.192

THE SCIENCE Antioxidant: The antioxidant (anthocyanin) content of a berry is usually proportional to its colour intensity and can range from 2 to 4 g/ kg, increasing as the fruit ripens. 195 Bilberry is one of the richest natural sources of anthocyanins. These polyphenolic components give bilberry its blue-black colour and high antioxidant content, and are believed to be the key bio-actives responsible for the many reported health benefits of bilberry and other berry fruits.

Cholesterol-lowering: Although bilberry is promoted most commonly

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for improving vision, it has been reported to lower blood glucose, to have anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects, and to promote antioxidant defence and lower oxidative stress.

Therefore, bilberry is of potential value in the treatment or prevention of conditions associated with inflammation, dyslipidemia (elevation of plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, or both), hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) or increased oxidative stress, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, diabetes, and dementia and other age-related diseases.193

In one human study, mixed anthocyanins from bilberry and blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) were given as an extract (320mg/day) for 12 weeks to 60 middle-aged Chinese subjects with an abnormal amount of lipids in the blood. Results showed significant improvements in lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (average decrease of approximately 14%) and HDL cholesterol (average increase of approximately 14%).194

CONCLUSION There is a known link between chronic inflammation and many of the symptoms of metabolic disease, but also the antioxidant effects of bilberry appear to directly impact these symptoms. I have made it my mission to have a berry smoothie at least twice a week. I usually include blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and boysenberries along with some dark grape juice or noni juice.

Try this recipe: Mixed Berry Smoothie (see page XXX).

Carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus)

‘If you eat your carrots you will be able to see in the dark’, as your parents used to say. Well it just so happens, that it may be true

THE SCIENCE Carotenoid compounds found in carrots play an essential role in human health; preventing disease thanks to their antioxidant capacity, but also as vitamin A precursors. As humans cannot synthesise carotenoids, they have to be provided by a plant-based diet. Carrot is a critical source of carotenoids as a large amount is accumulated in root tissues.197

The total carotenoid content in the edible portion of carrot roots range from 6000 to 54,800 micrograms/100g. Carotenoids have been linked with the enhancement of immune system and decreased risk of degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, age-related macular degeneration and cataract formation.200

Eye health: Lutein found is carrots is one of the most prevalent carotenoids in nature and in the human diet. Found in carrots together

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with zeaxanthin, it is highly concentrated as macular pigment in the retina of primates, buffering blue light exposure, providing protection from photo-oxidation and enhancing visual performance.196

Digestive health: Carrot extract has shown significant inhibition of the development of ulcers induced by physical and chemical agents in rats. These activities could be attributed to the presence of glycosides, phenolics, tannins, alkaloids, and flavonoids found in carrots, all of which are anti-inflammtory.198

Anti-cancer: In traditional medicine, carrots have been used as treatments for leukaemia and other cancers throughout history and have previously been studied in other contexts as potential sources of anti-cancer agents. It has also been studied in conjunction with beetroot juice for use against leukaemia.199

CONCLUSION You know that a dripping tap can eventually rot the floor and cause a complete kitchen to collapse. I propose that same rule applies to our health. If you exchange one chocolate bar or muffin for one raw carrot a day, can you imagine the difference in your health over time? During your detox diet, it’s these new habits we are trying to form. People often report a new sense of clarity and peace, seeing and hearing better, even sharper thinking. With all the benefits of healing foods such as carrot, you can see why.

Try these recipes: Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric Smoothie (see page XXX), Thai Carrot & Apple Salad (see page XXX)

Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum annuum)

Some like it hot, and all it takes is a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. When it comes to metabolism, this spicy red chilli could soon be your best friend. Capsicum annuum is an annual or biennial plant producing the spicy fruit commonly known as cayenne pepper or chilli. In fact ‘chili’ is the Aztec name for cayenne pepper. It has been used by indigenous Americans as food and medicine for at least 9000 years. 201 Cayenne pepper contains up to 1.5% capsaicin, fixed oils and volatile oils, to mention just a few of its active compounds.202

THE SCIENCE Gastric ulcer prevention: Capsaicin inhibits acid secretion and stimulates alkali and mucus secretion and particularly the blood flow of the intestinal lining, which helps in prevention and healing of gastric ulcers.203

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Weight loss: Cayenne has been shown to encourage weight loss. The three main areas of potential benefit for weight management were increased energy expenditure, increased fat-burning and appetite reduction.204 Subsequently, there may be potential for capsaicin to be used as a longterm, natural weight-loss aid.205

Capsaicin consumption one hour before low-intensity exercise is a valuable supplement for the treatment of individuals with high blood fats and/or obesity because it improves fat burning. Capsinoid ingestion increases energy expenditure by mobilising fatty tissue in humans.208 Metabolic boosting: Clinically, ingestion of capsaicin has been shown to boost metabolic rate.206

Balancing blood sugar: Capsaicin-containing chilli supplementation regularly reduced high blood sugar and insulin after eating, while imrpoving fat-metabolism disorders in women.207

CONCLUSION Whenever possible why not add a little chilli to your meals? Apart from healing ulcers, boosting your metabolism, burning fat and balancing your blood sugar you get the bonus weight-loss effect. It certainly pays to develop a taste for cayenne. I suggest starting mild and gradually increasing your dose as you feel capable until you can tolerate a good hot chilli. Once or twice a week gives a good result.

Try these recipes: Sweet Potato Salsa (see page XXX), Thai Carrot & Apple salad (see page XXX), Thai Pumpkin Soup (see page XXX).

Celery (Apium graveolens)

You might think munching on a celery stick is not very appetising, and I can understand that. The peculiar thing is, once you start a detox diet, simple food such as celery takes on a whole new level of interest. Not only is it crunchy but it’s very versatile. It can be eaten raw, chopped and added to a soup or stir-fry, puréed into smoothies and it makes a great snack with a little guacamole or hummus.

THE SCIENCE Seven main phenolic compounds were obtained from celery leaves including luteolin and apigenin.210

Cancer: Researchers believe that the flavanoid luteolin from celery may possess anti-cancer properties. One study published in the journal

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Current Cancer Drug Targets said that ‘Recent epidemiological studies have attributed a cancer prevention property to luteolin.’209

Another study shows apigenin has a synergistic effect in combination therapy and induces cancer cell death even in prostate cancer models resistant to conventional therapeutic regimens.211

Anti-inflammatory: Results of one study demonstrate that apigenin and apigenin-rich diets exert effective anti-inflammatory activity by restoring immune balance.212

Blood pressure and cholesterol: Celery leaf extract reduced blood pressure, cholesterol in an animal model of fructose-induced high blood pressure. Celery leaf extract with its blood pressure and cholesterol lowering effects can be considered as a treatment agent in chronic elevated blood pressure.213

CONCLUSION It’s incredible how simple everyday foods can be powerful medicines, especially when consumed long-term. Buying a bunch of celery every week or two may not be the difference between health and imbalance, but when combined with other healthy vegetable foods regularly the benefits could be immense. No wonder we have always been told to eat our vegetables.

Try this recipe: Beetroot, Celery & Chive Salad (see page XXX).

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

‘Cool as a cucumber’ often means a person who is relaxed, laid-back and unfazed by the stresses of life. Wouldn’t that be a good place to be? If only the constant bombardment and attack of daily life was ‘water off a duck’s back’. Maybe the cool cucumber could play that role in our diet. Check it out.

THE SCIENCE Anti-ageing: One human study showed that cucumber has anti-ageing, antioxidant effects. Blood cell death was significantly reduced in two study groups and DNA injury rate of blood cells also declined significantly after using cucumber.214

Cholesterol: The consumption of a 500mg daily dose of cucumber seed extract results in desirable effects on blood fats in adult high-cholesterol patients. Therefore, cucumber seed could be considered as a food

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supplement for treatment of high cholesterol.216

Diabetes: Another study concluded that cucumber has protective effects in diabetes complications and can be considered a suitable candidate for decreasing the oxidative stress typically observed in diabetes.217

CONCLUSION Anti-ageing, blood protection, cholesterol and blood sugar lowering all sounds pretty amazing. Many of the antioxidant benefits are found in the cucumber skin, so it’s better to chop the cucumber into your salad with the skin on.

Try these recipes: Avocado, Broccoli & Cucumber Salad (see page XXX), Kale & Lemon Smoothie (see page XXX).

F7 – Cucumber

Eggplant (Solanum melongena)

Eggplant may not be high on the menu for many people, but during the cleansing detox diet, it makes a very nourishing and filling food for those missing their usual meaty protein fix. Eggplant contains one% protein and three% fibre. It also has the ability to absorb moisture from sauce and take up flavours, which makes it a favourable substitute for meat. Depending on how long you continue cleansing, eggplant can become indispensable.

THE SCIENCE The dark skin is full of antioxidants and due to their low carbohydrate and high antioxidant content, eggplants are a great addition to your diet. Anti-cancer: Exposure of cancer cells to compounds produced by eggplants inhibits the growth of the cells in culture as well as tumour growth in living organisms. Reports indicate cancer cell death of bone,

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breast, cervical, colon, gastric, glioblastoma, leukaemia, liver, lung, lymphoma, melanoma, pancreas, prostate and skin.218

Heart protection: The results of one animal study demonstrated eggplants, raw or grilled, contained potent heart protective compounds judging by their ability to increase heart muscle function.219

Type 2 diabetes: The American Diabetes Association recommend an eggplant-based diet as a choice for management of type 2 diabetes. The rationale for this suggestion is the high fibre and low soluble carbohydrate content of eggplant. It is also suggested that its ability to inhibit specific enzymes in the laboratory provides a strong basis for management of type 2 diabetes by controlling blood glucose levels.220

CONCLUSION You can bake it, fry it, grill it or even soak it and make a smoothie. Either way eggplant is a great way to fill the gap without having the simple sugars present in many other foods. It you want to lower your blood sugar, look after your heart and generally avoid metabolic disease then eggplant should definitely be part of your strategy.

Garlic (Allium sativum)

Try this recipe: Eggplant Stir-fry (see page XXX).

Everybody knows about garlic as a flavouring in food — it’s one of the most commonly used culinary plants on the planet. Garlic is also very popular in health products for its immune and cardiovascular benefits, but you can get many of those benefits at home by simply increasing the quantity used regularly. Let’s look at this amazing plant further.

THE SCIENCE Garlic has acquired a reputation in different traditions as a as a therapeutic medicinal plant. It has played important dietary and medicinal roles throughout history; some of the earliest references to this medicinal plant were found in Avesta, a collection of Zoroastrian holy writings that was probably compiled during the sixth century BC.

Cardiovascular health: Garlic and its preparations have been widely

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recognised as agents for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The wealth of scientific literature supports the proposal that garlic consumption has significant effects on lowering blood pressure, prevention of atherosclerosis, reduction cholesterol. Both experimental and clinical studies on different garlic preparations demonstrate these favourable cardiovascular effects.

Long-term application of garlic and its preparations on experimental atherosclerosis induced by a high-cholesterol diet, showed 50% reduction in lesions, particularly in the aorta. Most of the human studies on the effects of garlic also demonstrated marked decreases in cholesterol and triglycerides.222

Improved immune function: Experimental results indicate that garlic appears to enhance the functioning of the immune system by stimulating certain cell types, such as macrophages, lymphocytes, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and eosinophils, by regulating immune system communication mechanisms.221

CONCLUSION Incorporating garlic into your detox diet as often as possible will add yet another therapeutic food to your programme. I recommend using upwards of six cloves in each meal per person. I often use an entire bulb roughly chopped and not over cooked. If you leave a little crunch in your garlic you will retain the sulphur compounds, which are important for the immune activity.

Try these recipes: Chinese Style Sweet and Sour Vegetables (see page XXX), Eggplant Stir-Fry (see page XXX), Mushroom Stroganoff (see page XXX), Sweet Potato Salsa (see page XXX), Thai Pumpkin Soup (see page XXX), Thai Red/Green Curry (see page XXX).

Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica)

You often hear people joke about kale smoothies as though you have to be mad to drink them. Honestly, I have one almost every day and I love them. The buzz of energy is almost addictive and daytime hunger has virtually become a thing of the past. Kale truly is one of the king superfoods.

THE SCIENCE Nutritional value: Kale is a leafy green brassica used as a garnish on plates and salad bars but is gaining popularity as a primary ingredient in either raw or cooked form. Kale is rich in several vitamins (A, K and C), essential minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium) and dietary fibre. It is likely that kale can also provide other nutrients including carotenoids, folate and prebiotic carbohydrates.227

Fresh kale juice is high in antioxidant properties and may beneficially

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enhance the body’s antioxidant protection system against oxidative damage.223

Elevated blood fats: Regular meal supplementation with kale juice can favourably influence blood fat profiles and antioxidants, and hence contribute to reduce the risks of coronary artery disease in male subjects with high cholesterol.224

Blood pressure: Findings suggest that the supplementation of kale juice affected blood pressure, lipid profiles, and blood glucose in subclinical hypertensive patients.225

Brain diseases: One study comparing subjects who drank kale juices at least three times per week with those who drank less than once a week, showed that vegetable juices may play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly among those who are at high risk for the disease. These results may lead to a new avenue of inquiry in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.226

CONCLUSION They may joke about us, but kale juice drinkers will have the last laugh. When those barbecue and beer lovers have had heart attacks, the kale drinkers will party on. Two to three kale smoothies a week could change your life.

Try this recipe: Kale & Lemon Smoothie (see page XXX).

Leek (Allium ampeloprasum)

Not one of the most exciting vegetables in your garden, but much like onions leeks are super versatile and very healthy. They are also very high in fibre, low in sugars and very satisfying to eat when on a cleansing diet.

THE SCIENCE Fatty liver: One study considered the useful effects of leek in reducing liver fats, and concluded that it might be considered as a herb with the potential of reducing liver triglyceride accumulation induced by high-fat diets.228

Immune function: Leeks are a valuable source of biologically active polysaccharides (complex sugars), which could also be considered for further medicinal applications. It is known that some plant polysaccharides are good modulators of the immune system, enhancing

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defence responses. In recent decades, polysaccharides have attracted a great deal of attention because of their broad spectrum of therapeutic properties. It is suggested they may activate the immune system.229 Anti-microbial: There is antimicrobial activity of the sulphur compounds present in leek species similar to those found in garlic and onions.230

CONCLUSION Much like garlic and onions, leeks contain sulphur and other compounds that are anti-microbial, boost immune function and help reduce fatty liver. The perfect storm when it comes to helping your body cleanse from the effects of metabolic toxicity.

Try this recipe: Tomato & Leek Soup (see page XXX).

Lemon (Citrus x limon)

This zesty delight is arguably most famous when made into lemonade, but it is also very popular as a flavouring in desserts and sweets. Many of the health benefits are lost in these circumstances, but when used in herbal teas, smoothies, curry’s and stir-fries, lemon adds therapeutic value.

Lemons contain antioxidants in their skins, particularly the flavanone glycosides hesperidin and naringenin, as well as vitamin C and essential oil. Citrus limonoids (CLs) are a group of metabolites found mostly in the seeds, fruits and peels of citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits and mandarins. Citrus limonoids have been shown to display numerous pharmacological activities including anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic and insecticidal, among others.

When you take this into consideration it’s no wonder a good old glass

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of water and lemon in the morning gives you a boost. Comparatively a whole lemon with skin in your smoothie feels like rocket fuel.

THE SCIENCE Antiviral properties: Anti-dengue virus activity was demonstrated in human cells infected with dengue virus, supporting the potential use of naringenin, one of lemon’s major antioxidants, to control dengue virus replication.232

Anti-cancer properties: Nano-sized blood vessels called vesicles are considered key players in cellular communication, influencing the growth of cancer. These Nano-vesicles have also been found in edible plants. It was demonstrated in mice that lemon nano-vesicles suppressed tumour growth by specifically targeting cell death at the tumour site.231 Anti-inflammatory properties: Evidence from studies have unravelled many complex mechanisms suggesting possible therapeutic uses for naringenin in various nervous, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, bone and joint, metabolic and malignant disorders. The effect of naringenin is mainly down to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.233 Metabolic syndrome: Recent studies support a role for citrus flavonoids in the treatment of high cholesterol, insulin resistance, fatty liver, obesity and atherosclerosis.234

CONCLUSION An apple a day keeps the doctor away but maybe we could adopt a new phrase? There seems to be a rationale for using lemons during a cold, for mobilising fat, reducing pain and inflammation, and it seems the skin has the strongest effect. I recommend using lemon zest often and throwing entire lemons with the skin on into your breakfast smoothie.

Try these recipes: Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric Smoothie (see page XXX) and Kale & Lemon Smoothie (see page XXX).

Onion (Allium cepa)

Onions make you cry, right? This is not always the case, in fact today they might make you smile. One of the most common ingredients in everyday cooking, onions are actually an awesome health food. The main compounds found in onion are the antioxidants such as quercetin, exhibiting many pharmacological properties such as its antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects. Along with antioxidants, the major bioactive constituents in onions are sulphurous compounds. The sulfoxides, which are responsible for the onion flavour and odour, might also be responsible in part for the onion’s biological activity.

THE SCIENCE Asthma: One study observed a reduction in the production of

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inflammatory immune response, and a relaxation of the tracheal rings. It was concluded that onions had potential as anti-asthmatic drugs, as they possess both immunomodulatory and bronchodilatory properties.235 Cancer: Studies suggest the extract from onion may be useful against cancer. 236 The potential anti-cancer activity of various onions are due to the sulphur-containing compounds. These compounds have effects at each stage of cancer growth and affect many physiological processes that modify cancer risk.237

Blood sugar and fats: Onion oil has been reported to effectively decrease the blood fat levels in experimental animals. Study results indicate that onion decreased blood glucose, fat levels and reduced kidney damage and this effect might exert the anti-diabetic effect of onion..238

CONCLUSION Although onions are commonplace, there is nothing common about their benefits. High blood sugar and fats underlie metabolic disease and chronic inflammation but also precede cancer, so it is little wonder onions have anti-cancer effects. The reduction of bronchial spasm and asthma is a nice bonus. If you ever feel like you’re crying again when chopping onions think of these benefits and smile. Raw onions give the best result because the sulphur compounds are still present. I suggest trying to use one onion daily.

Try these recipes: Chinese-Style Sweet & Sour Vegetables (see page XXX), Eggplant Stir-Fry (see page XXX), Mushroom Stroganoff (see page XXX), Sweet Potato Salsa (see page XXX), Thai Red/Green Curry (see page XXX).

Orange (Citrus x aurantium)

Orange skin extract (bitter orange) is used widely in the weight loss and sports industry. The extract is taken from the skin of the common Seville orange, from which marmalade is traditionally made, but it is also present in the skins of other citrus fruits — lemon, lime and mandarin. Bitter orange extract is used in weight management products due to its effects on metabolic processes, including an increase in metabolic rate, fat burning and mild appetite suppression.

THE SCIENCE Bitter orange active constituents: P-synephrine is the primary protoalkaloid in Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) and other citrus species.240 Various studies indicate that the fat-burning activity of p-synephrine is due

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to binding to receptors in fatty tissues. Results indicate that bitter orange extract and p-synephrine increase metabolism and energy expenditure. There is a total of 23 published and unpublished studies involving a total of approximately 450 total human subjects using bitter orange.

Weight loss: In one study, after six weeks the treated group lost small but significant amounts of body weight (1.4kg) and body fat (2.9%). The treated group also experienced a significant increase in resting metabolic rate as compared to the placebo group. In another 10-week study a 32-person group consuming the only product lost an average of 4.6kg, the group on the diet and exercise regime lost 3.4kg, and the group taking the product plus diet and exercise lost 6.6kg.239

Metabolic rate: One study with 40 people showed that at 75 minutes after ingestion of 50mg of synephrine a 6.9% increase in resting metabolic rate was observed, relative to the placebo-control group.

Thermogenic: A study involving 30 subjects demonstrated an increase in the metabolic effect of food of up to 29%. Also significant increase in respiration occurred in response to the bitter orange extract.239

CONCLUSION The everyday orange skin has a special property rarely spoken about. This is a good reason to leave the skin on your orange when making a smoothie. When seeking to control metabolic disease anything that gives your metabolism a healthy kick will assist.

Try this recipe: Chocolate Orange & Mint Smoothie (see page XXX).

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

The common pineapple is anything but common. Apart from being a popular fruit it has wide use in the supplements industry and is a source of the digestive enzyme bromelain. The crude aqueous extract from the stem and fruit of pineapple is known as bromelain. It is a mixture of different enzymes. Plant-based enzymes, such as bromelain from pineapple, serve as effective digestive aids in the breakdown of proteins.244

I use it regularly in my daily smoothies for the amazing flavour, but the bonus of all the added health benefits makes it a must-have in your fridge. Pineapple is used in desserts such as fruit salad, as well as on some savoury dishes, including pizzas and hamburgers. Crushed pineapple is used in yoghurt, jam, sweets and ice cream. The juice of the pineapple is served as a beverage, and it is also the main ingredient in cocktails such as the piña colada.

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THE SCIENCE All the evidence in one comprehensive review suggest that bromelain can be used as an effective health supplement to prevent cancer, diabetes and various cardiovascular diseases in the long run. Bromelain accounts for many therapeutic benefits such as the treatment of angina pectoris, bronchitis, sinusitis, surgical trauma and deep vein thrombosis. It also relieves osteoarthritis, diarrhoea and various cardiovascular disorders. Bromelain also possesses some anti-cancerous activities and promotes cancer cell death.243

Digestive support: Bromelain aids digestion by enhancing the effects of the digestive enzymes trypsin and pepsin. It can also help to prevent heartburn and ease diarrhoea if either are caused by a deficiency of digestive enzymes.245

Anti-inflammatory: Bromelain is of interest to plastic surgeons because of its apparent ability to reduce pain, oedema, inflammation and platelet aggregation.241

Heart attack reduced: Bromelain has been effective in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases as it is an inhibitor of blood platelet aggregation, thus minimising the risk of arterial thrombosis and embolism. Bromelain prevents or minimises the severity of angina and heart attack.243 Cholesterol reduced: Bromelain may also break down cholesterol plaques.243

CONCLUSION When you make your daily detox smoothie, you should add a ring of sliced fresh pineapple. Considering the digestive support, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering and heart benefits pineapple will contribute to you become cleansed and cured.

Try these recipes: Chinese-Style Sweet & Sour Vegetables (see page XXX), Kale & Lemon Smoothie (see page XXX).

Pumpkin (Cucurbita)

One of the greatest foods available in the world, the humble pumpkin is vastly underestimated as a health product. Pumpkin is one of the most well-known edible plants and has substantial medicinal properties due to the presence of several unique natural edible substances.

It contains several constituents belonging to the categories of alkaloids, flavonoids and palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids. Various important medicinal properties including anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and others have been well documented.

THE SCIENCE Blood sugar: Studies have demonstrated that pumpkin has blood sugar-lowering activity similar to a standard drug in healthy animals with temporary hyperglycaemia and in mildly diabetic animals. It was

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suggested that these effects might be due to increased pancreatic insulin secretion.246

Blood pressure: Pumpkin also has hypotensive effects in terms of angiotensin I-converting enzyme-inhibitory activities.246

Antioxidant properties: Oxidative stress is a classic sign of various chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Various extracts of pumpkin have potential antioxidant activity, which might play an important role in pre-diabetics, diabetics and individuals with vascular injury.246

Anti-cancer: The carotenoids from pumpkin fruits have been linked to the prevention of prostate cancer. It was reported that pumpkin fruit extracts markedly reduced tumour weight in mice.246

Anti-microbial properties: Various broad spectrum anti-microbial components have been isolated from pumpkins. Pumpkin oil inhibits Candida albicans, E. coli, salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and many other negative intestinal bacteria.246

CONCLUSION It would appear that pumpkin is a valuable food that has multiple therapeutic benefits. Used in place of simple starches or other processed carbohydrates it could make a great healthy alternative. Simple steamed pumpkin would be the best but lightly roasted is possibly the most delicious. Pumpkin is my very best friend when doing the Herbal Detox programme because it is so versatile and yet so incredibly healing.

Try these recipes: Thai Pumpkin Soup (see page XXX), Thai Red/Green Curry (see page XXX)

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

The cartoon character Popeye ‘the sailor man’, who first appeared in theatres in 1929, was known to eat spinach. Popeye was invariably put into what seems like a hopeless situation, upon which (usually after taking a beating), a can of spinach, that he apparently carries with him always, falls out from inside his shirt. Popeye immediately tears the can open and gulps the entire contents. His muscles swell and pump up, becoming magnificent. Wouldn’t that be nice? If all we needed to do was consume spinach regularly to maintain our muscle mass, surely we would all be gulping spinach daily. Perhaps this is not simply a cartoon myth after all. In fact, spinach is one of the very few crop plants that produce large amounts of phytoecdysteroids.262

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THE SCIENCE Weight loss: Ecdysone, a plant steroid classed as a phytoecdysteroid is produced by several plants, including spinach, and was very early on shown to increase muscle mass. Later it became apparent that spinach extracts containing ecdysone decreased body fat load. This has shown beneficial effects on body weight and blood fats not only in obese postmenopausal but also in pre-menopausal women and also in men.260 Muscle power: It is fascinating how during metamorphosis (in moths and butterflies) the developmental events involved in muscle remodelling are under the control of ecdysteroids, the steroid hormones.261 Phytoecdysteroids, which are structurally similar or identical to insect moulting hormones, produce a range of effects in mammals, including increasing growth and physical performance. In clinical studies, phytoecdysteroids have shown to increase protein synthesis by up to 20%. 263 Results of one study suggest that daily spinach consumption has alleviating effects on known markers of oxidative stress and muscle damage following a half-marathon in well-trained, healthy, young men.259

CONCLUSION Apart from the fact that spinach is a powerhouse of nutrients, like any other leafy green vegetable, it has the power to build muscle mass. Lean muscle mass is an important factor in encouraging a healthy metabolism, blood sugar balance, energy levels and general sense of wellbeing. Not only that but it helps significantly with appetite control.

When following a cleansing diet, I recommend a spinach smoothie or salad at least every other day.

Try these recipes: Sweet Potato Salsa (see page XXX), Chinese-Style Sweet & Sour Vegetables (see page XXX), Kale & Lemon Smoothie (see page XXX).

Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas)

The sweet potato is so much more than just ‘sweet’. With its many unique properties, it is now classified as a health food. Sweet potato is an extremely versatile and delicious vegetable that possesses high nutritional value. It is also a valuable medicinal plant having anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory activities. Sweet potato is now considered a valuable source of unique natural products, including some that can be used in the development of medicines against various diseases.250

In New Zealand we call sweet potato ‘kumara’, which is the traditional Maori name for this food. Purple-fleshed sweet potato possesses high amounts of antioxidant compounds, such as phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanin.251

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THE SCIENCE Type 2 diabetes: In one study of 140 participants, which ranged from six weeks to five months’ duration, there was a statistically significant improvement in type 2 diabetes with 4g/day sweet potato preparations compared to placebo.247

Antioxidant properties: The strong antioxidant activity of the sweet potato extract is proposed to be due to the combined effect of the antioxidants compounds with amino acids.248

Anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer: Sweet potato has been shown to exert significant anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects on human colorectal cancer cells. 249 The purple sweet potato extracts could potentially inhibit the growth of some cancer cell lines, such as human breast cancer, gastric and colon cancers.251

Longevity: The Okinawan diet, the eating habits of the indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, is one of the world’s most interesting because its consumers have the longest life expectancies and low disability rates. The purple sweet potato provides the largest part of the energy intake (and contributes to self-sufficiency). The diet also consists of a wide array of plant foods including seaweed (especially kombu) and soy, and of herbaceous plants, accompanied by fish and green tea. The concept that ‘food is medicine’ is built into the Okinawan culture.252

CONCLUSION There is speculation that the sweet potato is largely responsible for the people of Okinawa living the longest on earth. When you consider its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects along with its blood sugar-balancing properties this is no surprise. It’s certainly worth substituting purple sweet potato for other carbohydrates such as pasta, potato or bread in your diet.

Try these recipes: Sweet Potato Salsa (see page XXX), Thai Red/Green Curry (see page XXX).

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Tomato sauce is one of the most popular additions to food in New Zealand. Tomato is also commonly used as a base for Indian and Italian dishes, and transforms many soups and sauces. Tomato juice makes a healthy alternative to alcoholic beverages or soft drinks.

Lycopene is a carotene and phytochemical known to protect against metabolic diseases. It is found in red fruits and vegetables, predominantly tomatoes. The humble tomato could be another secret weapon to combating metabolic disease. Some recent scientific studies help explain why.

THE SCIENCE Weight loss: Study results shown that daily tomato juice supplementation

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reduces waist circumference, as well as serum cholesterol and inflammatory adipokine levels in young healthy women. 254 Results from another study suggest that tomato juice reduces oxidative stress in overweight (and possibly obese) females and, therefore, may prevent some of the damage caused by obesity and promote health.256

Bowel cancer: The beneficial effect of raw tomatoes on the population of Italy was tested who consume a largely Mediterranean diet. After allowance for age, sex, education, smoking and drinking level, and total calorie intake, a consistent pattern of protection for intestinal cancers was seen.257

Prostate cancer: Data also demonstrates that higher lycopene consumption and circulating concentration is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. Analysis indicates a significant association between lycopene intake and prostate cancer risk reduction.253

Radiation damage: Numerous laboratory and animal studies showed that lycopene may provide protection against damages induced by radiation. It suggests that supplementation of lycopene might be useful in the reducing of the negative effect of cancer radiotherapy.255

CONCLUSION Tomato juice anyone? How about tomato soup tonight? It’s so inspiring when you study the beneficial effects of simple everyday fruits and vegetables. All we need is provided by nature, right there in the food and the herbs around us. Lycopene is actually more available in cooked tomatoes, especially when combined with olive oil.258

Try these recipes: Sweet Potato Salsa (page XXX), Tomato & Leek Soup (page xxx).

Nutrition revisited

In traditional nutrition, only a few major nutrients are focussed on carbs, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals — thereby missing many other important nutritional requirements, such as the vast array antioxidant compounds, polysaccharides, enzymes, trace minerals and other subtle micronutrients. Modern industrially produced foods are manufactured to provide very little actual nutrition and this needs to be addressed. I am about to give you a brief look at how this oversight may be affecting your health.

Traditional Nutrients

Nutritionists speak in terms of three main groups: major nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat), vitamins (A, B group, C, D, E and K); and the major minerals (calcium, fluoride, iodine, iron, selenium, sodium, sulphur, zinc) You will notice on food labels this is all they list and even then, there are often some missing. This is simply because it’s too difficult to test for other dismissed or overlooked nutrients as they are not regarded as important. The truth is that the micronutrients and phytochemicals I am going to talk about are also the nutrients potentially vital to the health of our bodies and it is their deficiency that may underlie many of our common health problems.

Overlooked nutrients

Vitamin P (antioxidants): These are wide and varied, including polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanidins, hesperidin, catechins and carotenoids to mention just a few (many you will have read about in the list of foods above). They help protect cell membranes from damage and inflammation. Berries, red-, orange- and yellow-coloured plant foods are particularly high in these nutrients.

Trace minerals/elements: As we mentioned earlier (page XX). An element is called a trace elements when their requirement per day is below 100mg and deficiency leads to disorders, which can prove fatal. Some of the elements

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belonging to this group are copper, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, boron. Of these, iodine is a non-metal, while the others are metals.

Additional trace elements: Their role in our metabolic processes is not clear and yet they may still be essential to our health. The elements belonging to this group are cadmium, nickel, tin, vanadium and aluminium. The question remains to be answered, could they also be essential?

Plant steroids: Spinach and orange are classic examples of foods that contain plant steroids, boosting energy and tissue growth. Spinach contains phytoecdysteroids while orange skin contains synephrine. Many plants and herbs contain similar hormone-boosting steroidal compounds.

Enzymes: Many fruits, such as pineapple and kiwifruit, contain enzymes, which we need to obtain from food in order to keep our digestive enzymes at optimum healthy levels. We don’t manufacture our own enzymes so we simply must get enzymes from our food. Again, these can be reduced or destroyed in many factory processed foods.

Polysaccharides: Although plant foods provide a range of essential dietary components, they are particularly important as a source of dietary carbohydrates, providing almost all of the carbohydrate, and therefore much of the energy, in the adult diet. Polysaccharides are a large group of complex small carbohydrates including galactomannans, arabinoxylans, xyloglucans, glucomannans, pectic polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and more.

Polysaccharides are found in many plants and herbs and perform many wide and varied functions, mainly to do with cellular communication. It has become clear that polysaccharides play a positive role in reducing risk factors for chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease and certain types of cancer.313

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CONCLUSION There are many dozens of other nutrients found in plants and herbs, which we don’t have the space to go into here. The key piece of information to take away would be this: eat a wide and varied wholefood, plant-based diet if you want to get all the beneficial nutrients provided by nature. Many nutrients are stripped in industrial processing, heating and chemical treatment, so eat as close to the garden as possible if you want to receive good, complete nutrition.

Live food

Raw food deserves a quick mention. Why should you choose live food over cooked food? Cooked foods, and especially meat, contain harmful toxins, which can cause chronic disease and other problems, including trans-fatty acids produced by heating oil, acrylamide produced by frying, advanced glycation end products and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. 314, 315, 316 These cooking processes essentially denature or disrupt the

natural molecular structure of the food making it less available for our biological functions and the compounds produced are altered in such a way as to make them appear toxic rather than friendly to your body.

Studies show that blanching, boiling, microwaving, and even stirfrying affects the nutrient composition, phytochemical contents, antioxidant profiles of food. Pasteurisation or heat processing during the manufacture of packaged foods, especially juices and milk, also reduces the level bioactive compounds, especially antioxidants.318, 319

Results of one study show a general decrease in the levels of all the studied nutritional compounds except for mineral nutrients, which were stable under all cooking conditions. Vitamin C showed the greatest losses, mainly because of degradation and leaching, whereas losses for antioxidant compounds were mainly due to leaching into water.

Apart from the obvious molecular damage caused by overcooking food there are subtle benefits from consuming live food. Plant-based foods such as fruit, vegetables, and wholegrains, which contain significant

amounts of bioactive phytochemicals, may provide desirable health benefits beyond basic nutrition to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Evidence suggests that consumption of a diet rich in vegetables and fruits has positive implications for human health so we want to preserve the raw, living bioactivity of this food if possible.317

With our busy lifestyles it’s not practical to eat raw food 100% of the time but cooking all of your food is not a good idea either. I highly recommend going 80% raw if possible to get the best nutrition and to feel truly alive.

Colour counts

Colours are indicators of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and many important micronutrients, so the more colour, the more beneficial nutrients, especially the antioxidants. 329 I like to think of this colour as captured light energy, which I see as a bioactive component. It is a challenging standpoint but I find it opens a new door for sourcing energy in your life.

Light is captured by photosynthesis and this captured light energy is released again as heat during cellular metabolism of sugar and fat.362 Think of it this way. Heat, light and electricity are all simply variations of the same thing; frequencies of electromagnetic energy. See diagram below. If we process our food in a factory with chemicals, irradiate, fumigate, pasteurize and then cook to death before eating, is any light energy left? The answer is, not much. What does this mean when it comes to your diet? In a nutshell, eat bright living food! If food has a lot of colour then it has a lot of light and will give you a lot of energy.

Let’s now consider fruit. Fruit absorbs warmth and light (that is electromagnetic energy) to grow and ripen and it stores this energy in carbohydrates and other nutrients. I see ripe fruit as a powerful source of ‘light’ energy, and eating living fruit picked directly off the tree will give you the most energy possible. So it is important to eat fruit as close to being picked as you can. There is nothing on earth that compares with

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Then you have fresh raw vegetables. These contain light energy, enzymes and healing properties galore. It’s no wonder people report a feeling of lightness, energy and an inner glow when completing the detox programme. They say it’s like being ‘full of light’ and perhaps that’s an integral part of its powerful healing effect.

And, in saying that, it’s time to start with your first fresh salad. Let the detox begin!

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9 Cleansing and Healing Recipes

Because I’m not Gordon Ramsay and this is not a gourmet cookbook you won’t find any recipes suitable for a restaurant table. Keeping it simple is one of the great healing secrets and this is exactly what I aim to achieve with these detoxifying and healing recipes. I have tried to keep them interesting, too, but the real key to your success is the simplicity and ease with which you can follow them.

When completing my programme you won’t be having any meat, processed foods, nuts, eggs or grains. The diet consists solely of fruits, vegetables and herbs, all of which have the incredible healing powers I’ve already spoken about. It’s the protein, fat and many other plant nutrients we have talked about that make up a healthy body. Simple processed carbs or sugar really have no place in a healthy diet. You can get all you need from fruit and vegetables.

This diet is part of your master formula for long-term results. By combining these superfoods with the herbs, I will also be talking about (see page xx), your body is sure to reward you with years of health, all achieved in only a couple of weeks twice per year, with one new positive habit introduced each time.

Introducing some of these recipes into your diet is an example of some of the new habits you can carve into your schedule that should see results coming for a long time afterwards.

Let the healing begin.

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Avocado, Broccoli & Cucumber Salad

SERVES 2

Fresh, green and lovely!

Ingredients 1 head broccoli 1 leek 1 cucumber 1 large or 2 small avocados A handful of fresh basil or Kalamata olives Extra virgin olive oil or homemade aioli, to dress

Chop broccoli and leek into small bite-sized florets and steam or blanch until a little soft but still crunchy. Chop cucumber and avocado into bite-sized pieces, place in a bowl with broccoli and leek and stir to combine. Finely chop fresh basil or Kalamata olives and sprinkle over salad. Dress with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or homemade aioli.

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Beetroot, Celery & Chive Salad

SERVES 2

How simple can a great salad be?

Ingredients 2–3 whole beetroot ½ head celery A handful of fresh chives Lemon juice or vinaigrette, to dress

Peel and steam beetroot until a little soft but still firm. Allow to cool, then chop into bite-sized wedges. Chop celery into small pieces and stir into beetroot along with finely chopped chives. Dress with freshly squeezed lemon juice or vinaigrette.

Beetroot & Grapefruit Smoothie

SERVES 2

A wonderful superfood combination with a real ginger kick. Great for settling the stomach and relieving gas or bloating.

Ingredients 8 dates or 1 tablespoon honey 1 large bunch coriander 1 grapefruit ½ large beetroot Thumb-sized piece fresh ginger 6–8 ice cubes 400ml water or orange juice

Soak dates in ½ cup water for 5 minutes.

Chop coriander into chunky bits and place in a blender. With skin on, chop the ends off the grapefruit, quarter and add to blender. Peel and chop off the ends off the beetroot, chop into pieces and add to blender. Peel and chop up ginger and add to blender. Add ice cubes and 200ml water or orange juice. Blend everything together, adding the remaining 200ml liquid as you go.

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Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric Smoothie

SERVES 2

Carrot, ginger and lemon are classic ingredients in a detox drink. This recipe uses these ingredients for a simple, uncomplicated, healthy twist on a smoothie and also includes turmeric, the super antioxidant.

Ingredients Thumb-sized piece fresh ginger 1 large or 2 small carrots 1 small lemon, with the skin on 2-3 tsp ground turmeric 8 ice cubes Honey or stevia, to sweeten 200ml orange juice

Peel and chop ginger and carrot(s) and add to blender. Chop up lemon and add to blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until they form a smoothie, adding water to achieve drinking texture.

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Chinese-Style Sweet & Sour Vegetables

SERVES 2

This is a nice variation on Chinese sweet and sour. You can use these ingredients or try other vegetables of your choice.

Ingredients Vegetables 1 large onion 6 cloves garlic 2 carrots 1 pineapple ring 2 capsicums 1 small head broccoli 6 flat mushrooms A handful of spinach greens Olive oil, to cook Coriander leaves, to serve

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To make the sauce, mix honey and hot water together in a small bowl and stir until the honey dissolves. Place paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper in a bowl and mix, then add soy sauce, lemon juice and honey mixture. Combine with tomato paste and fresh ginger.

Peel onion, garlic, carrots and pineapple ring. Chop onion, garlic, carrots, pineapple, capsicum and broccoli into bite-sized pieces and slice mushrooms and spinach. Stir-fry mushrooms in a pan and place to one side. Heat olive oil in the same pan and sauté́ onions and garlic for 2 minutes, then add the carrots and broccoli and cook for a couple of minutes until half cooked but still crunchy.

Add the pineapple, spinach greens, mushrooms and sauce and allow to come to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of fresh coriander leaves.

can ingreds be edited to fit?

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Chocolate Mousse

SERVES 2

Chocolate on a detox — a dream come true!

Ingredients 1 avocado 1 400gm can coconut milk 3½ tsp chia seeds 4 heaped tsp raw organic cacao powder 2 stevia tablets (standard stevia tablet = 1 Tsp sugar sweetness) 1 tsp vanilla essence

Cut avocado in half, take out the pit, scoop out the flesh and place in a blender. Add coconut milk, chia seeds, cacao powder, stevia tablets and vanilla essence and blend until smooth. Pour into serving bowls and leave in the fridge to thicken and set.

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Chocolate Orange & Mint Smoothie

SERVES 2

This is a fantastic recipe for energy, protein, antioxidants, muscle building and general ultimate health. It is a complete meal in itself and will give you the treat of your life. Not only is this smoothie super healthy but it tastes like a dream come true. It’s the addition of the mint to the mix that really sets this drink alive — it will set you alive too.

Ingredients 1 banana 1 orange, skin on 1 cup plain unsweetened yoghurt 2 stevia tablets or 2 tsp honey 2 tbsp raw organic cacao or cacao powder ½ cup raw milk or almond milk 8–10 ice cubes 6–8 large mint leaves ½ cup water

Peel the banana, chop it up and place in a blender. Chop up the orange and add to the blender with all the other ingredients. Blend until super smooth and creamy.

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Eggplant Stir-Fry

SERVES 2

An extra filling, high-protein, nutrient-rich surprise, this makes for a very satisfying meal.

Ingredients 1 onion 6 cloves garlic 1 eggplant 4 button mushrooms 1 capsicum 2 tomatoes 1 avocado 1 tsp ground turmeric Oil, to cook A small handful of mixed herbs 1 tsp chilli flakes Aioli, to serve

Peel onion and garlic. Chop onion, garlic, eggplant, mushrooms, capsicums, tomatoes and avocado into bite-sized slices. Coat the eggplant with turmeric. Heat oil in a pan. Add eggplant, onion and garlic and sauté for 2–3 minutes, then add mushrooms, capsicum, mixed herbs and chilli flakes. Sauté for 5 minutes and serve with tomato, avocado and aioli.

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Kale & Lemon Smoothie

SERVES 2

A kale superfood smoothie with a zingy lemon taste. Perfect for your Herbal Detox breakfast. I personally have this every other day and it keeps me going most of the day. The energy I get from this smoothie is electrifying. You can use spinach in place of the kale and lime in place of the lemon if you prefer.

Ingredients 2-3 large crunchy kale leaves 1 lemon, skin on 1 pineapple ring ½ apple or ½ cucumber Stevia or honey, to taste 300ml water 6-8 ice cubes 200ml orange juice or extra water

Chop kale into chunky pieces and add to the blender. Slice the ends of the lemon off (leave the rest of the skin on), cut into chunks then add to blender. Peel and chop the pineapple and apple or cucumber into pieces and add to blender with water and ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Add orange juice or extra water to help liquify the smoothie. Choose a beautiful glass to pour it into and enjoy!

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Melon Salad

SERVES 2

This salad is light and refreshing — you will love this.

A little bit of ‘healthy’, undamaged, saturated fat from the cream adds to a sense of fullness and helps to balance your blood sugars. High fat whipping cream is normally not homogenized so remains a natural fat. This salad contains plenty of fluid, fibre, enzymes and antioxidants too. Plus, the cinnamon is a wonderful circulatory herb, blood sugar stabiliser and is proven to lower cholesterol. It is great for lunch or a detox dinner. The amounts of melon I have suggested below will feed four people generously, you can just use two types if you prefer.

Ingredients ¼ honeydew melon ¼ rock melon ¼ watermelon 1 cup freshly whipped cream or plain yoghurt A handful of green grapes or raisins 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Cut honeydew, rock melon and watermelon flesh into bite-sized wedges, divide between four serving bowls and stir gently to combine. Serve with a dollop of cream or yoghurt, top with grapes or raisins and sprinkle with cinnamon.

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Mixed Berry Smoothie

SERVES 2

A ‘berry’ nice, refreshing, tangy smoothie, extra high in super antioxidants to help protect your cells from damage and reduce inflammation.

Ingredients 100ml plain yoghurt 2 cups fresh or frozen berries such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries 150ml dark grape juice, noni juice or pomegranate juice 100ml water

Blend all the ingredients together until they form a smoothie.

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Mushroom Stroganoff

SERVES 2

A fresh cream special! If you’re missing meat on your cleanse, this recipe is a great alternative. Cream has saturated fat, yes, but it’s a good natural fat, and you need some of that. If you can get organic cream, even better.

Ingredients 1 white onion 6–8 garlic cloves or 1 tsp crushed garlic 300g mixed organic mushrooms 2 spring onions 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tbsp butter 1 tsp mixed herbs 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 100ml fresh cream Small bunch of parsley

Peel and chop onion and garlic. Chop mushrooms and finely chop spring onions. Heat oil in pan. add onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cayenne pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and butter to pan and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add mixed herbs and Worcestershire sauce, then lower the heat and stir in the cream and half of the spring onions.

Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Serve sprinkled with parsley and/or the remaining spring onions.

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Sweet Potato Salsa

SERVES 2

This is a simple one-pot meal that uses the amazing sweet potato. Delicious and filling with a warm chilli flavour, it’s perfect for a winter night!

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato 2 large carrots A large handful of spinach leaves

Salsa 1 onion 6 cloves garlic Olive oil, to cook 1 tsp mixed herbs 1 tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp cayenne pepper ½ green capsicum Dash of soy sauce 400g can puréed tomatoes 50ml tomato sauce or tomato paste

Cut sweet potato into wedges and pan-fry or roast in the oven until cooked.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the carrots and coarsely chop the spinach. Boil the carrots in a pot of water. For the last couple of minutes of cooking time, steam the spinach in a steamer or colander above the pot. Drain carrots well.

While these are cooking, prepare the salsa. Peel and chop onion and garlic. Heat a swirl of olive oil in a pan and add garlic and onion. Stir-fry until soft then mix in herbs, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Add capsicum, soy sauce, puréed tomato and tomato paste or sauce. Mix until thick and hot.

Once everything is cooked, place in the largest pan you have, stir to combine and serve.

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Thai Carrot & Apple Salad

SERVES 2

A hot little number with just the right amount of spice, it’s guaranteed to get you going.

Ingredients 4 large carrots 6 cloves garlic 1 crisp red apple ½ cup raisins ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves 2 tbsp chilli flakes 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp lime juice

Peel the carrots and garlic. Shred the carrots, finely chop the garlic and dice the apple. Mix together in a bowl with the raisins, coriander and chilli flakes. Place olive oil, honey, fish sauce and lime juice in a separate bowl, mix until smooth and then pour over salad just before eating.

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Thai Pumpkin Soup

SERVES 2

This is a great little warmer for your two-week or onemonth detox programme. It contains coconut cream which is a good fat, especially if you can get good quality organic coconut cream. The combination of coconut and chilli in the red curry paste is truly rewarding.

Ingredients ½ crown pumpkin or 1 buttercup 1½ tbsp butter ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground ginger 1 tsp thyme 3 tsp crushed garlic or 6 peeled and chopped cloves garlic 1½ tbsp authentic Thai red curry paste 400ml can of coconut cream 200ml water Coriander leaves, to serve Cream, to serve

Peel and chop pumpkin into 2–3cm cubes and boil in a pot of water until soft. Drain well, mash and set aside. Melt butter in a pot, stir in cumin, ginger and thyme and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in garlic, curry paste and coconut milk and water. If you like it warmer you can use more curry paste. Add the pumpkin and allow to simmer, stirring gently. Blend the soup in a blender until smooth and creamy. Serve with fresh coriander and a swirl of cream.

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Thai Red/Green Curry

SERVES 2

This is one of my absolute favourites. It’s easy to eat too much of it, but it’s guilt-free so very enjoyable. This is not a genuine Thai recipe but rather my own take on a classic green curry.

Ingredients 1 large sweet potato or ¼ pumpkin 1 large parsnip 1 capsicum 12 cloves garlic 2 tomatoes 1 large onion 2 carrots 250g field mushrooms ½ cauliflower 400ml can of coconut milk 1 tsp ground turmeric 100g authentic Thai red (or green) curry paste

Peel sweet potato, parsnip, onion, garlic and carrots. Boil sweet potato and parsnips in a pot of water until softened then drain and set aside to cool. They can then be cubed and will hold together nicely.

Slice all other ingredients and place into bowls, capsicum with tomato, garlic with onions. Heat oil in wok and stir fry mushrooms for 3-4 minutes until sealed then remove and put aside.

Add more oil and heat again, add garlic, onions, carrots and cauliflower and 1tsp Turmeric. Stir fry for 2 minutes until coated with turmeric. Then add 100ml of water and cover with lid. Steam for 2-3 minutes until a little soft. Throw in ginger, green curry paste, coconut milk, sweet potato and parsnip and gently combine. Allow to come to a simmer for 2-3 minutes then gently add mushrooms, capsicum and tomatoes. Allow to heat through for another 5 minutes on low heat. You are now ready to serve.

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Tomato & Leek Soup

SERVES 2

I love this soup. It’s got to be my favourite soup for cleansing. Great for any time of year! Super healthy, high in antioxidants, and excellent for your herbal detox programme.

Ingredients 4 small or 2 large onions 1 large leek 6 cloves garlic 400g can chopped tomatoes 4 fresh tomatoes 100g tomato paste 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika (or both) 1 tsp caraway seeds 2 tsp miso paste

Finely chop and lightly heat onions, leek and garlic in olive oil over low heat. Sweat with the turmeric, cayenne and caraway seeds for a couple of minutes. Add canned tomatoes, chopped fresh tomatoes and tomato paste. Add water to make enough soup and stir over heat until the vegetables are cooked. You could blend 200ml of the vegetables if you want to thicken the soup. Just before serving, add 2 teaspoons of miso. Adding at the end of cooking preserves the nutrients in miso.

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breakdown and absorption of nutrients, freeing your body of any internal digestive struggle thus speeding the process of elimination. The less in more out approach starts the cleansing and detoxifying process.

10 Cleansing and Healing with Herbs

Health Warning

A detox and cleansing program should not be used by pregnant or nursing women, by children under 12, or by anyone undergoing chemotherapy or with any other serious medical condition. Do not follow this programme if you are allergic to any of the herbs or ingredients. If you are taking any prescription medications or have any serious health condition please consult with your healthcare professional before following any advice in this book.

How to detox with food and herbs

My Cleansed & Cured detox involves a combination of three major activities:

n Abstaining from or avoiding potentially toxic substances i.e. clean living and clean eating n Supporting the natural functions of your body’s organs of

digestion and elimination n Encouraging healthy balance (homeostasis) and healing.

Abstaining

The simplest way to abstain is to practice clean living. In other words, eat nothing other than whole, natural, pure foods that are rich in enzymes and quickly digestible. The purpose of the cleansing diet is to allow rapid

I suggest that once or twice a year you take between 14 to 30 days to go pure, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Raw, unprocessed, organic food makes the perfect detox diet plan.

Remember your body is a complex living ecosystem with thousands of micro-organisms in the gut, and that’s why organic, live food is so important. You wouldn’t pour boiling water on your garden as that would kill the plants. Heat treatment and sterilisation during food processing destroys the very life energy in food in exactly the same way, and we want to avoid this during the cleansing program. We are encouraging our body to be healed and the health of our delicate living gut microbiota is central to this process. I will explain the importance of living food in more detail later.

Following the recipes I have suggested on pages XX-XX is the best place to start, but look me up online at www.brettelliott.com and you will find many more ideas.

I suggest taking a few days, even up to a week, to transition from your normal routine onto the detox diet. Stock up on the foods you need to make the recipes and knock out some suspect foods each day. I suggest eliminating breads, pasta and any other processed carbohydrates in the first day or two. Take out meats, legumes, nuts, cheese, eggs and other heavy proteins in the following couple of days. They digest slower and we want digestion to be as speedy as possible. After that it’s just a matter of avoiding all other processed foods for a further two to three days. That gives you a week of preparation.

Then you are 100% ready to start your detox programme.

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Supporting

Supporting the natural functions of digestion and elimination is largely down to using the herbs we are about to share with you. To have a significant impact, the herbs need to be used in very high doses.

I started my practice as a herbalist in 1997 following the guidelines set out in my training. I later discovered that the doses needed to create substantial effects were much more than I was taught. Up to five times the recommended dosages are often required to achieve measurable outcomes.

For my proprietary detox programme, The Ultimate Herbal Detox, I provide up to 40 capsules daily for a total of 14 days. That equates to an average of about two capsules each of all 24 herbs that I use. I have not covered them all here, but the key 18 herbs are described in some detail on the following pages.

As you will be taking high dosages of a variety of herbs they may interfere with existing medication so it is wise to check with your healthcare professional before starting my detox programme, and seek advice if you experience any adverse side effects.

Encouraging

Balance and healing are provided by the combination of pure foods and herbs along with some gentle exercise such as walking, yoga or home gym.

Healing is a lifelong process, but on average two to four weeks is enough to see significant and measurable results with metabolic disease and irritating toxic overload, and digestive symptoms.

If you can make one small dietary change and one small lifestyle change each year then you will ultimately achieve optimal health. Encouraging healing is best achieved by the ‘slow and steady wins the race’ approach, making incremental change for healing and growth.

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In saying that, I still recommend an intensive two-to-four week cleansing programme each year, because this acts just like a service for your car. A good flush and cleanse can restore balance and performance for the year to come and inspire you to take the next step in your healing journey. Only you will know what that next step involves, but now is the opportunity to set that step in stone and move forwards.

Without further ado let me show you to how my herbal ‘best friends’ perform their magic.

What is herbal medicine?

Herbal medicine is the practice of using plant material and plant extracts for the purpose of sustaining or restoring health. Plants parts used include roots, leaves, bark, flowers, fruit or any other plant part that contains the active compound required medicinally. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and Chinese, Indian, Aborigine, American Indian, Maori, African cultures, plus many others, have a long history of using herbal medicine.

Since the times of the hunter-gatherer, mankind has known about the medicinal potential of plants. Sick animals were followed and found to eat specific plants when convalescing. These herbs were often found to have benefits to humans as well. Herbal medicine is even mentioned in the Bible:

‘And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.’

Ezekiel 47:12

How herbal medicines work

Herbal medicine dates back thousands of years, pre-dating written history, and has been used in almost every culture on earth. The oldest documented proof of medicinal plant usage was found on a Sumerian clay tablet and is estimated to be 5000 years old. (364)

But how does it work, and why is it still so popular? We know that if what we put into our bodies is pure, natural, colourful and alive with energy, then so will we be, and medicine is no exception.

Herbal medicine is growing in popularity again in recent times due to the fact that it is perceived as natural, largely safe and relatively free from side effects. 331 The other major bonus of herbal medicine is that it purportedly gives your body the opportunity to heal itself by triggering healthy functions. This is something modern pharmaceutical medicine still fails to achieve successfully. Because the components of our body originate and grow from nature itself, herbs are perfectly designed for healing our body.

The first drugs

The first medicinal drugs came from herbs, plants, roots, barks and fungi. Until the mid-nineteenth century nature’s pharmaceuticals were all that were available to relieve the pain and suffering of mankind. The first synthetic drug, chloral hydrate, was discovered in 1869 as a sedativehypnotic.365

An extract from the bark of the white willow tree had been used for centuries to treat various fevers and inflammation. The active principle in white willow, salicin or salicylic acid, has a bitter taste and irritates the gastric mucosa, but a simple chemical modification made it much more palatable, creating acetylsalicylic acid, better known as aspirin, the first ‘blockbuster’ drug.

At the start of the 20th century, the first of the barbiturate family of drugs entered the pharmacopoeia. From the Sumerian clay tablet mentioning opium being used for pain to today we have developed hundreds of opium derivative drugs including morphine, paracetamol,

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codeine and pethidine. The rest, as they say, is history. Twenty-five% of modern pharmaceutical medicines originate from plants.322

What medicinal ingredients do plants contain?

Plants contain therapeutic compounds called phytochemicals. We all know about substances such as caffeine, nicotine, cocaine and opium. These are examples of phytochemicals. Each plant is unique, so there are thousands of different phytochemicals that are applied in herbal medicine. These compounds range from simple fibre, gel and proteins, to complex neurotransmitters and cell-specific mediators. We will not go into all of the different types of compounds in this book but will discuss the basic Active constituents and how they work.

Herbal medicine superiority

I believe plant medicine is superior to conventional medicine because plants are uniquely composed of an exact cocktail of several compounds, not just one isolated chemical, like a pharmaceutical. This means that their effect is more balanced, and that side effects are potentially averted. The problem with conventional man-made drugs is the many side-effects and common liver toxicity.21

When a herbal medicine is used the effect tends to be much more gentle, balanced and healing. Usually the organ or system being treated is supported and encouraged to function properly. This means after a course of treatment with a herbal medicine the body is potentially healed. The herbal treatment can then be stopped without a rebound effect. In other words, you may reduce the medication and find the positive effect continues, as healing may have taken place. This is might not be the case with conventional drugs.

The choice to follow a course of herbal treatment usually involves more commitment from the patient, as dietary and lifestyle changes are required to get the best results.

The next few pages may get a little heavy as we discuss herbal medicines, but I’m sure you will gain real insights into how effective

they can be. All the information I share is referenced to scientific studies, which you can find online. It may be hard to keep the big picture in mind when you are reading about the detail of each herb, but the secret to understanding the power of cleansing and healing is undeniably in the big picture. All of these wonderful foods and herbs when combined are beyond anything currently provided by our health system. The power will now be in your hands.

Let the herbs begin!

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engraved on clay tablets during the Mesopotamia civilisation circa 2200 BC, in which it is described as a laxative.55

Aloe has long been used as a remedy in many cultures (in Ayurvedic medicine it is called ‘kathalai’). Aloe products, which include the latex, gel, and whole leaf, are used as laxatives, in creams for skin ailments, and as a treatment for a wide range of diseases. The wide-ranging nature of aloe’s Active constituents may contribute to the diverse biological and therapeutic activities that have been observed.56

Active constituents

Aloe vera contains 75 potentially Active constituents including: vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids and amino acids 6 and the plant has revealed the presence of more than 200 different biologically active substances.60

Aloe contains as its major and active principles hydroxyanthrone derivatives, mainly of the aloe-emodin type. The major constituent is known as barbaloin (aloin) (15-40%). It also contains hydroxyaloin.54

The aloe vera whole leaf extract (sometimes referred to as whole leaf aloe vera juice, aloe juice or whole leaf extract), is the aqueous extract of the whole leaf with fibres removed. The whole leaf extract contains both the gel from the inner parenchyma leaf pulp and the latex.55

Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

The amazing aloe vera is one of the oldest and most valued herbal medicines in the world.

Description

Aloe vera is a succulent plant species. It grows wild in tropical climates around the world and is cultivated for medicinal uses. It’s available in many common products including bottled juice for drinking and gel for minor burns and sunburn.

Traditional uses

The first record of human use of aloe vera is in Sumerian hieroglyphics

Aloe vera leaf derivatives have a laxative effect. This effect is primarily caused by the influence on the motility of the colon, an inhibition of stationary and stimulation of propulsive contractions. This results in an accelerated intestinal passage because of the shortened contraction time and a reduction in liquid absorption.57

Evidence for health benefits

Psoriasis: One study suggests that aloe vera does enhance healing of psoriasis, although its mechanism of action is still unclear. For example, 60 men and women used aloe vera vs placebo for four weeks on mild to severe psoriasis; 83% were cured using aloe vera, compared to 6.6% using placebo.58

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Wound healing: Aloe vera may have a direct effect on the woundhealing process as a whole, which is manifested by an increase in rate of contraction of wound area and has confirmed the effect of aloe vera on increasing collagen synthesis. This property is attributed to the mannose 6-phosphate known to be present in aloe vera gel.60

Polysaccharides from aloe promote the proliferation of new cells that play important roles in wound healing.61

Burns: In a clinical study to check the efficacy of aloe vera gel compared with 1% silver sulfadiazine cream as a burn dressing for the treatment of superficial and partial thickness burns, healing of burn wounds were remarkably early in patients treated with aloe vera compared with those patients treated with 1% silver sulfadiazine.62

Cholesterol and blood sugar: Other studies suggest that oral administration of aloe vera might be a useful adjunct for lowering blood glucose in diabetic patients as well as for reducing blood lipid levels in patients with high cholesterol (58)

Inflammatory bowel disease: The anti-inflammatory actions of aloe vera gel in laboratory tests provide support for the proposal that it may have a therapeutic effect in inflammatory bowel disease.59

Colon stimulation (purgative): Aloin, present in the gel, is metabolised by the colonic flora to reactive aloe-emodin, which is responsible for the purgative activity.

Metabolic syndrome: In a pilot study, use of two aloe products in patients with prediabetes over an eight-week period tended to revert the impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance observed in conditions of prediabetes/metabolic syndrome.60

Insulin resistance: It has been shown that aloe vera reduces obesity-

induced glucose tolerance not only by suppressing inflammatory responses but also by inducing anti-inflammatory cytokines in the fatty tissue and liver, both of which are important peripheral tissues affected by insulin resistance.60

Gastric ulcers: Aloe vera leaf extracts have been promoted for digestion and are used in the treatment of peptic ulcers for cell-protective action. Helicobacter pylori is what causes stomach ulcers. Aloe vera gel acts as a unique and effective natural agent when used along with antibiotics for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori gastric infections.63

Cancer and AIDS: The US Food and Drug Administration has already approved the developmental study of aloe vera in the treatment of cancer and AIDS.60

Conclusion

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the research available on aloe vera, so it’s no wonder after many thousands of years of knowledge and tradition this plant is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

Even better, it is one of those natural herbal remedies that you can grow in your garden, harvest yourself and use in emergencies, such as burns or injury, and it’s also a great tonic for long-term health.

I use it in my Herbal Detox programme for all of the above reasons, but mostly for its ability to encourage gut healing and digestive wellbeing during the programme.

Never underestimate the power of plants when it comes to medicine.

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inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases.64

Barley has been used as a food material since ancient times and was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia, as far back as 13,000 years ago. The young leaves of barley harvested approximately 10 days after sowing the seeds, have recently received much attention as a functional food in numerous countries, especially Japan and Korea. It has been reported that barley leaves possess beneficial properties such as antioxidant, antidepressant, antidiabetic and for lowering cholesterol.73

Barley grass performs several other pharmacological activities including anti-cancer activity, and anti-inflammatory activity. It has been suggested that barley grass helps blood flow, digestion and general detoxification of the body.65

Barley Grass (Hordeum vulgare)

You may have tried a wheatgrass smoothie, which is great for energy. A close cousin, barley grass has a very special cleansing power you might not know about. Barley grass is the common source of the grain barley, but as a health food the powdered leaf is also very popular.

Until the 19th century, barley was the major part of diet of millions of people. Even now, it is eaten as such or in processed form. Consumption of barley, which contains many medicinally active plant-compounds, is usually associated with improvement in health.64

Description

Barley grass is a type of green grass, and the only vegetation on the earth that can supply complete nutritional support from birth to old age. It contains a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, as well as eight essential amino acids that we must get from our diets.65

World literature, especially, Greek, Roman and Egyptian literatures point to the dietary and medicinal properties of Barley grass. It is an annual crop used throughout ancient civilisations as an important food source.

Traditional use

Hordeum vulgare (or barley) is used by traditional healers to treat various

Active constituents

The main constituents of barley include important antioxidants such as vitamin E, phytic acid, selenium, tocotrienols, and various phenolic acids. After the consumption of barley, the antioxidants are released at different rates throughout the digestive system over a long period of time.64

A total of 28 active compounds have been identified from barley grass, making barley leaves an important dietary source of protective compounds.4

The main interest in barley grass is its use in the treatment of chronic diseases. The beneficial effects observed in chronic disease may be related to bioactive compounds contained in barley grass such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the other antioxidants.65

Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a protective enzyme. It has been identified as an essential component in organisms’ defence mechanisms. In plants, SOD plays an important role in protecting against environmental stress, as it can remove the damaging free radicals caused by environmental factors. 6 Young and mature barley grass leaves have a high level of these antioxidant enzyme activities.70

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Oxidative stress has become widely viewed as an underlying condition in a number of diseases, such as central nervous system disorders, cardiovascular conditions, cancer, and diabetes. SOD is a first line of defence against oxidative stress under these disease conditions.72

Saponarin

Barley leaf sprouts also contain a high level of the bioflavonoid saponarin, which has shown both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.73

Evidence for health benefits

Anti-cancer: It is suggested that supplementation of young green barley leaves containing saponarin may prevent diseases caused by oxidative damage such as various cancers, inflammations, and cardiovascular diseases.66

Diabetes: Supplementation with barley grass may help to scavenge oxygen free radicals, save vitamin E content and inhibit oxidation, which may protect against vascular diseases in type 2 diabetic patients.68

Liver protection: SOD has also been shown to reduce liver oxidative stress in diabetic animals. 71 Alcohol-induced liver changes were effectively prevented by barley grass treatment. One study suggests that the protective effect of barley sprouts against alcohol-induced liver injury was due to inhibition of the inflammatory response induced by alcohol. 73 The results of another study proved the antioxidant activity of saponarin and its protective effect against cocaine-induced oxidative stress and liver toxicity.74

Conclusion

Barley grass is a rich food source of protective anti-inflammatory nutrients, especially protective for the liver. Because the liver is central to detoxification barley grass makes an important addition to any detoxification programme.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

One of the greatest benefits of completing a herbal detox programme is the reduction in parasitic infestations, the balancing of intestinal bacteria and general digestive health. Here we will investigate one of the key antiparasitic ingredients black walnut.

Traditional use

Black walnut was introduced in Europe in 1629. Black walnut was first introduced in botanical gardens and parks. 77 While there are those who say that black walnut hulls can effectively reduce the risks of heart attacks, it is more widely known for its anti-parasitic qualities. It is said to have effectively killed more than 100 known parasites.76

Black walnut has also been traditionally used to expel worms from the intestinal system.81

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Active constituents

The main active ingredients are tannins such as galloyglucose and ellagitannins, plumbagin and juglone. Walnut shells are very rich in vitamin C , and betacarotene, B1, B2, and B6 are found in the leaves.79

Juglone is a pigment that occurs as a natural product in the roots, leaves, nut-hulls, bark and wood of black walnut. 75 Juglone is a powerful toxic substance that prevents many plants from growing within the tree’s root zone, extending as much as 24 m (80 ft) from a mature black walnut trunk.79

Traditionally in herbal medicine the green hulls of black walnut are dried and powdered for use internally.

Evidence for health benefits

Black walnut is used to treat parasitic worm infections and certain other infections including diphtheria and syphilis. It is also used for leukaemia.78

It is used to expel tapeworms and other internal and external parasites. The American Medical Ethnobotany Reference Dictionary claims that the juice from black walnut hull is effective against ringworm. 80 Laboratory studies have suggested that plumbagin, an active constituent, may inhibit the hatching of specific worm larvae.82

Conclusion

Combining black walnut hulls along with wormwood, clove, and goldenseal in large doses during a herbal detox makes a very effective parasite treatment. We will talk about these other anti-parasitic herbs later.

Cascara Bark (Cascara sagrada)

Cascara sagrada is the dried bark of Rhamnus purshiana. Indigenous to south-western Canada and the Pacific north-west of the United States of America, it is a tree with reddish-brown bark and hairy twigs.

Traditional use

Cascara was a folk medicine used by native American people and immigrants as a natural laxative. The plant itself was not accurately identified by scientists until 1805, and the bark was not commonly used as medicine until 1877.

The compounds in cascara act as stimulant laxatives stimulating muscle cells in the large intestine.

Active constituents

The bark contains anthranoids, mainly of the aloe-emodin type, in addition to those of the chrysophanol and physcion type. The Active constituents

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are hydroxyanthracene glycosides including the hydroxyanthraquinones and aloe-emodin. These glycosides are not absorbed or digested. Instead they are slowly broken down in the colon into their laxative components.83

Evidence for health benefits

The laxative action occurs in two stages.

Firstly, there is stimulation of the colon, resulting in increased propulsion and accelerated transit of faeces through the colon.

Secondly, there is an increase in permeability across the gut lining, probably due to inhibition of salt uptake. This results in increased water content in the colon. The laxative effect of cascara is not generally observed until six to eight hours after ingestion.84, 85, 86

Conclusion

With metabolic disease, obesity, weight gain, fatty liver and high cholesterol will often occur simultaneously. An important part of detoxification is cleansing the colon, so the laxative effect of cascara is the perfect complement. It can also be a very rewarding part of cleansing your body.

Coriander and Chlorella

Together these herbs help effectively remove the major toxic heavy metals from the body. They are a key component of your detox plan.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

Coriander (also known as cilantro and Chinese parsley) is a common herb used to flavour Chinese, Thai and Indian food. I would recommend using it regularly and freely. Researchers found that coriander accelerates the excretion of mercury and lead from the body though the urine.87

Seaweed and Algae

Seaweeds and algae have been studied extensively and have indicated impressive absorption of metals and binding of metallic ions naturally from their environment, and this is called biosorption.88

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Chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris)

Microalgae like chlorella are one of the most important biosorbents. Biosorption has always been reported as a promising method to treat various kinds of pollutants. Certain algae including chlorella perform better overall than other strains absorbing more than 90 per cent of at least one heavy metal and tolerating a very high concentration of lead.90

Results of one laboratory study showed that chlorella could inhibit the absorption of radioactive strontium into the blood and enhance the elimination of radioactive strontium from the body through adsorption in intestine. 91 Chlorella has also been found to impart protection to rats exposed to lead and cadmium.89

During the removal of amalgam fillings chlorella can be placed, along with a cotton roll and gauze under the dental dam used. This helps to intercept mercury particles that seep under the dental dam during the procedure.92

Conclusion

Since coriander can easily be added to the diet and tastes delicious with many dishes, it makes the perfect detox garnish. Chlorella on the other hand, is usually best found in supplements, although getting both of these herbs together will bring you best results.

There is no clear way of knowing exactly how much heavy metals have affected you, so I would advise using coriander and seaweeds as part of your long-term maintenance plan.

Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)

Typically when you think of cloves you might think of the common spice that is in most kitchens and you would be right. But what we don’t often think of is clove bud, the powerful medicinal herb with centuries of therapeutic use. Here we will discover the history and the research behind this incredible plant.

I use cloves as part of my herbal detox programme because of its antiparasitic and soothing effects.

Description

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is one of the world’s most valuable spices and has been used for centuries as a food preservative and for many medicinal purposes.

Clove is native of Indonesia but nowadays is cultivated in several parts of the world including Brazil and in the state of Bahia. This plant is one of

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the richest sources of phenolic compounds and has shown great potential for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and agricultural applications.93

Traditional use

Clove is an important medicinal plant due to the wide range of pharmacological effects reported from Traditional use for centuries. The employment of clove as an analgesic for toothache and joint pain has been reported since the 13th century.93

Clove has been used to soothe and relax the inner lining of the intestines, encouraging better digestion. Great for an upset stomach especially in children.

Cloves may encourage the oesophagus to produce more liquid phlegm, making dry coughs less severe and more positive.96

Clove has been shown to have analgesic properties, particularly towards tooth pain. Powdered clove or clove oil can be rubbed directly to the gum. Clove has widely been used as an antimicrobial agent, killing parasites, candida and bacteria in the digestive tract. It has also been known help to relieve excessive gas and bloating.93

Because of cloves analgesic effect, the oil can be massaged in externally to help relieve the pain of rheumatism and arthritis.96

Active constituents

Phenolic acids found in clove include gallic acid, caffeic, ferulic, ellagic and salicylic acids. Flavonoids such as kaempferol, quercetin and its derivates (glycosylated) are also found in clove in lower concentrations. Up to 18 per cent of essential oil can be found in the clove flower buds and approximately 89 per cent of the essential oil is eugenol.

Evidence for health benefits

Antiparasitic: Worms that are common in humans include the nematodes (ascaris), filarias, hookworms, pinworms (enterobius), and whipworms (Trichuris trichiura).

In one laboratory study clove powder demonstrated potent

anthelmintic (worm killing) activity in towards earthworms.

Suspension of clove powder is 4.5 times more potent than powdered fresh garlic. Suspension of clove powder was also shown to be 7.3 times more active than the anthelmintic drug piperazine. 94 Piperazine is an anthelmintic drug that has been used to treat pinworm and roundworm infections in humans for decades.

Another study showed extracts of clove bud were strongly active against the second-stage larva of roundworm (Toxocara canis), which at the time of the study was highly resistant to anthelmintic drugs.95

Antimicrobial: The antimicrobial activities of clove have been proved against several bacteria strains such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus.93

Anitfungal: One laboratory study determined the antifungal activity of clove oil on many different strains of fungi, suggesting that clove oil could be a promising antifungal agent for treatment for vaginal candida.93

Antiviral: The antiviral activity of eugeniin from clove oil was tested effective against herpes virus strains by the inhibition of the viral DNA synthesis.93

Conclusion

Because metabolic disease comes about when the digestive system is backed up and overloaded there are grounds for giving yourself a parasite treatment when cleansing your body. A congested digestive tract is the perfect habitat for parasitic worms, candida overgrowth and negative bacteria, all of which are combated by cloves.

My favourite home remedy for children with a tummy bug is a clove and honey tea. Just crush 6-8 cloves and brew in a teapot. Add honey and give a cup, every four hours until the stomach settles. You will be hero of the day.

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Active constituents

Dandelion leaves are diuretic, increasing urine production. The leaves are used to increase the appetite and improve digestion.100

The primary constituents of dandelion root are taraxacin, a crystalline, bitter substance, taraxacerin, an acrid resin; and inulin, a type of sugar. The root may contain up to 24 per cent inulin.101

Some other compounds in dandelion include sesquiterpene lactones (believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects) and phenylpropanoids (believed to have inflammation-modulating effects).99

Evidence for health benefits

Improved digestion: Dandelion has a distinct bitter taste, especially the leaf but also in the root. This likely explains the increase in bile production seen in animal studies with dandelion, which support to the Traditional use of dandelion as a bitter digestive stimulant.102

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

You may think of dandelion as an annoying weed, yet it is packed with the vitamins A, B, C, and D, plus the minerals, iron, potassium, and zinc. The dark brown roots are fleshy and are filled with a bitter white milky substance that is bitter and slightly smelly.100

Traditional use

Dandelion roots and leaves were used in the past to treat liver problems. Native Americans also boiled dandelion in water and used it to treat kidney disease, swelling, skin problems, heartburn, and upset stomach. In China dandelion has been used to treat stomach problems, appendicitis, and breast inflammation or slow lactation. In Europe, dandelion was used in remedies for fever, boils, eye problems, diabetes, and diarrhoea.100

Dandelion root is primarily considered a gastrointestinal remedy, supporting digestion and liver function. The Latin name Taraxacum is from the Greek and means ‘disease remedy’.

The more bitter a herb is, the more it will stimulate your digestive functions, as bitters triggers a reflex known as the vagal reflex, whereby stimulation of the oral bitter receptors act reflexively to increase saliva and function of the digestive organs. An extract of the whole plant has increased bile secretion in rats by 40 per cent.103

Liver protection: Results of one laboratory study suggest that the extract of dandelion root has protective action against alcohol-induced toxicity in liver cells.97

Anti-inflammatory: A water-based extract of the whole plant protected animals against gastric ulceration.103

Conclusion

With a very limited amount of research available there is an astounding amount of evidence for traditional claims. When you consider its potential effects on liver function, bile flow and general digestive improvements, dandelion makes another key component in your detox programme.

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Traditional uses

In India ginger has a role in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. In Japan, ginger is pickled for sushi. In China and India ginger has a history of medicinal use dating back 2500 years for headaches, nausea, rheumatism, and colds.105

The rhizomes an ancient history in the various traditional systems of medicine to treat asthma, arthritis, coughs, cramps, dementia, diabetes, fever, gum and tooth disease, infectious diseases, high blood pressure, muscular aches and pains, rheumatism, sprains, sore throats and stroke.118

Ginger is also used as home remedy for digestive problems such belching, bloating, constipation, dyspepsia, gastric ulcers, indigestion, nausea and vomiting. Ginger has been shown to be effective in preventing gastric ulcers induced by anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin.118

Active constituents

Ginger contains a number of active ingredients. Steam distillation of powdered ginger produces ginger oil, which contains zingiberene. The major pungent compounds in ginger contain gingerols which appear to be responsible for its characteristic taste.105

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger is one of my all-time favourite herbs for culinary use, plus I often use it in my herbal dispensary. It increases the circulation of other herbs and improves their effect. I use mainly it for its digestive benefits but also because it helps with heart health, circulation and blood pressure.

Description

Ginger is popular hot, fragrant kitchen spice used widely in cooking. The popularity both as a food, a spice, a flavour and as herbal medicine speaks for itself. Every freezer should contain whole ginger root and every pantry some ground ginger.

Mature ginger rhizomes are fibrous quite dry. The roots are often used as a spice in Indian recipes and are a common flavouring ingredient of many Asian cuisines.

Evidence for health benefits

Anti-nausea: The mechanism underlying ginger’s anti-vomiting activity is not clearly understood, but the aromatic, muscle relaxant, calming properties of ginger suggest it has direct effects on the gut. 106 Five double-blind studies have been performed that demonstrate a positive effect of ginger on motion sickness.107-111

Heart-protective: There is a renewed interest in ginger because of its antioxidants and heart protecting effects. Extract of ginger has shown cardio-protective potential after heart attack and the results of one study in rats provides clear evidence that ginger extract enhances the antioxidant defence against heart damage.112, 114

In laboratory studies, ginger extracts, have shown antioxidant activities

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inhibiting human LDL cholesterol oxidation. This can help prevent plaque build-up in the arteries.113

Anti-coagulant: Four clinical studies in humans reported that ginger reduced platelet aggregation, which are responsible for blood coagulation. 115 This, in turn, improves circulation.

Lowers blood pressure: Cardiovascular effects of ginger were reported under controlled experimental conditions to induce a fall in the blood pressure of rats.116

Conclusion

You can see why I love this herb. There are multiple reasons to use this herb for metabolic disease. Not only does ginger help improve digestive comfort when cleansing, but lowers cholesterol build up, blood pressure and improves circulation to boot. A must-have in your herbal healing programme.

Globe Artichoke (Cynara scolymus)

Globe artichoke hearts are popular as a food and its cultivation dates back to ancient Greece and Rome. It is now cultivated mostly in subtropical regions. The powdered dried leaves are used primarily in the natural health industry.

Traditional use

Artichoke leaf has been traditionally used as a gall bladder and kidney stimulant since Roman times, 117 and other traditional medicinal uses have focused on liver function. Artichoke leaf is considered liver protective, cholesterol-reducing, diuretic and increases bile flow. 118 In Germany, it is used today as a gall bladder stimulant 119 and for its blood-fat-lowering and liver-stimulating actions.120

While the medicinal and therapeutic effects of the artichoke on the

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liver had already been well known in the 17th century, more recent studies started last century also confirmed the stimulating properties of artichoke extracts on the liver and gallbladder.121

Active constituents

Artichoke leaf consists of the fresh or dried leaf of Cynara scolymus. The dried plant contains cynarin and bitter principles. In fact globe artichoke leaf contains too many constituents to list here but it can be said that the bitter principles are key to its effect.120

Evidence for health benefits

The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia reports artichoke leaf has demonstrated liver protective and liver stimulating actions.9

Fatty liver disease: Based on recent clinical investigations, the active constituents of this herb, such as flavonoids, has been used for liverprotective and cholesterol-reducing purposes.122

Gall bladder function: One human study of 557 patients showed significant reduction of symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence and nausea with use of artichoke extract. Researchers concluded that it can be used for the treatment of digestive problems which include poor digestion of fat due to insufficient bile flow.118

Conclusion

Fatty liver can be seen as a toxic build-up of poorly assimilated fat and toxins. Because fatty liver, insufficient digestion and metabolism of fat is associated with metabolic disease, globe artichoke is a very important herb to use during the cleansing and healing process.

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)

Goldenseal is one of my all-time favourites and what an amazing plant it is. The taste is extremely bitter and it stains everything it touches a bright yellow/gold but if there is one herb I would want to have in my dispensary above all others it would probably be golden seal. For your health, it is liquid gold. I have seen people recover from debilitating chronic infections that their doctor has struggled to identify simply with a course of goldenseal. Let’s find out why!

Description

Native to southeastern Canada and the eastern United States, goldenseal, also called orangeroot or yellow puccoon, is a perennial herb in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It may be identified by its thick, yellow knotted roots. 130 In traditional herbal medicine, goldenseal is considered

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a multi-purpose remedy, and is thought to possess many different medicinal properties. In addition to being used as a topical antiseptic, it can also be taken internally to aid digestion.

Goldenseal may be purchased as a cream, in capsule or liquid form, or as a dried powder. Goldenseal, like ginger, is often used to boost the effects of other herbs with which it is blended.131

Traditional use

The North American goldenseal produces a drug that is considered of great value in modern medicine and in 1905 goldenseal made the news when the United States Department of Agriculture called attention to the increasing demand for medicinal purposes. In the early 2000s goldenseal was under threat as a species due to widespread use. I remember having trouble buying it for a few years, but since that time cultivation of the herb has provided a more sustainable source.

It is known as a valuable remedy in disorders of the digestive system and has a special action on the respiratory and digestive membranes, making it valuable as a remedy for a range of coughs, chronic inflammation of the colon and rectum and especially for reducing haemorrhoids. Goldenseal has been awarded the following therapeutic properties: antiinflammatory, antiseptic, bitter liver tonic, cough suppressant, laxative and restorative.129

Active constituents

There are five major alkaloid constituents in goldenseal — berberine, hydrastine, palmatine, hydrastinine and canadine — but it owes its medicinal value almost completely to the first two, hydrastine and berberine.

Evidence for health benefits

Microbial infections (parasites): Goldenseal extracts possess a mixture of constituents that act against drug-resistant bacterial infections such as Staphylococcus aureus. Findings of one human study strongly support the traditional application of goldenseal in the prevention of infection.123

Goldenseal has also been shown to inhibit streptococcus and other oral infections. 124 The extract has been shown to be highly active in combatting Helicobacter pylori, which is the primary cause of stomach ulcers.125, 126 Multiple bacteria and fungi, along with selected protozoa and chlamydia, have also been susceptible to berberine in laboratory studies.132

Liver support: Due to the powerful bitters in goldenseal, the herb can be used as a bitter liver stimulant.

Cholesterol lowering: Recent animal studies demonstrate goldenseal as a natural LDL cholesterol-lowering agent with multiple active components.127

Anti-inflammatory properties: Berberine, the major active constituent in goldenseal, was shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in a variety of tissues including fatty tissue, kidney, liver and pancreas in animal studies.128

Conclusion

Goldenseal is a very important herb in the control of gastrointestinal dysbiosis (gut health imbalance), which makes it a powerful addition to your herbal detox programme. Reducing inflammation, boosting liver function, improving the balance of bacteria, controlling intestinal pathogens and parasites are all major parts of achieving metabolic health. I see goldenseal as the indispensable ‘Midas touch’, lining your intestine with gold and sealing the healing deal.

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Active constituents

The active constituent in milk thistle, the flavonoid complex silymarin, is a potent antioxidant. Silymarin is actually a combination of flavonoids — silibinin, silidianin and silicristin — which are known to help restore damaged cells in the liver. Silymarin is one of the most powerful protectors of the liver against oxidative damage and is very commonly used in dietary supplements as a liver tonic.

Silymarin enhances liver glutathione generation. Glutathione plays a key role in the liver in detoxification reactions and because large amounts of glutathione are used during a detox programme, a glutathione deficiency can eventuate. Milk thistle extract will help prevent this deficiency during your detox programme, thereby enhancing your ability to detoxify.137

Evidence for health benefits

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

Understanding the benefits of herbs helps you gain confidence in using them to improve and extend your life. Milk thistle is certainly one of those extraordinary tonic herbs you could take regularly in order to extend your quality of life.333

Traditional use

Milk thistle is native to Europe and has been widely used for over 2000 years. It was grown in peasant gardens and the roots, leaves and fruits were used in popular medicine. It’s known for clearing ‘obstructions’ of the spleen and liver and has been applied for the treatment of jaundice and it was once used as a common cure for syphilis. Its liver-protective effects were widely publicised in ancient times, resulting in research beginning in the 1950s. Its subsequent clinical use for a wide range of liver ailments (including hepatitis) has become prolific around the world.

Liver protector: Milk thistle has a powerful effect on liver protection and I believe that it has absolutely no competition in the pharmaceutical world. In fact, in cases of poisoning with amanita mushrooms (which can destroy the liver), milk thistle is the only treatment option. It has been so dramatically effective that even the orthodox medical establishment has never disputed the use of milk thistle.

Liver health: Analysis has found milk thistle to be an effective therapy in reducing liver inflammation and restoring normal liver function. Milk thistle has been reported to protect the liver from environmental toxins including carbon tetrachloride, acetaminophen, ethanol and iron toxicity. In a three-year study, milk thistle reduced the liver-damaging effects of alcohol by reducing oxidative damage in alcohol-induced baboons.

Milk thistle is one of the most investigated plant extracts for the treatment of toxic liver damage and silymarin has been used as a protective treatment in both acute and chronic liver diseases.134

Fatty liver disease: Results of one study indicate that silymarin seems to

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be effective in reducing the chemical changes caused by fatty liver disease. A pilot study performed in humans with fatty liver disease confirmed an improvement in liver enzymes and insulin resistance.135

Its protective capacity is related to different mechanisms, such as reducing toxin penetration into liver cells, increasing enzyme activity, increasing the glutathione levels, inhibiting damage caused by fats and enhancing liver cell function. The liver-protective activity of silymarin can be explained by its antioxidant properties. It also stimulates liver cell regeneration.134

Cholesterol lowering: One animal study found that silymarin worked as effectively as the cholesterol-lowering drug probucol and with the extra benefit of greatly increasing good HDL cholesterol.367

Ulcerative colitis: In another human study, 35 out of 38 ulcerative colitis patients taking 140mg of silymarin were in complete remission with no flare-up after 6 months.132

Conclusion

In a nutshell, if you want to look after the busiest detox organ in your body, your liver, then milk thistle is essential. Your liver is central to controlling metabolic disease, therefore no detox plan would be complete without milk thistle.

Peppermint and fennel

When you perform a colon and liver cleanse and are removing toxins such as heavy metals, metabolic acids, negative microbes, parasites and chronic intestinal build-up, inevitably there will be a period of general disturbance and mild discomfort. Because of this I always include the herbs peppermint leaf and fennel seed in a detox programme due to their soothing, relaxing and digestive-calming effects. It is the oils in these herbs that give rise to their nurturing benefits.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Current Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia recommends it for indigestion, gas and anorexia. Its indications for use in the present Chinese pharmacopoeia include digestive and lower abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea.171 In Germany, fennel seed is licensed as a standard medicinal tea for indigestion. 172 Fennel seed has also revealed a significant diuretic effect.312

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)

Peppermint was first cultivated in England commercially around 1750 and its leaves have been widely used for their medicinal effects. Peppermint leaves are a very well-known herbal medicinal product, widely used historically for calming digestive cramps, reducing gas and activating the gall bladder.173

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them from staying too long in the colon. Psyllium is therefore an excellent bowel cleanser.

One animal study demonstrated that psyllium husk has a gutstimulating effect, which may complement the laxative effect of its fibre content. 138 In human trials, psyllium has again been shown to improve bowel frequency, consistency and weight.140

Colon cancer: Due to its high fibre content, psyllium seed degrades very slowly, producing fairly large amounts of butyric acid which protects against colon cancer and may help reduce bowel inflammation. 368, 369 Bowel cancer is New Zealand’s most common cancer, affecting men and women of all ages. Each year almost 3000 New Zealanders are newly diagnosed.

Currently New Zealanders diagnosed with bowel cancer have only a 55 per cent chance of surviving more than five years. Colon cancer is not just a New Zealand problem but a global one.

Psyllium husk (Plantago ovata)

Psyllium comes from the husk and seed of Plantago ovata (sometimes synonymous with Plantago psyllium, hence the common name). This is commonly used in the health industry as psyllium powder or simply referred to as psyllium. Psyllium seed husks are soluble dietary fibre widely used as a bowel-cleansing supplement for the treatment of constipation. Psyllium husk contains a high proportion of hemicellulose. The seed consists of 35 per cent water soluble and 65 per cent insoluble fibre.

Evidence for health benefits

Relieve constipation: Psyllium is classified as a mucilaginous fibre due to its powerful ability to form a gel in water. This bulking fibre acts as a sponge, absorbing water and waste material in the bowels. Psyllium husks significantly increase the level of moisture of bowel movements which explains why it has such great effect at relieving constipation and improving bowel health.

This increase in soft bowel motions helps to clear toxins, preventing

This is why it is so important to look after your colon health. A regular colon cleanse or annual two-week detox diet is highly recommended. Prevention is always a better option than attempting to cure.

Cholesterol lowering: Psyllium also helps to lower cholesterol, although the exact mechanism by which psyllium husk reduces cholesterol is not yet totally clear. A four-month study of 12 elderly patients showed psyllium husk reduced total cholesterol by 20 per cent. This may explain why products such as colon-cleansing programmes that contain psyllium often seem to lower cholesterol as a side benefit.139

Conclusion

By cleansing the bowels, lowering cholesterol and providing healthy bulking fibre, psyllium husk is highly beneficial during a detox diet. The fibre also creates a sense of fullness, which helps with the potential cravings due to a reduction of starches and carbohydrates during the detox diet.

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Traditional use

Nineteenth-century doctors and herbalists recommended slippery elm tea in the management of lung diseases such as pneumonia, consumption (tuberculosis) and pleurisy. Large doses of the herbal tea were reputed to expel tapeworms, literally causing the parasite to slide out of the digestive tract. Abscesses, boils, burns, carbuncles, chilblains, herpes, inflammations, skin ulcers, syphilis eruptions and even leprosy were soothed by applying a wet compress of slippery elm bark.

Slippery elm has been used for acid reflux, children’s digestive upsets, both diarrhoea and constipation, coughs and sore throats, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, loose bowel (it swells to help make a more formed stool), soothing urinary tract infections, ulcerative colitis and improving the health of the gastrointestinal tract in general.

Active constituents

Slippery elm inner bark contains bioflavonoids, calcium, mucilage, starch, tannins and vitamin E. Slippery elm bark’s gelatinous mucilage is a type of soluble fibre. When combined with water it forms a thick and slippery gel. This healing and soothing gel-like substance, called mucilage, has many health benefits.

Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra)

Many mothers will know slippery elm bark as a very popular therapeutic drink for babies with colic. It soothes, calms and gives peace to the upset child. During your inner body cleanse, it can serve a very similar purpose.

Description

A tree native to North America, it can grow to a height of over 15 m (50 feet). The outer bark is red, brown or orange, but it is the inner bark of the tree that is used medicinally. Historically, slippery elm bark was appreciated for its demulcent properties, which were useful in the treatment of a wide range of inflammatory conditions including digestive, respiratory and urinary disorders. It has also been widely used externally for skin diseases and wound-healing.

Evidence for health benefits

Mucous membrane soother: With very high amounts of mucilage, slippery elm helps improve digestion and works with the body to draw out impurities and toxins, assisting with a herbal detox. Slippery elm’s coating action soothes irritated tissues of the intestines, colon, urinary tract, respiratory tract and stomach.

Reflex-demulcency: Slippery elm mucilage works beneficially on all mucous membranes of the body, that is the gut, respiratory and urinary tracts, via an action called reflex-demulcency action.

Here’s how herbalists believe reflex-demulcency is thought to work. When the developing body is an embryo there is a stage during which all

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the inner mucous membrane tracts of the body are not yet fully formed. They all start out as one long, bendy tube and in the early weeks of gestation they continue to develop, becoming defined and separated into lungs and bronchial tubes, stomach and intestines, kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.

After these membrane tracts are fully separated and defined there remains and grows an extensive network of nerves that fire messages to the brain. It is this connection between the tissues of the gut, urinary tract and lungs that provide the effects of reflex-demulcency in tandem with direct exposure via beneficial substances in blood circulation.

This means that if a demulcent substance such as slippery elm is passed through the gut, then the respiratory tract will also be beneficially affected, there by soothing a cough. Likewise the urinary system can experience an anti-inflammatory effect relayed via the gut and substances passed through the bloodstream.

This reflex effect may explain many of the healing benefits people report when completing my program, such as a reduction in asthma, sinus and hay fever.

Balancing blood sugar levels: The mucilaginous soluble fibre in slippery elm plays a role in controlling blood sugar levels. Soluble fibre delays gastric emptying and this results in steadily slowing sugar absorption into the blood through the lining of the small intestine, thus lowering the glycaemic index of food, especially foods high in simple sugars.

Lowering cholesterol: The soluble fibre in slippery elm also decreases blood fats and cholesterol. The mucilage forms complex compounds with bile acids in the small intestine and absorbs cholesterol.370

Colon cancer prevention: Fermentation of slippery elm’s high soluble fibre content produces butyric acid. Butyric acid is fuel for the cells of the large intestine making it an essential factor in creating healthy cells of the colon, maintaining cellular integrity and preventing colon cancer.

Slippery elm acts in the same way as psyllium in this regard.

Constipation: It helps soften and bulk the stool. One formula containing slippery elm significantly improved both bowel habit and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in patients with constipation-dominant IBS.141

Skin conditions: One study of five psoriasis cases, ranging from mild to severe at the study onset, improved on all measured outcomes over a sixmonth period when measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index.142

Conclusion

Along with psyllium, slippery elm helps to give a sensation of fullness when ingested. It is used in herbal detox programmes to help soothe the stomach and intestines as well as provide a healing, calming and rejuvenating effect on the entire body. Slippery elm bark is a gentle herb, well tolerated by almost anyone, and it provides a truly healing effect on many body tissues. After all, encouraging healing is our ultimate goal.

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Chinese writings, dating back to 2700 B.C., 147 where it was known for its cleansing effects, as well as its ability to suppress feverish conditions.

Active constituents

Generally five active constituents — anthequinoes, rhein, emodin, aloeemodin, physcion and chrysophanol — are used as chemical markers for the quality control of R. palmatum products.152

Emodin, aloe-emodin and rhein are the major compounds used in Chinese herbal medicine, and were found to have anti-tumour effects including cell-killing properties in many human cancer cells.151

Emodin: Emodin is traditionally used as a laxative and is found to increase or decrease the contractility of intestinal muscle in low doses and high doses, respectively.156

Turkish rhubarb (Rheum palmatum)

Turkish rhubarb (also known as Chinese rhubarb) is no ordinary rhubarb, like your Mum used to cook for dessert, but is actually an effective herbal medicine.

Description

Rheum palmatum is commonly mistaken for the more familiar Rheum rhabarbarum — the garden rhubarb that we eat. Size is the most evident characteristic to differentiate these two species: while most garden species of rhubarb 80 to 100 cm high (2-3 ft), Chinese rhubarb can be as high as 2 to 3 metres (6-10 ft).144

Traditional uses

Of many herbs known for their medicinal benefits in early civilisations, Turkish rhubarb remains one of few still used today in both conventional and herbal medicine. 146 The very first accounts are found in ancient

Rhein: Different experiments in a number of different models have demonstrated the abilities of rhein to exhibit liver and kidney protection, as well as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer and antiseptic activities.148

Pharmacology

Emodin, aloe-emodin and rhein are widely accepted as anthraquinone laxatives. 157 Anthraquinone laxatives make up an important class of natural and synthetic compounds with a wide range of applications. Current therapeutic indications include constipation, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and cancer.158

Evidence for health benefits

Fatty liver disease: Findings from one animal study suggest that Turkish rhubarb alleviates fatty liver disease by promoting healthy liver enzyme activity. 143 In another study with mice Turkish rhubarb targeted liver metabolic and immune pathways and demonstrated benefits for complex metabolic diseases including fatty liver disease.160

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Pancreatitis: Rhubarb significantly improved the intestinal function, reduced inflammation and disease severity and reduce damages of liver and kidney function in human patients with severe acute pancreatitis.145

Cholesterol lowering: Data from a study with rats has suggested that emodin from Turkish rhubarb had potential value for the treatment of high cholesterol, probably because there was an associated increase in cholesterol-lowering enzymes.154

Anti-cancer: One laboratory study suggests that several active anthraquinones of rhubarb possess promising anti-cancer properties and could have a broad therapeutic potential.149

Colon cancer: A human study suggests that Turkish rhubarb extract may be used as a unique agent for the treatment of human colon cancer cells.150

Liver cancer: Further findings in mice indicate that emodin from Turkish rhubarb may be a potentially effective and safe drug to induce liver cancer cell death.153

Pancreatic cancer: Another study suggests emodin as a therapeutic agent for human pancreatic cancer as oral administration of emodin significantly decreased tumour weight.155

Conclusion

The laxative, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-cancer, liver and cholesterol benefits make this herb extremely valuable as a medicine. Considering the vast array of studies available and the broad range of benefits, Turkish rhubarb appears to be an invaluable addition to any herbal health programme.

The reason I am giving you all this evidence to support the process of detoxification will become clear soon. My goal is to help you take your health to a whole new level. Part of this comes from understanding the combined effect of therapeutic herbs and how they can achieve this through the profound effects that can have on your body.

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

You may have heard of absinthe, the alcoholic beverage that is made from wormwood. It is a strong brew known to induce hallucinations when taken in overdose and was once banned from sale in the US because of this. On the flip side, one of the side benefits people report from using wormwood during my programme is vivid dreams and clarity of mind. The sense of clarity and peace that herbal detox brings will result from a combination of the many parasites, toxins and inflammatory metabolic reactions being reduced, but certainly wormwood plays an important role.

Description

Artemisia absinthium is a species native to temperate regions of Eurasia and Northern Africa and widely naturalised in Canada and the northern United States. It is grown as an ornamental plant and is used as an ingredient in the spirit absinthe as well as some other alcoholic drinks. Wormwood consists of a combination of the stems and leaves in the commercial industry.162,163

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Traditional use

Medicinal use of wormwood dates back to Roman times and it is traditionally used in Europe not only as medicine but to stimulate the appetite and relieve indigestion. 164 Over the last century this tradition was declining, apparently due to fears of hallucinations and sleeplessness brought on by the anise-flavoured spirit absinthe, derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of wormwood.

Active constituents

The herb contains at least 0.3 per cent volatile oil and has a powerful bitter taste. The volatile oil contains thujone. Additionally, the herb contains bitter principles of the sesquiterpene lactone types absinthin, anabsinthin, artabsin, anabsin, also flavones, ascorbic acid, and tannins.

Evidence for health benefits

Digestive stimulant: It is long known that the bitter constituents stimulate the nerves in the mouth and increase the secretion of digestive juice and bile, thereby promoting appetite and digestion.169

Anti-parasitic: Infection of human beings with Toxocara cati or Toxocara canis eggs (the common roundworm of cats and dogs, respectively) can easily occur. Larvae from within the ingested eggs can pass into the circulation of the human host and migrate to distant organs, causing inflammation. Animals studied show egg numbers in stool decreased gradually in cats in trial groups using wormwood.167

Trichinosis is a disease caused by parasitic roundworms (Trichinella spiralis), usually ingested with meat, that can infect and damage body tissues. One study showed that wormwood extracts decreased the larval rate of roundworms of rats by 66.4 per cent.168

Liver protection: Animal studies suggest that wormwood extract restored healthy liver enzyme activity after exposure to lead, and had a protective role against fatty liver.170

Crohn’s disease: Human studies suggest wormwood is useful in the treatment of Crohn’s disease, with complete remission of symptoms in 65 percent of patients after 8 weeks of treatment.161

Anti-fungal: One laboratory study showed that Artemisia absinthium oil inhibited the growth of the yeast Candida albicans.166

Antibacterial: Results of another study involving rats revealed that external application of Artemisia absinthium extract on infected wound sites produced significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.165

Conclusion

To do a quick summary of toxins and parasites dealt with by wormwood we would include lead, tapeworms, roundworms, candida and staphylococcus. The effects of all these being reduced, while simultaneously improving digestive activity and bile flow, make wormwood a perfect healing companion. If there is one herb I would favour above all others, it’s quite probably wormwood.

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SECTION 3

Making the Connection

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11 Health Condition specifics

The metabolic disease connection

You may remember earlier how we talked about the causes of metabolic syndrome. Fatty liver and obesity were included, but another interesting potential cause was low-grade inflammation. People can experience continuous low-grade inflammation throughout the body. Researchers don’t know whether this causes metabolic syndrome or worsens it, but I would suggest the link is obvious.

When the body’s metabolism is interfered with by toxic substances, especially man made or synthetic, it becomes irritated, giving rise to an immune response. The toxins are detected by the body’s immune system in exactly the same fashion as an infection, pathogen or invader and the immune system sends out a response triggering a series of inflammatory reactions. Of course, we are exposed to natural toxins, such as metabolic waste, but our body is only designed to deal with a certain level of toxic load. It’s when we add the extra toxic load artificially and continuously that the detoxification systems fail to cope. Drug induced liver disease is a good example.

Allergens, pollutants and ingested toxins can trigger all manner of inflammatory responses, including making you itch, sneeze, cough or break into a rash. The over-consumption of processed fats, sugars, meats, alcohol and other acid-forming foods, chemical additives, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and pollutants along with other stressors would, I believe, give rise to chronic low-grade inflammation. For example, it is well known that acidic food, especially meats, can cause gout. A generally accepted marker of chronic low-grade inflammation is C-reactive protein.

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C-reactive protein

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a substance produced by the liver that increases in the presence of inflammation in the body. An elevated C-reactive protein level is identified with blood tests and is considered a non-specific marker for general disease in the body. Levels of CRP increase very rapidly in response to trauma, inflammation, and infection and decrease just as rapidly with the resolution of the condition.

Studies have shown a significant association between CRP levels and hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) and hyperlipidemia (high blood fats), these being the most common signs of metabolic disease. 264 Findings of other studies emphasise that diabetics were five times more likely to have high CRP levels 265 and that CRP levels are connected with metabolic acid. If the body is irritated, acidic and inflamed, it’s obvious that other health conditions may ensue.

Considering specific health conditions

I knew from the beginning of my self-experimentation that cleansing was the ultimate health solution, but it has taken me all these years to piece together the puzzle. Now it has become crystal clear to me and I have finally made all the links. We service our cars every year to keep them running well, so why don’t we service our bodies? The same principle applies. After we travel a few thousand kilometres we start to struggle with the overload of toxic material circulating through our arteries and our liver. Eventually our metabolism is compromised and inflammation occurs. The resulting string of health conditions can seem endless. The solution, however, is quite simple, cleanse and be cured!

The major contributing factors that are closely connected with metabolic disease are high blood sugar, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, so I think we owe these three conditions a little more investigation. If you have been diagnosed with one of these, there will be benefits in focusing more specific energy in that area. Following a programme incorporating the cleansing foods and herbs from Section

Conditions potentially linked to metabolic toxicity

Acid reflux, acne, allergies, arthritis, asthma, bloating, blood pressure problems, blood sugar problems, candida, coeliac disease, colitis, constipation, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, eczema, fatigue, fluid retention, gas, gout, haemorrhoids, headache, heartburn, high cholesterol, indigestion, irritable bowel, memory loss, mucus congestion, obesity, palpitations, parasites, psoriasis, sinusitis, peptic ulcers, weight gain.

Over the last 20 years I have seen over 100,000 people complete my detox programme and many have reported a reduction in symptoms of or relief from some of the above list of conditions — in fact I like to guarantee that they will receive some relief from their symptoms. Now that you’ve seen the research and evidence behind the Detox and Heal Yourself process, you can probably understand why I can offer this assurance.

Two will still help, but a little extra targeted effort never goes astray. In the following chapters I will describe some other simple foods and herbs to assist in alleviating each of these three major factors.

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case study

I recently purchased two Ultimate Herbal DETOX Kits and just took the last of my herbal tablets this morning. I have lost all my excess weight over the 18 days I have been preparing for/completing the detox, which I am really pleased with. I have never ‘pooed’ so much in all my life.

I am intending to carry on with the healthy eating thing indefinitely as I am feeling 500 per cent better than I have for a long time with heaps more energy, better skin, fantastic weight benefits — the list goes on.

Thanks for developing such a great product — I have told everyone I know about the detox. It has been incredibly easy to stick to the plan. My crockpot has gone the whole time just about making batch after batch of delicious soup and I am eating heaps more fruit and veg than I have in a long time. Keep up the good work.

Many thanks, Karen

High Blood Sugar

When discussing high blood sugar and pre-diabetes we must look at the signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes, possible preventative measures, and the foods and herbs you can use to reverse progression and get it under control. Even if you are not experiencing the signs of type 2 diabetes it is worth looking at trying some of the recommendations around food in order to prevent its onset or just generally help yourself to feel better.

According to the World Journal of Diabetes we are facing the epidemic of the century. The Western Pacific region has the highest number of adults diagnosed with diabetes and has countries with the highest prevalence of diabetes, with Tokelau now at 37.5%.270

Diabetes is also a significant cause of ill health and premature death in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand. In the United States, people aged 20 years or older with diabetes total 25.6 million or 11.3%; for people aged 65 years or older there are 10.9 million or 26.9%.268

It affects about 200,000 people in New Zealand, but only half of these people have been diagnosed. In November 2015 it was announced that 1 in 4 people in New Zealand have pre-diabetes. Overall, prevalence of diabetes was 7%, and prevalence of pre-diabetes 26%. Prevalence of diabetes was higher in men (8%) than in women (6%), and higher among the obese (14%) compared with the normal weight group (3%).267

What is diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is an inability to metabolise carbohydrates resulting from inadequate insulin production or utilisation. There are two types of diabetes mellitus, type 1 and type 2, which has also been called non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes (although it can also affect children).

I’m concentrating on type 2 diabetes here, as it is a major factor of metabolic syndrome. The good news is that type 2 diabetes frequently responds well to natural therapies, and it can often be reversed and the body healed.

With type 2 diabetes, the pancreas often makes enough insulin but the body has trouble using it. This has been called insulin resistance, as it appears that the body has become de-sensitised to the effects of insulin. This is probably the result of long-term high sugar intake and explains why adult-onset type 2 diabetes is the most common. Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas in response to rising blood sugar. Its job is to move the sugar out of the blood and into cells to use for energy, or to move the sugar into storage in the muscles, liver and fat to use later. Years of processed sugar and high gylcaemic index foods (foods that rapidly raise blood sugar) bombard the body with unnaturally high amounts of insulin and this relentless stream of insulin takes its toll on body tissues

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giving rise to insulin resistance. It’s a bit like living next to the railway line, when eventually you don’t notice the train anymore. Insulin resistance is a major cause of metabolic disease.371

People with diabetes cannot properly process glucose, the primary sugar the body uses for energy. As a result the glucose stays in the blood causing blood glucose levels to rise while the cells of the body are starved of energy they need to function. People with diabetes are at high risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis, cataracts, retinopathy, stroke, poor wound healing, infections and damage to the kidneys and nerves. In addition, those with diabetes have a higher mortality rate if they also have high homocysteine levels (which is often as a result of eating too much red meat).269

Common signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:

 Polyuria (urinating often)  Insatiable thirst  Feeling very hungry — even after eating  Extreme fatigue  Blurry vision  Wounds that are slow to heal  Tingling, pain, or numbness in the extremities of the hands/feet

Foods for diabetes

Eating carbohydrate-containing foods temporarily raises your blood sugar and insulin levels. How quickly a food raises your blood sugar is called its glycaemic index (GI), and is relative to how rapidly its carbohydrate

is absorbed from the gut into the blood. Foods can range in the GI scale from zero to one hundred. Many starchy foods have a glycaemic index similar to or higher than table sugar (sucrose) which has a GI of sixty five. You might be surprised to know that foods such as cornflakes, mashed potato and white bread have GI of over seventy, higher than sugar, while broccoli, red peppers and mushrooms have a GI of only ten.

Those eating large amounts of foods with high glycaemic indexes are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes long term, due to the insulin resistance effect I mentioned above. On the other hand, eating a diet high in carbohydrate-rich foods with low glycaemic indexes (such as beans, peas, oats and low GI fruit) is associated with a low risk of developing diabetes type 2. A low carb, ketogenic type diet has also been shown to lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes patients.372

Fibre is also a very important factor in controlling blood sugar. There are two major types of fibre, namely soluble and insoluble fibre. Both types help to reduce blood sugar. 346 Insoluble fibre passes through the body undigested and provides bulk for the bowel movements, whereas soluble fibre is digested along with food and slows down the digestive process. Therefore, a diet high in soluble will help control the blood sugar spike after eating. Human studies have shown regular consumption of soluble fibre to have significant effects on lowering blood sugar levels. (372) You can find soluble fibre in barley, beans, lentils, nuts, oat bran, peas, seeds, while many other fruits and vegetables contain cellulose, the most common type of insoluble fibre.

See the chart on the following page for suggested low GI foods.

Priority foods should be the lower GI fruits, vegetables, seeds, pulses, legumes and nuts. High-fibre supplements (such as psyllium, guar gum, pectin and oat bran) have been shown to improve glucose tolerance.347 Eating fish has also been shown to provide protection from diabetes and incorporating fish into a weight-loss regimen is very effective at improving glucose and insulin metabolism and high cholesterol.348

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Vegetarian diet

Vegetarians are reported to have a low risk of type 2 diabetes and people with diabetes who switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet have reported a vast improvement in their condition after only days.346

Allowing for differences in body mass index (BMI), studies have shown the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is up to 2 times lower in vegetarians than in the general population, while clinical trials demonstrated that vegetarian diets lead to weight loss and reduction blood sugar.285

Fats

Diets high in saturated fat, worsen glucose tolerance and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Saturated fat is found primarily in meat, dairy and the dark meat and skins of poultry. In contrast, glucose intolerance has been improved by diets high in monounsaturated oils. 349 The best way to incorporate monounsaturates into the diet is to use extra virgin olive oil and flax seed oil, which also have high antioxidant values.

The low-fat craze that has swept the world over the last few decades has directly led to an increase in the sugar content and consequently the glycaemic index of processed food. Inadvertently, good fats have also had a bad rap, when they are actually lower GI and very healthy for your body. Avocado, fish, nuts and cold pressed oils are all examples of unsaturated, good fats, and these should continue to be part of a healthy blood sugar balancing diet.

Bitter melon

You can usually find bitter melon as pickled bitter gourd at your local Indian supermarket. Whole, fried slices, water extracts and juice of bitter melon have been shown to improve blood-sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, according to preliminary trials. 283 Bitter melon contains substances with antidiabetic properties such as charantin and vicine as well as other unspecific bioactive components such as antioxidants. Metabolic and hypoglycemic effects of bitter melon extracts have been demonstrated in cell culture, animal and human studies.283

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Almost anything bitter or sour is going to improve glucose tolerance and general digestive function. 350, 169 Coffee, cider vinegar and lemon juice are classic examples.

Alcohol and cigarettes

Eliminating alcohol and cigarettes is associated with an improvement in diabetes. Both alcohol and cigarettes worsen glucose tolerance and enhance the risk for eye, nerve and kidney damage.352



Hypoglycaemia

Those who suffer with hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar, usually improve when they adopt a similar diet to those with diabetes. That is eliminating refined sugars and alcohol, eating foods high in fibre (such as wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, pulses, legumes and nuts) and eating small, frequent meals. Even modest amounts of caffeine may increase symptoms of hypoglycaemia. For this reason, caffeinated beverages (such as coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks) should be avoided.

Fenugreek tea

Fenugreek seeds are high in soluble fibre, which helps lower blood sugar by slowing down carbohydrate digestion and absorption. Research suggests that fenugreek may also contain a substance that stimulates

insulin production and improves blood sugar control. One study concluded that insulin-stimulating activity might, at least in part, account for fenugreek seeds’ anti-diabetic properties.281

Weight loss and exercise

The majority of people with diabetes type 2 are overweight. Excess abdominal weight does not stop insulin formation but it does make the body less sensitive to insulin. Type 2 diabetes improves with weight-loss programmes.

Exercise helps decrease body fat and improves insulin sensitivity. People who exercise are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who do not.

Don’t start an intensive exercise programme without consulting a healthcare professional.

Simply going for a 20-minute walk two to three times a week will be a great start. It’s just a matter of getting the muscles to burn energy and that will trigger the movement of blood sugar and increase the insulin response. Building your exercise programme up slowly into more blood pumping, aerobic and cardiovascular exercise is a good idea. Using your arms and legs is very important, so rowing, cycling or working out on a piece of gym equipment will assist greatly. Just remember to start slowly and build up gradually.

Supplements for diabetes

A variety of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other supplements are known to help with symptoms and deficiencies associated with diabetes and hyperglycaemia.

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Chromium

Improved glucose tolerance has been reported in more than 10 trials of chromium supplementation in people with varying degrees of glucose intolerance. Chromium polynicotinate supplements increase sensitivity to insulin and therefore combat the onset of diabetes.

The beneficial effects of chromium, together with its wide safety profile, may justify its use as an adjunct therapy in the management of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.278

Magnesium

People with type 2 diabetes tend to have low magnesium levels and its supplementation improves insulin production. The American Diabetes Association acknowledges strong associations between magnesium deficiency and insulin resistance. One study showed magnesium intake may be particularly beneficial in offsetting the risk of developing diabetes among those at high risk.279

Multivitamins

Alpha lipoic acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, biotin, coenzyme Q10, zinc and fish oil are very important nutrients in the prevention and treatment of diabetes so a good multivitamin is helpful.

Herbs for diabetes

Several herbs are also known to help manage the symptoms associated with diabetes, including the control of blood sugar levels.

Gymnema

Gymnema is known to stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin in people with type 2 diabetes. It also improves the ability of insulin to lower blood sugar in people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

One study with rats provided experimental evidence for the herbal plant Gymnema sylvestre in the prevention and curing of induced diabetes

without any side effects.280

Wormwood

Artemisia species known as wormwoods are bitter, aromatic plants and many of them are used worldwide in traditional medicine in order to treat conditions such as diabetes, inflammation, intestinal worms, fever, malaria and ulcers. Some impressive blood-sugar-lowering effects have been observed from the wormwood plants.271

Psyllium

Supplementing with psyllium which is high in soluble fibre has been shown to be a safe and well-tolerated way to improve control of blood glucose. In a double-blind trial, men with type 2 diabetes who took 5.1 grams of psyllium per day for eight weeks lowered their blood glucose levels by 11 to 19.2 percent compared with a placebo.284

Another human study involving 20 people indicated a beneficial therapeutic effect of psyllium in the metabolic control of type 2 diabetics as well as in lowering the risk of coronary heart disease.282

Aloe vera

It has been reported that drinking aloe vera liquid and its derived phytosterols have a long-term blood glucose level control effect and would be useful for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Aloe vera can lower not only glucose levels but also the triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are the fats that circulate in our blood to provide energy and they’re often also high in those with diabetes.273

Another study showed that supplementation of aloe vera powder along with nutrition counselling significantly reduced blood glucose levels and blood pressure in type 2 diabetics.274

Ginger and garlic

Data from one study suggests that ginger and garlic are insulinotropic (stimulate insulin production) rather than hypoglycaemic (lowers blood

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sugar). Overall the anti-diabetic effects of ginger are better than those of garlic, at least in experiments. Much better anti-diabetic effects of ginger and garlic may be obtained when part of a normal rather than a high-fat diet. (276) With its negligible side effects, and wide range of benefits ginger has been shown as a good remedy for diabetic patients to diminish the risk of some secondary chronic complications, such as insulin resistance, kidney and liver damage.277

Conclusion

The combination of cleansing with a vegetarian diet and the use of many of the herbs discussed above often has immediate effects on blood sugar. The key to continued healing is incremental long-term changes in diet and lifestyle and continued supplementation with herbs until balance is restored. It’s really a matter of finding a balance between these methods and what you can sustain. Healing is a lifelong process. It’s often just a matter of taking that first step.

High blood pressure

disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and other health problems.

About one in three adults in the United States has HBP and in a New Zealand survey conducted in 2013 the prevalence of adult HBP was 30.8% overall; 33.5% in men and 28.3% in women.359

The condition itself usually has no signs or symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. During this time, though, HBP can damage your heart, blood vessels, kidneys and other parts of your body. Knowing your blood pressure numbers is important because it can guide you towards making the right adjustments to your diet and lifestyle if needed.

Blood pressure numbers

Blood pressure is measured as systolic and diastolic pressures. ‘Systolic’ refers to blood pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. ‘Diastolic’ refers to blood pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. You most often will see blood pressure numbers written with the systolic number above or before the diastolic number, such as 120/80.

The table below shows normal blood pressure numbers for adults. It also shows which numbers put you at greater risk for health problems.

A diagnosis many receive at a doctor’s visit is high blood pressure or hypertension, but what causes it and how can we reverse it without using synthetic drugs with all their potentially nasty side-effects? Luckily, there are lots of natural and safe alternatives to blood pressure medications to consider.

What is high blood pressure?

‘Blood pressure’ is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways. High blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart

Categories for Blood Pressure Levels in Adults (measured in millimetres of mercury, or mmHg)

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Prescribed medications

The standard approach by mainstream medical doctors is to prescribe medications from four major categories to combat blood pressure problems:

n Blood thinners to help blood flow easier n Diuretics to eliminate excess fluids n Beta blockers to reduce heart contractions n Vasodilators to relax arterial muscle tension

These are valid mechanical methods, but there are natural alternatives to these standard drug approaches that you can also try. And, of course, the real solution lies in finding the underlying cause of your high blood pressure. We will discuss these causes and some natural solutions below.

What causes high blood pressure?

Blood behaves much like any other liquid. It’s largely water and contains blood cells designed to carry oxygen around the body. When your body needs more oxygen, such as when you exercise, your blood has to be pumped harder and faster, so it’s normal for your blood pressure to rise when you exercise. It should return to normal pressure within a couple of minutes, once you return to rest.

Restricted flow

The blood vessels, veins and arteries through which the blood flows act just like water pipes. The bigger pipes are close to the heart and the smallest are the furthest from the heart in the tissues and organs where the oxygen is used. If the pipes become clogged then the pressure in them will go up. Drugs are sometimes given to thin the blood artificially, but given that the blood-thinning drug Warfarin was traditionally used a rat poison because it causes severe internal bleeding do we really want to be taking this and similar medications?

Another thing that can restrict blood flow is the viscosity (thickness) of the blood. Sugar consumption, especially fructose, increases blood viscosity 288 making it harder for the heart to pump blood thus increasing blood pressure. Fructose is a common sugar added to many processed foods. One study with rats found that capsaicin from chilli peppers was able to clean up this thickened blood after eating too much sugar, 289 so a good chilli meal can help keep the blood thin.

Ginger has been used for thousands of years for the treatment of hypertension. 292 It has an effect similar blood thinning effect to the commonly prescribed aspirin, and studies show ginger has promise in the reduction of platelet aggregation, 293 which means it reduces blood coagulation, thus reducing the viscosity of the blood.

Ginger and cayenne can help to thin blood, and are both found in my programme. People who complete my cleansing protocol often report systolic blood pressure dropping by up to 20 points. The result is a combined effect of all the specific herbs and foods, so no single food, herb or exercise can take full credit.

Muscle spasms

Coronary artery spasm is a temporary, sudden narrowing of one of the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply blood to the heart). The spasm slows or stops blood flow through the artery and starves part of the heart of oxygen-rich blood. The main symptom experienced is chest pain. The spasm often occurs in coronary arteries that have not become hardened due to plaque build-up (atherosclerosis). However, it can also occur in arteries with plaque build-up. This points to the possibility that something other than a blocked artery is responsible and that a simple spasm, similar to muscle cramp is occurring.287

If you are under stress, worry a lot, get cramps in your legs and suffer tightness in the chest then you probably need magnesium. One of the best things you can do to get magnesium is to regularly take an Epsom salt bath. This can relax the muscles throughout the entire body, reducing pressure on your blood vessels and heart. This simple treatment can also

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significantly reduce stress and tension. For best results, use 2 to 3 cups of Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) in your bath and soak for at least 20 minutes three times weekly.

Using lavender oil in the bath or rubbing it into the back is also a great relaxant. Lavender oil inhalation has also been shown to reduce HBP.360

Peppermint leaf tea is employed for internal oral use to relax muscles, especially intestinal spasms. Generally speaking peppermint taken internally is very calming and relaxing, so may have merit in situations of tension and stress.

Weight gain

The results of one study in Japan showed that being overweight and/or obese had a direct impact on the incidence of high blood pressure, and that this connection had become more common in recent decades.286

Hypertension is increasingly common in overweight and obese children, which again indicates that there is a connection. The heavier your body is, the more pressure there must be within the blood system because liquid pressure=force/area. In this case, more gravitation force in a limited space will increase the liquid pressure of blood. The positive relationship between blood pressure and body weight in adults who live in western societies has often been demonstrated both across populations and across time. This correlation is even stronger in children and young adults. 361 Losing weight will almost always result in a lowering of blood pressure.

Fluid retention

Studies suggest that kidney function has a strong influence on blood pressure, 290 and diuretics (urinary stimulants) are often prescribed by doctors in an attempt to lower blood pressure.

Diuretics work by increasing the excretion of urine from the body as well as the amount of sodium in urine. This in turn lowers the liquid pressure within the entire body by taking more fluid out of the tissues.373

Of the herbal diuretics, the most promising, at the present time, is the

Medicinal herbs that help reduce weight include

Green Tea — Clinical studies suggest that green tea extract may boost metabolism and help burn fat.353

Garcinia — It was concluded that hydroxycitrate derived from the fruit of garcinia might be useful for lowering cholesterol levels and enhancing overall body weight loss.354

Cayenne — Cayenne has been shown to encourage weight loss. Three main areas of potential benefit for weight management were found: increased energy expenditure, increased lipid oxidation and reduced appetite.355

species Foeniculum vulgare (fennel). 294 One study with rats showed fennel increased water, sodium and potassium excretion indicating blood pressure lowering activity.2 95

Stress

We all inherently know that blood pressure is affected by mental and emotional tension or stress. In one study involving 5976 adults between forty and sixty years old psychological stress was shown to contribute approximately 10 percent to the risk of hypertension.374

Conclusion

Along with the weight-loss benefits and blood-thinning effect of herbs, it is no wonder that people often report a reduction in blood pressure after completing the cleanse programme. Of course making changes through

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the detox diet suggested in the book, which helps to lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar and acid levels in the body will assist. Reducing your intake of alcohol, cigarettes and sugar while increasing regular exercise will all play a part in long-term reduction of blood pressure.

Blood pressure is a key component of metabolic disease picture and when you consider the list of factors such as weight gain, kidney function, sugar and stress it does tend to implicate chronic metabolic toxicity yet again, as an underlying cause.

testimonies

I started my programme with Brett in July 2015 and it’s now December. I have several positive results to report. My blood pressure has dropped from 190/90 to 160/80, I have lost 10kg, down from 106kg to 96kg, and have been able to halve my pain killers and reduce my asthma medication by 75 per cent. Also my libido has returned from zero to 100 per cent full activity. I am also back out cycling and heading for the gym next.

High Cholesterol

High cholesterol is extremely common in developed countries around the world. It is an integral part of metabolic disease. Having high cholesterol causes your body to have some negative health effects such as a narrowing of the arteries by fatty plaque deposits (known as atherosclerosis). Having these fatty plaques in your body may increase your risk of having a heart attack and/or stroke, therefore it is important to have regular cholesterol checks to assess your cholesterol levels.

The prevalence of elevated total cholesterol is highest in the World Health Organization (WHO) Region of Europe, at 54% for both sexes, followed by the Americas with 48% for both sexes. Compare this to the African Region and the South East Asian Region, which showed the lowest percentages at 22.6% and 29.0% respectively.296

Website review

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I have lost 42lbs on this detox and slim and am back to the body shape I had at 16! Similarly for blood pressure and heart beat and a reducing Cholesterol count to boot! So blessings on you all for your passion in getting this programme developed and out into the community. Sue and I are monitoring our progress and will hand you a full report at the end of our first 12 months. Blessings and regards to you both.

George

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Cholesterol: too much of a good thing!

Cholesterol is a type of fat that can be found in certain foods (e.g. meat, dairy, eggs), and is also made in your body by your liver. You actually need cholesterol to live because your body makes hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone plus many other important biological molecules from cholesterol. The problem is not having cholesterol in your body, it’s having too much of the wrong type of cholesterol as that can affect your health. When present in excess amounts in cells, this bad cholesterol becomes toxic and this cholesterol-induced toxicity in a key factor in the development of atherosclerosis (plaque) related cardiovascular disease.375

The good and the bad cholesterol

There are two main types of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. HDL is essentially the ‘good’ form of cholesterol that travels from your cells to the liver where it is processed and removed from the body. LDL is the ‘bad’ form of cholesterol when it’s in excess, as this is the form that travels from the liver out through your arteries to your limbs. It is the LDL form of cholesterol that is most likely to clog your arteries and cause heart disease.

When the ratio of HDL to total cholesterol is high (i.e. not enough HDL, too much LDL) more ‘bad’ cholesterol is being stored and circulated in the body than is being removed from the body. This is bad news and needs to be sorted. To calculate your cholesterol ratio, divide your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or ‘good’) cholesterol number into your total cholesterol number. An optimal ratio is less than 3.5. In other words, at least one third of your total cholesterol should be the good HDL variety. The test results from your Doctor should clearly show your cholesterol ratio.

How to lower your cholesterol ratio

Conventional drugs and liver function

Doctors typically prescribe one of six different classes of drugs available for lowering cholesterol levels. We will discuss two of them here.

The most common of the drugs prescribed to lower cholesterol are statins, which lower LDL levels by inhibiting liver enzyme activity leading to decreases in liver cholesterol content, resulting in an up-regulation of hepatic LDL receptors, which increases the clearance of LDL cholesterol. The major side effects are muscle complications and an increased risk of diabetes. Different statins have varying drug interactions.

Bile acid sequestrants (binders) lower LDL cholesterol by 10-30% by decreasing the absorption of bile acids in the intestine, which decreases the bile acid stores in your liver. This is turn stimulates the production of more bile (which is made from cholesterol) leading to a decrease in liver cholesterol. Bile acid sequestrants can be difficult to use as they decrease the absorption of multiple drugs, increase blood triglyceride levels, and cause constipation and other Gastrointestinal side effects.306

Because the liver plays a major part in the regulation of cholesterol and after looking at the mode of activity of these drugs, it makes perfect sense to give yourself a liver cleanse in order to help lower your cholesterol. In fact your liver produces on average about 50% of your cholesterol internally by a process called biosynthesis, and is also responsible for excreting excess cholesterol into your intestine for elimination. This means if your liver and intestine are generally over-burdened, cholesterol will build up in your body, even if dietary intake of cholesterol is reduced.376

Follow a cholesterol-lowering food plan

Diet and lifestyle changes must form the foundation of any cholesterollowering plan, but just eating low cholesterol or low fat foods is not necessarily the long-term solution as many low-fat foods are high in sugar, which can lead to other problems such as insulin resistance and pre-diabetes. A high sugar diet is also connected to raising cholesterol,

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so it’s more about achieving good general nutrition than simply a low fat diet.377

However, if you make some other important dietary modifications you can effectively reduce LDL levels long term and without other negative effects. They include:

Reducing the intake of acid-forming foods. These include sugar, coffee, red meats and processed carbohydrates.

Eating more soluble fibre. Add 5-10 grams per day to your intake. Psyllium husk is a great source.

Reducing trans-fatty acid intake. When you consume more unsaturated fat, you still must be careful to reduce your intake of trans-fat. Main sources are margarine, baked products such as crackers, cookies, doughnuts and breads, and foods fried in hydrogenated oils.302

Consuming more plant sterols. Plant sterols and stanols (phytosterols) are found naturally in many plants. They are structurally very similar to cholesterol. Their cholesterol-lowering effects are widely accepted. Add 2 grams per day to your intake. Legumes, corn and soy products contain sterols.303

Reducing your saturated fat intake. Consume only lean meats. Remember this does not just mean to go low fat on everything. Good fats are OK, so increase your intake from oily fish and nuts and seeds.

Following the principles of the Mediterranean diet. This style of eating has been found to be beneficial in reducing and managing cholesterol levels. This diet comprises of fresh fish, wholegrains, fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil and garlic.

Specific cholesterol-lowering food

Oats An easy first step to improving your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or porridge for breakfast. It gives you one to two grams of soluble fibre. Add a banana or some strawberries for more. Current nutrition guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35 grams of fibre a day, with at least 5 to 10 grams coming from soluble fibre. (The average American gets about half that amount.)

Barley and other wholegrains Like oats and oat bran, barley and other wholegrains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly due to the soluble fibre they deliver.

Beans Beans are especially rich in soluble fibre. They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That’s one reason beans are a useful food for people trying to lose weight. With so many choices — from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas and beyond — and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food.

Eggplant and okra These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fibre.

Nuts Plenty of studies show that eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts and other nuts is good for the heart. Eating 50 grams of nuts a day can slightly lower LDL, in the order of 5%. Nuts have additional nutrients including magnesium and selenium that protect the heart in other ways.

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Vegetable oils Using liquid vegetable oils such as olive, rice bran, avocado or safflower in place of butter, lard, or shortening when cooking or at the table helps lower LDL.

Apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits These fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fibre that lowers LDL.

Fatty fish Eating fish two or three times a week can lower LDL in two ways: by replacing meat, which has LDL-boosting saturated fats, and by delivering LDL-lowering omega-3 fats. Omega-3s reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream and also protect the heart by helping prevent the onset of abnormal heart rhythms.

Fibre supplements Supplements probably offer the least appealing way to get soluble fibre, but they can be convenient. Two teaspoons a day of psyllium husk provides about four grams of soluble fibre.305

Lose weight

If you are overweight then weight loss is an essential part of reducing your cholesterol levels. If you need to lose weight, you could use this cleanse programme to assist with your weight loss, often achieving between 5 and 10 kg.

Key lifestyle changes

Daily physical activity is vital to improving cardiovascular health, for weight maintenance and to keep you as healthy as you can possible be. If you need help getting started on an exercise regime, start gently with some daily walking and look for a physical activity that you really enjoy. It is also important that you address factors such as stress and smoking as these can severely increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

The following herbs may also be of assistance

Cinnamon The blood lipid-lowering effect of cinnamon has been shown in clinical tests.297

Cayenne The faecal excretion of cholesterol and triglycerides can be significantly increased by the consumption of cayenne.298

Ginger Has been shown to possess both anti-diabetic and hypolipidaemic (cholesterol-lowering) properties.299

Garlic There is consistent evidence that garlic intake reduces cardiovascular disease risk factors including lowering LDL cholesterol.300

Turmeric (curcumin) and black pepper This combination is effective in patients with metabolic syndrome and can lower blood cholesterol concentrations.301

Isn’t it funny that the hot spicy herbs help to melt away the cholesterol!

Conclusion

Incorporating these simple modifications into your diet and lifestyle will help you to successfully treat high cholesterol for life.

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testimonies

My husband, who has high cholesterol that he was due to go on medication for, went in for another cholesterol test after finishing the 14-day detox. We have just received a phone call from the nurse stating that his results were amazing and what had he done — he now no longer needs medication for high cholesterol as he is back in the safe range and only has to have yearly check-ups. He is now a healthy weight, is sleeping through the night and no longer craves unhealthy food. I have also had great results. I no longer have IBS symptoms, I feel alert, energised and am also lighter. I urge anyone who is thinking of doing this to take the plunge and stick with it as it’s only 14 days out of your life and the results have been life changing for us.

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Hi, my name is Brendon and my wife brought me your Detox set which I have just completed. I have recently finished 20 years in the Military and was very fit. I am 5ft 11 inches, slim and by no means unfit, but in the civilian life I have let my high standard of fitness level slip and my eating habits are not as good as they should have been. Anyway, I had blood tests 5 weeks ago and my cholesterol level was 7% (normal is 5%), liver count HDL was 5.5 and weight 96.9kgs. My wife and I completed the 14-day course which I found to be hard at the start but after day 3 I noticed marked energy increases and enjoyed your diet without feeling hungry. The great news is I just received my blood test results where my cholesterol

is now 4.8, liver count 3.2 and I weight 94.8kgs (without exercise). Pretty amazing results. I am now motivated, joined a gym and back into running/circuits. But the biggest change for me is not having a huge desire to eat red meat. I get full on small portions of meat but load up on all the good stuff like veggies/fruits etc. We will now do this course annually and I look forward to it. Many thanks Brett, on a very simple life changing result. Kia ora,

Brendan

The Next Steps

You can see how all the symptoms of metabolic disease can be prevented, controlled and even reversed with a little commitment and a few clever little changes to your diet and lifestyle. The real goal, of course, is ultimately healing yourself as a whole and not simply believing it when we’re told how we feel is ‘pretty normal’, or ‘they really don’t know what causes it’. Next thing you know you are handed a prescription to take to the counter with the directions that things should be fixed by simply taking a drug.

If told this, I would head for the door and do some further research first, but of course you’re already doing that! You are one of a new generation of free thinkers. Take action and you won’t regret it. Seize the opportunity to take control of your life and your body will reward you, just like thousands of others I have seen complete a cleanse.

The previous chapters have almost covered the process of how to cleanse and heal yourself, all but a couple of little secrets I want to share with you. I am a firm believer in universal laws and how they can be applied in every facet of our lives. Health is no exception to this, in fact universal laws are central to achieving good health. All the ancient healing arts knew this, but somehow technology has been confusing us and sometimes convincing us otherwise. Science is great but when it creates conflict with nature I think we have lost the forest for the trees, so let’s get back to the forest for a moment.

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does not mean we should limit ourselves in the meantime. Dreams and emotions cannot be observed by science, but we still accept they exist because we all share them and express the same outward signs of such experiences.

12 Ultimate mind power

I consider myself a scientist because I have a constant yearning for new knowledge, which if you’re still reading you probably share with me. True science, after all, is the quest for knowledge and truth. All scientists start with a theory or an idea, then they investigate and conduct experiments from which to draw their conclusion. Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton are two of the greats who did just that. They uncovered many universal mathematical laws that govern our world and the cosmos.

Medicine is no exception, and today the world is moving rapidly in the direction of energy medicine whether it be through new laser light, ultrasound, magnetic and other electrical technologies or traditional healing practices. Integrative medical centres are opening up all over the world. The World Health Organization has even set up an organisation called the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health which is dedicated to studying just about every treatment that doesn’t involve pharmaceuticals or surgery. This includes traditional systems like Ayurveda and acupuncture along with more esoteric things like homeopathy and energy healing.

This worldwide movement towards safe, natural and traditional healing systems is a coming of age where traditional healing, science and technology are beginning to find common ground. The true scientific mind is always open and continually curious and never draws any conclusions unless there has been rigorous investigation and robust experimentation. Many unknown things are yet to be discovered, but can only be found when our technology is capable of doing so. This

By the same token, my theories on the power of your mind may not yet be fully scientifically proven, but I propose them for your consideration and contemplation. Experiment for yourself and draw your own conclusions. You have nothing to lose, but an unfathomable amount to gain.

You might have thought, ‘I wish there were just a few universal rules that I could follow to achieve ultimate health.’ Well… the good news is that there actually might be such simple rules. You could refer to them as healing principles or universal laws.

I’m going to share a few of these that I have picked up over the last 20 years in herbal medicine and energy healing. If you keep an open mind I’m sure you will find them useful.

Healing Secret One: ‘Keep it simple’

Complexity invites disease while simplicity brings peace and health to the body and mind.

In other words, like the old saying goes, ‘keep it simple stupid’ (aka KISS). Let me explain how this can apply in our everyday lives.

Complex: Drive around the block four times in a traffic jam looking for a parking space right outside the door of your destination.

Simple: Take the first parking spot you see within a one-block radius of your destination and walk the rest of the way.

Complex: To lose weight, start to count calories, restrict serving sizes, go gluten-, dairy-, sugar- and fat-free, follow a fad diet and get a personal trainer.

Simple: Eat unprocessed food and go for a walk twice a week.

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Complex: To reduce your asthma, go to your doctor, get a prescription and start using chemically toxic inhalers.

Simple: Eat raw onions and berries then stop eating bread and pasta. (See if your asthma reduces.)

Complex: Work overtime and burn out fighting your way to the top of your profession to achieve wealth, status, power and possessions. Simple: Do what you love and help others follow their dreams and feel happy.

Complex: Go to every doctor, health practitioner and health store, try dozens of natural health products to try and feel better.

Simple: Do an annual detox programme and make one small improvement to simplify your life.

The theory behind the secret of simplicity

If you look at any great success story or genius solution to a problem it always comes back to simplicity. For example, Einstein’s universal energy equation E = MC2 . This simple energy formula applies to the entire universe. Every advance in technology is a step of simplification and ease because the more we understand the laws and principles behind things the simpler they are to follow.

Compare modern homes, vehicles and other technology and you can see how the design has simplified with time. Ultimately the answers to any problem should be the simplest. There is another famous principle known as Occam’s razor; it essentially posits that ‘the simplest answer is most often correct’. Although this is something of an oversimplification, the general idea is that things should not be made unnecessarily complicated; actually the ‘correct’ interpretation is that the pieces of information should not be multiplied needlessly and researchers should avoid ‘stacking’ information to prove a theory if a simpler explanation fits the observations. The same applies in all aspects of life, especially when it comes to health and healing.

Self-healing

Love heals the heart, but also the body. You can show somebody your love in many ways, any of which can encourage healing. I have practiced energy healing for many years and the simple fact is that compassion, empathy, love and simple touch can heal the body of another. Sometimes that’s all it takes. It’s pure and simple. From this observation I have seen that light, air, water and simple food can all do the same thing. They contain healing powers because they are simple and they follow the basic universal principles of life. Herbal medicines are the same; they are pure, simple and have healing power.

So remember . . .

‘Complexity invites disease while simplicity brings peace and health to the body and mind.’

Most of all, learn to love and nurture yourself. The rest will follow. It’s that simple. Peace equals health.

Healing Secret Two: Health is peace

‘Health is a state of peace found when the body, mind and spirit resonate in perfect harmony. You deserve to feel that peace.’

This sounds like a bit of a mystical principle, but really it comes down to the first thing you learn in the study of human anatomy and physiology. It’s called homeostasis. I want you to understand this principle because finding peace it is really what ultimate health is all about.

So what is homeostasis? The Encyclopaedia Britannica explains it as follows:

Homeostasis Any self-regulating process by which biological systems tend to

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maintain stability while adjusting to conditions that are optimal for survival. If homeostasis is successful, life continues; if unsuccessful, disaster or death ensues. The stability attained is actually a dynamic equilibrium, in which continuous change occurs yet relatively uniform conditions prevail.

Any system in dynamic equilibrium tends to reach a steady state, a balance that resists outside forces of change. When such a system is disturbed, built-in regulatory devices respond to the departures to establish a new balance; such a process is one of feedback control. All processes of integration and coordination of function, whether mediated by electrical circuits or by nervous and hormonal systems, are examples of homeostatic regulation.308

Salt balance

A classic example of homeostasis is salt balance. If you consume too much salt your body will attempt to dilute the salt in order to maintain a steady electrolyte balance. It will do this by retaining water. If you continue to drink salt water your kidneys will try to get rid of the salt. The human kidneys can only make urine that is less salty than salt water. Therefore, to get rid of all the excess salt taken in by drinking seawater, you would have to urinate more water than you drank. Eventually, you die of dehydration while you become more and more thirsty. This is what your body does with everything it takes on, including emotions, thoughts, beliefs and food.

We have all heard the old proverb “as man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). This brings us to another well-known medical phenomenon called a psychosomatic disorder

Psychosomatic disorder

A psychosomatic disorder, also called psychophysiological disorder, is a condition in which psychological stresses (psycho) adversely affect physiological (somatic) functioning to the point of distress. 309 Research by psychiatrist Franz Alexander and his colleagues at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis in the 1950s and 1960s suggested that

specific personality traits and specific conflicts may create particular psychosomatic illnesses, but it is generally believed that the form a disorder takes is due to individual vulnerabilities.

Emotional stress is assumed to aggravate existing illnesses and there is some evidence that it may precipitate illnesses not usually considered to be psychosomatic (e.g., cancer, diabetes) in individuals predisposed to them.

Lastly let’s remember the most basic of all laws of physics.

The law of conservation of energy

In physics, the law of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant, i.e. it will be conserved over time. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it transforms from one form to another.310

Spirit = Mind = Body

These parts of ourselves must share the energy between them. I know this is getting a little heavy but I’m getting to the point shortly.

Let’s summarise

Your body will always try to balance itself (homeostasis) to bring you back to a healthy state; and your mind and emotional state affect the functions of your body. What does this actually mean?

In a nutshell. . .

Your body will try to balance the energy of your mind, emotions and your body, not to mention the most powerful part of yourself, your spirit. The most fascinating question I want to ask you is this; if your body and mind try to balance themselves, are they aligned with your spirit? If our thoughts are mostly of this world, temporary and wrapped up in the physical, then it is likely we are not considering our spirit and its eternal plan. Constantly looking for temporary satisfaction, gratification on a mental, emotional

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and physical level will put us out of balance with our eternal spirit, the infinitely powerful peaceful and loving part of ourselves.

So my second healing secret is this:

‘Health is a state of peace found when the body, mind and spirit resonate in perfect harmony. You deserve to feel that peace.’

Healing Secret Three: The parts that make you

‘What you are is a sum of the parts that make you. If those parts are pure, clean, colourful and alive, then so will you be.’

This is not really a secret because it dates back thousands of years. For example Hippocrates, widely considered the father of modern medicine said, ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ and we all know that saying, ‘You are what you eat’, which is also quite true. My take on this is, ‘You are a sum of the parts that make you.’ This includes a lot more than just food, but also takes into account environmental factors, attitudes and beliefs, which result in emotions, habits and behaviours.

and . . .

‘If those parts are pure, clean, colourful and alive, then so will you be.’

Let’s break it down . . .

Pure: Uncontaminated and unadulterated with additives and chemicals. Organic and unrefined foods give your body pure nutrition without the extra rubbish. Charity, kindness, generosity and compassion are also pure and full of life-giving energy. These things fill our souls with ‘nutrition’ to grow and give healing power to regenerate our body.

Clean: Of high moral character, good, right and of high standing. This includes thoughts, beliefs and attitudes. Dirty things are like energetic spam getting in the way of healthy functions. Drugs, addictive substances and habits, dirty unclean thoughts towards others. Anything that is unclean cannot and does not promote health or healing but stands in the way. If we have these habits then we will feel like we need to detox ourselves both physically and emotionally. Staying physically and morally clean is a big factor in health.

Colourful: Bright, full of light and variety. Again this includes food, attitudes and beliefs. Nothing affects your health more negatively than stagnation, repetition and lack of variety. You need a wide variety of colours in your diet, and a broad range of knowledge, experiences and culture. This is all food for your body and mind, which makes you stronger, more rounded and resilient. The slowly dying, sick, unhealthy person is nearly always a dull, close-minded, stubborn, old, stick-in-the-mud, no matter what age. Your ability to heal, change and grow go hand in hand with colour in your life.

Alive = Living and life giving. This includes living foods, such as fruits and vegetables, light, air and water. They are vibrant, moving and electric, full of truth, light, spirit and life. If we consume things that are essentially dead already then they give us nothing. For example overcooked or factoryprocessed foods often have no actual life left in them. Dead meat, manmade food, negative beliefs, hatred, anger, grudges and judging others also consist of dead energy. We need life-giving things to give us life. So remember the first secret …

“What you are is a sum of the parts that make you. If those parts are pure, clean, colourful and alive, then so will you be”

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The example of diffusion shows how a substance let loose into a liquid or a gas will spread out and fill the entire space evenly, a bit like a bad smell or a teaspoon of sugar. You could also say this happens when we

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Healing Secret Four: Energy simply moves

‘Energy simply moves from one place to another.’

The first law of physics is the law of conservation: ‘Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it transforms from one form to another.’ To expand on this we could say, ‘energy simply moves from one place to another’ whether that is to another form or into another medium. To demonstrate this we can consider how we generate electricity. We simply capture the energy of gravity in a dam and run water through turbines, or we capture the kinetic energy of the wind to run a wind turbine, burn coal or capture sunlight to convert heat and light energy into electrical power.

That power is then used to charge batteries, heat homes and run appliances etc. All energy eventually returns back to the universe as heat, even if this takes millions of years. The fact remains, energy is never lost, it simply moves around, changes form and is recycled.

A similar example of this energy law is found in osmosis and diffusion, which you can see in the diagrams below.

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eat something, think something or apply knowledge of a principle into our lives. The energy is never lost, it just spreads out evenly into another medium. The question is, how much energy do we have available when we need it?

Osmosis might help answer this. The law of osmosis usually applies to water and it means that water will move across a membrane to balance the concentration of a substance. This happens a lot with salts and acids in our bodies because salt and acid balance are crucial to staying alive. Osmosis is more to do with balance than conservation of energy, but the effect is similar. For example, if we have focused our lives on fishing, football and beer then a lot of our energy moves away from other parts of our lives. The remaining energy is all that’s left to create a loving home, raise children, nurture a healthy relationship, maintain a healthy body and make spiritual progress.

‘Energy is never lost, it just moves from place to another.’

So, the two big things we need to move energy are ‘space’ and ‘focus’. How can we use this for healing?

For energy healing to happen you must understand the following 10 key principles. Don’t worry, if this is too much information. It would take another book to fully expound on this subject, so this is just a summary, bullet-point style. You can ponder each point in turn, and you’ll come to realise how much there is to this for a long time to come. I know I still do, and will probably continue to indefinitely.

1. The invisible energy of the universe is infinite.

2. Our capacity to store (keep) energy is not as important as our capacity to channel energy.

3. Movement of energy from one place to another (giving) is what promotes healing.

4. Healing is achieved by simply moving energy towards its eventual end state of ‘heat’.

5. As energy moves through us from its beginning point ‘The Spirit’ to its end point ‘Heat’ it will heal us.

6. Energy healing is achieved by first creating, or finding space, then applying directional focus to move positive, creative, love energy.

7. The various parts of ourselves operate as levels (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual), which can either allow or block energy flow.

8. We must clear the physical body of blockages with a fast, detox or cleanse, then emotionally release stress and mentally clear ourselves of attitudes, opinions and beliefs in order for energy to flow freely.

9. No effort is required to let energy go if space is created or found.

10. The more quiet space we create and the more we focus on love, compassion and giving, the more energy we will allow to flow from the infinite universal source.

If there is one point I want to stress, remember this: It is the energy passing through us that brings healing, not the energy we retain.

Summary

Looking at the four healing secrets from the holistic perspective you can probably see a common theme developing. Balance and simplicity, cleansing and peace all resonate together with health. Complexity and blockages, toxins and imbalance all result in problems. I honestly believe we could experience a greater sense of wellness by simply getting ourselves physically, emotionally and mentally out of the way and inviting healing energy with an open mind and an open heart. It might sound spiritual or esoteric, but really it comes back to understanding basic universal laws. Health should not have to be rocket science, instead it should be our natural, effortless state.

Fasting and meditation

Because this cleansing program uses herbs and foods, and involves fasting (abstaining from all or some kinds of food or drink) while potentially

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working on emotional and mental levels simultaneously, I thought a brief look at the benefits of fasting and meditation would be worthwhile. These ancient practices have roots in spiritual disciplines, and explain the healing effect claimed by many within spiritual and religious circles. This is no coincidence when considering everything we have covered thus far. If healing is to take place in the holistic sense then cleansing ourselves on all levels will bring the greatest benefit. I want to share just a couple of examples.

Fasting and brain function

A study by Mark Mattson at the National Institute of Ageing, John Hopkins University showed that intermittent fasting for periods of up to 12 hours has been shown to induce beneficial stress-related changes in brain chemistry, encouraging better synaptic function. This means intermittent fasting could potentially prevent the onset of degenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Fasting and metabolic syndrome

Periodic fasting can reverse multiple features of the metabolic syndrome in humans: Body fat and blood pressure were reduced and glucose metabolism improved in obese subjects in response to an alternateday modified fast. Overweight subjects maintained for six months on a twice-weekly intermittent fasting in which they consumed only 500–600 calories on the fasting days, lost abdominal fat, displayed improved insulin sensitivity and reduced blood pressure.320

Meditation and yoga reduce inflammation

A study conducted by the universities of Coventry and Radboud over a decade concluded that people who practise meditation and yoga exhibit a decrease in production of inflammatory immune responses under stress, leading to a reversal of the pro-inflammatory gene expression pattern and a reduction in the risk of inflammation-related diseases and conditions. The study’s authors say the inflammatory

effect of the fight-or-flight response — which also serves to temporarily bolster the immune system — would have played an important role in mankind’s hunter-gatherer prehistory, when there was a higher risk of infection from wounds. You can imagine how the stress of today’s highpaced, profit-based, dog-eat-dog society can place us under similar stress but for no benefit.321

We don’t have time to dig into these subjects here, but it’s worth considering taking a day or two to fast during your cleanse, and to meditate, practice yoga and mindfulness as often as possible to evoke maximum healing.

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Final thoughts

Over the last few months there has been more breaking news with regard to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other painkillers increasing heart attack risk by up to 50%. 357 In contrast, human studies are showing that Mediterranean diets are proving to lower cholesterol and blood pressure medications by half. The evidence continues to increase from all quarters on an almost daily basis.

By the time you read this book much more will have been revealed and will continue to be revealed well into the future. The question is whether the general public will take action to make changes in habits and lifestyle, ultimately dictating the market and swinging trends toward healthier food products.

Many food giants are ‘cashing in’ on peoples ignorance by making fake health claims about their products being sugar-free, fat-free etc., but will they eventually begin to really care about health? Because profits come before people, I seriously doubt it. We must beg the question, what can we do to cause a change? We can’t change the entire world, big business, governments or the financial state of affairs globally. At the end of the day, the only factor we can manipulate without boundary is ourselves, including our philosophy, beliefs, thoughts and actions. Then the power truly is in our hands.

There is an overwhelming rationale for using herbs in combination with a pure, whole, plant-food diet to benefit long-term health. By reducing negative gut bacteria and parasites, promoting better digestion and elimination, protecting the liver, improving bile flow, removing heavy metals, reducing blood sugar and bad cholesterol we can alleviate and also prevent the onset of the most common health problems of our time. This must be largely due to the reduction of systemic inflammation and metabolic acidosis, which is underlying many modern chronic disease states.

After reading this book you have seen how toxic our world has become, how overloading your body with toxins results in many irritating symptoms, minor health complaints, chronic and degenerative diseases,

ultimately leading to the biggest killers. You will have also realised the overwhelming evidence for healing your body with foods and herbs. Lastly, I hope you have taken on board the power of your mind, which is, above all else, the cornerstone of happiness and health.

In the days, week and years ahead I hope you continue to discover more about these healing medicines and methods. There will be sceptics and those who turn to drugs first before exploring more simple, natural solutions for the symptoms of toxic overload. Can’t they see the forest for the trees? I say, ‘keep it simple genius!’ You now have in your toolbox the simplest solution to staying healthy, and it’s the oldest trick in the book. Healing via detoxification and fasting with pure foods and herbs has been practiced for millennia. Just like many other truths, it will never change no matter what technology or fad comes along. The eternal paradigm of health is pure and simple ‘health is a state of peace, found when the body, mind and spirit resonate in perfect harmony’.

May you experience many years of such health ahead and be inspired to share this knowledge with those around you. Be cleansed and cured my friend.

Many blessings.

Brett

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