Hey everyone!

Each fortnight we’re putting the best alkaline diet questions we receive from you to our Alkaline Diet Expert, Dr Young trained blood analyst and highly qualified nutritionist – Gareth Edwards.

Gareth is right at the very top of his field, so these answers are absolutely the best you’ll find from arguably Britain’s most qualified expert in this area!

Q&A With Gareth Edwards

Question One: Alkaline Diet Cleanse – Duration & Frequency

Cleanse – how many times per annum do you recommend cleansing and for how long and when (what months)?

Hmm. Good question. I think the real answer would be related to your need and … motivation. If someone has an extreme health challenge (or wants to be on the top of the podium in London next year) then there’s a fairly good case for pretty much continuously following a COWS (Chlorophyll, Oils, Water and Salt) based eating and hydration plan. That can be with smoothys, juices, alkaline meals and green powders.

Getting enough calories might require some thought and planning if you are to do this and having some kind of professional advice may be advisable too. Avocados, sprouted beans and seeds and healthy oil (such as Dr Young’s Omega 3-6-9 Oil Blend) can all form part of a sustained plant based eating plan.

A two to five day cleanse can be an effective way to initiate a change in your body chemistry. Start with two days and then try 3, 4 or 5 days if desired (and bearable!). It’s important to plan a little bit how you are going to eat and drink afterwards. The changes that you experience when you are cleansing may make you automatically desire more alkalising, health promoting food and hydration choices.

I really think that you can do a cleanse at any time of the year. When we ate more seasonally, winter might have been a time when more nuts and oils (or even animal protein, including cheeses) might have been consumed. As fresh plant foods became more locally readily available in spring, cleansing some of the build ups from our winter diet and shedding some of the warming winter weight would have been sensible and healthy. Year round “cleansing food” availability and central heating mean that we do not tend to eat this way so much now.

Spring and New Year “cleans” can however be effective and health promoting, but looking after your body really needs to be a year round project!

Question Two: The Right Combination of Cleansing Supplements

Supplements – normally I take Msm, probiotics & Savant’s Udo’s choice / flax seed oils. What additional supplements do you recommend taking whilst cleansing – do you recommend a fibre supplement & is there a danger of any side effects e.g. encouraging a lazy colon?

The main focus when you are cleansing needs to be on foods and fluids, as I am sure you are aware. I would recommend a green powder supplement and pH drops, that you mix with water. Eliminating acids through urination is equally important to elimination through defecation.

I don’t personally recommend pro-biotics. I believe they are acidifying. Using a vegetable oil that contains the essential fatty acids that your body cannot make is advisable. Hemp oil, Udo’s Choice or flax oil that is kept refrigerated are all good sources of these “healthy” fats that can help buffer (neutralise) acids as they are released from body tissue.

You can use fibre supplements to ensure / facilitate bowel movement. They can be slightly “abrasive” to the delicate tissue of the intestinal lumen (“wall”). Using a bicarbonate salt supplement such as pHour salts or Biocare’s “Bio-carbonate” can help mineralise the body and facilitate faecal elimination. These should help promote intestinal health without creating dependence or undermining your bodies own elimination capability. Remember that you can experience some discomfort when acids start to be released from body tissue.

Adding Montmorillionite clay (terra pHirma) to your greens or mixing it and eating it like yoghurt(!) can also help draw acids out and re-mineralise your body. Do keep reasonably well hydrated and consume fresh vegetables and un-refined salt.

Question Three: Tomatoes & Arthritis

Tomato / tomato juice – I was lead to believe tomato should be avoided as too much in the diet can cause / aggravate arthritis. Is this true?

Tomato’s are considered to be part of the nightshade family of plants and vegetables which also includes potatoes and aubergines and peppers. There is anecdotal (individual reported case history) evidence of diets where these foods are removed leading to improvements in arthritis symptomologies.

No trials (to me knowledge) have conclusively supported this and were they to do so, the question would then need to be asked as to whether any one of the individual “members” of the family was the “culprit” or whether this grouping actually caused arthritis.

People have experienced dramatic reductions in joint pain (over time) by following an alkalising plan as recommended by Dr. Young, Energise and myself. This would include low sugar fruits, such as tomatoes, lemons, limes, cucumbers and avocados. Tinned tomatoes, tinned or bottled tomato juice (rather than fresh), tomato ketchup or a pre-prepared tomato soup with sugar and / or vinegar added could contribute to the aggravation of arthritic symptoms.

Question Four: Exercise Juice & Breathing

Exercise – my preference is to power walk instead of run. Is this ok (if the target heart rate is reached)? When possible is it best to exercise before consuming breakfast juice and after exercise to complete breathing exercises (this is suggested in Alkaline Recipe 4: The Ultimate Liver Cleanse Recipe).

I think the most important thing with exercise is that you enjoy it enough to make you want to do it! If you don’t like running and you enjoy walking or power walking then ….
Running or more vigorous exercise can make you sweat more and breath more deeply. That is important to facilitate the elimination of acid. I do however accept that power walking may accomplish both of these. More vigorous exercise can however also make you more acidic if you promote sugar burning metabolism (rather than fat burning) or exceed your body’s oxygen delivery capability (anaerobic exercise).

I would recommend having a glass of pHour salts and water or water and lemon juice on an empty stomach / on rising. Ideally, you would then do your power walking (or other exercise) and then have a juice or alkaline smoothy. The ingredients in the liver cleanse and other juices will need some digestive “work” so might slosh around while exercising if consumed directly prior to commencing. You can do your breathing exercises before or after physical exercise, if you wish. Experiment with sequences to see what works best for you.

Disclaimer: These answers are not intended to diagnose and do not replace the advice of a qualified physician.

If you have a question for Gareth leave it in the comments below!

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

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From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

Article by Denise Kelly

Denise Kelly is a Nutritionist with a passion and a purpose! She has a private clinic in Chichester, West Sussex and writes programs for many organisations including schools and corporate companies. She teaches within schools about leading a healthy lifestyle and as a Mum of two feels that this kind of education is essential for all children.

She also teaches boot camp sessions to adults and children and is holding several seminars over the next couple of months to spread the message and importance of great health and nutrition.

Denise is a Bant registered Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist and health coach and truly believes in the power of good food. She has seen staggering results in many clients over the last few years fueling her to be involved with more and more large organisations including the NHS.

Energise & Cleanse Your Life by Denise Kelly

I am a great believer in everything happening for a reason, and nothing happens by chance. Two weeks ago I saw the first sign of spring when I was walking my little doggy! The daffodils were starting to appear and it made me smile. If you take notice of nature and the seasons that surround us our bodies naturally try to tell us what we need. For example in the dark winter months naturally we should all be hibernating and going to bed much earlier than normal to replenish our bodies for spring. That is what animals do in the wild anyway, but unfortunately due to working demands, activities and generally busy lives we tend to just carry on regardless, which does weaken our immune systems. In the time leading up to spring naturally we get a new vigor for life, the evenings are getting lighter, its ever so slightly warmer and often you hear people talking about having a good spring clean! Many of us do actually spring clean our houses, remove all the junk and have a good clear out. When we have completed this task how do we feel? Refreshed, energized, clearer in the mind because there is less clutter!! If we can spend the time and energy on our houses, what about putting the time and energy into our bodies?

So, after the walk I arrived home and had a phone call with a lovely lady that I have got to know over the last few months called Rian. Rian is Spanish and quite a special person. We have connected I believe, as we are on similar missions in life! She wants to make everyone well and healthy and has a real passion for people, as do I. She has trained at the Hippocrates Center, in Florida and has worked with some very seriously ill patients from Cancer, Osteoporosis, Heart Disease, and Arthritis etc. When she came back to England it was her dream to be able to offer a similar set up here in the UK. Her partner agreed that this was a great idea and they opened the most amazing house in Winchester called Health Etcetera, which only caters for 8 people in one hit, which is unbelievably personal and caring. I had been looking for sometime for a place to refer seriously ill patients to, and those patients wishing to go to another level with their health and felt the need for more support than I could offer on a daily basis. When this place appeared in my life I knew it was the right.

Everything they do is based around alkalizing the body, making every cell in the body alive, energetic and healthy. This is what I try to achieve with every client I see, and the theory behind the whole treatment, is that given the right environment, the right foods, the emotional support and healing therapies the body CAN heal itself from any disease. This is quite a strong statement to make, but is backed up by science in the books of Dr Robert Young and Brian Clements. As I have stated before I am witnessing time and time again the beauty of self-healing with so many of my own clients. If you are interested in inspirational stories try reading about a lady called Ann Wigmore, who cured herself from cancer by drinking juiced wheatgrass. She was the person that was brave enough all those years ago to stand up and say the green stuff works!! If animals are sick…what do they eat? Grass. Chlorophyll is the most nourishing substance we can consume and it is in all your dark green leafy vegetables, and lots of your super foods! If you research the information and healing power of wheat grass, and you look into the evidence, and the scientific proof of its healing properties you will understand it is a quite remarkable super food.

To cut along story short, I was invited to go and stay at Health Etcetera in Winchester for 5 days over half term just to experience part of the program so I can honestly inform my clients who I think would benefit from this amazing place with accuracy and confidence. Once I got over the panic of half term, and where were my children going to go and could they possibly survive without me, (Which of course they did, and probably had far more fun with their grandparents!!) I was lucky enough to go and complete a three-day vegetable juice fast, which I found quite difficult, but liberating at the same time.

It was also suggested to me that I have my first colonic, and although I was fully aware of the benefits I was still completely terrified, but contrary to popular belief it was completely pain free and made me feel like I was walking on air when I came out as I felt so cleansed and rejuvenated literally from the inside out! On offer every day was an abundance of Yoga, Meditation, Rumba, sound therapy, Reiki and the most exquisite raw food (once we were eating again!) that you could possibly imagine. This kind of detox for me was not just on a physical level, but on a very emotional level too. Although I knew the relationship between emotions and health, it is now crystal clear to me how many of my clients suppress their emotions with food, coffee, chocolate, medication and are only addicted because they simply cannot face the real core of the emotions that’s going on inside.

I feel very honoured to have gone through this process and feel like my knowledge has grown even further than ever before! I feel amazing and vibrant and even more passionate about helping people get their health challenges back on track as it has given me a renewed zest for the importance of healing and not suppressing. Its not for everyone I am sure, but the reason I wanted to share this story is because most people when facing a disease of any kind feel frightened, vulnerable and don’t quite know who or what to trust. I wanted to promote this special place because the knowledge of therapists under their roof is incredible, and knowledge is power. Once people have a better understanding of how the body works, and what it needs it is possible to reverse disease with the right tools and help.

This kind of information gives you the choice to make decisions that suit you and your body, after all we are all very individual and each and every one of us has different needs. If we take time to be still, we always have the ability to listen to our own bodies and intuitively know what it needs.

For Nutrition Consultations with Dense visit her website here or call her on 07714456155.

For More information on Hinton House, Health Etcetera please visit their website here or call Emily or Rian on 01962 883821.

Note: This blog is only my opinion. It is not medical advice or diagnosis. Only opinions based upon our own personal experiences or information detailed in medical/academic journals or other publications is cited. WE DO NOT OFFER MEDICAL ADVICE or prescribe any treatments. Please consult with a medical professional before making any diet or nutrition changes.

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

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From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

Hey everyone!

Each fortnight we’re putting the best alkaline diet questions we receive from you to our Alkaline Diet Expert, Dr Young trained blood analyst and highly qualified nutritionist – Gareth Edwards.

Gareth is right at the very top of his field, so these answers are absolutely the best you’ll find from arguably Britain’s most qualified expert in this area!

Q&A With Gareth Edwards

Question One: How do H.R.T (Hormone Replacement Therapy) patches affect the body?

I have recently started the new alkalising diet and can’t find anything about H.R.T. patches. How do these affect the body? What would replace them? Thank you. Joanna.

Hi Joanna. Hormone replacement therapy patches will acidify your body. The recent negative publicity about HRT is in my opinion justified. An editorial in the British Medical Journal suggested that the increased risk of cancer associated with its use, no longer made it a viable “treatment”. I would emphasise that this does not mean that if you are taking or have taken HRT, that you will get cancer. It is however now well researched and documented that it can increase the risk.

HRT is based on the theory that by replacing the hormones no longer produced as a women ceases to ovulate with synthetic analogues (man made versions), unpleasant symptoms including hot flushes and depression can be halted.

The view that I subscribe to is that hormones are not in fact chemical “messengers” in the body, but the by-products of metabolic reactions. These by-products actually need to be excreted rather than replaced.

The best way to deal with menopausal symptoms is ….. to get really healthy.

Hot flushes are usually the body’s way of flushing out acids that have accumulated from dietary or hydration choices. That doesn’t necessarily mean suddenly going to the gym all the time (unless you want to!) or going on a crazy diet. Understanding alkaline food and hydration choices, getting more fresh air and sunlight and doing gentle, enjoyable exercise, should all help. Ensuring an adequate salt intake is also important.

(Note from Ross: here are some of the British Medical Journal’s recent research articles on HRT including the one Gareth mentions above:

Breast cancer incidence falls as women give up HRT; Dobson R; BMJ 2009;338:b791; (link to abstract)
Reduced use of hormones and the drop in breast cancer; Roberts H; BMJ.2009; 338: b2116; (link to abstract)
Postmenopausal hormone therapy increases risk of stroke and venous thromboembolism; P M Bath; Evid Based Med 2009;14:18 (link to abstract)

Question Two: What is your Best, Quick and Easy Alkaline Dinner?

Hi Gareth. I always struggled with cooking dinner when I get home from work at night. Can you let me know what is your best, quick and easy alkaline dinner? What do you always fall back on when you’re tired and the kids are going nuts?

With a bit of practice a huge salad should be pretty quick and easy. Little gem lettuces don’t need washing. Remove the leaves and chop them up to form a “bed”. Then add some more green leaves (spinach or watercress).

Top it up with any other vegetable you have in the fridge. Sweet corn, sliced straight off the cob, might increase the under age 17 appeal. Then add plenty of sprouted seeds or beans (alfalfa, sunflower, mung, lentil). You can buy them at a lot of supermarkets now, or grow your own.

Add a dressing made from olive oil, hemp oil, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and salt.

As a “side dish” you might have yeast-free and other additive-free soya sausages (e.g. Taifun grill sausages), falafel, nut roast or yeast and additive free veggie burgers. None of these are going to be wholly alkalising, but eaten with a large fresh raw salad the balance should be moving in the right direction. All of these can be bought and put in the oven while you are preparing the salad.

Vegetable soups or fresh vegetable stir fries using tofu rather than meat or fish are other dishes that should be quick and easy to prepare.

Note: Energise are soon to publish their first Alkaline Cook Book – click here to sign up for a pre-release discount! (Est Launch Date: April 21st)

Question Three: How can I continue Alkalising whilst Going on a Business Trip?

I have been alkalising for 3 weeks now but need to go on a business trip, for over a week. I have absolutely no idea how I will manage food-wise and I won’t have any access to the juicer or kitchen in that respect…! Do you have any suggestions so that all the good work I have done up until now does not go to waste?

See if you can persuade the places you’ll be staying in to make you a salad for breakfast. Starting the day alkaline is a great way to help keep things on track for the rest of the day. Even an open sandwich on brown bread with lettuce and tomatoes would be preferable to cereal, fruit, toast and jam (all acidifying!).

Asking for salads during the rest of the day and making the most alkalising vegetarian choices you can, should all help the cause. Be fussy over dressings. Don’t let them give you vinegar. Ask for Olive oil on the side.

Trips away from home are where your supplements can be very useful. Start the day with a scoop of pHour salts in mineral water (pH above 7) and then mix and drink water with green powder (such as perfectlyhealthy Mega Greens with MSM) and drops (such as pHion pH Booster drops) throughout the day. Take some almonds to snack on with you. A pot of good quality salt (such as Himalayan Crystal Salt) and a pHlavor spray can be helpful too.

Look for a health food shop or supermarket that sells sprouts, near where you are and do some internet research for vegetarian restaurants in the area.

Note from Ross: this week our newsletter has been on alkaline snacks – these can be very handy when you’re on the road: click here to see our range of alkaline snacks.

Question Four: How Long do Detox Flu Symptoms Last?

I am doing a 10 day cleanse but have been experiencing detox flu symptoms for 5 days straight. How long will they last? Will they go away soon?

They should do. Try to get rest and then some fresh air, sun exposure and gentle exercise. Elimination of any stored acids should be facilitated by rest (reducing further acid production in your body), gentle exercise in fresh air (deeper breathing, helping to remove acids) and increasing your consumption of alkaline liquids (increasing urination). It’s important that you are not constipated either.

Make sure that you are not using any products that contain acidifying elements, such as pro-biotics or digestive enzymes. If the symptoms persist you should reduce the concentration of any powdered green products and consider reviewing your programme with a suitably qualified therapist or physician.

Dr. Young’s pHour salts product may help with elimination. Use it in small quantities to begin with and stop using it if it makes things worse. Don’t be afraid to stop the cleanse early, reverting to mainly alkaline choices and build up to the full ten day duration over time.

Question Five: Are Humans Designed to Drink Cow’s Milk?

Humans are not designed to drink cows’ milk – FICTION

Humans are omnivores and therefore designed to eat plant and animal products. We are born with the lactase enzyme in our gut. This enzyme helps digest the lactose in mammals’ milk. If people stop drinking milk, their bodies may halt the production of the lactase enzyme. This can lead people to become lactose intolerant.

Click here to view the source!

Gareth, can you please tell me if what is being said here is true? What are your comments on this? As far as I remember, Dr Young says we’re not meant to eat dairy products.

Thanks for this. The fact is that if something is really good for you, you’ll never loose the ability to digest or absorb it. If you don’t eat fresh green plant foods for six months and then you do, you will digest and absorb them. Why then, I wonder, would the case be different for milk?

We are indeed omnivorous and can eat pretty much everything, including paper, confectionery, soil and sausages. That doesn’t mean that these things are all optimal for health. The fact is that milk is not essential for human life. It is a possible food choice. It’s actually food for baby calves to grow on. Imagine how you would feel about it if you had to suck it direct from a cow’s udder, rather than the sanitised mechanical version delivered to the supermarket!

While milk and dairy products aren’t nutritionally necessary, they can be a tasty and relatively ethical. At least that would be the case if the dairy products that we consume came from cows that had been grazed on unpolluted grass and were allowed to grow and reproduce naturally. The reality is that milk production is an industry with cows often being artificially inseminated in order to make them produce calves and subsequently lactate. This obviously isn’t the case for all farmers and organic standards do prevent some of the worst practices of industrialised agriculture.

Another important factor to consider in deciding whether to consume dairy products is the effects of some of the processes that milk goes through between the cow’s udder and our mouths. We may think that pasteurisation in some way sanitises milk and other dairy products. The reality is however that, like any heating process, it adversely affects the nutritional profile. An interesting recent study showed that a majority of children with reported dairy allergies did not experience symptoms of their “condition” when given raw (un-pasteurised) milk.

When you look at charts of relative acidity of foods and drinks drawn up by Dr. Young, milk doesn’t fair too badly. Its fermented by-products (cheese and yoghurt) are however rated as more acidic. It’s not a drink that I would recommend drinking in quantity. It can be avoided, without fear of losing the ability to digest it (or other dairy products). Calcium can be gained from almonds and dark green leafy vegetables, which are alkalising.

Another set of great questions and great answers! If you have a question for Gareth – leave it in the comments below!

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

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From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

This week Gareth Edwards, our Alkaline Diet Expert and highly qualified nutritionist, writes about candida, its causes and how we can get rid of it by following Gareth’s candida cleansing guide!

Gareth’s Alkaline Guide to the Candida Cleanse

How do you know if you’ve got candida? In some people’s case the symptoms are fairly apparent. Uncomfortable itching, white discharge or coated tongue, can all indicate the overgrowth of the yeast form candida albicans. The truth is that we all have candida. When, however, something about us changes, so that we become more acidic candida albicans can replicate and change into a multi-cellular forms with filaments that can penetrate other tissue.

One of the most common causes of this change is the consumption of anti-biotics or other medications. Diets high in acidic foods, such as fruit juice, vinegar and animal protein, low levels of exercise, high alcohol consumption, emotional distress and fatigue can also be associated with candida overgrowth and “mutation”. This may manifest as an itchy scalp / dandruff, fatigue or a plethora of other unwanted symptoms. It is sometimes possible to see yeast forms in live blood samples too.

If a disruption (or over acidification) of your body occurs the objective needs to be to re-establish a more alkaline balance of your body fluids and tissues. Even if the cause is emotional in nature, this will help put you in the right place to resolve internal or external conflicts. A week’s cleanse can help to accelerate the process and with the vaguest sniff of spring in the air this is a great time to start planning it.

It’s best to see it in three stages: the build up, the cleanse and the after “party”. Get a sense of whether you want to cleanse for three or five days.

The Build Up:

For about a week (or two!) before you plan to start, start cutting out alcohol, black, green and white tea, coffee and refined (white) carbohydrates. Lower your intake of sugar (including fruit juice) and animal protein. At the same time increase your intake of powdered green vegetable and grass drink (such as Dr Young’s Doc Broc Power Plants) with alkaline water and pH drops (such as Young pHorever Puriphy drops) and eat more fresh raw vegetables and low sugar fruits (cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, lemons, limes and grapefruits). For two to three days before you start your cleanse eat fresh raw (or very lightly steamed) vegetables.

The Cleanse:

During the cleanse everything that you “eat” and drink needs to be liquid. Start each day with a scoop of pHour salts in a glass of alkaline water. Then throughout the day consume only the following:

• Green vegetable juice. You can dilute this with alkaline water and add pH drops if desired.
• Green smoothy
• Powdered grass and green vegetable drink in alkaline water with pH drops. Aim for two to three litres a day.
• Water (with lemon or lime juice added – if desired)

There are links here to suggested recipes for green juice and smoothys. Which vegetables you actually put in them is up to you, but you should avoid carrots, apples and fruits (other than those mentioned above) because of their sugar content. Adding garlic to the smoothy should help with re-balancing, but limit your social inter-action if your partner isn’t following the same regime!

Decide before you start whether you want to do 3, 4 or 5 days. You can stop early if you feel very uncomfortable. It’s not a competition!

Handy helpers:

If at any point you feel light-headed or low in energy have some unrefined salt or use a pHlavor spray. You can further increase your body’s alkalising mineral resources with Dr. Young’s depHense, pHion’s silvagen or Jarrow’s mineral balance.

Elimination:

It’s important to help acid and other toxicity get out of your body as well as putting “good” stuff in. There are several ways that you can help this during the cleanse:

• Exercise: 20 mins walking a day minimum. Ideally build up a sweat, but don’t exhaust yourself so that you crave sugar. Re-hydrate with water, greens and pH drops.
• Hot baths with Epsom salts (such as Orgon Alkabath bath salts). This should make you sweat and help to draw out acids.
• You can also add clay (such as Young pHorever Terra pHirma Clay) to your green drinks to help mineralise and draw out acids.
• Using psyllium (such as Ispaghula Husk) or other fibre supplements can help elimination, but these fibres can be “abrasive” if your digestive tract is sensitive.
• Colonic hydro-therapy or self administered enemas can be helpful but should be administered by a trained therapist or clearly understood if self administering.

Sometimes the release of acid from body tissue can actually lead to reduced bowel movement (constipation). If that happens you can try using more pHour salts or Dr. Young’s magnesium oxide based product pHlush.

Sometimes the reverse effect occurs…. Diarrhoea is actually a natural cleansing reaction by the body and shouldn’t be stopped. If it is persistent (rather than passing) you should ease off the cleanse. Drink water with salt in it and use minimal amounts of green powder.

The after party!

Well …. in spite of dreaming of chocolate cake or bacon sandwiches when you start your green feast, you may find that that isn’t actually what you feel like when you are finished. It’s important to listen to your body’s needs. Maybe start with a cooked vegetable soup or a big bowl of fresh vegetables, nuts and sprouted seeds.

Ease yourself gradually back into normal eating and drinking patterns. Aim to keep sweet fruits, sugar, tea, coffee, vinegar, mushrooms and animal protein low, while eating and drinking plenty of fresh (ideally raw) vegetables, sprouts and low sugar fruits including avocados. Try to get more of your protein from vegetarian sources, such as nuts, seeds and tofu. Marmite and peanut butter are best replaced with tahini and almond butter.

N.B. It’s best to do these cleanses with other people around. If you experience any uncomfortable or unwanted symptoms for more than 24 hours you should revert to normal eating and hydration and contact a nutritionally aware physician. If you are taking medication regularly please consult with your physician before carrying out a cleanse.

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Mail | Web | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | YouTube

From Energise Alkaline Diet & Natural Health Blog - health news, alkaline diet resources & tips to make you happy! do something nice today...

Better Health Through Intestinal Cleansing – Is It Time to Give Your Colon a Cleanse?

Article by Bibi!

Do you sometimes feel really bloated, constipated, congested and lethargic?

If the answer is ‘yes’ then it might be time to give your body a proper cleanse, in order to get rid of all the acid waste like gas, mucus and toxic substances from the body, which have been accumulating for many years.

A thorough cleanse of the intestines will make you feel much better, healthier and definitely much lighter! Giving your body a proper cleanse is the key to optimal health, more energy, vitality and a better immune system.

What is a ‘colon cleanse’?

To put it in a nutshell, a ‘colon cleanse’ is a way to rid the body of acidic waste and mucus matter, normalise metabolism and digestion, and to regain an alkaline balance of the body.

Why should we regularly cleanse our colon system?

The main problem is that because of our typical western diets, a lot of acidic waste and toxins accumulates inside of our body, which can cause a lot of us feeling extremely bloated, constipated, congested and also quite lethargic a lot of the time.

Some of you might be asking “what causes this acidic waste to accumulate in the first place”?

As I mentioned above, this is being caused due to unhealthy and acidic eating habits which consist of a lot of meat, dairy products, processed and high-sugar foods. These foods have a highly acidifying effect on our body; however there are also other contributing factors that create acids in our body like negative thoughts and emotions, a polluted environment and radiation.

How do most body problems get started?

To give a simple example: just imagine that you have not cleaned your house for quite some time. As you can imagine a lot of dust and dirt will accumulate and some uninvited “guests” might appear out of nowhere to live with you. Basically the same process takes place inside your body – due to our unhealthy western eating diet and way of life, uninvited ‘guests’ appear and filthy up our inner environment. Acidic waste like bacteria, yeast, fungi and mould accumulate inside of our body. Most of the acidic and unhealthy foods eaten today, form mucoid (slimy) substances in the whole intestinal tract. These mucoid substances turn into a build-up of stagnant matter in the intestines. This can block proper elimination, inhibit proper absorption of nutrients and also serve as a perfect breeding ground for germs and parasites.

The state of our health is very much dependent on our colon system. Indigestion and congestion can seriously damage our whole organism.
Robert Gray, who created his innovative ‘Intestinal Cleansing Program’, emphasises that the end result of this stagnant matter is a pollution of the blood and lymph and thereby poisons our entire system.

Does our colon not have the function to cleanse itself?

Our body naturally removes acidic waste and stagnant matter to a very high degree all the time. When we have a lot of acids in our body our immune system kicks in and constantly picks up and rids our body of filth, including the body’s metabolic waste. It does not only pick up the waste, but recycles a good deal of it. Without this we would literally get choked up inside with acid waste. This does however put a lot of strain onto our immune system, as it is constantly working hard in order to rid our bodies of this stagnant matter.

Hence in order to have a strong immune system and a healthy colon it is very important to regularly cleanse our intestines.

Do we all need to do a cleanse, even if we are pretty much healthy and/or alkaline?

The simple answer is YES!

A healthy alkaline diet is absolutely vital in keeping our body and colon healthy and clean on a continuous basis. It is however important to initially give your body and colon a thorough cleanse, in order to rid it off all the ‘acidic food waste’, which has built up due to the unhealthy foods that we might have been regularly consuming so far.

If you are Vegetarian or Vegan you might think that you do not really need to cleanse your intestines, as you have never eaten meat or not eaten it for a long time. Hence your colon should be relatively clean.

This is definitely the case in comparison to people who do consume a lot of acidifying foods like e.g. meat, however even the colons of Vegetarians and Vegans need a regular cleanse. Any food, even vegetables and fruits, will putrefy in the body if held long enough. Putrefaction is a process of decay in which foul odours and toxic substances are generated.

Hence all of us should cleanse our colon system regularly!

What cleansing methods are available and recommended?

There are a variety of colon cleanse methods available like liquid feasting, fasting, professional colonic irrigations, etc.
We have picked out three very different ‘cleansing methods’, which all complement each other and all have a very natural approach to cleansing.

These include a liquid feast as recommended by Dr Robert Young, the ‘Complete Intestinal Cleansing Program’ by Robert Gray and a brief outline of a professional colonic irrigation.

Cleanse 1: Liquid Feast (The Alkaline Cleanse)

A liquid feast is very effective in eliminating acid waste and toxic microforms throughout our body, detoxifying our blood, tissues and our digestive system.

Dr Robert Young recommends at least a two to three day liquid feast, and up to ten days if you are feeling seriously ill. If you do have a very hectic daily schedule than just a 48 hour liquid feast will still be very beneficial. This has the advantage that you can do this over a weekend, when you have got the time and feel relaxed to do it.

Such a short cleanse is also very beneficial if you are eating very healthily, but have for example ‘fallen off the wagon’ and just want to get back on track.

Generally Dr Young recommends a liquid feast at least one day a month when you are fully alkaline, in order to give your body a break from solid food.

What should my liquid feast daily schedule look like?

1. It is important to drink plenty of purified water – at least 4 litres a day. We recommend adding alkalising pH drops to the water. (E.g. the ‘youngpHorever PuripHy’ drops).
2. You can include, as part of or as an addition to the 4 litres of water, six to twelve 250ml glasses of fresh green vegetable juice in order to clear out all toxins and acidic waste. Just make sure that you always dilute the juice with a little water
3. As well as the vegetable juice you should consume a ‘Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend).

CLICK HERE TO READ ROSS’S DIARY OF AN ALKALINE CLEANSE

How will I feel during the liquid feast?

Whilst you are cleansing, all the acid waste are transported from where they have been stored in the tissues into the blood so they can be eliminated. This means that your blood is actually dirtier than before you started cleansing.

This unfortunately means that you might feel worse before you feel better. Common symptoms are weakness, nausea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue and flulike feelings. If this is the case then just try to stay motivated and try to complete your cleanse. These symptoms normally disappear very quickly and the overall feeling afterwards makes it all worthwhile!

You may also feel hungry during the cleanse. But remember – there is no limit to the amount you can eat! If you are hungry you can have more alkaline soup, smoothies or juices! Also, once you are over initial hunger urge, which is usually by the 2nd or 3rd day, you should feel better and your energy levels should increase. If you need to eat solid food throughout then try to eat fresh raw veggies.

Cleanse 2: Robert Gray’s Intestinal Cleansing Program

Robert Gray is a nationally known nutrition counsellor and Director of the Food for Health Institute. The developers of the ‘Robert Gray Intestinal Cleaning Program’ call it a significant breakthrough to date for maintaining a healthy population of lactobacteria in ones intestinal tract.

Intestinal cleansing – the easy way

The theory behind his cleansing program is that healthy bacteria are difficult to implant and hence even the existing ones are few. Robert Gray is of the opinion that it is better to have them multiply to large numbers than to use bacterial supplementation, because the existing lactobacteria are already adapted and implanted.

Based on this reasoning, he developed his formula which stimulates the friendly bacteria to multiply. So you can cleanse and promote healthy bacteria at the same time.

He has designed several cleansing packs like the ‘Colon Cleanse Pack’ and the ‘Candida Cleanse Pack’, which go alongside his cleansing regime. His program has a daily structure, which makes it very easy to follow.

If you want to know more details about Robert Gray’s unique ‘Intestinal Cleansing Program’ click here

Cleanse 3: Colonic Irrigation/Colon Hydrotherapy

A colonic irrigation or colonic hydrotherapy is a gentle internal bath, using warm and purified water that can help to eliminate acid waste, gas, mucus and stagnant matter from the colon. This method is not a new invention, but has been very popular even long BC.
The colonic hydrotherapy is a very natural way of cleansing your intestines and getting rid of mucous matter that the body has difficulties to get rid of it itself.

A colonic irrigation can help with the following:

• Bloating
• Skin problems
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Candida (yeast infections)
• Weight issues
• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

There are a number of ‘colon health clinics’ all over the UK, which offer professional colonic hydrotherapies. We highly recommend Tracey Dell at the Northampton Colonic Clinic.

Are there any cleanse supplements that we specifically recommend?

• Robert Gray’s Colon Cleanse Pack I (1 months supply) £52.95
• Robert Gray’s Candida Cleanse Pack (3 months supply) £139.95
• YoungpHorever pHlush Powder (200g) £34.95
• pHion Ionic Colon Cleanse (112g powder) £24.99

All the information above has highlighted the fact that all of us should regularly cleanse our intestines in order to have a clean and healthy colon and a strong immune system. After every cleanse you will feel healthy, vital and full of energy!

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

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