Spring Cleaning! Is toxicity the basis for your lack of vitality?
Ask yourself:
* Are you often tired, sluggish, lethargic?
* Do you experience bloating, diarrhoea, constipation or some other digestive disruption on a regular basis?
* Are your memory and concentration levels less than optimal?
* Do you experience anxiety, depression or mood swings?
If you can answer ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions you may be experiencing some level of toxicity, which is compromising your health and wellbeing.
We are a part of our environment so it really is true that we are what we eat, drink, smell and touch. Although our bodies are well designed to cope with the pressures we place upon ourselves from environmental stressors consider this: We live in a time when we are exposed to huge numbers of potentially toxic chemicals contained in our cleaning products, in our skincare, on our foods or simply from having to breathe the air around us. When you think about it, it is hardly surprising that over time our system can become overburdened and that's when our vitality starts to decline.
Spring is a great time to bring our awareness back to what we put into our bodies and upon our skin as these things we have more control over then, for example, the air we breathe. So start making healthier choices and lessen the load by following some simple guidelines:
* Eat plenty of fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables, preferably organic or wash well with a vegetable wash before eating. As a guideline, make sure half of your plate is filled with fresh, colourful vegetables to gain the benefits from all those fabulous phytonutrients.
* Drink plenty of fresh, filtered water each day. We’ve all heard that 2 litres is where we should be aiming, but is this true for you? A more accurate gauge is to multiply your body weight in Kgs by 30 to give you the minimum amount of water required for you personally. For example a 70kg person needs to drink 2.1 litres a day simply for ordinary metabolic functions (70 x 30ml = 2100ml or 2.1 Litres). However, there’s a catch! You need to add 200-250ml for every coffee, non-herbal tea, alcoholic drink or any other caffeinated beverage. This is to offset their diuretic effects. If you exercise, then you’ll need to up the water intake also to offset water lost through increased respiration and sweating. Ideally, you could cut back on or eliminate caffeinated and alcoholic drinks entirely and lessen the load on your liver.
* Avoid refined foods (typically processed, convenience foods) such as lollies, chocolate, bakery products, fast food, chips etc. We all know what they are! They are filled with sugar, salt and less than ideal types of fat and add to the toxic burden on your body. Choose fresh, healthy snacks instead such as fruit, small amounts of unsalted raw nuts, perhaps a natural yoghurt or try fresh vegetable crudities with beetroot or houmous dip instead.
* Consider cleaner, greener household cleaning products and personal or skincare items to replace the ones you already have once they are finished. There are plenty to choose from nowadays to make the change easier.
There are also detoxification programs available that can help if you are interested in taking your spring clean a step further, however these are best done under professional guidance to avoid unpleasant symptoms such as headaches, fatigue or aggravations of any digestive disturbances you may already have. If you would like to find out more about spring-cleaning your system then speak to your naturopath about the best way to achieve your wellness aims.
In the meantime start implementing the above guidelines to lessen your toxic load and step more lightly upon the path to improved vitality!
Jo Herbert-Doyle has over 16 years experience working in the health and wellness industry in various consultant and clinical support roles. She holds qualifications in Kinesiology, Aromatherapy, Massage, Indian Head Massage, Meditation facilitation and has achieved Reiki Master level after studying energetic healing in both the UK and Australia. She keeps herself grounded by continuing to explore her own personal development as well as upgrading her professional skills and qualifications. Jo is now in her 5th and final year of a BHSc Naturopathy majoring in medical herbalism and clinical nutrition as well as utilising acute homoeopathics in her consultations where indicated. If you would like her to assist you with your wellness goals she is available for naturopathic consultations in Fitzroy on Wednesdays at The Southern Clinic. Call 03 9416 1448 to make an appointment.
Ask yourself:
* Are you often tired, sluggish, lethargic?
* Do you experience bloating, diarrhoea, constipation or some other digestive disruption on a regular basis?
* Are your memory and concentration levels less than optimal?
* Do you experience anxiety, depression or mood swings?
If you can answer ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions you may be experiencing some level of toxicity, which is compromising your health and wellbeing.
We are a part of our environment so it really is true that we are what we eat, drink, smell and touch. Although our bodies are well designed to cope with the pressures we place upon ourselves from environmental stressors consider this: We live in a time when we are exposed to huge numbers of potentially toxic chemicals contained in our cleaning products, in our skincare, on our foods or simply from having to breathe the air around us. When you think about it, it is hardly surprising that over time our system can become overburdened and that's when our vitality starts to decline.
Spring is a great time to bring our awareness back to what we put into our bodies and upon our skin as these things we have more control over then, for example, the air we breathe. So start making healthier choices and lessen the load by following some simple guidelines:
* Eat plenty of fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables, preferably organic or wash well with a vegetable wash before eating. As a guideline, make sure half of your plate is filled with fresh, colourful vegetables to gain the benefits from all those fabulous phytonutrients.
* Drink plenty of fresh, filtered water each day. We’ve all heard that 2 litres is where we should be aiming, but is this true for you? A more accurate gauge is to multiply your body weight in Kgs by 30 to give you the minimum amount of water required for you personally. For example a 70kg person needs to drink 2.1 litres a day simply for ordinary metabolic functions (70 x 30ml = 2100ml or 2.1 Litres). However, there’s a catch! You need to add 200-250ml for every coffee, non-herbal tea, alcoholic drink or any other caffeinated beverage. This is to offset their diuretic effects. If you exercise, then you’ll need to up the water intake also to offset water lost through increased respiration and sweating. Ideally, you could cut back on or eliminate caffeinated and alcoholic drinks entirely and lessen the load on your liver.
* Avoid refined foods (typically processed, convenience foods) such as lollies, chocolate, bakery products, fast food, chips etc. We all know what they are! They are filled with sugar, salt and less than ideal types of fat and add to the toxic burden on your body. Choose fresh, healthy snacks instead such as fruit, small amounts of unsalted raw nuts, perhaps a natural yoghurt or try fresh vegetable crudities with beetroot or houmous dip instead.
* Consider cleaner, greener household cleaning products and personal or skincare items to replace the ones you already have once they are finished. There are plenty to choose from nowadays to make the change easier.
There are also detoxification programs available that can help if you are interested in taking your spring clean a step further, however these are best done under professional guidance to avoid unpleasant symptoms such as headaches, fatigue or aggravations of any digestive disturbances you may already have. If you would like to find out more about spring-cleaning your system then speak to your naturopath about the best way to achieve your wellness aims.
In the meantime start implementing the above guidelines to lessen your toxic load and step more lightly upon the path to improved vitality!
Jo Herbert-Doyle has over 16 years experience working in the health and wellness industry in various consultant and clinical support roles. She holds qualifications in Kinesiology, Aromatherapy, Massage, Indian Head Massage, Meditation facilitation and has achieved Reiki Master level after studying energetic healing in both the UK and Australia. She keeps herself grounded by continuing to explore her own personal development as well as upgrading her professional skills and qualifications. Jo is now in her 5th and final year of a BHSc Naturopathy majoring in medical herbalism and clinical nutrition as well as utilising acute homoeopathics in her consultations where indicated. If you would like her to assist you with your wellness goals she is available for naturopathic consultations in Fitzroy on Wednesdays at The Southern Clinic. Call 03 9416 1448 to make an appointment.
