DETOX AS A MINDSET
DETOX AS A MINDSET Rather than taking a few weeks out of your schedule to follow a strict regimented eating plan, or trying to negotiate the latest fad diet, make a toxin-free existence part of your lifestyle. Let the principles work for your body, mind and emotions as well.
Ko Chohan, British-based detox guru well known for her celebrity client base and instilling detox as a mindset, has a philosophy that has taken Britain by storm. Her simple naturopathic principles have improved thousands of lives. Recognising that it’s not only the body that accumulates unnecessary toxins but the mind and the emotions, Chohan advises detoxing all aspects of the self.
Using a holistic approach she scraps all the hard-and-fast rules and guides individuals towards a greater awareness and love of themselves. Her philosophy differs from most in that it has a gentler and longer-lasting effect than other detox programmes.
Rather than focusing on the denial aspect of detoxing, with long lists about what not to eat, she advises clients to focus positively on what they are bringing in to their lives and their diets.
Mentally saying, “No more coffee”, automatically sends a denial message making your body panic and want to hold on to its imbalance. Saying, “I’m going to include herb tea in my diet” is a more positive way to make the change. By making space for healthier activities and habits and practicing self-love, the not-so-healthy ones often automatically fall away.
In essence, the mind and emotions are given a loving inner environment to resolve the reasons why food addictions, bad eating patterns or negative habits are there in the first place. Individuals let go when they are emotionally ready to let go and therefore don’t end up in the denial/binge cycle. “It’s amazing how the body’s internal intelligence knows what is good and when tuned into nourishing the body, will often find many of the old favourite foods distasteful”, says Chohan.
Another consideration before detoxing is to determine your goals and capability. Where one person may already be leading a healthy life and can handle a detox with a far-reaching cleansing effect, de-toxing for another might need to start off slowly, perhaps by replacing one bad habit with a good one each week. This could mean exchanging your daily chocolate with fruit and drinking more water. People consuming many addictive foods or drinks like those with caffeine are advised to let them go slowly to prevent the body from going into shock. Choosing the correct time is also important, emotional stress caused by moving house, changing jobs, going through a divorce or grieving will make it difficult to stick to a programme.
The ripple effect from creating detox as a mindset might find you unexpectedly resolving emotional issues or unfinished business or chores. Someone described an overwhelming need to return borrowed items, fix broken appliances, do the long-overdue queue-standing errands and clear out the garage. Another participant felt very emotional after a few days and had an urge to resolve an old dispute. Letha Hadady, author of Herbal Secrets for Total Health recommends breathing exercises as an excellent way of detoxing on an emotional level.
As far as the body is concerned, Chohan’s general guidelines include gradually finding replacements for unhealthy foods, eating alkaline-forming foods, eating foods as close to their natural form as possible, eating organic, eating until three-quarters full, taking away the pressure of a structured diet, listening to your body, not starving, incorporating all food group varieties, including supplements like spirulina, chlorella and milk thistle, having the right mindset, forgiving yourself if you slip up, gentle regular exercise, dry skin brushing, twice-weekly Epsom salt baths, saunas or steam baths.
Chohan’s detox lifestyle plan includes eating from the following food groups and favours cutting down on dairy and meat.
Drinks:
Still mineral water, green tea, herbal teas (peppermint, chamomile, rooibos, dandelion, horsetail, yarrow)
Non-dairy milk:
Rice, soya or almond milk
Vegetables:
Eat a wide range daily, steam, bake, boil lightly or make into soups
Fruit:
Three portions of fruit daily, once each of yellow, orange and red. Eat whole, blend into a smoothie or puree into a dessert. Only small quantities of dried fruit are recommended.
Grains, breads and pasta
Take a break from wheat and try different types of whole grains, bread and pasta.
Millet, brown rice, buckwheat, wheat-free and yeast-free bread, rye, pumpernickel, rice cakes and oatcakes.
Pulses and bean sprouts:
Alfalfa, mung, chickpeas, red kidney beans, black-eyed beans, butter beans, haricot and lentils. Use dry varieties rather than canned.
Nuts and seeds:
Almonds, brazil, walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds (linseed) sesame and sunflower seeds.
Cold pressed oils:
Flaxseed, pumpkinseed, walnut, sesame, sunflower, extra-virgin olive oil. Preferably use unheated as an additive after cooking.
Herbs and Spices:
Replace processed sauces with fresh herbs to enhance flavour, many spices and herbs also enhance digestion. Coriander, dill, mint, chives, parsley, basil, marjoram, oregano, cumin, cardamom, ginger, caraway, fennel and paprika.
To prove that detoxing can be delicious and flavourful we have included a few of our favourite recipes taken from a detox programme Chohan wrote for British celebrity Carol Vorderman. This programme formed the basis of a book that sold over a million copies and is entitled Carol Vorderman’s Detox for Life (Virgin)
ROASTED VEGETABLE TOFU TART WITH SUNFLOWER SEEDS BERRY MUFFINS (for an occasional treat) CHICKPEA, CORIANDER AND LIME SALAD FRESH FRUIT MUESLI
Start creating detox as a mindset – get inspired.
Tip: Support your detoxification process with regular check-ins with a qualified nutritionist in Johannesburg, or attend a restorative detox retreat in Cape Town.
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