Detox

“Detox” seems to be the buzzword of the moment and while it might appear that it’s only what the celebrities do, it is something we could all benefit from once in a while.

What does detox mean?
Detox, short for detoxification, is the body’s natural way of eliminating toxins from the body. Toxins are substances that cannot be metabolized by our body. They are deemed an intruder or a foreign substance that impedes the natural functions and growth of our cells. Toxins include such things as alcohol, chemical byproducts from our food, (like artificial ingredients, pesticides, excess sugar or hydrogenated oils), chemicals from the environment such as pollution and even chemicals in the creams we put on our skin; the skin after all is our largest organ and absorbs what we put on it directly into the blood stream.

It is the liver’s job to remove these toxins from our body and in today’s world our livers have to work harder than ever! Imagine if you were standing on a tennis court and someone was throwing tennis balls at you that you had to catch and put in a bin. If the tennis balls are thrown one at a time it is easy to catch each one, place it in the bin and get ready for the next one. Now imagine that six came at you at once, realistically you will only be able to catch one, perhaps two if you are good and the others will just hit you and fall to the ground. You then frantically have to pick them all up before the next lot is thrown at you. In the same way if we are constantly consuming things that are full of toxins our liver has a hard time keeping up.

Why Detox?
The purpose of a detox is to give our liver a much-needed break and allow it to literally ‘catch up’ and clear out the backlog. We regularly take our cars for check ups, tune-ups and oil changes to maintain them and make them run better and we should do the same for our body. Eliminating major toxins from our diet for a period of time will give our body the chance to detox what has built up over time.

Assessing how you feel is a good place to start when asking the question, ‘Why Detox?’ Do you often feel tired and sluggish? Do you have headaches more than occasionally? Do you have a tendency towards restless sleep? Do you have mood swings? Do you have extra pounds that won’t come off with diet and exercise? These are only a few symptoms of toxicity in the body.

How can I detox?
Cleansing is a natural practice in all traditions and humans have sought natural methods to cleanse the body since ancient times by fasting, taking herbs or eliminating certain foods. There are many ways you can detox in your every day life and it can be as simple as removing just one or two things from your diet for a while or going as far as fasting. A good place to start is by taking a look at your current eating and drinking habits. How much refined and processed foods are you consuming versus fresh fruits and vegetables? Do you drink a lot or smoke? Are you a coffee consumer? A soda drinker? Are you a heavy meat eater? Do you consume a lot of sugar? All these are things that lead to toxic build up in the body.

If you choose to do a simple detox it’s as easy as deciding to give up alcohol, coffee or meat for a period of time (or maybe indefinitely!) but if you prefer a deeper detox you might choose to follow a vegan or raw diet for a set amount of time, or do a juice cleanse for a few days. Whatever level you choose you will undoubtedly experience benefits to your health and well-being. Many people feel energized, have increased clarity, deeper sleep and are more focused and positive. However be prepared for some detox symptoms first! As your body rids itself of the toxins it is common to feel flu like symptoms for a day or so.

When embarking on a detox it always helps to have a guide by your side. There are some great resources here in Key West that can help with your detox, we have posted some below. If you have any questions head on over to our facebook page, post a comment and we will do our best to answer them for you.

Key West Detox Options
Help Yourself Café, offers a regular 3 day juice cleanse and a 3 day raw food detox
plus a seasonal 7 day detox – 829 Fleming Street, 305 587 9143

Dr. Ross Williams, Chiropractic and Nutrition, offers a 21 day liver cleanse detox -
White Street Healing Arts Bldg, 1217 White Street, 1st Floor (305) 292-7222

Carol Christine offers colon hydrotherapy, White Street Healing Arts Bldg, 1217
White Street, 305 849 3263

Fresh coconut jelly

The Humble Coconut
The western world is finally discovering the health benefits of coconuts. On a warm summer’s day in New York it is not at all uncommon to see people meandering through the streets sipping a young Thai coconut, perfectly chilled to quench the city’s heat. Street vendors who once sold just a few coconuts are now selling 10 or more cases a day. Sales of bottled coconut water across the US have more than doubled in recent years, with a market share estimated at 20 Million Dollars.

What?
Coconut Water is the liquid from young green unripe coconuts. Inside these coconuts can be anywhere from 8-16oz of water. The meat, if any, is very thin and jelly like. This soft jelly meat is an excellent ingredient in smoothies and desserts, but is equally delicious eaten straight from the shell.

As the coconut matures the water turns into a harder meat and you end up with the brown coconut shells most people are familiar with in supermarkets. These mature coconuts with a thick, hard white meat are used to make coconut milk and oil. There is very little liquid left in these mature coconuts. The real health benefits come from the young coconuts.

In many health food stores around the country you will see white coconuts with a little point on one end. These are simply young coconuts usually from Thailand with the husk removed.

Coconut water is fat free and low calorie with a naturally sweet flavor.

Why?

Opening a coconut to drink from the shell

Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage filled with a multitude of immune system boosting vitamins, minerals and other health enhancing properties that have consequently made it a staple of islanders for millennia. This healthy electrolyte drink has potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and makes an excellent oral re-hydration beverage, replacing electrolytes lost from exercise, heat
stress and illness.

Some of the other many benefits include:

• Natural Boost to Immune System
• Improved Intestinal Health
• Increased Metabolism & Weight Loss
• Balancing of Body PH
• Detoxify anti-Virus
• Stops Fatigue
• Prevents Hypertension
• Controls Diabetes
• Aids in Circulation
• Reduces Cancer Risk
• Treats Kidney Stones
• Eases Stomach Pain & Vomiting

According to Mortin Satin, Chief of the United Nation’s Food & Agriculture
Organization, “Coconut water is the very stuff of nature, biologically pure, full of natural sugars, salts, and vitamins to ward off fatigue… and is the next wave of energy drinks BUT natural!”

It is also highly regarded as one of the best hangover cures!

How?

One of the many great things about being in Key West is that we are lucky enough to have this super food growing right in our back yards and there is nothing better than drinking a fresh coconut straight from the tree!

Take advantage of this powerful local food whether it be to rehydrate, cure your hangover or just to enjoy the refreshing taste and a myriad of health benefits. Another great reason to visit us in Key West!

Warning: Cutting open coconuts should be done with caution or left to the experts!

Help Yourself Organic Café carries fresh local coconut water or stop by the Monday Market between 11am and 5pm to drink one from the shell.

Take a look at our video where I demonstrate how we take the coconuts ‘From Tree to Table.’

3 Day Raw Food Detox
June 16^th, 17^th, 18th

3 Day Liquid Cleanse
June 23^rd , 24^th, 25^th

Why Detox?

To perform at their optimum best, our bodies need to be unobstructed by toxins and metabolic wastes. Modern day life full of refined sugars and flours, cocktails, fast food and pesticides all lead to toxicity in the body. While we might love our morning Starbucks latte with a freshly baked muffin full of white flour and sugar and our subway sandwich full of preservatives washed down with a large diet coke for lunch, our digestive tract is screaming at us. Doing this and worse on a daily basis begins to wear our insides out and can lead to decreased energy, allergies, headaches, bad skin, disease, and old age amongst other things.

Because our body spends so much time and energy digesting, assimilating and eliminating the food we eat, very often other areas of our body that need attention get ignored. The goal of any fast or detox is to give your digestive system a break allowing it to rest, recharge and heal from a cellular level.

Our Detox programs make it easy for you to cleanse and detox. We prepare your entire days food from fresh organic ingredients, taking the stress out of deciding what to eat – we even deliver it if you want! The meals, juices and smoothies are raw and nutrient dense. Raw foods contain all the nutrients and enzymes needed for digestion and assimilation that are often destroyed by the cooking process. Raw food means less energy is needed for digestion allowing more energy for ‘cleaning’.

What to expect

A three day commitment is all that is needed from you. That means you have to get yourself in the right mind-frame. Don’t think of this as a deprivation diet think of it as a positive, exciting experience – remember you are doing something great for yourself!

You may experience some detox symptoms depending on how toxic your diet is. You may experience a mild headache (especially if you are stopping the caffeine which we highly recommend on this detox) and you will most likely have increased bowel movements. This is great, the more bowel movements the better! It means you are eliminating old build up. You may feel slightly hungry on the first day if you are used to eating large meals. Remember this is a detox so we are reducing calories. By the second and third day you should be feeling very satisfied due to the increase in nutrients. Most people experience weight loss which could range from a couple of pounds to as much as 5 or 6lbs and most people come off the detox feeling energized, lighter and all round better about themselves.

Detox Options

3 Day Raw Food Detox – June 16^th, 17^th, 18th

72 hours is enough time to give your body a break without causing too much obstruction in your daily lives. This program is also just a great opportunity to try something different and introduce healthier meals into your lifestyle. This Detox includes:

· Spicy Lemonade

· Fresh Pressed Juice

· Lunch (usually soup and salad)

· Dinner ( usually something more substantial)

· Snack

Price – $126.00 for the 3 days

Sample Menu Items

Soups

Spiced Avocado
Gazpacho
Carrot and Ginger
Thai Coconut

Salads

Ultimate
Marinated Kale
Chopped Asian Salad
Mexican

Dinners

Lasagne
Thai Collard Wraps
Zucchini noodles with a bolgnese sauce (meaty marinara) and pine nut parmesan
Buckwheat Pizza with cashew cheese, pesto, marinara

3 Day Liquid Cleanse – June 23rd , 24^th, 25^th

This is a more intense detox as your entire days nutrition comes in the form of a liquid. Because the food is juiced or blended it means it is practically ready for absorption so even less energy is needed for digestion allowing more energy for ‘cleaning’. 72 hours is enough time to give your body a break without causing too much obstruction in your daily lives. This cleanse includes:

· Spicy Lemonade – 16oz

· GingerAide – 16 oz

· Fresh Pressed Green Juice – 16 oz

· Fresh Pressed Vegetable Juice – 16 oz

· Green Smoothie – 16 oz

· Creamy Nut Milk – 16 oz

Price – $126.00 for the 3 days

There are 20 places on the Raw Food Detox and 10 places on the liquid cleanse, and they fill up fast. Advance registration required. To register you can:

1. Call the cafe on 305 296 7766
   
2. Stop by in person – 829 Fleming Street
3. Email charlie@helpyourselffoods.com

“I often observe in the fasting participants that concentration seems to improve, creative thinking expands, depression lifts, insomnia stops, anxieties fade, the mind becomes more tranquil and a natural joy begins to appear. It is my hypothesis that when the physical toxins are cleared from the brain cells, mind-brain function automatically and significantly improves and spiritual capacities expands.”
Gabriel Cousins, M.D.

“Fasting can help reverse the ageing process, and if we use it correctly, we will live longer, happier lives.”
Dr. James Balch, MD