Drinks:

• Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. Don’t drink ice-cold water with your meals. Sip room temperature water throughout the day.
• Avoid drinking water and other liquids 30 minutes before and after your meals. A little Chinese tea at the end of your meal will aid in your digestion.
• Avoid cold drinks and carbonated drinks.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners – use stevia or honey to sweeten your drinks.
• Avoid or minimize alcohol intake and coffee.
• Replace tea and coffee with herbal tea. If griping occurs drink hot peppermint, fennel or chamomile infusions.

 

Diet:

• Mix seeds like sunflower, flax, sesame and pumpkin seeds. Store in the fridge and grind 2 tablespoons daily. Sprinkle on cereal, salads or add to a smoothie.
• Increase the amount of organic, raw fruit and vegetables.
• Eat beetroot, raw, boiled or juiced daily.
• Eat a small slice of fresh ginger with rock salt and olive oil 10 minutes before your meals.
• Have the “Beauty Breakfast” to start your day (see Recipes)
• Include fermented foods into your diet: kefir, sauerkraut (see Recipes), natural yoghurt, kombucha and kimchi.
• Chew slowly and keep your mouth shut while chewing, to avoid air getting into your digestive system.
• Vary red meat, white meat, fish and vegetarian meals.
• Whole grains (rice, barley, oats, buckwheat, quinoa etc.) are nutritionally better than pasta and breakfast cereals. They contain the roughage than cleans up your digestive system. Generally, they are better for you “al dente” – very slightly undercooked. Soak the grains overnight before cooking and discard the soak water.
• Beans and pulses are high in fiber. Introduce them into your diet carefully and slowly to avoid excess gas. Soak your beans overnight and discard soak water before cooking.
• Avoid white flour products.
• Reduce salt intake as it is dehydrating
• Eat smaller meals – grazing is better than gorging!

 

Supplements:

• Take a probiotics supplement:  5 billion CFU’s (Culture Forming Units) minimum.
• Take psyllium husk, flaxseed or cascara sagrada to assist in bowel movements.

 

Exercise:

• Exercise at least 3 days per week for 30 minutes.
• Try rebounding (jumping on a trampoline or chest deep water).

 

Morning Routine: how to retrain the bowel

1. As soon as you wake up have a glass of warm water with lemon juice.
2. Make time to sit on the toilet soon after you get up in the morning, do this regularly to establish a new and regular toilet habit.
3. Use a footstool to put your feet on when having a bowel movement.
4. Do not ignore the urge to have a bowel movement, go to the toilet ASAP.  

 

REMEMBER: BEING 80% GOOD 80% OF THE TIME WILL MAKE YOU FEEL AT LEAST 65% BETTER…..

AND YOU CAN STILL INDULGE FROM TIME TO TIME!