Therapy Thursday: Intestinal Cleansing Part II

As promised, this is the second part of my blog on intestinal cleansing.  Although I plan on covering this topic more in the future, this specific two-week segment is about the Ejuva cleanse.  This is the second time I have taken on this intestinal cleanse, and it's been difficult both times.  Juice fasting was challenging, but hunger went away after about 7 days.  With the Ejuva cleanse, a lot of deep toxins, habits and emotions are stirred up.  I find it difficult to lessen my eating as I go along.  In fact, I get hungrier and have more cravings.

The fourth week has been the most challenging.  Last Friday, I was supposed to begin juice fasting only, but I ended up eating more.  So, I slowed down the fast and allowed myself to eat when I needed to.  Over the last week, I've slowly been preparing myself to eat less food and gradually work back into the fast.  Tomorrow, I'll be full board again on juice and herbs four times a day.

While this has been disappointing for me, I'm learning to just let it be what it is.  After 30 days on a juice fast, keeping up with a regular exercise routine, losing around 30 pounds, and starting a daily blog, I think I have a lot to be proud of.  The cleanse has been great for me, and, even though I didn't get the maximum benefit from it, I certainly did my body a great service and released a lot of toxins.  The next week will be a great indicator of how much progress I've made.

Once again, I highly recommend doing a short or long intestinal cleanse.  Not only can you release toxins that build up in the body, but you may also be shown emotional baggage you've been holding onto.  Most of us have a lifetime of emotional eating from stuffing our faces when we're sad, lonely, angry, guilty, whatever.  Letting go of these stuffed-down emotions is not easy, but it can be done.  Be healthy.

Mystic Merman

Workout Wednesday: Stretching for Health

For most athletes, stretching remains a cornerstone of their exercise routine every day.  Without it, they know the risk of injury increases dramatically.  However, if you pay attention to what most people do before working out, you'll notice that many of them stretch very quickly or not at all.  This could be one of the biggest mistakes people make when working out.

Studies on stretching show that, when done correctly, it may increase your athletic performance and reduce the risk of injury.  By creating more flexibility in your muscles and joints, your body can move more freely through each movement.  This can help decrease the risk of immediate or long-term injury.  Any book or website on athletic performance will tell you that a full range of motion is the goal.

Additionally, stretching increases the amount of blood to your muscles, warming them up and allowing more flexibility.  It's important to make stretching part of your warm-up and cool-down routines when working out.  Your body will thank you for it.

When you choose a stretching routine, make sure to cover all the major muscles groups.  If you are spending more time on your legs that day (hiking, running or biking, for example), focus on leg stretches.  Also, don't rush through stretching.  Consider it part of your workout routine and take at least 30 seconds for each stretch, going as deeply as feels comfortable.  Also, be aware of your own body, paying attention to the areas that may need more focus.

At any time during the day, you can stop for a few minutes and stretch your body.  I have found this to be very effective at work, where I am sitting all day.  My neck and shoulders can get very sore, and stretching them a few times a day can relieve tension and pain.  After a few weeks of daily stretching, you will certainly begin to notice a difference.  Take care of your body and be healthy!

Mystic Merman

Tasty Tuesday: Mock Tuna Salad

When getting into raw, plant-based food, recipes provide tasty, transitional meals that can sometimes imitate the original, cooked version.  Some of these recipes are complicated and require expensive equipment or take hours to prepare.  However, there are a lot of really easy, fun recipes to make that don't require a lot of time.

Last weekend, I made this for a raw potluck and it was quite a hit.  I've tried Mock Tuna Salad from several recipes, but my favorite comes from Matt Amsden's book, "Rawvolution."  The only thing you need is a food processor to grind the soaked sunflower seeds, which are the "meat" of the tuna salad.  Here are the ingredients for each part:

For the Salad:

3 cups soaked, raw sunflower seeds, ground in a food processor
3 to 4 stalks celery
1/2 bunch scallions, diced
2 tablespoons dulse flakes
1/4 cup dried dill

For the Dressing:

1 1/2 cups young coconut water (you can get these at an Asian market or natural food store)
6 cloves garlic, peeled (I found this to be too much, try 3 or 4)
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups raw cashews (pine nuts or macadamia nuts work too)
1/2 cup stone-ground mustard (I used whole mustard seeds)

Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.  Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend completely.  Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.  Serves 4.

So, there you have it.  An easy to prepare, delicious and nutritious meal.  I like to put this on top of my salad or eat it with flax crackers.  Also, it lasts in the fridge for several days, so if you're making it for yourself, it will give you a few good meals.  Enjoy and be healthy!

Mystic Merman

Manic Monday: Nature and Mental Health

According to a study published on www.livescience.com, only 5 minutes in nature shows an impact on human mental health.  The study also found that people are affected more by green areas with water.  In other words, if you live in the city, try to get to a park, natural trail or the beach.  Walking outside in the city is great, but we need a daily connection with nature.

Many other studies have been conducted in the US and other countries.  Most of them find that people who live in more natural settings or spend a lot of time in them live longer, healthier lives.  Some studies also have shown that office workers have less stress when they have a view of nature.  If you don't have this at work, take your 15-minute and your lunch breaks outside in the sun.  You'll notice a huge difference in your attitude.

Urban sprawl has certainly increased the amount of mental health issues in our society.  Television, computers, driving, texting, noisy restaurants, loud music, busy streets, all contribute to stress and anxiety.  Because of this, we all need to spend more time in nature.  Mother Nature soothes our minds and relaxes our bodies.  The sun gives us depression-fighting vitamin D and the fresh oxygen alkalizes our blood.  Additionally, nature is almost always slow, which helps to rejuvenate the brain after hours of mental stimulation.

Make a commitment to spend time in nature every day.  If you don't think you have time, commit to 5 minutes a day.  Once you see the benefits of spending more time outside, you will only want to increase it to 15 minutes, 30 minutes or even an hour.  If you exercise regularly, try doing it outside a few times a week instead of the gym.  Even in cold climates, 10 to 15 minutes outside can make a huge difference.  Be healthy!

Mystic Merman

Superfood Sunday: An Ancient Chinese Superfood

Two weeks ago, I introduced you to my favorite superfood, the Camu Camu berry.  Today, I'd like to introduce you to another super berry that has a long history in Chinese herbal medicine: the Goji Berry.  Also known as Wolfberries, the Goji berry is part of the huge Solanaceae family that includes tomatoes, potatoes, and many peppers.  What's remarkable about these little berries, though, is the nutritional content they pack.

Goji berries contain 18 amino acids, making them a good source of protein.  Depending on the source, they're also loaded with around 10 essential and 20 to 22 trace minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids, and up to 5 carotenoids, including beta-carotene.  This may be one of the reasons the Chinese revere this berry and place it at the top of their list of medicinal herbs.  It has long been considered a top longevity herb and protector of the immune system and eye health.

One of the most important constituents in Goji berries are the polysaccharides, which can comprise up to 30% of their weight.  These polysaccharides are believed to be one of the reasons Goji berries are powerful immune builders and anti-aging berries.  In fact, the Goji berry has gotten enough attention over the last ten years to inspire several short- and long-term studies on the effects of aging and other benefits.

Like all food, you need to make sure you know where your Goji berries are coming from.  Most of the berries on the market are low quality and come from areas of China that are highly sprayed.  Goji berries should be organically grown, preferably at high elevations away from toxic farming practices.  Of course, I recommend Sunfood.com as they have the best I've ever had.  Try Goji berries alone, in a trail mix, on your cereal or (like the Chinese) as an herbal tea.  Be kind to your immune system.  Be healthy!

Mystic Merman

Free Friday: Setting Goals

Last Friday, I talked about the time killer, Procrastination.  As a follow-up to that, I'd like to discuss one of the enemies of procrastination, Goal Setting.  While goal setting is something that has been going on in human behavior for thousands of years in some form or another, it's only been examined and marketed in the last century.  Nowadays, you can find websites, books, classes, seminars, and personal coaches to help you set and achieve your professional and personal goals.

At a personal level, goal setting is fairly basic, because the goals are based on your desires.  No one else can tell you what you should achieve in your life (unlike the goals of a company which are dictated by upper management or owners).  Of course, if you are in a relationship with another person, some of your goals may have to be modified to accommodate the other person.  Ultimately, however, your goals should be based on your personal needs and aspirations.

If you've never used goal-setting, start off with just a couple of easy goals.  For example, decide that you want to include green leafy vegetables in at least one meal every day.  Give yourself a couple of weeks to implement it.  Write down your target date, tasks you need to do to accomplish it, any obstacles you might come across and how to overcome those obstacles.  Every day, keep track of your progress, learning from mistakes and successes.  Beating yourself up is always counter-productive, so don't do it.

Once you get into the habit of setting, keeping track of and reaching smaller goals, you should begin to write down some long-term goals.  Losing fifty pounds, saving $5000 and getting a degree in nutrition are just a few examples of long-term goals.  Be realistic with the time frame on these goals, giving yourself enough time to complete it.  Also, break large goals up into chunks or mini-goals.  For example, break the fifty pounds down into tens and shoot for each ten pounds in a smaller period.  When you are keeping track of your progress, notice which tasks work better than other tasks.  If you fail to accomplish a certain task, pick it up again the next day.  Persistence is key, but be gentle with yourself.

Overtime, using goal setting as a tool to accomplish things can change your attitude and behavior.  Certain things will become easier and you will notice that success will start to spill over into other areas of your life.  If it makes it easier, join an online goal-setting site.  I recently joined Wishbomb.com, a free goal-setting website that gives you articles, videos and book suggestions for each of your personal goals.  You can also join groups and find friends that have similar goals for encouragement and challenges.  Whatever you decide to do, make it fun and change it up frequently, so you don't get bored.  You can do it!  Be healthy!

Mystic Merman

Therapy Thursday: Intestinal Cleansing Part I

After my 30-day juice fast, I decided that it was a good time to commit to a really good intestinal cleansing program.  Fortunately, one of my co-workers had an entire kit that he was not going to use.  The program I'm using is by the company Ejuva, which designs and manufacturers some of the best cleansing products on the market.  The intestinal cleanse is over $300, but it removes toxins, old fecal matter, metals and other poisons from the intestines, stomach, liver and blood stream.

The program is not as difficult as it sounds, however.  During the first week, you're required to take the herbs (which are all in tablets) once a day, followed by a fiber shake (mixed with juice or water).  You can also eat three meals a day (the designers of the program recommend a plant-based diet, raw if possible).  The second week, you take the herbs and shake twice a day and eat two meals with as much juice as you want.  Each week adds herbs and shakes and subtracts a meal until the fourth week, when you are taking the herbs four times a day along with the shake.  Only juice is taken during the last week.

Over the years, I have worked with or spoken with dozens of individuals who have completed the Ejuva cleanse or another similar cleanse.  Many of them have expelled what is known as mucoid plaque, a black or dark greenish substance that apparently collects in the intestines through years of eating processed food.  I'm on my third week of the cleanse and I've noticed pieces of this material, but no long strands as shown in pictures online.  Hopefully, my fourth week will expel some of this.  Hey, better out than in, right?

Next Thursday will be the next to last day of the cleanse, so I will continue this discussion next week.  Be clean and healthy!

Mystic Merman