Maintenance for Life
Our bodies have the ability to maintain balance, control inflammation and cleanse our cells daily if we ensure that we are clearing waste products more efficiently than they are produced or enter our body. Most of us enjoy certain things in life that we know aren’t good for us but our bodies can handle them if they have the nutrients and correct biochemical environment to remove the waste products that are created.
The body has many backup plans to keep itself in balance but we need to constantly provide nutrients and ensure that our acidity and inflammatory levels are kept within a healthy range in order for these processes to be able to work.
A healthy body requires healthy bacteria and nutrients such as proteins, minerals, vitamins, essential oils and good quality fibre. These substances need to be provided in a form that the body can readily absorb and utilise. Fermented foods fulfil this role exceptionally. Once your body is functioning more efficiently it will not be wasting precious nutrients buffering acidic toxins and as a consequence it will be stronger, cleaner and easier to maintain.
A continual daily intake of high protein fermented food such the Wise Nutrients fermented super food powder or bio-fermented protein and greens powders can help maintain the healthier better functioning state of your body facilitated by the FF Detox program. They can provide an easily absorbable source of nutrients for general well being and to help produce the enzymes that keep the cells clean and the antioxidants that help control inflammation.
It is important to maintain the intake of healthy bacteria for the gut. These vital organisms help keep our digestive and immune system functioning more efficiently. These healthy bacteria must be maintained to ensure the pathogenic organisms are kept to a minimum therefore inhibiting their ability to produce inflammatory acidic waste adding to the toxic load on our systems. The most effective way of adding these healthy bacteria is from the liquid sources of fermented grains such as Gut Restore lemon drink or kefir. 50-100 mls a day will help to maintain healthy bacterial numbers in your intestine.
Other nutrients that are crucial to the body being able to balance inflammation and its cleansing functions are essential oils and fibre. Essential oils directly reduce inflammation and support the function of every single cell membrane in our body. These membranes determine whether the cell is able to respond appropriately to your hormones and communicate with other cells. In addition these membranes control nutrients in and out of the cells so that they can manufacture proteins and regulate the genetic material within the DNA that controls essential life functions.
These membranes are absolutely pivotal to our survival. Different body types require different ratios of oils, whether they are omega 3’s, 6’s or 9’s. They are found from many different sources but include Fish oil, Evening Primrose oil and Flaxseed oil. Fibre performs many important functions in our body. It feeds good bacteria in the bowel and mops up and moves along undigested food and old metabolic waste products dumped into the bowel via the liver. It also has a crucial effect on balancing our hormones. Ensuring that we get enough fibre to have a good bowel movement daily is crucial to the body being able to clear its wastes. This fibre source can be obtained from eating large amounts of high fibre vegetables and fruits. Some people need additional fibre supplementation. Introduce fibre slowly as some people are sensitive to certain types.
Soluble fibre can feed the pathogenic bacteria as well as the healthy strains causing constipation and bloating. So getting the fibre right for each person may require an individual consultation with a health practitioner. Flaxseed meal is quite gentle and as long as it is taken with enough water it agrees with most people. Some people need the help of non-stimulating bowel cleansing powders such as magnesium oxide. This magnesium is generally poorly absorbed therefore remains in the bowel helping to bring moisture to the bowel and softening residual material making it easier to leave the body the next day. As with all forms of non food based fibre, it should be used short term and if requiring this for over a month you should see your health practitioner to ensure there isn’t a severe medical condition causing constipation requiring further investigation such as a colonoscopy.
Protein powders can provide a good energy effect for many people. It is preferable to use bio-fermented sprouted rice protein or pea protein based ones as these provide easily absorbed forms of amino acids without the negative effects that can come from dairy or soy products. Dairy and Soy can strain the body in many different ways and especially over long term use. Bio-fermented rice protein powders are even better if they include other ingredients that help strengthen, alkalinise and clean the body. These ingredients are fermented greens, such as spirulina, barley grass and wheat grass and other added minerals which can further provide biochemical buffers that assist in managing toxic and acidic waste. If you don’t mind the taste, adding gentle fibre such as 1-2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal can also help the bowel in its cleansing process.
Dietary intake is crucial. Food can either strengthen or weaken the body and it is important that we get the right balance to keep our bodies healthy or to balance disease processes that may already be occurring. The balance is different for each of us and we need to be guided by our symptoms and may benefit from the help of a well trained health practitioner to create a personalised long term program.
Once you have done a 10 day cleanse you get to know your body much better. If you are coping with the FF Detox programme well you may wish to continue the program for another few days. I suggest no more than 14 days in total though. Alternatively incorporate 1 or 2 detox days a week, such as a Monday and/or Thursday, where you are eating more normally between these days so that you can achieve your ultimate weight goal or to simply maintain your health benefits, reduce future risk of disease and continue to cleanse and strengthen your body.
Remember that the better we manage stress in our lives the more efficiently the body functions and the more nutrients you have spare to digest and detoxify effectively. Life is busy for all of us but making time on as many days as possible for relaxation with mental down time will maintain the calmness and clarity attained during the FF Detox program. Such a practice will keep your priorities clear. It will also help you stop wasting energy and therefore precious nutrients on an exaggerated stress response to life’s continual minor frustrations. This increased awareness of what is really important makes every decision clearer and your attainment of true happiness closer.
Stronger, better functioning bodies are available to all of us if we just obey the basic principles of nature. Rest the mind and the intestine, alkalinise, reduce inflammation and provide well absorbed healing nutrients and healthy bacteria to our gut. Nature has provided all of this in the form of these high protein fermented foods.
It is important to understand that this program makes no claims on healing diseases. It provides the body with a highly nutritionally supported environment in which to start to balance and buffer inflammation and the acidity created by accumulated metabolic waste products. This will help support any physical body to slowly strengthen no matter in what state of health or disease.
The scope of this book doesn’t leave me room to elaborate on which individual nutrients and essential oils to take for different body types, nor individualising maintenance programs for specific health conditions but a health practitioner trained holistically would be a good start in maintaining and continuing your healing program.
