Spring DeTox from Organico Bantry

Springtime is the perfect time for starting a detox. The sap is rising and everything is coming back to life with the longer days. From a naturopathic perspective it is reccommended that we detox at least once or twice a year, preferably spring and autumn. Detoxing is especially reccommended if you:

1. Smoke
2. Drink more than one cup of coffee or cola per day,
3. Drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week
4. Suffer from PMS, regular colds or flues, or feel tired all the time
5. Are overweight, constipated, or feel bloated after eating

In Organico we reccommend people to work up to detoxing by first changing their diet and adding more water to their daily rutine. Dietary changes depend on the individual but usually include trying to limit or cut out coffee and tea (which may at first provoke a headache - in my experience thie is just something you have to live through); limit or cut out sugar (including sources of sugar such as potatoes and white bread and pasta), alcohol, and dairy products. As this is only a temporary diet there should be no health risks but obviously if you are unwell you should consulta a qualified practicioner before commencing. What you try to eat lots of is brown rice, organic vegetables, fish, seaweeds, warming soups from lentils and other pulses, and herbal teas and fresh juices. If you live in West Cork then come to Organico Cafe for lunch every day - we always have something on the menu suitable for detoxing!

The next stage is to chose herbal remedies suitable for aiding a detox programme. These can be as simple as a tea you drink morning and night. The tea that we reccommed in Organico Bantry is Flor Essence and is a sophisticated form of Essiac, a combination of herbs that is widely used to treat serious illnesses as well as to detox. In our experience this tea is gentle but very effective. We usually reccommend a healthy person to undertake a 3-week detox plan; the first week mostly preparing and then the second and third weeks taking Flor Essence twice per day while following the diet.

More information on detoxing and general health can be found on Dr. Elson Haas's website. In Organico Shop we sell all of Dr Haas's books - he really knows his stuff!

Organico Shop, Glengarriff Rd., Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland. Phone +353 (0)27 51391