Want to lose weight? Want to give your health a kickstart? August is the perfect month to start a new healthy regime.
In my book The Natural Year I give suggestions (nothing more) about how you
might adjust your diet and lifestyle to live a little more in tune with the
seasons. Generally this is pure
common sense – making use of seasonal foods; adapting the amount and type of
food you eat according to the weather.
If you want to lose weight, this is an ideal time of year to do it gently, naturally and easily. Your body doesn’t need so many calories to keep warm and you naturally feel less hungry when it’s hot. If you really want to kickstart weight loss, try juicing.
I’ve talked about juicing before but, if you haven’t
already discovered the wonder of fresh juicing, August is a good month to
begin. Not only are they delicious but they are a
great way to get lots of vitamins (particularly those essential anti-oxidants)
without having to chomp your way through pounds of steamed veg. They also have individual health-giving
properties of their own.
Many naturopaths say that a day a week on a diet of
vegetable juices will be beneficial to anyone.
They usually recommend you have between 500-700 ml up to a litre. Take the juice in sips throughout the day,
don't just gulp it down. Make sure in
addition you drink plenty of water - you could also supplement the juice with
weak rose hip tea to help elimination through the kidneys.
So why is vegetable juice so wonderful? In general vegetables are highly alkaline in
their nature and have the ability to bind acids and eliminate them through the
kidneys and urine. So it's not
surprising that alkaline vegetable juice can be so useful for people who suffer
from rheumatism and arthritis.
As far as weight loss goes, a few
days on a juice fast will shrink your stomach and make it much easier to carry
on with a light diet. Obviously, if you
have any health issues then check with a health practitioner before any kind of
fast.
Anyhow, a quick run-down of some super-juices to try…
THE SUPER-JUICES
CARROT: The essential oils in carrots have an effect on the mucous membranes of
the body and stimulate the circulation of blood in the stomach and intestinal
tissues. Because of this balancing
action carrot juice is also good for constipation and diarrhoea and all sorts
of digestive problems.
Often when the digestion is sorted out, other problems
disappear - many people find their headaches, eczema and bad skin all vanish
when the digestion is functioning properly. If you suffer from frequent coughs
and colds remember carrot juice - it is refreshing and soothing and helps
battle against infectious diseases.
Packed full of anti-oxidant vitamins it is a feisty
fighter against the free radicals that cause disease and ageing. And its rich supplies of carotene (provitamin
A) improves the eyesight and stimulates the production of rhodopsin (visual purple)
the lack of which causes night-blindness.
As if all that were not enough, carrot juice is said to
help balance your weight and to give a beautiful complexion - certainly worth
trying.
BEETROOT: This dark purple juice is my absolute favourite (and now you can get beetroot in all shades - including white). Beetroot contains betaine which
stimulates the function of the liver cells, protecting the liver and bile
ducts. 100mg of beetroot juice contains
5mg of iron in addition to trace elements which encourage the absorption of
iron in the blood. Everyone can benefit
from beetroot juice but it is particularly recommended in the first two years
of life, during puberty, during pregnancy, when breast-feeding and during
menopause. Children from six months to
two years need only a teaspoon of juice before meals.
CELERY: Celery is
alkaline and encourages elimination and so it is recommended for any diseases
or problems connected with an accumulation of wastes and toxins - ie rheumatic
and arthritic ailments. It also
regulates the water balance in our bodies and is superb for elderly people. Personally I don't like it solo - so mix it in with other juices (but it's a question of taste).
TOMATO: Tomato
juice is highly acidic so not recommended for arthritic or rheumatic conditions. In addition, quite a large number of people
find they are intolerant of tomato.
However it has interesting properties.
The old herbals say it can help with overtiredness and combat unpleasant
body odour. They also suggest it is a
protection against premature ageing. It
is a lovely refreshing juice which cleanses the body. Bloody Mary? Hmm, not quite the mix I had in mind. :-)
Of course, you can experiment with a wide variety of
juices. Naturopaths will often recommend
particular combinations and Polarity Therapy, a therapy that combines elements
of naturopathy, ayurveda and other Eastern influences strongly advocates the
use of fresh natural fruit and vegetable juices to aid healing and general
health. The following are recommended by
the founder of Polarity Therapy, Randolph Stone:
FOR CONSTIPATION:
cabbage, spinach, celery and lemon juice.
FOR SKIN CONDITIONS:
carrot, beetroot and celery juice.
FOR ARTHRITIS:
carrot, celery and cabbage juice.
FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE:
celery, beetroot and carrot juice.
FOR LOW BLOOD PRESSURE:
carrot, beetroot and dandelion juice.
FOR ASTHMA AND CATARRHAL CONDITIONS: carrot and radish juice.
TO OPEN UP SINUSES AND AIR PASSAGES - horseradish and
lemon juice (4oz of horseradish and 2oz of lemon juice, combined with one
teaspoon of garlic juice and a tablespoon of honey - take a teaspoon four times
daily.)
TO HELP YOU SLEEP:
celery juice.
TO SOOTHE THE NERVES: lemon and lime juice.
FOR SORE THROATS AND COLDS: lemon, lime and pineapple juice.
