Talking Turkey: Try a post-holiday body detox

By Heather Killen

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

It isn’t just the turkey that gets stuffed over the holidays, making the New Year a great time for most people to lighten up.

Sandra Briand Quinn, a Lawrencetown-based holistic nutritionist, said that many people tend to overindulge in rich foods during the holiday season and this puts stress on the body. “A lot of people feel bloated and out of sorts after the holidays,” she said. “So it’s an excellent time for a gentle detox.”

The rich desserts, candy, pop, cheeses, gravies, and alcohol that most people consume can tip the scales, and leave the mind foggy and the head aching. Eating patterns also become more erratic with social snacking and late night get-togethers, so the body won’t properly digest everything that’s being packed in.

Briand Quinn said that while the best times to cleanse the body are generally during the spring and fall, anytime the body feels bloated can be appropriate for a gentle cleansing. “People often need to be educated in knowing how to look after their health and the effect food has on the body,” she said.

The main idea for a post-holiday detox weekend is to give the body a break and switch to a warm, light diet of broths and whole grains and avoid rich, heavy foods such as meat and dairy products.

She also recommends herbal remedies to boost disgestion and aid the body’s natural cleansing system. Toxins can build up in the liver and colon and when not eliminated, mucous will form.

The seasonal maladies of bloating, headaches, colds and flus are signs that people need to lighten up with their diets, she said. Caffiene, chocolate, and sugar boosts actually deplete the body of its vitamins and minerals, even as they add to the extra cushion at the sit-down.

Caffiene is a diuretic that causes the body to flush its nutients. It also raises blood pressure, can contribute to high cholesterol, and disrupt heart rhythm. Sugar doesn’t have any nutrional value, so it depletes the body of vitamins and minerals as it is digested.

Sugar is eventually stored as fat cells, triggering obesity and hypergylcemia. It also supports the growth of unhealthy microbes, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Also, it creates an acidic condtion in the body and contributes to inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

Chocolate is high in sugar - and if not organic - it contains various additives that can’t be properly processed by the body. In addition to the vitamins, it also leeches calcium from the body because it contains a high amount of phospherous. “When the body is cleansed of toxins and receives the proper nutrition, there’s no desire for stimulants,” she said. “There will be no cravings for chocolate, sugar, or coffee.”

On January 4, from 2 until 4 p.m., Briand Quinn is hosting a Post Holiday detox at The Healing Herb. She will talk about the various ways to cleanse the body of toxins, what herbs can help give the body a boost, and she will talk about the effects of food on the body.

Each participant will leave with a shopping list and some personal advice on nutrition. Space is limited, so those interested should call 584-3181, or visit www.TheHealing Herb.com