I’ve wanted some time now to write a post about gut health, probiotics and prebiotics so this sauerkraut recipe is the perfect excuse!

I am sure you’ve all heard or read somewhere about the gut microbiome and its importance to health, not only our physical but our mental one too, as it has been shown that even mental disorders like schizophrenia have their roots in the gut microbiome. However, the systems most affected by gut health is our immune system and the digestive, by aiding digestion and absorption of food nutrients. So, our microbiome is a miraculous habitat of billions of bacteria that live in our gut. It is believed that our gut bacteria are more than our body tissue cells, so you can now see how important the gut is for health. I’ve seen again and again in clinics a compromised gut microbiome being the route cause of so many disorders, and it is by far the number one system that a nutritional therapist will aim to rebalance. To set things clear, not all bacteria are bad bacteria, there are good bacteria too, and the balance between the two is the secret to good health. The easiest way to explain this is the following: imagine you gut being a huge parking space, with lots of spaces for bacteria (i.e. The cars) to park. If there are enough good bacteria parked in your gut there will be fewer spaces for the bad bacteria, which leads to fewer diseases.

We inherit our microbiome from our mums when we are born as we take, if born naturally, all the bacteria that inhabit our mother’s birth canal. We also take a huge number of our microbiome from maternal milk, if breastfed.  As both of those factors tend to be rare nowadays, you can imagine how compromised our microbiome is. Hence it is crucial to rebalance through our food choices.

The overuse of antibiotics, despite the fact that they do save lives, which is so popular nowadays, is another factor that hugely compromises the gut microbiome, since they indiscriminately kill both good and bad bacteria.

Luckily there are many things we can do to rebalance our gut flora, both through foods and supplementation.

Probiotics are those substances that contain billions of live microorganisms that mimic the good gut bacteria and have similar functions. Therefore, by taking a good probiotic supplement or eating probiotic foods, we can offer our gut the much-needed good bacteria. Some of the most common strains of probiotics are lactobacilli and bifidobacterial.

We can also find these probiotics in foods that have been naturally fermented, fermentation is a natural process that triggers chemical changes in an organic substance, mainly a carbohydrate, through bacteria or fungi. This is how probiotic foods get their characteristic sour taste. Fermentation is a really old process, used for centuries for preservation of foods during winter, very popular in the northern countries. The most common probiotic foods are yoghurt or kefir (which is mainly fermented milk), kombutsa (a type of fermented tea), sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), non pasteurised pickles, and quite a few Japanese products made from fermented soya beans like tofu, natto, tempeh and kimchi, the Korean sauerkraut. All these foods are rich in probiotics, and should be consumed on a regular basis for their good bacteria. If however you have been treated with many courses of antibiotics recently or you have signs of a dysbiosis, I would recommend a course of a high strength probiotic which will rebalance the gut flora more quickly. I recommend mainly two brands to my clinics, Symprove to those clients that have absorption issues and its liquid format would work better and Megasporebiotics.

When choosing a probiotic, it is very important to look at the number (usually billions and the more the better) and variety of their strains and also the absorption. Its best to go for a reputable company who has evidence on the absorption of their strains, as some times probiotics may be killed by stomach acid and not reach the gut.

Perfect, so you overdose on sauerkraut and also take a probiotic supplement… gut health, check! But NO my friends, supporting your gut flora does not stop there. Prebiotics are equally important as probiotics for our microbiome. Prebiotics are those substances that feed all of those good bacterial that you transferred in your gut. Think of them as soil for your probiotics. And when it comes to prebiotics the answer is in fibre, fibre rich food are the best prebiotics. Some really rich in prebiotics foods are asparagus, onions, garlic, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, bananas, apples, oats, flaxseeds, maple syrup and many more that you surely be consuming in large quantities if you follow my blog recipes and consume the 6 veggies a day, I’ve been preaching about.

So lets move into trying to make probiotic foods at home. I started my fermentation journey with sauerkraut, which as I read is “fermentation for beginners” and super easy to make. I also though that I would consume it quite often in my salads and buddha bowls.

It was indeed very easy to make and quite tasty if you enjoy sour foods. The fermentations happen with salt and found the process fascinating as I observed this biology experiment taking place on my kitchen bank. Ok I didn’t see any smoke coming out but I did observe some bubbles.

You only need a large mason jar with a lid, that you have thoroughly sterilised ( I find the easiest way to do this is to wash in the dishwasher and let the hot air do the sterilisation) and a big stone or something heavy that fits in the jar to sit on top of the cabbage so it can sink in the salted liquids for the fermentation. Apart from these you only need cabbage and salt.

Ingredients

• Half a head of cabbage (I used purple ones as it has more antioxidant anthocyanins, but you could also use white cabbage.
• 2 tsp of salt

Preparation

• Shred the cabbage thinly
• Place in a big bowl the shredded cabbage and the salt and massage for 10 mins with clean hands (I used latex gloves), until the cabbage starts getting softer, shrinking and releasing liquids. Keep on massaging until you see the liquids.
• Place the cabbage and the liquid in the sterilised mason jar. Use a tablespoon to press the cabbage firmly and make sure that it is covered well with the liquid. If there is not enough water you can add 1 or 2 tablespoons filtered water.
• Place something heavy (a pebble or stone for example) in a polybag and sit it on top of the cabbage to further apply pressure and let it sink in the liquid.
• Close the lid and leave at a spot with limited sun exposure. The ideal temperature for the fermentation to take place is 19 degrees (lovely British summer)
• Leave on room temperature for 10-14 days to complete the fermentation. You can open and try with a fork and when it reaches the sourness of your liking you can transfer into the fridge. You can keep it in the fridge for months.
• We put a pebble or something that weighs (put your weight in a polybag so that it does not carry germs) over the cabbage so that it sits long enough and is always below the liquid level.
• I use it in sandwiches, on top of salads and to add colour and probiotics in my buddha bowls.

Cruciferous vegetables belong to the Brassicaceae or cabbage family of plants and are a powerhouse of nutrients with a host of health benefits. Not only are they high in fibre and low in calories, they are also rich in vitamins A, C, K and phytochemicals (nutrients found in plants) such as the sulphur containing glucosinolates which have been to shown to have strong antioxidant properties that prevent disease.

Cruciferous vegetables contain sulphur-containing compounds called glucosinolates which have an important role in the liver’s phase 2 detoxification pathway and have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer in multiple studies. They contain the highest levels of vitamins A, C, and K among the vegetable family which are all potent antioxidants and thus help to fight disease and reduce inflammation. The high fibre content of cruciferous vegetables makes it an excellent blood sugar regulator and also great aid for weight loss programs. Just 1 cup of Brussel sprouts contains 4g of fibre. They provide a great source of protein. 100kcal of steamed broccoli or 300g provides 10g of protein. This is great for promoting satiety in any meal. and why we should all be eating more of these nutrient-dense foods in our diet.

Tips for getting more cruciferous veg in your diet…

• Try substituting normal rice for cauliflower rice.
• Add raw watercress, cabbage or radish into salads.
• Bring back the slaw! Slaws or coleslaws are a simple and great addition to any meal.
• Make a pesto with fresh rocket instead of Basil.
• Use broccoli sprouts as a garnish for just about any dish! Sprouts are often more concentrated in beneficial phytonutrients than in their larger forms.
• Aim to have 2-3 servings of a variety of cruciferous vegetables a day to radically improve your health.

To better reap their benefits, eat cruciferous vegs raw:

• Better eaten in their raw form, to minimise glucosinolate losses during cooking. Boiling cruciferous vegetables from 9-15 minutes resulted in 18-59% decrease in the total glucosinolate content of cruciferous vegetables. Cooking methods that use less water, such as steaming for a short time may reduce glucosinolate losses.
• Thorough chewing or chopping of raw cruciferous vegetables increases glucosinolate contact with myrosinase and increases the amount of isothiocyanates absorbed.
• If you have thyroid issues, it’s best to always consume the vegetables cooked and limit your intake to 2 servings/ day

Sources:

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/cruciferous-vegetables

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?%20tname=btnews&dbid=126

https://draxe.com/cruciferous-vegetablescancer-thyroid/

http://www.mindsetting.co.uk/

I’ve been wanting to write a post for this important topic, which sooner or later will touch all of us women, and is very close to home since due to the chemotherapies I had the last years I unfortunately got into premature menopause (otherwise called premature ovarian failure) at 39 years old. There are many things that upset me about this, but the most important are the consequences of the early cease of female hormone production on my health, which has happened to me almost 15 years earlier than the average woman who gets into menopause at around 55. During menopause the chances of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis increase greatly. I did decide however to stay away from Hormone replacement therapy and to try to manage menopause with more natural means, mainly through nutrition. The main reason I want to avoid HRT is that I’ve got a long family history of breast cancer and based on all my research (Link https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)31709-X/fulltext), HRT significantly increases the risk of breast cancer. So, we decided, together with my obstetrician that this is not worth the risk (esp. since I managed to survive lymphoma, another cancer would be the least I wanted right now). Luckily, I haven’t got any of the main menopause symptoms like hot flashes which significantly impact quality of life, and that helped my decision to stay away from HRT. If my quality of life was significantly diminished, I might have more reasons to consider it. I did however gain 5 kilos since my period stopped as oestrogens, one of the female hormones that we stop producing during menopause, has a significant role in regulating metabolism.

So, I will share in this post some tips, based on my experience and nutritional studies, that really helped me. Its needless to say that every woman is different and may be affected differently by menopause so she needs an individualised plan.

To start with, its important to say that menopause is a natural stage of the female reproductive cycle that we will all go through, and only in the west it is considered a “disease” that needs medical intervention. Notably, in Japan where their nutrition is by default more beneficial for female hormonal health, most females have no menopause symptoms and HRT is inexistent.

What concerns me the most in my case, letting aside the impact of menopause on my fertility, which is a whole different beast that I will write about in another post, is the likelihood of osteopenia. So I have agreed with my obstetrician that on top of my nutritional plan I will be monitoring once a year with a DEXTA scan my bone mass to see how I am progressing on that front and whether I will need medicinal intervention.

So lets talk about some foods and tips for women who are in menopause or are peri-menopausal:

The nutrients that are super important for bone health are calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K and magnesium. Nutritionally that means more tahini (which I love anyway) and more tofu, which is an excellent calcium source, more leafy green veggies (i.e. spinach, chard, kale) for their magnesium and vit K and more sun exposure for Vitamin D (which is impossible in UK, therefore a supplement would be a good idea). On top of increasing my food intake of all these nutrients I am also taking a bone health supplement (that combines calcium, magnesium, vit D and K) so that I can have peace of mind that I am taking what is needed to keep my bones strong and healthy.

To improve cardiovascular health, which is also compromised during menopause, its good to increase the intake of antioxidants so I am targeting at least 5 portions of greens and 2 portions of fruit a day, which are also a good source of fibre that helps remove excess hormones from the body.

I’ve also increased my legumes consumption, targeting at least 5 portions a week, because they are not only rich in calcium and protein but also a good source of gamma oryzanol which helps reduce hot flashes.

The most important nutritional intervention during menopause is to increase consumption of phytoestrogens with foods like tofu, soya, fennel, celery and legumes.

Phytoestrogens, are foods that mimic the action of estrogen in our body. These substances are so smart that they attach themselves to the oestrogen receptors in our bodies, fooling our body that we actually produce oestrogens, mimicking their action. Isoflavones, the phytonutrients contained in phytoestrogens, are abundant in Asian diets and the main reason why menopause symptoms are inexistent in Asia. Recently, phytoestrogens took a bad rep with breast cancer due to conflicting research, but the final verdict (Link https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19996398/) is that phytoestrogens not only they don’t increase breast cancer risk, but quite the opposite, they minimize the risk.

Tofu is good for menopause not only because it is rich in isoflavones but also it is a good source of calcium and protein, all beneficial during this phase. If you want to start using tofu but not sure how to include in your diet I’ve got many delicious recipes with tofu on the blog such as:

• Marinated tofu skewers (Link https://www.thesauchalife.com/el/%CF%83%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%B2%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9-%CE%BB%CE%B1%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%B1/)
• Almond butter tofu with sautéed veggies (Link https://www.thesauchalife.com/tofu-with-an-almond-butter-miso-paste-on-a-bed-of-sauteed-veggies/)
• Macrobiotic tofu salad
• The Sri-Lanka curry (Link https://www.thesauchalife.com/el/%CF%83%CF%81%CE%B9-%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%BA%CE%B5%CE%B6%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%85-%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%85%CF%82-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9-%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%86%CE%BF/)

Tofu is such a flexible ingredient that can be used instead of cream in desserts, try my delicious

• Mastiha pannacota with passion fruit (Link https://www.thesauchalife.com/mastiha-pannacota-with-passion-fruit/)
• Pumpkin spice chocolate tofu mousse (Link https://www.thesauchalife.com/spicy-pumpkin-chocolate-mousse/)

Another nutrient which is miraculous during menopause is lignans, a phytonutrient that is abundant in flaxseed. The easiest way to add lignans in your diet is to consider adding a tablespoon of flaxseeds in your morning smoothie or salads.

There are also quite a few herbs that can help manage menopause symptoms and esp. hot flashes:

• Both red clover and blach cohosh have a very good concentration of isoflavones, and has scientifically proven results (Link https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25263312/) against hot flashes. These herbs have potent action and they should only be taken under the supervision of a certified herbalist or naturopath.

Finally, a relatively easy and safe solution to try at home that provides relief from hot flashes is sage tea: chop overnight 6 fresh sage leaves and boil in the juice of a lemon and one cup of water. Leave to soak overnight, drain the leaves in the morning and drink the liquid. I haven’t tried this yet so I cannot personally guarantee on the results.

It is also important to avoid alcohol, smoking and spicy foods because they aggravate hot flashes.

In parallel,

• Increase your daily exercise, aiming to work out ideally 3-4 times a week: weight bearing exercise in particular protects bone mass and therefore helps avoid osteopenia and also helps decrease hot flashes.
• Try to consume minimum 2 lts of water a day.

Hope this post has helped a bit, and remember we are all in this together!

Today I want to talk to you about another of my favourite common health habits: infrared sauna. Having done many rounds of chemotherapy and being on very heavy medication, I am particularly sensitive to the word detoxification, and I make conscious efforts to eliminate the toxins of the drugs from my body. I came across infrared sauna after my physicist recommended it to me, and thankfully I found out that it’s provided at the yoga studio I go to, which is free for members, so as you understand I was elated! I have it after almost every yoga lesson and I enjoy it very much.

What is infrared sauna?

Infrared radiation is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum radiation and has no relation to harmful ultraviolet rays. It is a natural and particularly beneficial radiation emitted by the sun. Infrared sauna uses some red lamps that emit this radiation instead of charcoal used in classic Finnish sauna to heat the atmosphere and the body. Unlike Finnish sauna where hot air from coals is what heats the body, infrared sauna’s radiation passes directly through the body and creates overheating and sweating from inside out. It is also said that infrared rays can penetrate the body up to 4 cm and directly affect vital organs. This means that this type of sauna is more tolerable as you don’t feel the burning of the hot air on your skin, so you can stay for longer in it, increasing its benefits. The desired effects are created at a lower temperature than the Finnish sauna. This type of sauna is more tolerable for people who can’t tolerate traditional sauna. Here’s some benefits of infrared sauna that are really impressive:

1. Detoxification

The skin is one of the largest organs of the human body and sweat is one of the most natural ways to eliminate toxins. Compared to the Swedish sauna, you can eliminate up to 7 times more toxins with infrared sauna. Infrared sauna also removes heavy metals such as lead and mercury that are hard to eliminate by the body.

2. Relaxation

Infrared sauna promotes relaxation by helping the body balance cortisol levels, the hormone that regulates stress. The heat from the sauna helps the muscles relax and relieve tension throughout the body, helping you relax and relieve stress.

3. Pain relief

If you suffer from muscle or joint pains, infrared sauna can reduce inflammations associated with these pains by increasing blood circulation and relaxing the muscles. Infrared sauna can reverse chronic pains and researches on patients with rheumatoid arthritis and angiotensive spondylitis have shown that it can alleviate chronic pain without side effects.

4. Weight loss

The heat generated by infrared sauna will also increase your internal temperature which can lead to a heartbeat increase, similar to that created when you exercise. Based on an article in the Journal of American Medical Association, 30 minutes in a sauna with infrared radiation leads to burning 600 calories!

5. Improved blood circulation

Based on a research, infrared sauna lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, helping to prevent high pressure and improve heart health.

6. Shinier skin

Infrared sauna can clean your skin. Removing toxins from pores and increasing blood circulation leads to a cleaner, smoother shinier skin that makes you look younger.

How to use it:

Begin with 4-minute visits at 70-80 degrees Celsius, gradually increasing your time to 15-20 minutes.

This is a new technology, and I confess that I don’t know what you can find in Greece. Whoever may have an answer, please comment on the article. However, you can also take advantage of the detoxification actions of the Finnish sauna with a 10-20-minute session at 70-80 degrees Celsius.

Alternatively, you can also buy a plastic satin shade from the Internet https://www.tapandaola.gr/product/multisauna/ and have all the above benefits right at your home, while watching your favourite series!

Contraindications and important points

If you suffer from any chronic illness, talk to your doctor first before using a sauna with infrared rays. It is not recommended for pregnant women, lactating women, haemophiliacs, sufferers of low-sweating (multiple sclerosis, central nervous system, diabetic neuropathy), those who take anticholinergic or antihistamines or those who have a cardiovascular disease. It should also be avoided during menstruation as it can increase blood flow.

Today’s post is a little different, as it’s not a cooking recipe, but a detox and relaxation recipe. It’s a ritual that I’ve recently discovered, and truly believe it’s the best I can do to treat myself and feel a little bit like a queen. While I would love to be able to go to a spa once a week, since it’s impossible both money-wise and time-wise, with this ritual I can bring the spa to my home. Generally, my illness made me think about how much time and care I devote on myself, and I decided to consciously increase those small everyday acts that nourish my body and soul. Until now I’ve been mainly focused on my diet and physical health. But as we all know, health is a multidimensional concept, and you can’t have physical wellbeing without mental wellbeing…therefore I promised myself that I’ll start to consciously devote some time in the day just for relaxation.

Relaxation isn’t just meditation and yoga, although those definitely help too, but it’s also whatever pleases our soul; it could be a walk in nature with our dog, cooking, gardening, whatever connects us to our inner being and makes us take more notice of our thoughts, sensations, emotions. And I refuse to accept TV as a form of relaxation, as it turns our focus to that stupid box instead of ourselves. TV is a distraction, not introspection.

In this document now, I’m writing this post to share with you my own relaxation ritual, which improves not only my mental but also my physical health, and ever since I started it, the quality of my life has improved, and I expect that within this week, there’ll be a moment that I’ll fill up my bathtub again.

So, my ritual is as follows;

• 5 minutes of dry brushing
• 40 minutes bath with magnesium salts and lavender oil.

 

Dry brushing: It’s the brushing of the body with a soft brush without water before taking a bath. This is how I always start my day, and I always brush before my morning shower. Why should you do this?

• It activates the body’s lymph node system and helps in the body’s detox: The lymph system is a system of vessels which gather toxins away from the body, also known as all of the body’s wastes that come from cellular functions, and toxic substances of drugs which are filtered and broken down in the liver. In contrast to the cardiovascular system, which moves via heart contractions, the lymph system is only dependant on gravity, and therefore needs a little more help to work to the max, especially with all of the toxins it has to deal with on an everyday basis. By activating your lymph system through brushing, massage or by jumping on a trampoline, you help the body detox, thus decreasing risks of inflammation which lead to chronic illnesses.
• Exfoliation: Dry brushing removes dead skin cells (which seem like dust particles when you’re brushing), which makes for the best and cheapest type of exfoliation that leaves your skin feeling as soft as a baby’s. Exfoliation is important not only for cosmetic reasons, but for your health as well; our skin is the biggest organ of our body, and it’s a basic component of toxin removal. When it’s blocked by dead skin cells, our body loses an important detoxing asset. With exfoliation, you save money and toxic substances found in peeling products and commercial hydration creams, and believe me with all of these care products is women use in the day, and with the amount of toxic substances we ingest through those products, saving up on these products is good not only for our pockets but also for our health. Ever since I started dry brushing, I completely stopped using body lotions!

It increases blood circulation and rejuvenates. This is why this is one of my favourite morning habits, and it helps my body wake up and give me energy. This is also why most experts suggest dry brushing be done in the morning rather than night.

Some other benefits of frequent dry brushing: it aids with digestion, decreases water retention, helps prevent phlebitis, corrects the appearance of cellulite and is said to help decrease cellulite scars, as exfoliation leads to the reconstruction of the epidermis.

I realise that all of these are like music to most women’s ears, but I must warn you; don’t expect any miracles. Dry brushing is just a small pebble in our physical health, wherein the bigger stones of wellbeing and beauty are healthy eating and exercise.

The only thing you’ll need to buy is a body brush (Swedish type) if you don’t have any at home already. It could be one of those brushes with long handles to help you reach your back, although I personally prefer the round brushes which are easier to grip. As for the brush hairs, they should be a little hard to be able to exfoliate, but not that hard that they scratch the skin.

As soon as you get the right brush, the rest is easy; we start brushing in circular motions, from the legs up, reaching up to the heart. In the mornings I brush for about 3-5 minutes, whilst I devote a little more time when I do my rituals’ bath.

After brushing, I like to apply a body oil, mainly because the aroma is a part of my ritual, and because the skin is already soft. My favourite body oil this season is Inner Strength from Aromatherapy Associates, (which is made from natural sage, cardamom and meadow oils), and it’s honestly the most beautiful scent I’ve ever smelled, and every time I apply it, I not only smell great, but the whole house does too. The ingredients in this oil are suggested for giving you strength, peace and positivity, and I can definitely say I feel all of these every time I exit the bath. It smells so good that I even use it as a perfume, a few drops behind my ears, at the neck and wrist, especially when I feel fatigued and need a pick-me-up.

The magnesium salt bath (Epsom salts), is another simple way to relax, but also to improve your health, through its’ unique detoxing abilities.

Epsom salts are salt beads originating form the salted springs found in the Epsom area in Surrey, England. Their uniqueness guarantees that it’s a pure conjunction of magnesium and sulphur that comes directly from nature. These two trace elements have strong health properties, by maximising the body’s detoxing abilities. Anyone that likes gardening might know that these are the same salts we use to make our plants grow faster.

More specifically, magnesium and sulphur are absorbed through the skin and enter the blood circulation. Our skin is a very porous membrane, which allows substances to both enter the body, and for toxins and waste to be expelled from it on the daily. By using something as strong as Epsom salts in water in a bathtub, a double osmosis procedure occurs, wherein toxins are removed from the body, whilst magnesium and sulphur enter it.

Thus, one of the biggest Epsom bath salt benefits, is that they re-fill the body’s magnesium storages, without any dietary intervention, and all of us have benefits to gain from a little more magnesium in our body. Magnesium helps with over 325 enzymatic procedures in the body, decreases inflammation, and improves blood flow and cellular oxygenation. Undoubtedly though, magnesium’s most important function, is muscle relaxation. This is why magnesium salts are indicated for relaxation after training or after a tiring day, and an iced magnesium salt bath is the best for relaxation for marathon runners. For the very same reason, it’s also indicated to people suffering from insomnia, and I promise you, taking an Epsom salts bath before bed, will relax you so much that you’ll sleep tight in no-time. Sulphuric substances are also necessary structural substances for the health of joints, skin, and nervous tissue. Epsom salt baths restock the body’s sulphur and magnesium stocks. The combination therefore these two ingredients, helps to remove toxins from the body, and to form new protein compounds in the brain and joint tissues.

Frequent use of Epsom salts has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of many health issues, from limb fungi infections and gout, to twisting of ankles, bruising, muscle cramps, and intense muscle tears. They also aid in bettering blood circulation, and decrease inflammation, thus protecting the elasticity of arteries. Healthy arteries mean a decreased risk of thrombus formation, atherosclerotic plaque formation, and generally of formation of cardiovascular diseases. Both magnesium and sulphur improve the body’s ability to produce and use insulin. Therefore, Epsom salts can help regulate sugar levels in the blood, decreasing the risk of diabetes, and improving our energy levels throughout the day. Magnesium can also help with constipation. Lastly, Epsom salts are indicated for anyone suffering from chronic pain or chronic illnesses.

Epsom salt baths are contraindicated in pregnant women, in people with severe dehydration or open wounds or burns in the body, and to those suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

To make an Epsom salt bath: Be prepared to dedicate at least 40 minutes to your bath, as you need about 20 minutes to remove toxins from the body, and another 20 for the salts to enter your body. I personally prefer to fill the bathtub with warm water, and then add about a handful of Epsom salts and a few drops of lavender oils, as it helps me relax more. I recently noticed that Apivita has produced a new rose oil which is on my list, as it sounds ideal for my bath. Just make sure to be cautious and choose an organic, good quality natural oil, since you don’t want your body to ingest toxins and chemicals. If you don’t feel like taking a bath, you can fill a big bowl with water and salts, and only dip in your legs. Also, beware not to add any soaps in your bath, as it might affect the work of the trace elements and their detoxing abilities. I try to take such baths about 3-4 times a week, even if they don’t all last for 40 minutes. I do however try to take at least one 40 minute bath, so I can fully take in the benefits of the salts.

As for the dry brushing, it’s now my go-to tactic every morning before a shower, and it’s definitely something I do when I take my relaxing bath.

How are we doing after a week without sugar? If I remember correctly, after the first week I had intense withdrawal symptoms, so I’m warning you that this might be a hard week to come. This is why I’m making this post with a few tricks to trick our body (bio hacks) and decrease the cravings for sugar and the withdrawal symptoms.

 

Make protein your ally: Make sure to eat meals that contain a lot of protein, to balance out the levels of sugar in the blood, and thus decrease sugar cravings. A good idea for a breakfast is some yoghurt or an omelette, or a vegetable smoothie with some plant-based milk in which you can add a tbsp of peanut butter or almond butter, or a tbsp of protein powder (I prefer whey powder). Eggs, yoghurt, nuts, are all good sources of protein, and should become your best friends this month. For lunch, a good idea is fish, or if you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, legumes (black beans, lentils), quinoa or peas. Another idea is to make hummus (grounded chickpeas), and store it so you can have some as a side with your meal, or even add it into your salads. If you’re a pasta fan, then you can try some noodles made out of buckwheat, which have more protein, and you avoid carbohydrates by all means, since they’re turned into glucose in your blood (another form of sugar), and will definitely make your cravings more intense in the evening.

Consume good fats: Our body burns either sugar or fats for energy. If it can’t find sugar, it will start to burn fats, which is great since this isn’t only going to lead to weight loss, but also will make your body use other sources of energy, making you crave sugar less and less. Start eating more avocado, nuts, and coconut oil, which are all considered to be good sources of healthy fats.

Get full on plant fibres: Plant fibres help you feel satiety for longer, and decrease symptoms of candida. Candida is a fungus which many of us might have in our guts without knowing, that feeds off of sugar, and therefore makes us crave more sweets. So, don’t forget to have your 8 portions of vegetables per day! This will also help with the sugar cravings.

Choose sour foods and foods that contain probiotics: Foods like yoghurt, kefir, kale or Korean kimchi, contain good bacteria that help fight against candida, and therefore fight our sugar-dependence. I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve read that probiotics are the best way to fight against sugar cravings in just 4-5 days. Alternatively, even though it might not be as effective, try out sour tastes. Try adding some apple vinegar in your salad at lunch, or a slice of lemon in your water, to decrease the cravings for sugar.

Maintain your saccharide levels in balance by eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, rather than 3 full meals, so that you can avoid big fluctuations in your energy levels. Try an evening snack before dinner (perhaps an avocado with some kale, or some yoghurt with almonds).

Increase your serotonin levels: Serotonin is the hormone of happiness. When you have low serotonin levels, it’s more likely that you’ll crave sweets, as they act in a similar way by boosting your dopamine levels, a neurotransmitter that gives us pleasure. You can boost your serotonin with exercise and a stable sleep schedule. Sleep is very important, and believe me, if you haven’t slept well, then the chances of you giving in to sugar rise significantly.

Trick your cravings with water: Every time you feel like eating something sweet, drink a glass of water first. Very often we feel like we want something sweet, when in fact it’s just our body which is dehydrated and craves water. Yes, yes, I know that chocolate isn’t the same as water, but it’s worth a try.

Use exercise or meditation to get over your cravings: Try getting some exercise or yoga the moment you feel like you’re beginning to crave something sweet. Direct your brain power and energy to something else the moment you crave sweets, until you stop thinking about them.

Cinnamon for saccharide balance: Cinnamon is well-known for its ability to maintain saccharide levels in the blood in balance, as it contains substances that help the actions of insulin, and allows our cells   to use glucose more effectively. It also decreases the rate of gastric secretions, thus decreasing the glycaemic load of the foods we’ve consumed. Add a quarter of a tsp of cinnamon in your coffee or tea, or anywhere else you’d like.

Choose a natural sweetener, but within limits: When your cravings reach an all time high, eat a fruit with low glycaemic index (e.g. blueberries, raspberries etc). Also, try using stevia in your coffee. The great danger of natural sweeteners, is to treat them like they’re completely harmless, which leads to overconsumption of them during our detox, and the replacement of sugar with these sweeteners, without stopping our sweet cravings. Whilst exchanging processed sugar for natural sweeteners is a positive thing, this month is about detoxing from sweets, and by letting our body depend on sweets again, then we’re back to square one.

And of course, ERF. Eat Real Food and avoid processed, pre-packaged foods as much as you can (beware of: ketchup, cereal bars, flavoured yoghurts, ready sauces and meals, and ‘diet’ foods such as dark chocolate), which contain hidden sugar.

 

My favourite quick fixes for when I immensely crave sugar:

• A tsp of coconut oil with some cocoa: Honestly, try this when you’re desperately craving sugar, and you’ll be surprised! Coconut oil is a triglyceride of middle chains (MCT), which goes directly to the liver and is used as a source of energy, just like sugar and simple carbohydrates. Therefore, it’s a quick source of energy for the body, but coconut oil doesn’t lead to large fluctuations of saccharide levels like sugar and carbohydrates do. This means that after a while, your energy levels won’t drop and make you crave more sugar. Raw cocoa doesn’t offer much, except for some flavour.
• An apple with some almond butter and cinnamon. This hack I had forgotten about until a friend reminded me of it in our Sugar Free February support group. As you understand, this simple solution ticks most of the above-mentioned boxes: The apple acts as a natural sweetener to sate your sweet cravings, with some cinnamon to help maintain stable saccharide levels, and a generous heap of good fats and protein from the almond butter.

 

Good luck to all of you, and for any questions you might have, don’t forget about the support group!