One of my patients asked me this question recently after reading my blog entry about whether pregnant women should eat fish. I love fish – low in saturated fats and high in omega 3 fatty acids, it’s a great source of heart-healthy protein. I grew up on the coast and as a child was lucky enough to be able to eat beautiful fresh fish. So no-one is more disappointed than me that so many fish are too contaminated to be safe. However the health benefits outweigh the concerns for me and I do still eat fish. I’m just very careful about the kinds of fish I eat. Recently whilst surfing the net I came across these handy downloadable guides which tell you which fish are safe in your region. What a good idea!

So what is mercury and how does it get into the fish? Mercury is an element that occurs naturally in soil, lakes and oceans. Although some mercury is natural, mercury is also released into the environment from man-made sources. These include power plants that burn coal as well as waste incinerators, paper processing factories, mines and smelting operations. The mercury gets into the air as pollution and then goes into the water when it rains. Surface run off can also dump mercury into our lakes and oceans. Once there it settles at the bottom of the ocean where it is converted into methyl mercury by bacteria. It is this methyl mercury that is more toxic unfortunately. Fish absorb the methyl mercury in two ways, both as food and in the water as it passes through their gills. The mercury then binds to proteins in the muscles of the fish.

All fish contain some mercury and there is no way of cleaning the fish that avoids this. The amount of mercury accumulates as you move up the food chain so the bigger, more predatory fish contain much more. There was a 163% increase in mercury advisories issued by the EPA between 1993 – 2003 so its not hard to see that the amount of mercury in fish is going up.

Taking in too much methyl mercury can cause some serious health problems. When we eat fish it is absorbed through the intestines and spreads throughout our bodies. It enters the brain in the blood stream and can effect the nervous system. It can also cross the placenta to effect an unborn child or be passed through breast milk to an infant. There are still many fish that are safe to eat so download your guides and keep them in your purse to help you make good choices for you and your family.

Photographs
© Willem Dijkstra | Dreamstime.com
© Yvonne Bogdanski | Dreamstime.com

Welcome to week two of our cleanse. Jane and I are beginning to feel pretty good. How are you doing?

Hopefully your intestines are working well after our week-long colon cleanse. This week we’ll continue to support the ability to eliminate by taking the colon cleansing herbs and we’ll add in some herbs to support and cleanse the liver and gall bladder. You will continue to take these herbs for the next three weeks because good liver function, like a healthy colon, is essential to a successful cleanse. Also this week you will take four formulas aimed at eliminating parasites and replenishing friendly bacteria

From your kit you will need the following :-

• The Digestive Stimulator™ – You will continue to take this intestine support formula in the dosage that you have established gives you 1 – 3 formed but soft bowel movements per day.
• The Toxin Absorber™ – You will continue to take this colon cleansing formula
• Liver & Gallbladder Rejuvenator™ – To clean and protect these organs which play a crucial role in detoxification
• Large Para Cleanser 1 & 2™ and Small Para Cleanser™ – Which work together to eliminate parasites
• Friendly Bacteria Replenisher™ – To recolonize the intestines with friendly fauna
• Toxin Neutralizer™ – To help prevent newly released toxins from damaging healthy cells.

Please refer to the instructions in the booklet that comes with your kit to get information about dosage and timing.

Food

If you have been following a liquid diet during the first week of the cleanse now is the time to reintroduce solid foods.

Avoid the following foods

• Meat
• Dairy products
• Fried foods
• Processed sugars
• Processed foods
• Coffee
• Alcohol

Instead eat predominantly organic fruits and veggies and whole foods and remember to drink plenty of water. If weight loss is a goal you should restrict but not eliminate carbohydrates. Otherwise choose organic whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa.

Some recipes that we have enjoyed this week include

• This wild seaweed salad from 101 Cookbooks
• Avocado salad with ginger miso dressing from the Mayo Clinic
• Roasted Cauliflower Soup from the blog Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
• Grilled Romaine Salad from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
• Quinoa and Spinach soup from the blog Hello Veggie
• Kale Soup from the blog Hello Veggie

A Helpful Qi Gong Exercise to Benefit the Liver

Sit comfortably in a chair or in a more meditative position. Focus on your breathing.
Place both of your hands over your liver which is located on the right side of the body under the rib cage.
Exhale as you tap the liver 5 times. Imagine releasing letting go of sludge, heat and heaviness as you tap. Consciously let go of any feelings of anger or frustration.
Inhale and visualize cool, green energy flooding through your liver. Let this energy fill you with peace and compassion.
Repeat this inhale and exhale 10 times every morning and evening this week.

Continue to follow our YinOva recommendations to support your cleanse

• Start each day with a cup of hot water with lemon in it.
• Eat three small meals and two snacks a day.
• Take some time each day to do deep breathing, meditation, gentle stretching or yoga
• Get at least 8 hours sleep each night
• In the shower brush your skin with a loofah, skin brush or Japanese skin cloth
• Drink one 8 oz glass of water or cup of herbal tea an hour. Explore a variety of herbal teas. Green tea is nice first thing in the morning and chamomile tea is relaxing before bed.
• Eat small portions and stop eating when you are satisfied.
• Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly
• Have a weekly acupuncture treatment to encourage detoxification and to deal with any symptoms that may arise
• Once a week place a castor oil pack over your liver. Rub castor oil over your liver on your right side of your upper abdomen from the mid-line out under your ribcage. Place an old towel over the caster oil and put a hot pack over the area and leave it there for 30 – 40 minutes whilst you relax.
• Reiki can be helpful especially if you find that your cleansing process involves processing negative emotions.
• Try to walk for at least 30 minutes a day

Thank you to all of you have emailed to share your experiences and recipes. As you begin to cleanse your liver you may notice that you experience some negative emotions. There is no explanation for this in Western medicine but in Eastern medicine the liver can become constrained by repressing emotions so it follows that de-sludging your liver may free some emotions that you have pushed down. To help these feelings move though you try moving your body. Go for a brisk walk or a jog or arrange to have a massage or a reiki treatment.

Next week we will be focusing on the kidneys, bladder and lungs whilst continuing with the progress we have made supporting our intestines, liver and gall bladder.

All herbs in our YinOva Cleanse are supplied by Blessed Herbs. We sell the kits at The YinOva Center or you can buy them directly from the manufacturer.

Please check with your doctor or health care provider to make sure that you are healthy enough to spend a month on a restricted diet. Do not take herbs, vitamins, recreational drugs or over the counter medication whilst you are cleansing. If you are taking prescribed medications please ask your prescribing physician for advice about combining them with this cleanse. The instruction book that accompanies your kit has information about the way in which the cleansing herbs can interact with certain prescribed medications.

Do NOT cleanse :-

• If you are pregnant (if you discover you are pregnant whilst cleansing, please discontinue with the cleanse)
• If you have an active, acute infection
• If you are weak or debilitated
• If you are about to undergo or are recovering from surgery
• If you are suffering from the following GI problems – diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal infection, bowel obstruction, inflammation of the GI tract, abnormal narrowing of the esophagus or intestines, difficulty swallowing.

Photograph

© Noah Rubinstein

Gung Hay Fat Choy.

Happy New Year for those of you that are on a lunar calender. Chinese New Year marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is a time when families get together, put aside disagreements, honor their ancestors and thank the gods for their blessings. People rush to pay off debts before the old year ends and wear new clothes to signify a new beginning. The color red features prominently in decorations and clothing because it is thought to bring good luck and happiness.

In Chinese astrology each year is assigned an animal and an element. There are 12 animals and 5 elements and that means that a specific sign only comes round once every 60 years. This upcoming year will be an Earth Ox year. Although Ox years can sometimes have the energy of a rampaging bull this particular one is tempered by the solid, grounded earth element. Ox years are said to bring prosperity to those who work hard and persevere. The people who thrive in an ox year are those that stay steady and forge ahead with fortitude. This is not the year for get-rich-quick schemes or risky ventures. The addition of the earth element reinforces the sense that prosperity may come from sustained effort.

The last Earth Ox year was in 1949 – 1950. Interestingly the world experienced a recession in the previous year and began to recover as the Earth Ox took over and lent its air of somber diligence and good planning. So Chinese astrologers are predicting that this year will not offer much to those seeking a quick fix but instead favor people (and countries) that are prepared to plan, work hard, act with integrity, stay steady and take a long term view. Astrologers say that there isn’t enough fire in the chart to predict financial good fortune, but that the Earth Ox can bring prosperity and successful financial dealings to those who are sincere, tenacious and show good judgment. Here’s hoping!

If you are expecting a little Ox this year, you are in for a treat. Earth Oxes are some of the most reliable and diligent people in the Chinese zodiac. Although Oxes can be stubborn and bad tempered, the earth element balances out this tendency resulting in people who show good judgment and are loyal and compassionate. Oxes believe in hard work and have a strong code of ethics. They usually enjoy good health and are strong and robust although they can suffer from bone and joint problems. Traditional and conventional the Ox prefers to be at home with family and friends. Ox children can be quiet and shy but are also resourceful, hard working and able to entertain themselves. They don’t enjoy being asked to step outside their comfort zone but they do enjoy both sporting and creative pursuits.

Examples of famous Oxes include President Barak Obama (1961), former President Richard Nixon (1913), former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (1925), Princess Diana (1961), and Hollywood actors George Clooney (1961) Meryl Streep (1949), Jane Fonda (1937) and Richard Gere (1949).

Happy Niu (Ox) Year

Jill

Photographs
© Stuart Corlett | Dreamstime.com
© Andrey Zyk | Dreamstime.com

Levitating Monkey is a blog that explores topics related to wellness, holistic living and environmentalism. One of its publishers Anjula Duggal was kind enough to contact me a couple of weeks ago to ask a few questions. You can read the resulting interview here.

Read: Levitating Monkey

“When women consult me about getting pregnant my first task is to reconnect them with their reproductive cycle” says Jill, “I teach them how to recognize their most fertile period and give diet and lifestyle advice. From there I begin to help them improve their general health…”