January 2015
I’m so often asked my opinion on the different diets around today. Which one is BEST! I hesitate to comment on this, as there is rarely a more contentious or personal issue that pushes people buttons. It’s akin to discussing politics, planned parent hood, boat people, controlled crying versus attachment parenting, vaccinations, same sex marriage or surrogate mothers. Many people have strong opinions and feel that what works for them is the only way.
[private]When I’m asked in person, I’m happy to discuss it. In clinic with a client is one of these times. In that private space my client has the chance to ask anything and everything they want, and get my personal perspective or opinion on it. However, posting on social media is fraught with danger. You can’t please all the people all the time, nor am I trying to. I simply don’t believe there is one universal diet that is suitable for everyone. There are too many factors to consider in each of our lives for it to be so simple.
Some of you will remember a time when the only way to lose weight was to go to Weight Watchers, and then it was Gloria Marshall. (I suffered through both of these in my teens and let me tell you – they were anything but healthy.) Around the same time The Pritikin Diet was all the rage. Nathan Pritikin stressed that it was ‘fat’ that was making us fat. So out went fat. All of it. I remember many people looking very dry – skin, hair, eyes and mind. He also said ‘no salt’. Can you imagine how boring life would be without olive and coconut oil, avocado’s nuts and seeds and Himalayan salt? Yeah sure, it’s ok when you’re cleansing – but all the time. No thanks.
Not long after the low- fat disaster of a diet was the Fit For Life diet. This diet was into food combining, so that meant no protein and carb’s in the same meal, and only fruit before midday. (I did this one is my early 20’s, and I actually lost a bit of weight, and kept it off – but that was because this is when I stopped eating white rice.) The Atkins Diet followed and this was huge, as you’d probably remember. A bit like what is happening now with the Paleo Diet. Every celeb’ losing weight was doing it. I never tried this one as they recommended eating more meat, meat, meat, and no carbohydrates. This of course meant no grains or high carb’ seeds like quinoa, but it also meant no high carb’ veggies and fruit – bananas, corn, peas, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beetroot. This is when many of us realised there were carbs in fruit and veg’, so out they went too. Devotes of the Atkins Diet were eating bacon and eggs daily for brekky. I was so horrified by this diet, but of course dieters were so pleased as they were losing weight. They were losing weight because they cut bread and white rice out of their diet, and in many cases replaced it with clogged arteries and diabetes.
Atkins got it half right – loose the refined carbs. Then came Sandra Cabot with her Liver Cleansing Diet. At last someone was starting to make sense, and goodness knows we were in need of it after all of this yo-yoing and extra meat. We now knew what our liver was for (besides processing alcohol) and understood the importance of cleansing it. Detoxing was the new black.
Then along came the biggest thing since sliced bread – The Gluten Free Diet. I was the first ambassador for ‘The Gluten Free Show’ – it was a popular event. I remember being there for all of 5 minutes when I realized what was going on, and again – horrified. Food manufacturers had got on the bandwagon, of course. They realized if they called something ‘gluten-free’ then most people would think it was healthy. Sales skyrocketed. Everything from chicken to sausages to lollies were now healthy – because they were gluten free. Even things that would never have had gluten in them, like a whole chicken. The list of ingredients on some of these packaged foods was as long as the box, most with very long names and lots of numbers. Thank goodness we quickly caught on to this and realized that no, processed gluten free biscuits and ice cream were not in fact healthy. Yes gluten is very difficult to digest and yes-modern wheat is not the same as it once was, but gluten is not our biggest problem. (It’s one of them but not the only one. Folic acid is likely to be a much bigger problem than gluten ever was.) Not withstanding a few other trends along the way such as The Cabbage Soup (or any soup) diet, or the green smoothie craze – here we are in present day. We’re now devotees of the Fodmap, Paleo, High fat/low carb diets, and a couple of others.
I do feel the need to comment on the increasing popularity of the Paleo diet. The suggestion we eat more animal protein and less plant protein is just so backward. I care for our planet and do whatever I can to help it thrive. I don’t use chemicals in my cosmetics or cleaning products, and I mostly buy recycled/vintage fashion if I need something new. I watch my water usage; I eat mostly an organic or at least spray- free, GMO and palm oil-free, vegan diet, and try to be plastic-free. I use api-wraps https://www.facebook.com/apiwraps instead of glad wrap and I re-use bags (if I have them), bottles and gift-wrapping. I take empty egg cartons, seedling containers, kefir and jamu bottles back to the lovely folk who I got them from at the market each Friday. I compost, recycle, shop only if I need something (on line usually), I am conscious of not wasting anything, and I never go to a supermarket. There’s no need. So why would anyone who cares about their health or the health of our planet start eating more animals and less plant food? I just don’t get it.
(At Christmas time my true eco-conscious personality is in full bloom – and this is different from being stingy. I am often accused of being over generous, so this is more about unnecessary waste being created by too many Christmas presents, brand new, coloured, wrapping paper getting used once then chucked out and too much food being wasted. One of the most fun things about Christmas leftovers for me is using them up in a creative way. Get the picture? Waste and other unsustainable practices really challenge my nature.)
As some of you would know from seeing my FB posts, I recently watched a new doco’ called ‘Cowspiracy’. In this wonderful film, an expert on agriculture suggests that one cannot truly call him or herself an environmentalist if they eat animals. I see his point and I agree, but I think it’s going to be a long time, (or a forced situation) if we ever see humans stop eating animals altogether. Sure, the planet can’t sustain the amount we eat now, let alone increase it. The chemicals used, the GMO crops grown for feed (mainly soy), the land clearing involved, the water-intensive grains grown for feed, the some 90% of antibiotics manufactured on this planet given to ‘feed’ animals, the 51% of green house gas emissions that result from agriculture – we just cant sustain this practice.
As I said, I completely agree that we need to stop, or at least reduce eating animals, but I promise you, there is usually a greatly charged and divisive response to making that statement. Even Al Gore in ‘An Inconvenient truth’ didn’t touch on the fact that agriculture creates more green house gases than all forms of transportation combined – planes, trains, automobiles etc, which come to about 13-18%. So really what is the point of having short showers, eating locally grown food and being an ardent recycler when the most environmentally destructive practice on the planet is eating animals and their products?
If this is indeed true, I can’t help but wonder why it’s such a taboo subject. Why is no one talking about it, apart from Kip Anderson who made “Cowspiracy’? There was a time when we didn’t discuss the abuse of children either, and look how that turned out. The current hot topics in the media usually have something to do with food, sex, politicians, celebrities, corruption, terrorists or personal security – but not the environment. But isn’t climate- change potentially our biggest threat? A lot of highly respected scientists seem to think so. This is something that has the ability to wipe out the entire human race, and many other species sharing the earth.
It’s surprising just how often I’m asked about a particular diet trend in an interview. It never used to be like this. Weight loss was always a hot topic but now it’s getting out of control. I realise most people are confused and want to hear the opinion of a qualified and experienced nutritionist, and I’m happy to oblige, but honestly the barrage that follows makes me cautious, plus I know other ‘experts’ are being asked the same question, and I know will have wildly differing opinions, adding to the confusion. Plus, I’m not so sure about the opinion of some of the other ‘experts’ they are asking.
Which is better – for everyone? The ‘high fat/ low carb diet’, or Paleo, Fodmap, vego’, vegan, dairy free, gluten free, fruit-free, grain free, sugar free, or a special and unique combo of them all. Bulletproof coffee with the grass fed ghee? Really? Oh dear!
The airlines only let you choose one special meal option on long haul flights, so if you want gluten free/low carb/vegan, which would be my preference, you can forget about it. I choose vegan but then you’ll usually get pasta with tomato sauce. I mostly take my own food but on long haul return flights this is practically more difficult, so sometimes I just have to throw caution to the wind, and I pay for it for days afterwards.
I (usually) try to practice being a flexitarian once I’m out of the safety of my home, otherwise it’s just too hard, on everyone. Last night I went to a local Japanese restaurant. What was I to have? I don’t want to eat tofu in a restaurant as it would be GMO tofu; the seafood would be imported and/or farmed (they would say so on the menu if it was line and pole caught – locally or not), and the veggie tempura was out due to the oil it would be fried in – either palm or ‘vegetable’ (GMO) oil. Edamame you ask – GMO soybeans! There was no brown rice on offer and white rice isn’t my thing. So, I had to be open to letting go, (I don’t eat out very often which is sad because it used to be one of my favourite experiences.)
Luckily they had a buckwheat and tofu salad on the menu so we shared that (minus the tofu) and the tempura vegies. I know that some of you reading this Blog have sensitive guts like mine, or deal with patients who have – so you can empathize or sympathize when I tell you that I was so sick after dinner that I had to lie down until my gut let me go to bed. I guess it was the wheat flour on the tempura, and the refined oil it was cooked in, and perhaps there were preservatives, additives and MSG (remember when we thought this was the only issue in our food?) in the salad dressing and dipping sauce. Today I woke up like I was hung-over – plus a bit cranky. One unhappy liver.
I wish I wasn’t so sensitive to food. It’s a drag sometimes, but I am and I have been for my entire life. I recently blogged about discovering I had the MTHFR gene mutation, and knowing this has explained a lot about my health. (See previous Blog about what’s involved. Basically a liver that doesn’t detox efficiently) I have been treating this (correctly) for almost 3 months now and am feeling better, but my improved wellbeing has also coincided with a slower time and less demands over the Christmas break. I haven’t taken a flight for just over a month (until today) and I’ve been ocean swimming, gardening, being social and well – practicing stillness. I feel great. What a wonderful thing that is.
I have said this before but it needs to be repeated – food is but ONE part of wellbeing – not the only part. Our emotional bodies have a lot to do with it. Health plus happiness = Wellbeing.
Many celebrities are talking nutrition these days, and many of these have no or little formal education in natural therapies, nor have ever actually practiced natural health – in a clinic or at least a health food store. After over 15 years of practice, I am certain you can’t buy what experience gives you. No wonder we’re all so confused – everyone is claiming to be is an expert these days and know exactly what is right for each of us.
The thing is, and what I have seen over and over, is that we are all so very different. Plus, our nutritional needs change throughout our lives. For example, as children we are in growth phase, so we require more nutrients especially protein for growth. Then, in our 20’s right through to our winter years we don’t require as much protein, as we’re not growing (hopefully). When out muscles begin to start wasting and breaking down in our much later years then we will require more protein. And not necessarily meat sources, actually preferably not as our digestive capabilities are drastically reduced then.
Furthermore, if something is consistently not agreeing with you, by all means take it out of your diet for a few days or weeks, do what’s necessary to strengthen your GUT, and then reintroduce it. It may be that you were eating too much of it and you’re body was screaming out for a break from it, or your gut was not happy for emotional reasons, or that particular food was simply not real food. There are situations when you won’t be able to reintroduce a particular food, and that’s when there is an allergy present, (or it’s not real food) but in the majority of cases once you have healed your gut you’ll be able to eat anything – sometimes.
FebFast is a good example of the result of overdoing it. FebFast is about abstaining from alcohol throughout February. This is probably such a popular campaign as many people over-indulge in alcohol over the festive season, and yes the poor old body (and liver) needs a break. So, take one, then in most cases – drink in moderation after that. It goes for sugar, meat, dairy, coffee and grains also – eat les of them and you’ll likely not have a problem when you do. As I’ve blogged about before – if you deprive yourself you will binge. Moderation is usually the key.
There are also times in one’s life when there are a lot more demands on us – sometimes on many levels. The end of a relationship is a common one, miscarriage, death of a loved one, birth, financial worries, pregnancy, grief, exam time, being a teenager, deciding to live a 100% authentic life, heightened concern for your children, anger and so on. During these times you will find that your digestion won’t be functioning as well as it could. These are times when you will need to adjust your diet accordingly as the more difficult to digest foods will need to be reduced or even eliminated. The likely culprits are grains, especially whole grains, cow’s dairy, red meat and legumes and lentils. Stick to a diet of cooked or pureed plant food. Use hemp seeds and nut meals or butters as an easy to digest and sustainable source of protein and other good oils like olive, coconut, macadamia and avocado will help you to digest your food. Remember you’re in the fight or flight response during times of stress so you GIT will constrict or tighten making it very difficult for food to go down let alone to assimilate. So give your body a hand during these times and include food that is either pre-digested, in the form of fermented or sprouted foods, and/or cook or puree it well.
Also try to be very aware of practicing ‘mindful eating’ when you’re digestion has decreased function. Chew lots! This is going to be extra difficult now, as you’ll likely be anxious and worried so you’ll tend to rush your food. This is going to make everything worse. If this were the case, then you’d be better off deciding to have only veggie juices, broths, purees and well cooked veggies now. You can supplement your diet with a green protein powder like Lifestream’s ‘Essential Greens’, or spirulina (Lifestream do a nice spirulina that actually tastes ok – ‘Lifestream Blue’). You’ll also need to take a good ‘practitioner-only’ probiotic, as your good gut bacteria will likely be struggling.
Generally we want to be eating a mostly plant based diet – mostly veggies, with some fruit and protein. Plant protein can come in the form of nuts, seeds, quinoa, legumes, lentils, hemp, spirulina and organic tofu and tempeh. If you have trouble digesting some of these things then sprout and/or ferment them first. This removes the phytic acid present in these foods that make them hard to digest. ‘Quasi’ grains are ok also. These are quinoa (please buy it sustainably grown), amaranth and buckwheat. Brown rice, spelt, oats and other grains are good sources of nutrients also provided you’re not under excess stress, (otherwise they won’t digest and then they’ll ferment in your gut creating myriad of problems.) Again, soaking or sprouting them first will increase their bioavailability and digestibility.
Many of us will never give up eating some meat, some of the time; when it comes to environmental and health issues – that’s ok. Less is better than more. Just be sure to buy the best quality you can afford – which will likely mean you’ll eat it less. Avoid listening to everybody’s 2 cents worth; opinions on what’s right for you. Listen to what others are saying then try it for yourself. And remember that sometimes a certain way of eating will be right for a day, week, month, or a year – and then it won’t be. We are changing all the time, so listen to your own body, as it is speaking to you very loudly. If you’re not listening then your symptoms will get worse until you do.
A quote by David Henry Thoreau seems relevant here. One of my favourites, and on the inside cover of my 3rd book Janella’s Wholefood Kitchen –
Live each season as it passes
Breathe the air
Drink the drink
Taste the fruit, and
And resign yourself to the influences of each
In love and continued wellbeing,
Janella[\private]
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Antioxidants are a generic term that describes the mopping up of free radicals (the bad guys) in your body – by increasing oxygenation.
Modern food far from existing in its original state, the stress of living in today’s world, strenuous exercise, sun exposure, pollution, chemicals used to grow our food and make our cosmetics, computers, TV’s and carpets, smoking, and bacterial infections can all cause a rise in free radicals to dangerous levels. This results in damage at a cellular level resulting in premature ageing like wrinkles, bad skin, black rings under the eyes and sometimes, serious illnesses such as cancer.
Many antioxidants are vitamins like C and E, but Carotenoids are the most powerful anti oxidants known. Along with chlorophyll, carotenoids are what give plants their colour. The most powerful carotenoid is Astaxanthin (blue-green algae), and the next is Beta Carotene, of which Spirulina is the richest known natural source. There are other foods high in different antioxidants. This is where you’ll find lots of them –
Astaxanthin
This little known carotenoid is now believed to be the most powerful antioxidant by far. There are only two natural sources of natural astaxanthin—the micro-algae that produce it, and the sea creatures that consume the algae (such as salmon, shellfish, and krill). Astaxanthin is 65 times more powerful than vitamin C, 54 times more powerful than beta-carotene, 550 times more powerful than Vitamin E. No adverse reactions at all have been found for people taking Astaxanthin. It’s perfectly safe. You’ll find astaxanthin in supplement form on line.
You may have heard of astaxanthin before. The synthetic version made in a laboratory is commonly used worldwide to give farmed fish, especially salmon, its pinkish red colour. You really do want to avoid man-made astaxanthin as it’s made from petrochemicals, which makes it a toxic hormone disruptor.
Cacao
According to a study in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry” published in 2003, researchers compared the antioxidant capacity of black tea, green tea, red wine and cocoa, concluding that cocoa has the highest antioxidant activity among the four products and the greatest potential for health benefits.
Garlic and its juice
Garlic is one of the best medicines in the world. It has natural ‘germanium’ and is anti-fungal and antibacterial (just to name a few of its actions). If you’re cooking your garlic, crush it up and let it sit for ten minutes before adding it to your recipe. It has to sit so that the enzymes can create the healing phyto-chemicals we need.
Dried Fruit
Goji berries have an enormous amount of antioxidants, yet dried Pomegranate seeds, (also expensive) have almost double the amount. And then comes dried Indian Gooseberries that have around 10 times more than Goji berries.
Green Super-Foods
Spirulina, chlorella and barley grass are chock full of minerals and enzymes. The enzymes are both anti-mycotoxin (mycotoxins are released by yeast/fungal infections) and antioxidants.
Matcha
This premium green tea powder from Japan is used for drinking as tea, or to use as a vibrant, green ingredient in recipes. Other green teas are grown throughout the world, but Matcha is unique to Japan. One cup of Matcha contains as much as 10 times the antioxidants of one cups of brewed green tea.
Quercetin
An antioxidant belonging to a class of water-soluble plant substances called flavonoids. Some research has shown quercetin-rich foods, such as apples, berries, red grapes, red onions, capers and black tea, are ‘natural antihistamines’ as they prevent histamine release. Quercetin is also available in supplement form.
Selenium
Sources include wheat germ, garlic, Brazil nuts, eggs and brown rice. Brazil nuts are perhaps the best source of this important mineral, and eating just 3-4 Brazil nuts per day may provide adequate intake for most people to maintain levels. Although, a supplement may be necessary if levels are low.
Vitamin A
Is found in dark green leafy veggies such as kale, rocket, baby spinach and all your Asian greens and any fruit or veg’ that is green, yellow, red or green in colour – so pumpkin, carrots, capsicum and broccoli, and spirulina has an enormous amount.
Vitamin C
This vitamin has long been known to battle the effects of ageing and disease. Like Vitamin E, Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant so it will help to reduce free radicals. Most fruits especially guava and paw paw are good sources of Vitamin C as are vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, Brussels’ sprouts and cucumber. Goji berries, Gubinge and Camu Camu have more Vitamin C per weight than most other foods on earth.
Vitamin D
Different from other vitamins because our bodies can make most of what we need with exposure to sunlight, unlike having to get it from our diet. In fact most foods aren’t great sources of vitamin D, and there are only a small amount to choose from. The best sources are cod liver oil, sardines, wild Alaskan salmon, mackerel and mushrooms. Sunlight is the best way to get your Vitamin D as it promotes this vitamin’s synthesis from cholesterol in the skin.10-15 minutes a day is enough, and allowing the sun to shine on as much of you body as you can is the way to go.
Vitamin E
Found in olives, nuts and seeds oils, wheat germ and leafy greens.
Zinc
Good sources are oysters, organic red meat, wheat germ, miso, pumpkin seeds, alfalfa, sardines, legumes, mushrooms, pecans, organic soybeans, sunflower seeds and whole grains.
Herbs + Spices
Extremely high in antioxidants, in fact at least 10 times higher than the foods above per weight, and the herbs and spices below are in a class of their own when it comes to antioxidants. Add these foods to your meals but you can also use them as essential oils and some of them as herbal tinctures. Look for 100 percent pure (therapeutic grade) oils, which are highest in antioxidants, and organic or at least wild-crafted herbal medicine. From the highest are cloves, cinnamon, rosemary, oregano, turmeric, cumin, parsley (dried), basil, ginger and thyme
Many of us are now aware that some things are better for our microbiota than others, and to varying degrees. Antibiotics and laxatives, as well as medications against fever and pain, contraceptive hormones (The Pill), or those to alleviate menopausal symptoms all negatively affect gut flora composition. Antibiotics when prescribed responsibly are obviously life saving. They have saved countless lives and wiped out many diseases. But, there’s a price to pay for everything, and in this case the over- use of antibiotics has gotten us into some serious strife.
These days however, it’s pretty hard to avoid them. Even if you’re a raw food vegan who’s never sick, you’re still likely to be exposed to antibiotics. 80% of the antibiotics manufactured world wide are for animals for food, so we’re constantly being exposed to antibiotics, every time we eat or drink, as the manure your veggies are grown with comes from animals that have been fed antibiotics. Antibiotics are in our food and in our water.
Studies are showing that small amounts of antibiotics given regularly, is a whole lot worse than one big hit when you’re sick and you actually need them. Antibiotics are not meant for prevention, but it is a billion dollar industry, so making changes to the system is, well, tricky.
It’s encouraging to see that more and more conscious farmers are using herbs and essential oils like oregano oil to replace expensive and damaging antibiotics that are so commonly and mindlessly used in commercial farming. The over-use of antibiotics both for us and in our food is destroying our gut flora, reduces immunity, increases anxiety and depression and keeps us susceptible to everything. Not to mention the damage they’re doing to our animals and our planet.
So far, western medicine’s answer has been to prescribe yet more drugs, so that now we have arrived in a scary place called ‘antibiotic resistant’. This is now at crisis levels, meaning some infections are becoming untreatable. What we’ve basically done is coat our world in a bubble of antibiotics by our overuse and inappropriate use of them. And antibiotic use is in Australia, which directly affects the development of antibiotic resistance.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is a type of staph’ that has developed resistance to a family of antibiotics similar to penicillin. When we take an antibiotic, the drug kills many bacteria, but a few survive. These surviving bacteria are now resistant to that antibiotic, and then they multiply. What this means is, every time a patient takes an antibiotic, he or she is creating more drug-resistant bacteria. The growing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a very serious and immediate threat to our health as a species. In 1974, MRSA infections accounted for 2% of the total number of staph infections; in 1995 it was 22%; in 2004 it was 63%. These bacteria were once mainly found in hospitals, doctor’s surgeries and nursing homes, but recently they’ve been showing up in gyms, schools, sports clubs, and other places where people are in close contact.
Two-thirds of the children today have already taken a course of antibiotics by the time they are 12 months old. Antibiotics have been shown to affect the childhood microbiome causing changes associated with allergies, obesity and autism – three of the biggest childhood issues in developed countries. This means long-term health implications for these children. While this link is still being researched, the evidence is mounting.
Bacterial infections need antibiotics, as the infection will only get worse, if it’s not treated. Examples of serious infections that arguably need antibiotics under one year of age are meningitis, whooping cough, pneumonia, infection in the blood and urinary infections. Antibiotics are ineffective for common viral infections however, so treating these with antibiotics results in none of the benefits and all of the disadvantages. These include most respiratory infections – for example of the ear, throat and chest, yet we are still constantly being prescribed antibiotics for these conditions. There are many effective alternatives to synthetic antibiotics. Herbal medicine and essential oils have both undergone much research and the results are exciting.
A recent British report estimated that antibiotic and microbial resistance could kill an extra 10 million people a year and cost up to $100 trillion USD by 2050 if it is not brought under control, and soon.
Btw, scientists often modify seeds using antibiotic-resistant genes in the genetic engineering process. Some people wonder if there’s a link between these GM Frankenfoods and the ever increasing rates of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Castor Oil – coming from the seeds (or beans) of the Ricinus communis plant, is an oil rich in antioxidants and Ricinoleic Acid (RA) and also contains small amounts of linoleic, oleic and stearic acid. The healthiest and safest version of castor oil comes from de-hulling the bean, then cold-pressing the seeds to produce the rich and viscous oil.
Castor oil packs have been used by healers to help reduce a variety of health conditions for many generations. Placed over your abdomen or liver, these packs are used to improve liver detoxification, breakdown kidney stones, reduce period pain, reduce symptoms of autoimmunity, support uterine and ovarian health, improve lymphatic circulation and reduce inflammation.
To DIY: Mix two to four drops of an essential oil – depending on what you’re treating – with enough warm castor oil to lightly soak a piece of cloth, (either a lightweight tea towel, or a piece of linen, or even a face washer). Castor oil has a rather strong smell, so be ready.
Btw, you can buy packs that include a piece of flannel cloth and a pack, with straps – so you’re all sorted. Just Google ‘castor oil packs’. (See images.)
Wring out the cloth to remove any excess oil, then place it over your abdomen or liver for at least 30 minutes, with a heat source like a wheat pack or hot water bottle over the top of it. This helps to stimulate lymph and liver function. Lie flat in bed, and perhaps cover your eyes with an eye pillow and use this time of quiet relaxation to go within.
Placing the pack on the right side of the abdomen or the whole abdomen will help support the liver and digestive systems, as well as reproductive and colon health. These packs are used also to relieve pain. Aim to do it 3 times a week, and relax.
Castor oil packs can be a bit messy, so I wrap mine in a plastic-free cover like a bees wax wrap, or an apron. Be aware of any skin sensitivities, so avoid applying the oils directly to your skin.
Side note – I was once at a sanitarium (health retreat/hospital) in Austria, and part of the program was a daily liver pack, such as this one above. Instead of the oil-soaked cloth though, they used flaked pieces of dried burdock root (a great liver herb) that had been warmed and stuffed in a plastic zip lock bag. It was delivered to my room like this, so all I had to do was lay down on my bed, put a light towel over my abdomen and then the compress over the top. Gawd it was nice. And I really did feel the benefits. Gut and reproductive pain, as well as pent up anger and resentment – all but disappeared using these packs daily for the 5 days I was there.
Either way you decide to do it – it’s going to help.
