The practitioner begins by doing a Chinese medical diagnosis to determine the patient’s individualized pattern of disharmony.  This diagnosis includes non-invasive pulse and tongue readings, together with a thorough health history, point palpation and observation techniques.  This information allows the practitioner to craft a personalized treatment plan that is unique for each client.

I always get asked the question, "how do I detoxifly and what do you think about fasting".  The 'Master Cleanse always comes up in the conversation.  There are many versions of this concoction which includes water, apple cider vinegar, honey and cayenne pepper.  No matter which version you are using the same rule always applies to detoxification: YOU MUST EAT!

The Master Cleanse has been around since the early 1900's.  Since then, the research reports that calorie restrictive detoxification programs are harmful for the body.

Detoxification is an energy-dependent process that puts a metabolic burden on the body.  Water and juice fasts are not beneficial because they deplete the body of essential nutrients required for healthy detoxification.  These fasts can have many adverse effects including decreased energy production, breakdown of lean tissue rather than loss of fat, increased oxidative stress and blood sugar imbalance.

Instead of decreasing nutrients, you should be increasing protein and a variety of vegetables that help support the detoxification process.  When you fast you produce mass amounts of 'free radicals' thus needing essential nutrients to help manage the harmful effects of these 'free radicals'.

If you are are thinking of starting any kind of cleanse or detoxification program please ask questions and become informed first.

The John's Hopkins School of Medicine has identified the phytonutrient sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS) as a natural long lasting antioxidant and detoxifier found in broccoli and broccoli sprouts.

Since its discovery, more than 200 publications have underscored its amazing ability to activate the body's natural detoxification and antioxidant enzymes, protecting cells from free radicals.

Watch this video, the information is amazing.

If you would like more information on this product, please use contact form on top of page.
 
Drew DiVittorio Dipl., CH (NCCAOM)
Taoist Healing Arts Consultant
Classical Chinese Herbolog & Nutrition
National Board Certified
Tel: 917-582-3739
Bridging the Gap Between Oriental Medicine & Modern Nutrition

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Everyone is on this water kick. I need to drink 8 bottles of water per day. "That's 48 bottles of water per week", as Lewis Black stated in his HBO special, "you need to bring a burro to the store with you just to carry all of those bottles.  The health benefits of drinking that much water have never be clearly defined.  However, the health benefits of tea have.

There are natural compounds in tea leaves called polyphenols.  Polyphenols are natural plant antioxidants. Antioxidants have been shown to prevent damage caused by free radicals to DNA and other molecules. 

Tea polyphenols have demonstrated several cancer preventive properties.  In addition to antioxidant activity, these compounds may reduce abnormal cell growth and inflammation, help the body get rid of cancer causing agents and restore communication between different cells in the body.

According to the National Cancer Institute, the relationship between tea consumption and human cancer has been studied in several different populations and at various cancer sites.  Some of the studies comparing tea drinkers to non-tea drinkers support the claim that tea-drinking prevents cancer.

In animal studies, different tea extracts, tea polyphenol mixtures, purified tea components, and tea infusions as the sole drinking fluid have consistently been shown to prevent cancer, including cancers of the colon, esophagus, liver, stomach, lung, breast, pancreas, and skin.  The purified component, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), prevented colon cancer.  A polyphenol mixture with EGCG, Polyphenon E, has also shown cancer preventive properties in animals.  Animal studies were inconclusive as to whether EGCG or Polyphenol E caused DNA mutations that might trigger cancer growth.

Tea consumption began as far back as 2737 BC.  The second emperor of China, Shen Nung, discovered tea when tea leaves blew into his cup of hot water or so the story goes.  And then in 1876 Thomas Johnstone Lipton opened his first shop in Glasgow using American merchandising methods.  At present Tea consumption in on the rise especially Green Tea.

Snapple has a television commercial touting the health benefits of it's green tea with a mysterious ingredient EGCG .  In addition to the many health benefits of EGCG mentioned above, researchers at the Mayo Clinic using laboratory cell cultures shows that a component of green tea known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) [epi-gallo-cat-ekin-3-gal-ate] helps kill leukemia cells by interrupting the communication signals they need to survive.

So, instead of drinking 8 glasses of water per day why not drink 4 cups of tea and 4 bottles of water.  Guess what- you are still getting 8 glasses of water…you know why…BECAUSE TEA IS MADE WITH WATER…HELLO.  Beware of the water fanatics who claim that if you add anything to pure water like tea or lemon it will negate the health benefits…I'm yawning.

Drew DiVittorio Dipl., CH (NCCAOM)
Taoist Healing Arts Consultant
Classical Chinese Herbolog & Nutrition
National Board Certified
Tel: 917-582-3739
Blog: asianhealingartsinstitute.com
Bridging the Gap Between Oriental Medicine & Modern Nutrition

Technorati Tags: water, green, tea, polyphenols, antioxidants, free, radicals, cancer, prevention, inflammation, health

Oprah and Eckhart Tolle are teaching an exclusive online ‘free’ class by LIVE webcast starting March 3.  Check for details. 

Tolle says in "A New Earth" on page 75:

Fighting disease will not eradicate it.  Whatever you fight, you strengthen, and what you resist, persists.  Whenever I hear, "the war against" this or that, I know it is condemned to failure as in the war against cancer.  According to the Journal Of the American Medical Association, medical treatment is the third-leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in the United States. 

Homeopathy and Chinese Medicine are two examples of possible alternative approaches to disease that do not treat the illness as an enemy and therefore do not create new diseases.

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In 1978 while I was still in high school my mother developed breast cancer.  I had no idea what detoxification was or how it worked.  The nutritional program that she decided to use to help her overcome her condition was the Gerson Program.  The main strategy of this program is detoxification which treats existing conditions and can prevent disease.  Now in my 14th year of private practice detoxification as a healing strategy is the most important part of my practice.

How does detoxification work and why is it so important?

Today we are exposed to many toxins from the environment such as the air we breath(including house hold cleaning products), the preservatives in food and of course toxins from alcohol, prescription and recreational drugs. Recent studies have suggested that long term low level exposure to toxins such as heavy metals (mercury, lead, arsenic), pesticides, and industrial compounds are associated with such conditions as chronic fatigue, environmental and chemical sensitivities and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.  High levels of toxins in the body have also been linked to headaches, fertility problems, memory loss, and depression.

How does the body becomes toxic? There are two phases of the liver, Phase 1 and Phase 2, which are mostly responsible for removing toxins from the body.  Basically, Phase 1 (cytochrome P450) removes the toxins from the blood.  The result of Phase I creates a 'free radical' (free radicals are electrically charged molecules that damage healthy cells). The free radical is then conjugated by Phase 2 and excreted from the body through urination or through the bowels.  It sounds complicated but it’s really not.

Basically, the more toxins we are exposed to, the more free radicals we produce which then burdens the liver's ability (Phase 1 and Phase 2) to remove the toxins or free radicals.  The result is more free radical production leading to more cell death and chronic inflammation.

Not eating or fasting on water is NOT detoxification.  According to research, the liver needs specific nutrients to detoxify.  Depriving the liver during a detoxification program only produces more free radicals which can lead to a healing crisis or poisoning of the body.  A safe and effective detoxification program requires specific nutrients to enhance the liver's ability (Phase 1 and Phase 2) to remove the harmful toxins stored in the body.

Let’s take a look at some foods, herbs and nutrients that are powerful antioxidants that can help our liver effectively and safely excrete toxins from the body.

Green Tea is the most popular antioxidant on the market today and has anti-cancer properties.  The catechins (phytochemicals) in green tea have been shown to lower the incidence of Parkinson Disease.  The National Cancer Institute is currently investigating green tea's chemotherapeutic potential.  In addition, green tea helps to regulate blood sugar and improves digestion.

Milk Thistle (silymarin the active ingredient) is a well know liver protectant and powerful antioxidant.  Milk Thistle is the best antioxidant which should be taken on a daily basis to help the liver manage the many toxins we are exposed to.

Lastly, our B vitamins are essential for detoxification especially Folic acid.  Folic acid helps our liver to metabolize homocystine, an amino acid which is associated with inflammation and heart disease.  Folic acid also helps to rid the body of harmful heavy metals.

For more information on detoxification or my detoxification program please contact me(use contact above)

Drew DiVittorio Dipl., (NCCAOM)

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