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Diet & fasting – is it a cure all?

THE BENEFITS OF FASTING AND THE QUESTIONS WE RECEIVE…

 
Pioneering wellness and fasting retreats in Vietnam is quite a challenge. Often, the first question potential retreat guests ask is related to weight loss. Rather surprising in a country not known for high obesity rates, unlike many western countries.  At the same time it conveys a level of assertiveness, revealing expecations and priorities. And weight loss is for many the primary motivator to consider fasting as an effective way to enhance one’s looks and wellbeing.
 
The second question most people ask is: Won’t I feel hungry?
 
 
The retreats we offer in Vietnam apply the preventative version of the Buchinger therapeutic fasting method from Germany which is a combination of caloric restriction combined with alternating rest and movement. So, the answer regarding weight loss is always a very clear “Yes!  You can’t avoid loosing weight during a fast.” says Dieter Buchner, Retreat Leader and Founder of Vietnam Detox.  “The more excess weight you have, the more you can lose during a fast.”  Callers are suprised however, when we tell them loosing weight is just a side effect but not the main purpose of fasting which then triggers many new questions.
 
And the answer to the second question is: “If you are fasting (correctly) you won’t feel hungry. If you feel hungry you are not fasting.” emphasies Buchner.
 
Many people are not aware of the tremendous health benefits of caloric restriction or fasting. Research teams specialising in medicine, molacular biology and neuroscience have collectected scientific evidence proving fasting, for hours, days or weeks can be healthy for people and alleviate disease.
 
Let’s see how the medical world views fasting…

DIET AND FASTING – AN ANCIENT CURE ALL METHOD

“We have known for a while that all organisms, from simple baker’s yeast to apes, benefit from health fasting,” says Andreas Michalsen, chief physician of the Department of Naturopathy at Immanuel Hospital Berlin. But in recent years, the topic in the scientific community is really “in”, they are very interested in the processes that take place during the fasting in the body, and find more and more evidence of positive health effects.
 
 
Michalsen, who looks after patients undergoing therapeutic fasting in his department and publishes studies – as part of an endowed professorship for clinical naturopathy at the Berlin Charité, welcomes this development. Nevertheless, for him the many findings are only a confirmation of naturopathic knowledge that has existed for millennia. “Fasting is like other traditional health teachings, such as yoga, first practiced by a small group, considered exotic, then many swearing by it because it works – and eventually, there is long expected scientific evidence.” Hippocrates had already prescribed fasting days to his patients in ancient times. Even doctors of the 19th century swore by drinking and fasting. And at the beginning of the 20th century, the physician Otto Buchinger opened one of the first fasting clinics in his native Germany and tried to cure suffering such as rheumatism among rich citizens.

SO WHAT CAN FASTING REALLY DO?

Today, therapeutic and preventative fasting is no longer a luxury. According to estimates by the medical association “Heilfasten und Ernährung”, about 10,000 people in Germany use the services offered by various specialist clinics and hospitals each year. For one, two or three weeks, they mainly consume tea, juice and broth, refraining from all stimulants such as nicotine, coffee and alcohol. And the number of people who refuse to eat solid food for a week at home on their own account at home ranges from 3 to 5 million depending on the survey. Popular is a variation of the Buchinger fasting for healthy people over five or seven days, which is the programme we now offer in Vietnam. If you apply this method alone at home compared to doing it as a retreat, you must be able to cope with watching others in the canteen while enjoying sausages, while sipping on unsweetened tea. Not an easy exercise. But many feel it is doing them a lot of good.
 
There were and still are sceptics of fasting. Many clinicians warn against “starvation” because it weakens and breaks down muscle mass. Others considered fasting as a medieval hocus-pocus. For a long time, nutrition experts from basic sciences in particular warned that there was no evidence for the positive effects of fasting. “The skeptical voices are rarely heard today,” says Michalsen.
 
 

No wonder: medics from various fields have now shown how remarkable fasting can alleviate diseases. Therapeutic fasting has been shown to be beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in several studies. A few years ago, Washington University physician Luigi Fontana confirmed in a long-term study that fasting also benefits blood pressure and other risk factors for arteriosclerosis. Prof. Roy Taylor of Newcastle University in the United Kingdom has been prescribing diabetes patients a fasting period of eight weeks, noting that the discomfort and blood levels of Type II diabetes patients are greatly improving – and the effects of the fasting cure continue for months. Neuroscientist Mark Mattson of the John Hopkins University School of Medicine has shown that fasting also has a positive effect on the brain: so-called amyloid plaques, protein fragments that are located between nerve cells and occur more frequently in Alzheimer’s disease, were significantly reduced.

Biogerontologist Valter Longo from the University of Southern California has even found evidence in a study that fasting can be useful in cancer therapy: he let a group of cancerous mice fast for 72 hours during chemotherapy. These mice were not only fitter and more vigorous during the exhausting treatment than a control group, they lived significantly longer after treatment than mice that had not fasted. For Andreas Michalsen, the study breaks a taboo: “For decades, the only recommendation for cancer patients was to eat their favorite food.” You should not burden the sick with dietary changes was the going approach. Today it seems that fasting has a positive effect even during Cancer therapy.” But more evidence is pending. Michalsen is currently working on a study on this subject at the Charité.

 
Although the Berlin physician cautiously warns that while fasting is no miracle cure, he strongly asserts “fasting can push a kind of reset button in the body “. Especially in lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, fasting diets can actually partially reverse the overexploitation of the body. “In a time of abundance, fasting is also an excellent prevention,” says Michalsen. Anyone who is healthy can  deliberately minimize risk factors such as high levels of inflammation, heightened blood lipid or glucose levels. Even if fasting is by no means the main focus and is considered by experts to be a “fallout effect”: many diseases and their development are favored by the fact that we daily supply the body with too many calories, constantly dealing with digestive processes – and thus resulting in obesity. Statistics show that two-thirds of men and half of women are overweight.
 
“Even if fasting drastically reduces weight for a short time, it is nevertheless important that you do not see it as a slimming cure,” says Andrea Ciro Chiappa, a nutritionist and president of the German Fasting Academy (dfa). He points out that one does not permanently reduce his weight by fasting alone.
However, it has been proven that the break with food intake and the fasting experience often lead to a rethinking: A study by the German Universities of Duisburg and Essen with more than 900 participants shows that after just one week of fasting, sustainable lifestyle and lifestyle changes, Dietary habits can arise. The German Nutrition Society – which is very skeptical about diets and has long been critical of fasting – today believes that fasting can be a good way to pave the way for more conscious eating habits.
 
Fasting is considered superior to pure calorie counting because it positively alters the metabolism. In a week without solid food, the body gradually switches to “fasting metabolism”, feeding almost completely out of its reserves after a transitional period of about three days. In the first ten to twelve hours, the body is still in the usual carbohydrate metabolism, the glycogen stores in the liver are depleted – converted into usable glucose.
 
After that, protein is consumed for a short time, mostly superfluous structural protein, for example from the connective tissue. Then a protein-saving mode sets in, the fat-metabolising processes intensify, eventually providing most of the needed energy. Among other things, the so-called ketone bodies are formed in the lipid metabolism. They not only provide the cells with energy, they also have health-promoting effects. On the one hand, they can cross the blood-brain barrier where take on protective actions for nerve cells. In addition, they are involved in the “fasting high”, which occurs from the third or fourth day of fasting when they trigger feelings of euphoria.
 
A recent study by Yale University has also shown that a certain type of ketone body can also inhibit inflammation. This study could be a new way of explaining why fasting often works in inflammatory conditions such as rheumatism. Inflammatory processes also play a role in arteriosclerosis and hypertension according to current research. This also applies to the cardiovascular system too, where circulating ketones in the blood could be beneficial.
 
The second important process of change during fasting is autophagy.This refers to the cleaning andcleanup process which begins in the cell as soon as the body is in fasting mode. “Whenever you stop providing food to your cells, they run into an energy problem,” explains biochemist Frank Madeo, who heads a research group at the University of Graz that studies the effect of short-term fasting at the molecular level. “They then begin to break down cellular components that are superfluous or even harmful, such as damaged mitochondria that can lead to cancer, as well as clumped proteins that promote neurodegeneration.”
In the meantime, it has also been observed they way autophagy takes place in the cell : surrounding cell components are packed into a kind of garbage bag, the autophagosome, and dissected into pieces after fusion with a “cell stomach”. They are then made available to the cell for generating energy or for building structures. “Not only does the cell solve its energy problem with such processes, but it also disposes of harmful molecules that can lead to discomfort and disease in old age,” concludes Madeo. A kind of cell detox.
 
How significant these processes of self-digestion are shows the fact  the Nobel Prize for Medicine in autumn 2016 went to Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi, whose life’s work is the exploration of autophagy. Ohsumi has repeatedly shown in studies that nutrient scarcity favors the healing mechanism. For Frank Madeo, autphagy is a bioogical cell process, which explains why people who are fasting “detoxify” themselves and feel “tidied up” after some time. Whether this research also convinces skeptics, who roll their eyes as soon as the term “purification” falls, remains to be seen. It is clear to Madeo: “Whoever manages to initiate ketogenesis and autophagy in the body, does a lot of good for his health.”
 
So is all this good news? Not if you find it impossible to survive for several days without steak or salad. However, there are encouraging new approaches in research as well: The team led by Frank Madeo and several other working groups around the world have been investigating in recent years whether shorter fasting times incorporated into the daily routine can trigger healthy fasting metabolism.

INTERMITTENT FASTING

There are many indications that interval or intermittant fasting works. Various rhythms of feasting andfasting are examined: Frank Madeo, together with Thomas Pieber, supervises a group of trial participants in the “Interfast” study who alternate between one day of fasting and one day of eating. First prognosis: ketogenesis and autophagy are effectively stimulated by this rhythm. But also a more suitable use of the Intervallfastens for everyday, the “time-restricted feeding”, meaning refraining from eating for several hours of the day, seems to make a difference. “Anyone who keeps a fasting interval of 14 to 16 hours daily can already trigger fasting-metabolism processes,” explains Madeo. Many people who try this variation put the hours of food abstinence into the night – and then cut an extra length by omitting breakfast in the morning. “You only get hungry during the changeover period of one or two weeks,” assures Madeo, who eats in a similar way. Also performance losses, if any, last only for a short time.

“For healthy people, the hourly fasting is a good alternative to threapeutic fasting,” says Andreas Michalsen. One absolute plus point: you activate all positive biochemical effects of fasting once a day – and  can still eat fairly normal. This moderate type of intermittant fasting even becomes a permanent diet change for many.
 
 
Scientist Satchidananda Panda from the Salk Research Institute in California was one of the first to point out that when you eat – and now how much you eat – could be more important. In one experiment, he examined about 400 mice. One half of the animals got a very high-sugar and high-fat diet for 9 to 15 hours a day – you could call them fast-food diet – but no food in the other hours. For the other half of the mice, the same amount of fast food was available for 24 hours. As expected, the mice that were able to eat constantly became fat and sick quickly, getting diabetes. The mice, who only ate 9 to 15 hours but fed the same amount as the others, remained lean and healthy.
 
This result is remarkable. And it suggests we should reconsider all of our eating habits. In another study, Panda found out that, at least in the US, most people eat permanently. He provided volunteers with an app to photograph every meal – from morning cornflakes to the last peanut flips before bedtime. So he was able to observe that most subjects eat over 14 hours distributed. This constant calorie intake is thoughtless and unconscious – but it may make you ill.
 
But even people who eat consciously and healthily fall into this trap. Many of them eat according to the motto: “Better five to seven small meals a day than three big ones.” This nutritional recommendation can be considered obsolete. Constant eating throughout the day leads to a persistently high level of insulin, the body does not rest.
 
Of course, reversing this conclusion “Eat only a few hours a day, then you can eat whatever you want in that time” is no good nutrional advice. “If you want to integrate fasting into your normal day,  ensure you consumes high-quality food with lots of nutrients and fiber,” recommends dfa president Chiappa. But he also sees Intervall fasting as a good opportunity to incorporate fasting into everyday life.
 
However, one of the drawbacks of intermittent fasting: you will not go through a holistic experience, an encounter with oneself. Andreas Michalsen, who encouters around 1000 people each year in his fasting cure, is always amazed at how much the charisma and mood of the patients change during fasting. Many come with chronic pain, are severely overweight or have been ill for a long time. “People come here and do not believe in fasting, they follow along just because that they way we do it here in the clinic,” he says. “But after a few days, you see them blossom, many are proud of themselves, feel downright happy.” To experience first hand to manage just fine without solid food for a few days strengthens their self-confidence. And also the much talked about “fasting-high” is involved in the mood brightening. It has, according to studies by Michalsen, at least the power to relieve mild depression.
 
The question remains, why fasting is not standard recommendation for anyone who wants to become healthier or stay healthy. Andreas Michalsen sees many reasons: “One thing is sure,  fasting does not cost much, so you can not earn a lot of money with it.” The fact that you can actually achieve more for your body and soul with less energy, food and effort is no cause for rejoicing for companies in the pharmaceutical and food industry. Or, to quote a sentence from the Greek Hippocrates: “If you want to be strong, healthy and young … heal your pain through fasting rather than medication.” It’s worth a try.
IF YOU HAVE FASTING EXPERIENCE, WE WELCOME IF YOU CAN SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH US TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO BENEFIT FROM THE HEALTHY BENITS OF FASTING.
This blog has been created with translations from an article published on 14. February 2018 by Anne Otto in the German Weekly Online Magazine, Der Spiegel.

Fasting: fix or fad?

FASTING: FIX OR FAD?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve probably heard that fasting is a great way to get healthy and, of course, lose unwanted weight. Usually, going on a diet entails moderately cutting calories every day, for a fixed amount of time, but it one week, one month or one year. Conversely, fasting requires you to reduce calories on one or several days every week as part of an overall lifestyle change. This approach, known as intermittent fasting (IF), was initially labelled ‘unhealthy’ nut nutritional experts, but new evidence is casting it in a far brighter light. The theory is straightforward: eat fewer calories a few days a week, and don’t overeat on the others. The result: a slimmer and happier you. As eating less every single day is not a manageable long-term strategy, it’s no wonder that more and more people are now trying intermittent fasting — brief periods of eating little or no food. In fact, research studies have shown that reducing your daily intake of calories by as little as 20% or as many as 40% is an effective way to lose weight. What’s less clear is the notion that that occasional or regular intermittent fast can bring other body benefits, such as mental clarity, disease prevention and longevity. With such an extensive range of benefits on offer, it’s not very surprising this trend has picked up real steam; the only true investment is willpower. But, like anything, the devil is in the details, so let’s look a little deeper to see if this fad is as good a fix as it sounds.

As with many things, the answer is not a simple one. The theory is best supported by evidence related to type 2 diabetes; a disease commonly caused by overeating. Suffers can’t control their blood sugar levels, which means a life dependent on regulating medication. That was until now, as new research is shining a light on the benefits of fasting for these people. A recent study had 11, type 2 diabetic participant go on a very low-calorie eight-week diet, subsisting off a meagre 600 calories a day. The results? Incredibly, all were disease-free by the end of the fast; with a further seven maintaining that level for an additional three months after stopping. Researchers believe it’s effective because it gets rid of unhealthy fat in and around the organs, particularly the two most important in sugar control – the pancreas and the liver. All in all, the researchers concluded that the sooner diabetics fast, the better their chances of reversing their disease.

So how exactly does it work? After approximately 10 hours of fasting, the body has run out of glycogen stored in its liver – its primary source of energy – and thus turns to its fat deposits instead. Top of the list is the unhealthy fat located around your organs, freeing them up to do their job properly. That’s why fasting is so beneficial for diabetes, as their pancreas does not naturally produce a hormone , which tells the liver to remove the sugar and store it safely. So, long story short, this is an excellent example of how and why fasting is so beneficial when a living organism doesn’t have food – it begins to eat itself. Which might seem disgusting is hugely beneficial as this natural process allows the body to recycle energy and do a cleanup, with the fault cells the first ones to get the boot.

It’s for this reason that many researchers, nutritionists and scientists now believe that periodic fasting can help people stay healthy. For instance, damaged immune cells can be pruned back when a person starts to feed again, with new cells spawning from only the strongest and the fittest. In experiments with mouse suffering from multiple sclerosis, a disease in which bad immune cells indiscriminately attack a subject’s nerve cells, a regime of periodic, low-calorie fasting can slow down the destruction of cells and bring about regeneration.

The difficulty in transferring a theory from mice to human beings is that people live a lot longer. During middle age, we are running low on active stem cells, so our ability to generate new ones isn’t very robust. While there is currently no conclusive evidence that any of this works in humans, there is very promising data coming forth. For example, a recent study of 100 healthy people who undertook a fasting diet high in unsaturated fats but low in protein and sugar, found that despite only a minor reduction in weight loss, severe risk factors for ageing, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases all improved.

Furthermore, when the body metabolises its fat deposits during fasting, it produces acids called ketones (your brain’s food source). A chemical called ‘brain-derived neurotrophic factor’ is also triggered by the production of ketones. Important because it, in turn, encourages the brain to make new connections. Again, experiments in mice suggest that fasting can slow the onset of brain diseases such Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, not to mention a reduction in anxiety and depression.

On the flip side, what are the potential harms of intermittent fasting? For overweight people, relatively few; but anyone embarking on such a course of action should consult their doctor first. Generally speaking, the only major concern is this: do not try a water-only fast, as these cause your body to break down invaluable protein stores and will do more harm than good.

With such questions remaining unanswered at this time, it’s important that we don’t get carried away and lose sight of the basics. It’s pretty clear that if you’re overweight, losing weight will reduce your risk of disease. And for many people, regular intermittent fasting diet will help them lose weight, and for others, eating just a few fewer sugary snacks will do them good. The trick is to find the diet that works for you and stick with it.

If you are keen to give it a go, please check our last blog post – Will Caloric Restriction Help You Live Longer – which details three well-known intermittent fasting methods, namely 1] The 16/8 Method, 2] Eat-Stop-Eat and 3] The 5:2 Diet.

To help you along, here is a list of website and apps which can help you stay on course.

  • Zero – Fasting Tracker, free
  • Fast Habit, free
  • My Fitness Pal, free
  • Fast Secret, free
  • Spark People, free
  • My Diet Diary Calorie Counter
  • Lose It!, free (but the paid version has better features)
  • 5:2 Diet TrackMyFast, paid
  • Cron-o-meter, paid
  • 5:2 Diet Complete Meal Planner, paid

If all of this good news about fasting has piqued your interest about fasting and you’re keen to try it under the guidance of a trained professional, consider joining a guided retreat. Overall, fasting and detoxing in a group will provide you with the security and confidence needed to share your experiences and gain insight from the retreat leader and fellow participants.

During the retreat, you will receive tremendous inspiration, knowledge and motivation to help you live a sustainable, healthy, happy, harmonious and balanced life during and after your fast. Besides, you will learn about your digestive system, how your body processes food, what types of food are best for you, and how to buy, store, cook, present and eat your food.

Vietnam Detox is the only such practitioner in Vietnam offer retreats as outlined above. We have two great options available for you all year round:

4 Day Healthy Living Retreats – this follows the principles of the Buchinger Fasting Method from Germany, providing novices with an introduction to the benefits of fasting and experienced practitioners with an ideal location to further their journey.

 7 Day Fastenwandern Weeks– also known as ‘fastenwandern’ in German, this one also follows the same guiding principles and will enable you to experience the tremendous preventative health benefits of fasting.

Rev up your juicing with our top ten tips

REV UP YOUR JUICING WITH OUR TOP TEN TIPS

If you’re committed to a healthy lifestyle, juicing could be an important element of your wellness routine. If you’re not there yet, let us help you take those crucial first steps and introduce you to the amazing world of juicing.
 
We won’t go into too much detail, but there are many real health benefits to making your own fruit and vegetable juices and drinking them fresh. As you should typically consume two whole fruits and four vegetables a day, juicing is a good way to get all these must-have nutrients without having to slog your way through plates of salad.
 
To help you get started on the road to healthy juicing, we’ve compiled a list of our ten top pro tips for everyday juicing. By taking our advice you will avoid some of the common pitfalls that people may make when they start out juicing. Let’s get started…
 
1] Vegetables make for some of the tastiest and healthiest juices possible, don’t just focus on fruit. Not only do you get the freshest vitamin intake possible, you’ll be consuming less sugar. Carrot, celery and cucumber in particular are great.
 
2] If you need to lose a few extra kilos, juicing can help you do so in a safe and healthy manner. Before meals, drink vegetable juices that require more calories to digest than they contain, like carrots, cabbage and broccoli.
 
3] Make sure to leave your vegetables and fruits out at room temperature before juicing as drinking cold juice can shut slow down the digestive system. In fact, that’s a good tip for water too, be like the Chinese and drink it lukewarm.
 
4] To get a good mix of vitamins and minerals, choose your vegetables in different colours. Basically, you want to ‘eat the rainbow’. To achieve this, take advantage of seasonal varieties and geographical opportunities when you’re away from home.
 
5] Likewise, if receiving proper nutrition via juicing is your aim, make sure you take the time to learn which vitamins and minerals are in the fruit and vegetables that you want to use; so you can pick the right ones for balanced wellbeing.
 
6] If you can’t get organic produce, make sure you at least peel your fruits and vegetables before juicing them. Most of the pesticides on commercially grown produce is on the skin, and washing isn’t enough to remove all of the residue.
 
7] Apple, cucumber and celery are juicing heavyweights, whereas ginger and mint are not. Be aware of how ingredients behave in your juicer; try to maintain a reasonable balance between the mild and intense flavours you’re working with.
 
8] Don’t reach for the sugar! Add sweeter produce like citrus and berries for added sweetness and to cover the taste of less palatable produce like kale. If you have to add something, go natural and add a teaspoon of raw honey or a pitted date.
 
9] When you are first starting, remember the maxim KISS (keep it simple, stupid). It’s important to figure out the basics and what tastes good so you can build upon your recipes from there. Don’t just jump in and juice everything in your fridge.
 
10] Only ever make as much juice as you can drink in one sitting because freshly extracted juice keeps beneficial enzymes for just a few hours. Unless you freeze it, the longest amount of time you should keep it is one day.
 
Oh, and one final thing. If you accidentally make too much juice don’t worry, it doesn’t have to go to waste. Simply put the remainder back in the blender with a cup of ice and mix well. Place the mixture in the freezer for a few hours and voila! You’ve got yourself a tasty, healthy dessert treat.

How to fight depression with food

 

Depression is a nasty beast; it’s estimated worldwide that it affects more than 120 million people. With the World Health Organisation (WHO) labelling it the leading cause of global disability. In some Western countries, the number of adults suffering from depression is 6% of the population. The real quicker is that depression isn’t just a mind game; it plays havoc with your entire body. One recent study found that 23% of depression suffers couldn’t sleep properly; 30% felt overwhelmed with everyday life, and 36% had memory loss. Others overate or lost their appetite; feeling short of breath; had severe headaches; felt chronically fatigued; were irritable and restless; lost interest in sex; and had persistent aches, pains, cramps or digestive problems.

Nowadays, there is growing evidence that the mood of people and the quality of food they eat is somehow linked. The conundrum is this: depression increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Conversely, these conditions also increase the risk of suffering from depression. And so the situation goes back and forth. Of course, what constitutes ‘healthy nutrition’ is up to debate, but generally speaking it has been found that a lower risk of depression is associated with a low-fat, plant-based, high-protein and fish-heavy diet. On the flip side, a higher risk of the disease is aligned with heavily sweetened and highly processed foods and drinks. What’s becoming more and more evident through recent studies is that depression is a complex mental illness and that diet might be one key to treating it.

In 2012 researchers in Australia undertook to launch the first randomised control study on depression treatment through diet in a study called SMILES (Supporting the Modification of Lifestyle In Lowered Emotional States).

The 12-weeks study included 67 adult patients who suffered from severe depression; in this instance, they had to have a value of at least 18 on the 60-point Montgomery Åsberg Depression Scale). Of those selected, 55 of these patients were already receiving various forms of treatment: 21 were receiving psychotherapy in conjunction with antidepressants; 25 were only on antidepressants, and nine were only receiving psychotherapy.

 
Another selection criteria was diet, with all participants rated as having a ‘poor’ one. In a best-possible nutrition assessment, they all scored 75 of lower points out of a maximum 104. And, according to their testimony, they daily consumed high amounts of sweets, salty snacks and processed meats and little or no vegetables, fruits, low-fat proteins and fibre.

The participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first, or ‘control’ group, received social support. This involved individual conversations on topics which interested the participants. However, it was on a voluntary basis, and they could choose to abstain if they wished.

The second group received seven one-on-one counselling sessions with a trained nutrition specialist.

The focus of the advice was to improve the quality of their food choices. They were encouraged to adhere to the following dietary recommendations:

  • Vegetables (6 servings per day)
  • Fruits (3 servings a day)
  • Whole grains (5-8 servings per day)
  • Fish (at least 2 times per week)
  • Red meat (3-4 servings per week)
  • Chicken (2-3 servings per week)
  • Legumes (3-4 servings per week)
  • Dairy (2-3 servings per day)
  • Nuts (1 serving per day)
  • Eggs (up to 6 per week)
  • Olive oil (3 tablespoons per day)
  • Processed and high-sugar foods (3 per week)
 

After the three month trial, those in the diet group recorded a significantly higher decline in depressive symptoms than those in the social group. The statistical difference between the two groups on the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Scale was 7.1 points. After the 3-month study phases had ended, those in the diet group were able to show a remission rate of 32%, compared to only 8% in the social group.

All in all, it was shown that the stricter the participants followed the diet guidelines, the greater the results. These highly positive findings now bring with them a range of new depression treatments; of immense benefit, as currently only about half of those affected by depression are successfully helped with antidepressants and/or psychotherapy. Furthermore, researchers are now also looking at how physical exercise is also a vital part of the weight-loss and depression equation.

Have you had your own experience battling depression? Did you find any link with your diet? Do you believe what you eat affects your mood in a general sense? We would love for you to share any personal insight or experience with us.

Infections: hit the virus in the sweet spot

 
Infections: Hit The Virus In The Sweet Spot
 
Article by Michael van den Heuvel, published on 27. December 2016
 
Many illnesses are accompanied by zero appetite. Researchers have now shown that abstaining from eating helps fight bacterial infections. Our immune system benefits, to be sure. In the case of virus the story is exactly the reverse.
 
An old saying must be laid out on the examination table. “Feed a cold and starve a fever” – children in the Anglo-American world learn this from their grandparents. Professor Dr. Ruslan M. Medzhitov is interpreting this with a new slant. “Cold” indicates viral infections, while “fever” suggests bacterial infections.

DEADLY FEEDING

Medzhitov conducts research as an immunologist at Yale.
 
School of Medicine. He based his analysis on the following question: when our body is fighting against pathogens, it reduces our appetite. Is this biological response sensible?
 
Together with colleagues the scientist designed an experiment. He infected mice with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes or with a murine influenza-like virus. Subsequently, the rodents were force-fed with either a standard diet or with saline. Animals with bacterial infection died if they received food. In the group given saline at least every other mouse survived.
 
If they had previously received a virus, the relative ratios were the other way around. Around 78 percent of the food group and ten percent in the saline group survived.

CELLS ON A SUGAR RUSH

Now the foods used have been under the microscope. Ruslan Medzhitov found out that glucose is of central importance. When he used the inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) to prevent the uptake of sugar, animals in the bacteria group survived, whereas there was a high mortality in the virus group. The exact opposite of the first experiment occurred.
 
Background information: in order to minimise the deleterious effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cells need ketones. During fasting the breakdown of fatty acids creates ketone bodies in the liver – an alternative to providing glucose from carbohydrates. This ketogenesis has long been known, but now appears in a completely new contextual interrelationship. Things look quite different in the case of viral infections. Cells respond to the wrong proteins with an unfolded protein response (UPR response). This process requires glucose.
 
How is Medzhitovs study to be assessed? Since humans and mice are equivalent in their crucial metabolic steps, researchers hope to be better able to treat patients with serious infections in the future. Other studies confirm his assumption that findings can be transferred from animal studies to humans.

GOING ON THE ATTACK AGAINST THE INFLAMMASOME

 
Already one and a half years ago Vishwa Deep Dixit of the Yale School of Medicine uncovered a connection between fasting and inflammatory processes. When abstinence from food occurs, among other things betahydroxybutyrate (BHB) originates. After prolonged fasting this metabolite in blood plasma reaches relevant concentrations. BHB inhibits inflammatory processes brought about through the NLRP3 inflammasome acting as a target structure. This protein complex is located in cytosol of macrophages and neutrophil granulocytes. It is stimulated among other things by bacteria. Over several stages, active interleukins ultimately arise which trigger inflammatory reactions.
 
The scientists experimented in this case not only with mice, but also with human cells. They found that both doses of targeted betahydroxybutyrate as well as ketogenic diets decreased inflammatory responses. Thus they found proof, far in advance of Medzhitov’s work, that the metabolism influences inflammatory processes.

IMMUNE CELLS FROM THE RECYCLING CENTRE

 
The effect is more complex than expected. If mammals starve, their bodies begin to regenerate cells in the immune system. This finding was arrived at by Valter D. Longo from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Intermittent fasting delayed immunosenescence in laboratory animals. This refers to the declining performance of the immune system with increasing age.
 
Longo then took 19 healthy volunteers into a pilot study. For five days per month they consumed instead of the usual 2,000 to 3,000 kilocalories only 1,090 (one day) or 725 kilocalories (days two to five). Their fasting blood glucose decreased by eleven percent. The ketone bodies increased by a factor of 3.7; IGF-1-levels decreased by 24 percent, and the IGFBP-1-level increased by 50 percent. Through the special program their slightly elevated baseline levels of C-reactive protein normalised. What’s more a slight increase in the stem cell counts of the immune system in the blood were detected by Longo.
 
Many pieces of the puzzle show that our metabolism affects the immune system. The value of this knowledge for clinical practice is currently unclear. This question can only be answered by further studies.

How intermittent fasting ignites cellular autophagy and a longer, healthier life

 

HOW INTERMITTENT FASTING IGNITES CELLULAR AUTOPHAGY AND A LONGER, HEALTHIER LIFE

Published by Joe Garma on www.garmaonhealth.com in October 2016
 
Nobel prize winner dr. Ohsumi shows us that eating less gives us more robust life. Learn how cellular may add healthy years to your lifespan.
 
Did you hear that Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi just won the Nobel Prize for his work involving “self-eating” cells?

“Why would cells eat themselves?” you might inquire.


“To live longer and healthier”, I might respond.

Let me explain.
 
The cells don’t actually eat themselves completely. What they do, if given a chance, is to break down proteins and non-essential components and reuse them for energy. Cell biologist Dr. Ohsumi won the Nobel Prize because his work on cellular autophagy provides us with greater clarity about how the body’s cells detoxify and repair themselves.
 
This is called “cellular autophagy”, and it’s something you want your own cells to do on a regular basis. That is, if you want to increase your chances of living a long, hale life without the nuisance of lingering disease.

THE SKINNY ON CELLULAR AUTOPHAGY

Cellular autophagy is a crucial process for cells to survive and stay healthy, says the New York Times, which translates to your survival and health. During a period of ingesting limited calories, or starvation, not only do cells break down proteins and nonessential components and reuse them for energy, but also cells use autophagy to:
  • destroy invading viruses and bacteria; and
  • rid themselves of damaged structures; a process which…
  • is thought to get disrupted in cancer, infectious diseases, immunological diseases and neurodegenerative disorders; including Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
One more thing – disruptions in autophagy are also thought to play a role in aging; conversely, improved autophagy is thought to slow down the aging process.
 
So, this autophagy thing is getting attention (a Nobel Prize!) and is important, but little was known about how autophagy actually happens, which genes are involved, or its specific role in disease and normal development until Dr. Ohsumi began studying the autophagy process in yeast.
 
Yeah, those yeast again!
 
I don’t imagine you relate much to yeast, and some women (in particular) have good reasons to despise them. (Relax, ladies, the yeast studied are baker’s yeast.) The thing is, though, that Dr. Ohsumi’s groundbreaking work demonstrates that the autophagy genes and metabolic pathways in yeast are used by higher organisms, including humans.
 
The word “autophagy” originates from two Greek words meaning “self-eating”. It refers to the process in which cellular junk is captured and sealed in sack-like membranes, called autophagosomes. The sealed contents are transported to another structure called the lysosome, once considered little more than the cellular rubbish bin.
 
By studying the process in yeast cells, Dr. Ohsumi identified the main genes involved in autophagy and showed how the proteins they code for come together to build the autophagosome membrane. He later showed that a similar cellular recycling process occurs in human cells – and that our cells would not survive without it.
 
As reported in the Guardian, Juleen Zierath, a member of the Nobel committee, said:
 
“Every day we need to replace about 200 to 300g of protein in our bodies… We are eating proteins every day, about 70g, but that’s not enough to take care of the requirement to make new proteins. Because of this machinery, we’re able to rely on some of our own proteins, maybe the damaged proteins or the long-lived proteins, and they are recycled with this sophisticated machinery so that we can sustain and we survive.”

What she said is pretty straightforward, but I’ll repeat it:

Our bodies need more protein than we consume and autophagy recycles some of the protein already in us for our needs.

I wanted to show an illustration that depicts the process. Google images present many, and from their selection I chose one that illustrates how cellular autophagy could reverse a major cause of heart attacks.

Attribution: https://www.ottawaheart.ca/the-beat/2011/09/13/researchers-discover-cellular-process-could-reverse-major-cause-heart-attack
 
That picture comes from an article about a discovery made by a research team at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute led by biochemist Yves Marcel, PhD, Director of the Heart Institute’s High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Biology Laboratory.

Dr. Marcel and his team discovered that a new function for cellular autophagy – the mobilization and exportation of cholesterol from cells.

The Heart Institute research showed that autophagy could engulf and digest cholesterol accumulated in artery walls. “This process facilitates the removal of cholesterol and may provide an entirely new target to reverse atherosclerosis, the main cause of heart attack and stroke,” said Dr. Marcel.

(Read details of Dr. Marcel’s study here.)

INCREASE YOUR CELLULAR AUTOPHAGY WITH INTERMITTENT FASTING

In Three Ways To Stay Young, I explored the work of Dr. Michael Rozin, the less voluble partner of Dr. Oz. Pertinent to this article is Dr. Rozin’s exhortation to periodically fast.

Yes, unfortunately, you must restrict calories to induce robust cellular autophagy. The good news is that there are more ways to do this than starving yourself.

The typical CR (“caloric restriction”) method used by primates, including humans, to extend lifespan and health is to reduce caloric consumption by 30% across the board, as in every day.

Most of us rather chew ourselves to an early grave rather than subsist for the rest of our lives with a growling stomach.

The good news is that there may be methods to get the same life extension/health benefits of CR – much of which is thought to happen via cellular autophagy – without being hungry all the time, just some of the time.

Until you get used to it, that is.

I’m referring to intermittent fasting (“IF”). The neat thing about IF is that you can choose the methodology that best works for you:

  • Eat from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM, giving you 17 hours of non-eating, autophagy-boosting house cleaning (this is what I do); or
  • Eat per usual for five days a week, and restrict calories to 500 two days a week; or
  • Eat per usual for five days a week, restrict calories (500) for one day and fast for one day.

If you’re interesting in learning more about IF, read my article, Why Intermittent Fasting Is Your Ticket To A Long and Healthy Life.

Here’s how it starts:

Intermittent Fasting (“IF”) is your ticket to a long and healthy life because it mimics the only proven way to increase lifespan — caloric restriction. CR is very hard. IF can be easy, and the health benefits astounding. Take years off your biological age by selecting the IF program that works for you.

The article also contains Dr. Michael Mosely and his Eat, Fast & Live Longer (book link) video, and after that, some more information about choosing the best IF program for you.

Another article I wrote examined how cellular autophagy can reduce cellular senescence. Cellular senescence is the phenomenon by which normal cells cease to divide, thereby becoming “senescent”.

The article is called 11 Ways To Increase Your Lifespan, and in it I quoted an article published in Nature in 2016 that asserts:

“The regenerative functions of cells decline with age, leading to an irreversible senescence state. Autophagy can keep some of this from happening by reinstating in old cells their former capacity as young cells to maintain proper protein regulation (“proteostasis”), mitochondrial function and oxidative stress repair.”

Translation: Cells that have robust autophagy stay younger!

If you’re interested in this eating this way as part of your strategy to live a long and healthy life, check out BBC health journalist Michael Mosely’s books on the subject, and read my article on intermittent fasting, (Dr. Mosely’s work is summarized there too.)

I’ll leave you with two videos that might encourage you to try some form of IF:

More about Joe Garma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8UHzkXC4HQ&feature=emb_title

 

Will losing those extra kilos make you happy? Science says probably not.

WILL LOSING THOSE EXTRA KILOS MAKE YOU HAPPY? SCIENCE SAYS PROBABLY NOT.

Maintaining a positive body image nowadays is very difficult when we are daily assaulted with a barrage of perfectly photoshopped images in magazines, on the Internet and splashed across billboards. Strong emphasis is now placed on the importance of being slender for women and for appearing athletic and/or lean for men. In such an overtly shallow environment focussed on outward appearance, is it any great surprise that a strong link between body image and happiness levels permeates modern society and has many people asking: ‘Will losing a few extra kilos make me happier?’
 
A recent survey* by Chapman University in the United States looked at 12,176 adult women and men aged between 18 and 65 and found that approximately 15 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women were ‘extremely dissatisfied’ with their weight. Amongst the women, body image ranked third as the strongest indicator of overall satisfaction with life; the only stronger ones were related to their financial situation and romantic partner. For men, body image was the second strongest indicator, following life and financial satisfaction respectively. Overall, people who were more satisfied with their appearance reported greater self-esteem and satisfaction with their sex and romantic life, family, friends and finances.
 
And thus the wheel keeps turning, with people believing that a leaner, fitter and ultimately happier them is just 10 kilos away. Sadly, new research suggests that improving the quality of your diet is actually a better recipe for success than losing that extra tire around your belly. Although maintaining a healthy diet is instrumental in treating existing depression sufferers and stopping others from developing it, a new review of food-mood studies has shown that the relationship between depression and diet is quite independent of body weight.
 
What comprises a healthy diet? Basically, you need to avoid all those tempting and ubiquitous ‘extras’ that flout themselves in TV commercials and in the grocery aisle. Foods that provide energy, but offer little to no nutritional value, such as chocolate, cake, chips and candy should be high on your avoidance list as they only feed your fat cells. You’re better off focussing your caloric intake on what is known as ‘brain foods’, aka those which are high in fats and nutrients, for example, fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, yoghurt and avocado. These foods, as well as greens and whole grains, are broken down into molecules that feed your gut bugs, which in turn help build neurotransmitters, fight inflammation and protect healthy brain cells.
 
For example, a 2013 study** followed participants on a 12-week diet treatment program to improve depression. Amongst those who participated, a large number were overweight and did not manage to significantly alter their BMI over the course of the experiment. Even though they didn’t lose any significant weight, these participants did report large improvements in their depression symptoms, with a full one-third of them going into remission.
 
Science aside, there is no dispute that being a healthy weight is of vital importance for overall wellbeing, both physical, mental and, for some, spiritual. What is interesting is that whilst being overweight does increase one’s likelihood of being depressed, it doesn’t appear to prevent these same people from reaping the physiological and psychological benefits of eating well.
 
What does that mean? Simply put, diet does exert tremendous affects on our mood, independent of a change in weight. Having said that, the science behind it is still not 100 per cent clear. For example, a diet filled with fruits, vegetables and fibre can improve the health of your gut microbiota through bacterial fermentation and the production of anti-inflammatory fatty acids. Without getting too much into the science behind it, the circulatory biomarkers that regulate our moods are heavily influenced by both microbiota and our immune system, which in turn influence our stress and nervous systems. This is why a reduction in something like chronic inflammation can have such a strong impact on depression, as it’s one of the leading causes.
 
Going back to the beginning of this article, the research clearly outlines the undesirable effects of a negative body image, whereby extreme dissatisfaction directly impacts a person’s health. According to the American Psychological Association, poor body image can result in both mental and physical health consequences, including anorexia and obesity. That’s why making lifestyle changes to improve how we feel and function is so essential, especially for anyone prone to depression. Losing weight is a long process, but the good news is that the benefits of eating well can be felt relatively quickly, whether you’re overweight or slim. You don’t need to go to extremes and create a huge deficit in calories; it’s better to focus on the quality, not the quantity of your caloric intake.
 
Take simple steps, like swapping chips or chocolate for fruit and nuts, and using a food journal to jot down how you feel after eating them. If you feel energised, proud and full, that’s good. If you feel sluggish, guilty and hungry, that’s bad. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. Unlike many other factors that contribute to your mental health, food is a domain over which you have complete control. Keep in mind the essential Japanese philosophy of kaizen – the art of making lasting changes through small, steady steps. Even if the scale doesn’t move, you’ll be shifting your mental health in a positive direction.
 
*Dr. David Frederick and Gaganjyot Sandhu of Chapman University, Patrick Morse, Ph.D. of University of California at Riverside; and Viren Swami, Ph.D. of the University of Westminster, London, “Correlates of appearance and weight satisfaction in a U.S. national Sample: Personality, attachment style, television viewing, self-esteem, and life satisfaction is published in the journal Body Image”, May 2016
 
**Adrienne O’Neil, Michael Berk, Catherine Itsiopoulos, David Castle, Rachelle Opie, Josephine Pizzinga, Laima Brazionis, Allison Hodge, Cathrine Mihalopoulos, Marya Lou Chatterton, Olivia M Dean and Felice N Jacka, BMC Psychiatry, “A randomised, controlled trial of a dietary intervention for adults with major depression (the “SMILES” trial): study protocol”, 15 April 2013

Beating diabetes & other health benefits of fasting

BEATING DIABETES & OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS OF FASTING

Today we are going to talk about the incredible benefits your body can achieve under the auspices of a properly supervised fast. When done correctly, fasting is one of the most effective therapies available to kick-start the body’s healing abilities and bring about total wellness in a safe and long-lasting way.

However, no matter how successful a short-term fasting program might be, it needs to be consistently followed-up with a healthy lifestyle, namely mindfulness, diet, environment, and physical activity. The following examples are just a few of the many beneficial uses of fasting.

Diabetes

Many chronic illnesses such as diabetes have been shown to respond remarkably well to fasting. In particular, through the use of a carefully followed diet, lifestyle program and intermittent fasting many adult-onset diabetic patients have been freed from the use of daily insulin injections and other medications. Such a program will allow most diabetics to maintain normal sugar levels without the use of medication. Similarly, insulin resistance is positively affected by fasting, enabling sufferers to better tolerate carbohydrates.

Brain Function

Fasting has been shown to dramatically enhance brain performance because it boosts a particular protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). How it works is that BNDF fires up brain stem cells to create new neurons, simultaneously stimulating other chemicals, which in turn promote better overall health. In this way, increased growth of new nerve cells is beneficial to brain overall brain function.

Addictions

Addictions to substances such as alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine are examples where fasting can really help. The protracted withdrawal symptoms that prevent many people from becoming drug-free can be dramatically reduced with fasting. Most people are surprised how easy it is to quit (and stay quit!) smoking or drinking with the help of a supervised fast.

Eating Habits

Fasting can help improve ingrained eating habits. It’s a sad truth that modern society’s over-consumption of food, obsession with looking good, use of food as a mood enhancer and general bad attitude (all carbs are bad!) has caused a sharp rise in the number of people suffering from eating disorders, such as binge eating and obesity. Fasting is like a reset button – the longer you fast, the more your body can regulate hormone levels, you can learn about proper nutrition and you can break the cycle of abuse.

Gastrointestinal Disorders

Disturbances of the gastrointestinal system including esophagitis, gastritis, colitis, constipation, bloating and the symptoms associated with so-called candidiasis (overgrowth of the yeast candida), usually respond well to fasting. Such patients who go on a fast typically begin seeing results in as little as a week and by the end of two weeks show remarkable change in their bowel movements.

Back & Neck Pain

Often patients with chronic pain who have received extensive treatment, including drugs, surgery and physical therapy, will experience dramatic improvement through the use of fasting. Joint pain, in particular of the lumbar spine (low back) and neck, is remarkably responsive to this kind of treatment. A combination of fasting, rest, exercise, improved posture and body use can have remarkable results.

Cardiovascular Disease

Angina and muscle pain (ache, cramp, numbness, fatigue) are examples of conditions that will often respond rapidly to fasting. It’s not uncommon for a person’s cholesterol levels drop by as much as 100 points; in conjunction with total pain relief and freedom from medications within a few week. In many cases of high blood pressure [hypertension], patients who employed fasting were able to achieve and maintain normal blood pressure without the use of medication.

Weight Loss

Losing weight has been proven time and time again to be both possible and effective whilst fasting. When there is no sugar or food around, the body will burn fat for energy after two to three days. In this way guided fasting can enhance hormone function and rapidly assist weight loss. From a scientific standpoint, lower insulin levels, increased amounts of norepinephrine and enhanced hormone levels all contribute to depletion in body fat. Lastly, let’s take a few minutes to look at the crucial steps, and likely outcome, involved when transitioning into a fasting lifestyle.

Transition

Fasting, for as little as 24 hours to as much as 30 days, will often dramatically shorten the time it takes for an individual to make the transition from a standard diet and lifestyle to a healthy and sustainable one.

People who undertake to fast in a supervised setting (e.g., a specialised retreat like the one offered by Vietnam Detox) invariably achieve better and faster health results than those that go it alone. The emotional support and intensive health education they receive during their retreat go a long way to increasing overall acceptance with dietary and lifestyle recommendations.

As with the above, when individuals try to make drastic dietary changes without the benefit of a fasting coach, they often become quickly disheartened and quit easily. Transitioning to a healthy lifestyle can bring about feelings of fatigue, nausea, headache, vomiting, skin irritation, diarrhea, bloating, irritability, joint pain, depression and so on.

Unless practitioners begin to experience some benefits quickly, it’s difficult to get them to practice these new healthy living habits for the long-term. Changes that may take months (or even years), such as a careful eating plan, may develop more quickly as part of a properly supervised fast. The importance of a safe and supportive fasting environment cannot be more greatly valued as it’s a key component in keeping people on the wellness journey; once people begin to reach their potential they are more likely to maintain a lifelong commitment to healthy living.

If you’re ready to begin your own wellness journey under the supervision of a certified and passionate fasting coach, reach out to us at Vietnam Detox today at www.vietnamdetox.com or dieter@vietnamdetox.com for more information.

Đánh tan nỗi sợ khi dịp lễ đến

ĐÁNH TAN NỖI SỢ KHI DỊP LỄ ĐẾN

Tăng cân, thiếu ngủ, uể oải, mất năng lượng… là tình trạng thường xuyên diễn ra sau các dịp nghỉ dài ngày, đặc biệt là cuối năm. Hầu hết mỗi chúng ta đều gặp những nỗi sợ khi dịp lễ đến gần.

HÁO HỨC VÀ LO LẮNG

Tháng 12 đến tháng 1 hằng năm là thời điểm nhiều người trông đợi. Đây là dịp có nhiều ngày nghỉ lễ Tết nhất năm. Kết thúc năm cũ, bắt đầu năm mới nên ai cũng hân hoan với tâm trạng phấn khởi. Nhưng vòng tuần hoàn của thời gian cũng mang đến những bài học đắt giá cho sức khỏe

Theo báo cáo của Tổng cục Thống kê, trong tháng đầu năm 2017, cả nước tiêu thụ gần 322 triệu lít bia, tăng hơn 9% so với cùng kỳ 2016. Tiêu thụ thuốc lá điếu tháng 1/2017 cũng ghi nhận đạt gần 419 triệu bao, tăng 0,6% so với cùng kỳ. Thời gian này trùng với dịp Tết. Thông tin cho thấy nhu cầu uống bia và hút thuốc lá tăng mạnh trong thời điểm này. Đây cũng hai trong số các thủ phạm dẫn đến những vấn đề gây căng thẳng cho cơ thể sau các ngày nghỉ.

Nhiều chị em bắt đầu suy sụp khi phát hiện cân nặng tăng chóng mặt, quần áo mặc chật nít, cơ thể nặng nề. Các anh phát hiện bụng ngày càng phình to, mắt thâm quầng vì các cuộc vui thâu đêm suốt sáng.

Không muốn hoặc khó khăn khi trở lại với công việc và nhịp sống bình thường là tình trạng chung sau khi hết Tết, hết lễ. Tuy nhiên, cuộc sống vẫn tiếp diễn và mọi người phải trở lại với thực tế. Vì thế, nỗi lo sau mỗi dịp nghỉ dài ngày thường ám ảnh mọi người.

Không chỉ liên quan đến vấn đề cân nặng, sức bền để trở lại với công việc, sức khỏe của bạn sẽ bị tác động rất nhiều bởi các thói quen trong những ngày này. Sức khỏe cần nhiều thời gian để chăm sóc nhưng có thể bị ảnh hưởng rất nhanh bởi các tác nhân không tốt vào dịp lễ.

Thiếu vận động, thiếu nghỉ ngơi, nạp quá nhiều đồ ăn thức uống khiến cơ thể trở nên quá tải. Điều này tất yếu dẫn đến những căn bệnh phổ biến như rối loạn tiêu hóa, tiêu chảy, gan nhiễm mỡ, cao huyết áp, các bệnh về đường hô hấp… Với những người bệnh mãn tính như tim mạch, cao huyết áp, đái tháo đường, béo phì, viêm loét dạ dày, tá tràng… nếu không đặc biệt cẩn thận và kiêng cữ có thể khiến bệnh tình trầm trọng hơn.


CHUẨN BỊ CHO MÙA NGHỈ LỄ KHỎE KHOẮN

Tất cả những nỗi lo trên hoàn toàn có thể kiểm soát. Nếu có kế hoạch chuẩn bị, bạn sẽ vừa có ngày nghỉ nhiều niềm vui nhưng vẫn khỏe khoắn và nhiều năng lượng để trở lại với công việc ngay sau đó.
 
Bạn không cần phải từ chối những bữa tiệc, các cuộc vui, những món ăn và thức uống ngon. Bạn chỉ cần kiểm soát và cân bằng bằng cách lắng nghe cơ thể. Khi cảm thấy no và đầy bụng, đừng cố ăn hay uống thêm bởi dấu hiệu đã cho thấy cần dừng lại. Khi thức quá khuya mà vẫn chưa thấy buồn ngủ, cũng hãy dành thời gian ngơi nghỉ bởi mỗi người đều cần giấc ngủ để tồn tại và cơ thể cần khoảng thời gian này để nạp lại năng lượng. Hãy dành một chút thời gian mỗi ngày vận động cơ thể, thiền hoặc hít thở thật sâu để thư giãn cơ thể và tâm hồn.
 
Bạn cũng có thể tham gia khóa detox của chúng tôi vào thời gian từ 18-21/1 tới tại Edensee Resort & Spa, Đà Lạt. Trong khóa fasting 4 ngày, Vietnam Detox sẽ mang đến cho bạn trải nghiệm mới về chăm sóc sức khỏe từ trong ra ngoài. Phương pháp fasting thải độc cơ thể với sự kết hợp giữa các loại nước ép trái cây tốt cho sức khỏe và vận động, thư giãn tâm hồn có thể giúp bạn chuẩn bị cho một mùa nghỉ lễ lành mạnh, khỏe khoắn và không sợ tăng cân.
 
 
Trong suốt thời gian tham gia chương trình, bạn sẽ hòa mình vào thiên nhiên trong lành của thành phố xinh đẹp Đà Lạt. Trải nghiệm đi bộ đường dài (hiking) qua những ngọn núi hoang sơ sẽ giúp bạn không chỉ khỏe khoắn mà còn thanh lọc tâm hồn khỏi cuộc sống thường ngày. Bên cạnh đó, các bài tập yoga, thái cực quyền kết hợp massage mang đến những liệu pháp thư giãn cho cơ thể.
 
Dieter Buchner – huấn luyện viên của Vietnam Detox sẽ hướng dẫn bạn những cách chọn lọc thức ăn tốt cho cơ thể, những liệu trình chăm sóc sức khỏe phù hợp cũng như hướng dẫn cách làm nước ép để bạn có thể thực hành ngay tại nhà. Ông có bằng huấn luyện viên fasting tại Học viện Fasting Đức (German Fasting Academy), chứng nhận về massage tại Thái Lan và Hawaii (Mỹ), dành rất nhiều thời gian để nghiên cứu về cơ thể con người và lối sống. Với kinh nghiệm của mình, Dieter mong muốn có thể giúp mọi ngươi sống khỏe hơn và lành mạnh hơn.
 
Chúng tôi mong muốn trở thành người đồng hành của bạn không chỉ riêng trong khóa detox mà cả quá trình bạn sống sau đó. Với từng thể trạng và kỳ vọng của mỗi cá nhân, Vietnam Deotx có thể giúp bạn thiết kế một kế hoạch chăm sóc cơ thể phù hợp trong dịp lễ và cả ngày bình thường để sống khỏe hơn, lành mạnh hơn nhưng vẫn không bỏ qua những cuộc vui của đời người.
 

Liên hệ

Chúng tôi mong chờ tin từ bạn. Nếu bạn có bất kỳ câu hỏi nào về các khoá học, chỉ cần gọi hoặc gửi email cho chúng tôi.

Tel. +84 9350 902 88 (Vietnamese, English)
Tel. +84 9326 393 27 (English, French, German)
Email. info@vietnamdetox.com

Nhận bản tin

Theo dõi các thông tin từ Vietnam Detox và cập nhật tất cả các sự kiện sẽ diễn ra trong hộp thư của bạn:
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THAM GIA NGAY

ĐĂNG KÝ

Đánh tan nỗi sợ khi dịp lễ đến

Xin Chào, tôi là Dieter Buchner, Huấn luyện viên tiết thực phương pháp Buchinger và Người lãnh đạo khóa tiết thực đã được chứng nhận của bạn.

Tại đây, bạn có thể tùy chọn số lượng người tham gia, gói dịch vụ, xe đưa đón v.v… Và hoàn thành đăng ký tham gia.

Gói dịch vụ:
Vận chuyển:
Khuyến mãi:
Tổng cộng:

Khách Hàng #1

Khách Hàng #2