If you are concerned about mercury toxicity then the Nutritional Therapy process will be able to identify if it is a potential problem to an individual. Laboratory tests can identify levels and a detoxification programme can be introduce.

For more information please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk

At Jiva, the emphasis is on empowering clients to embrace a healthier way of life as well as the fast itself. So there are classes on nutrition and healthy eating and I will also be offering tailored nutritional therapy consultations and Oxidata free-radical testing during the retreat.

Breaking the fast is as important, if not more important than the fast itself and to help clients I’ll also be preparing meal plans for when they get home, making it even easier to use a Jiva fasting retreat as the kick start to a new healthier way of being.

For more information and to book, click here. For more details on the nutrition consultations on the retreat, click here.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk.

For more information please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition on 07775 582 332 or ange@fabulousnutrition.co.uk.

Support the Plastiki project here and most importantly, reduce your own use of plastics.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk.

For more information please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition on 07775 582 332 or ange@fabulousnutrition.co.uk.

This weeks story is Fiona who at 58 wanted to lose weight and feel more energised. She didn’t feel that she had any major health issues, but I did identify some metabolic imbalances which made it a bit more difficult of her to lose the weight she wanted to. We decided that she would follow my 21 day detox programme and I think Fiona’s own testimonial speaks for itself:

“I am truly amazed at what a transformation in only 3 weeks.

My grown up family had suggested (not too subtly) that I needed to lose weight and cut down on my alcohol intake.  As a widow, in my late fifties and working full time within the field marketing industry, I had got into the habit of coming home from work, heating up something quick and easy to eat and settling down most evenings to either a few gin and tonics or a bottle of  wine to help me unwind. Whilst I accepted that my weight was on the high side and I was now buying larger sizes of clothing I had convinced myself that this was all part of the aging process.

With a winter sunshine holiday on the horizon though, I really wanted to feel more energetic and look better so, encouraged by my family, I decided to follow the 21 day detox programme.  Not only have I lost half a stone in weight, lost 2 inches on my waist and hips and my waistline seems much lower down now, but most importantly I certainly do have more energy, vitality and focus and no longer find myself waking up on the sofa to find that I have missed the end of the programme that I had been watching.

I have never been one for faddy diets and this programme is certainly not one of those. However the discipline of following the programme has taught me that fresh, simple foods can be so delicious as well as far more nutritious. I cannot state that I followed the meal plan religiously – however I did not eat anything that wasn’t on the list, I never felt hungry and the biggest surprise of all for me was that I did not feel the need to have that gin and tonic!  I really loved the nutritional shakes and will probably continue having these on a regular basis as part of my new eating regime.

I now feel fabulous and can’t wait for my holiday.” Fiona, 58, Oxfordshire

For more information please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition on 07775 582 332 or ange@fabulousnutrition.co.uk. Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk

STOP PRESS: we have a few spaces left for next week, starting Saturday 6th March for 7 days. If you are interested in a juice fasting week in gorgeous Goa, then please contact Rebecca on jivahealing@gmail.com ASAP.

For more information please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition on 07775 582 332 or ange@fabulousnutrition.co.uk. Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk

We are exposed to different types of mercury: elemental, inorganic and organic mercury. Organic mercury is considered the most toxic and most common form and is the type found in Fish [1]. This form of mercury can be easily absorbed in the gut and can cross the blood brain barrier.

Once in the body, mercury can inhibit other important minerals such as zinc and selenium. It can cause problems with digestion,  the heart, kidneys & nervous system. It can inhibit white and red blood cell formation and cause dysfunction in the immune system. In other words, we really don’t want any mercury in our bodies! We are able to detoxify and excrete mercury, but this in itself will use up the bodies antioxidant and detoxification resources. It is also very individual. If someone is already in a weakened state then their ability to detoxify and eliminate any mercury will be severely compromised.

So, if we are trying to avoid mercury, then should we avoid fish? It is the larger fish, such as tuna and swordfish, that are more likely to accumulate toxins such as mercury (it seems to be a simple case of the longer they live and the more they eat then the more mercury they can accumulate). So the best advice is to avoid these fish if your health is at all compromised or if you are pregnant or trying to conceive (as organic mercury can cross the placenta). For everyone else, then I would suggest that limited amounts of these fish, say once a week or once a fortnight is absolutely fine. Fish, especially oily fish, are a great source of the very long chain fatty acids, which we can’t find in many other foods. So do try to include other, smaller types of oily fish, such as Mackerel and Sardines. There are some recipe ideas here: http://fabulousnutrition.co.uk/good-fish-dish/

If you are concerned about mercury toxicity then seek the advice of a nutritional therapist. If the signs and symptoms suggest that mercury or other heavy metal toxicity is an issue a functional laboratory test can confirm this and is important to do before undertaking a detox programme.

For more information please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk

Last year a dossier published by The Voice of Young Scientists concluded that ‘detox’ as used in product marketing is a myth. I would agree with them on the whole, I believe that detox has become a very over-used and miss-used word, yet is it still vitally important for our health

From a nutritional point of view detoxification is the biotransformation of harmful molecules, and is absolutely core to our physical and mental health. Lots of factors can inhibit the body’s normal detoxification systems: Think of it like a set of scales, if we overload one side with too many toxins (from bad food choices, alcohol, environmental toxins and so on) without having enough of the nutrients that the detoxification systems rely on (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids) on the other then the detoxification system will become unbalanced.

So what’s the answer?

The simple answer is to reduce the toxins you are exposed to and increase levels of beneficial nutrients. You might be feeling the effects of excesses over Christmas and New Year and plan to make amends in January, this is a great time to kick start a new health regime. The following tips will set you on the way:

• Eat at least 9 portions of vegetables or fruit (but more vegetables) each day: this will help to maintain good levels of key vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
• Have a good protein source with each meal: egg, lean meat, fish (especially oily), lentils and beans: this will help ensure you have good levels of the essential amino acids
• Have some raw seeds and nuts each day, either as a snack or with meals: they include the good oils and some amino acids
• Cut down on refined grains i.e. limit your bread, pasta, cereals and when you do have them, make sure they are wholegrain
• Completely eliminate processed food, fried food, alcohol, sugary snacks and drinks (yes, even the diet ones which contain aspartame, read midway down this article to see why)
• Drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day as plain water or as plain water, herbal tea or a broth (email me if you want a good broth recipe)
• Stress uses up the nutrients we need for detoxification, so relaxation and breathing techniques will help
• Exercise is a great way to reduce stress increase blood flow and normalise hormone levels
• Buy organic food, especially meats, soft fruits and root vegetables
• We absorb a lot through the skin and respiratory system, so think about what’s in the creams and lotions that you use and use ones with natural oils also, buy toxic free home cleaning products
• Throw away any aluminium pots and replace with stainless steel or cast iron.

Follow the above tips and you will be helping the body’s natural detoxification systems and taking great steps towards a healthier you.

You can go even further with a nutritional detox programme. The liver is the primary organ of detoxification where biotransformation of toxins occurs in two phases. A well-designed programme will provide high levels of nutrients required for both pathways and fantastic way to enhance long term health, increase energy and improve mood and sleeping patterns. I am currently running a 3-week nutritional detox programme, which is fully supported and targeted to the individual. For more details email me or click here:

So yes, our amazing bodies are perfectly well equipped for detoxification. However our modern day lives can mean we are over burdened and under resourced to efficiently detoxify. So we do need to think about supporting detoxification through our diet and our lifestyles, but do beware of products on the market which might be jumping on the detox bandwagon.