Fermented food and beverages were among the very first processed foods consumed by humans. In the beginning, fermented foods were valued for their safe shelf life and the popularity of foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, wine and even fermented sausage grew. However, these days the consumption of fermented foods is closely associated with a wide variety of health benefits.
Fermented foods are foods which are produced or preserved by the action of microorganisms. When a food is fermented, it is left to sit and steep until the sugars and carbs become bacteria-boosting agents. The fermentation process preserves the food and creates beneficial enzymes, b-Vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids and a wide variety of probiotics. Probiotics are important because they improve digestion, help prevent against disease and are known to enhance immune functions.
Fermented Food Benefits
Fermentation is the metabolic process in which microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast or fungi convert organic compounds such as sugars and starch into alcohol or acids. The process of fermentation preserves food, adds microbes to the gut when eaten, increases micronutrients, makes foods more digestible, eliminates bad bacteria and decreases cooking time.
In addition to adding probiotics to the body, the health benefits of fermented foods are plenty some of which include:
Weight loss
Clearing up of skin problems
Aiding in hormonal issues
Provide defense against immune weaknesses
Help energy levels
Fermented foods also help regulate the immune system and metabolism, support mood and brain function as well as alleviate stress and help us maintain a healthy weight.
What are the best fermented foods for health?
Readily available, the best fermented foods for health include yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir and fermented vegetables. Here is a breakdown of why these fermented foods are so good for us.
Sauerkraut is a sour cabbage pickled by lacto-fermentation. It has a sour taste and makes a great accompaniment to salads. Sauerkraut is a good source of live bacteria.
Fermented vegetables are natural probiotics that do not contain added sugar, gluten or preservatives. Their taste is often tangy and zesty.
Kefir is a fermented milk drink that resembles a liquid yogurt. It offers incredible immune system support and can even help prevent chronic diseases and illnesses.
Kombucha is a naturally fermented tea that aids in digestion and fights candida. Often referred to as nature’s elixir, Kombucha comes in many flavors and is safe to drink daily.
Yogurt is at its best when it is plain and unflavored. Although its health benefits are numerous, yogurt is a healthy breakfast or anytime snack that is good for weight loss.
Interested in learning more about fermented foods?
If you are interested in learning more about fermented foods, we highly suggest you drop by Santosa Vegan Restaurant located in Santosa Detox & Wellness Center here in Phuket. Located in the hills above Kata Beach, Santosa is a state-of-the-art detox retreat specializing in a wide variety of detox programs, spa & yoga retreats as well as healthy eating programs. Drop in and see us to try some our homemade fermented foods in our vegan restaurant, to chat about health and wellness or sign up for a program. Simply fill in the enquiry form below and a member of staff will be in contact with you. We look forward to welcoming you to Santosa here in Phuket, Thailand.
Full fast is a full cleanse program specially designed to enable maximum results. You will have no food / no juice but only drink water with cleanses drinks and nutrition supplements. Participants of this program will be subjected to the most powerful, yet natural, body detoxification processes. This program is suitable for those who have detoxification experience and are determined to go deeper for cleanse. A thorough pre-cleanse is also important for the full fast.
Juice fast is a cleanse program to nourish and detoxify the body by drinking fresh fruits and vegetable juice. The key is to hydrate and nourish your cells with the correct vitamins, enzymes, minerals and antioxidants. Guests participating in the Juice Fast Program have higher energy levels allowing them to take advantage of the various activities available at Santosa Detox & Wellness Center.
Raw food fast brings together nutritional science and holistic therapies. This program is recommended for guests looking for a long lasting and sustainable post program experience. With a balanced and nutritionally delicious set raw food menu in addition to the regular fasting supplements and a complete program of daily therapies, including regular cleansing sessions, this program is designed to optimize the detoxification process in every way. A raw food diet has shown to increase energy levels, which is great for taking part in many of Santosa’s activities.
People choose to detox for a variety of reasons, however, most of them are related to both looking and feel better. There are many health benefits associated with detoxifying the body, with the primary benefit being to treat or prevent chronic illnesses and diseases.
Most chronic illnesses, diseases and sicknesses can be traced back to poor bowel health. Poor bowel health translates to a body filled with too many toxins. A detox program can help rid the body of as many toxins as possible to restore the body to optimal health.
Someone who knows a great deal about how detox programs help to prevent potential diseases is Liana Rader. A familiar face around Santosa Detox & Wellness Center, Liana is the Holistic Wellness Director & Therapist at our center. Passionate about her profession and extremely knowledgeable, we recently asked Liana some questions with regard to detox, disease prevention and her path as a holistic therapist.
What is the best way for a potential client to choose a detox program?
Firstly, the client needs to understand at what point they are on in their health journey. For example, what lifestyle are they leading, what are their eating habits? Are they suffering from an ailment or a disorder? What is their history? Is it their first detox experience or have they undergone other treatments? Prior to advising any of Santosa’s detox programs, it is important that potential clients fill in our Health Questionnaire so that we can establish their background information, decide which detox program is best for them and assist them through their health and wellness journey to ensure the best results possible.
An important factor that reigns true is that over the years of assisting clients at Santosa, I have always witnessed excellent results no matter which program a guest chooses. Guests receive the best benefits, and often come back to repeat the experience six month down the road or a year later, especially if they are ready to go deeper into their detox and self-care.
How does a detox help prevent potential diseases?
Human anatomy has been organized in an extraordinary way to live a healthy life, but due to our stressful, often out of balance “modern world lifestyle” and its environment, our bodies and minds are exposed to an overload of toxins on a daily basis. Under this pressure, our body functions are at great risk as they are often depleted and can easily give in to ailments and diseases. A detox is like pushing the body’s reset button. It gives our bodies and our minds a break and slows down the digestive system. During a detox, our bodies go into repair mode and we are able to focus on self-care and heal.
Why would you suggest a detox?
To be honest, we all want to live a happy and good life. I believe a regular detox retreat is essential to help all of us accomplish that goal. It truly is one of the best gifts that we can give ourselves.
Personally, we may know what is good or bad for us, but it can often be difficult to stay on track once we get caught up in our daily routines. The benefits of a detox are endless! A detox program helps us get back on track simply by slowing us down, allowing us to make time for ourselves, cleansing and detoxing our bodies with colemas and saunas, being pampered by daily massages as well as integrating a wide variety of sport activities to move, strengthen and stretch the body. In addition, fueling our bodies with healthy fresh juices and vegan food, meditation, breath work and a wide range of alternative practitioners and therapists to choose from for further education.
What are you waiting for?
Liana is right. What are you waiting for? Awaken Life’s Potential at Santosa Detox & Wellness Center. Located on the tropical island of Phuket, Santosa is the ultimate detox retreat in southern Thailand. We offer a wide variety of detox programs and activities to help anyone reboot their health or start a health and wellness journey.
Interested in learning more. Simply fill out the enquiry form below and a member of staff will be in touch. We look forward to welcoming you to Santosa Detox & Wellness Center for your detox holiday.
Full fast is a full cleanse program specially designed to enable maximum results. You will have no food / no juice but only drink water with cleanses drinks and nutrition supplements. Participants of this program will be subjected to the most powerful, yet natural, body detoxification processes. This program is suitable for those who have detoxification experience and are determined to go deeper for cleanse. A thorough pre-cleanse is also important for the full fast.
Juice fast is a cleanse program to nourish and detoxify the body by drinking fresh fruits and vegetable juice. The key is to hydrate and nourish your cells with the correct vitamins, enzymes, minerals and antioxidants. Guests participating in the Juice Fast Program have higher energy levels allowing them to take advantage of the various activities available at Santosa Detox & Wellness Center.
Raw food fast brings together nutritional science and holistic therapies. This program is recommended for guests looking for a long lasting and sustainable post program experience. With a balanced and nutritionally delicious set raw food menu in addition to the regular fasting supplements and a complete program of daily therapies, including regular cleansing sessions, this program is designed to optimize the detoxification process in every way. A raw food diet has shown to increase energy levels, which is great for taking part in many of Santosa’s activities.
Staying hydrated is important for health, and it is recommended, on average, to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. However, there are some who believe that adding extra ingredients to water boosts its health benefits. The result is known as Detox Water, and it is said to help the body get rid of toxins, aid in losing weight and improve energy levels.
What is Detox Water?
Detox Water is water that has been infused with the flavors of fresh fruits, vegetables or herbs. It is often referred to as fruit-flavored or fruit-infused water.
Due to the fact that Detox Water is made by infusing flavor, rather than juicing or blending, it contains very few calories which makes it a popular drink for a wide variety of detox programs. Detox Water is also often recommended in many weight loss plans in place of high-sugar drinks such as soda and fruit juice.
How to Make Detox Water?
It is super easy to make Detox Water at home and there are a lot of ways to flavor it including fruit combinations, vegetables and herbs. Simply chop up your ingredients and add hot or cold water. Obviously, the more of an ingredient you use, the stronger the flavor will become. Here are some delicious Detox Water flavors:
Cucumber and mint
Lemon and ginger
Watermelon and mint
Orange and lemon
Strawberry and basil
If you are making a cold Detox Water, be sure to remove the ingredients after seeping for 12 hours so they don’t begin to decompose.
Does Detox Water Have Health Benefits?
Detox Water has many health benefits which include weight loss, toxin removal and natural detox, helping boost immune functions, aiding digestive health, increasing energy levels and improving the skin.
However, it is important to note that most of the above benefits come from drinking water itself. The ingredients used in making Detox Water don’t offer as many nutrients as eating them in their whole form.
Studies have shown that drinking water helps you lose weight, and this also applies to Detox Water. Water can temporary raise the body’s metabolic rate which buns more calories. People who drink the recommended amount of water as part of a weight loss program tend to lose more weight.
Water also improves digestive health. Keeping the system hydrated maintains regular bowel functions. Drinking plenty of water also helps food pass easily through the gut. Water can also improve mood and energy levels as hydration can help alleviate bad moods and headaches.
Interested in Learning More?
Interested in learning more about Detox Water and detox programs in general? Simply fill out the enquiry form below and a member of staff will reach out to you. Located on the tropical island of Phuket in southern Thailand, Santosa Detox & Wellness Center is the ultimate detox retreat. Perfect for a long detox holiday, or a short stay, our state-of-the-art center features a wide variety of programs, fitness activities and outstanding vegan restaurant. Awaken Life’s Potential with us at Santosa.
Full fast is a full cleanse program specially designed to enable maximum results. You will have no food / no juice but only drink water with cleanses drinks and nutrition supplements. Participants of this program will be subjected to the most powerful, yet natural, body detoxification processes. This program is suitable for those who have detoxification experience and are determined to go deeper for cleanse. A thorough pre-cleanse is also important for the full fast.
Juice fast is a cleanse program to nourish and detoxify the body by drinking fresh fruits and vegetable juice. The key is to hydrate and nourish your cells with the correct vitamins, enzymes, minerals and antioxidants. Guests participating in the Juice Fast Program have higher energy levels allowing them to take advantage of the various activities available at Santosa Detox & Wellness Center.
Raw food fast brings together nutritional science and holistic therapies. This program is recommended for guests looking for a long lasting and sustainable post program experience. With a balanced and nutritionally delicious set raw food menu in addition to the regular fasting supplements and a complete program of daily therapies, including regular cleansing sessions, this program is designed to optimize the detoxification process in every way. A raw food diet has shown to increase energy levels, which is great for taking part in many of Santosa’s activities.
A steady intake of toxic foods will catch up with you sooner or later and wreak havoc on not only your waistline but also your health. Toxic foods include oils that contain bad fats, refined sugars, grains, processed low-fat or fat-free foods, genetically modified foods and conventionally produced meat and dairy products. Eating toxic foods such as these deprives the body of the essential nutrients needed to detoxify the body naturally. When the body is in such a state of nutrient deprivation, it becomes stressed and stores fat for protection. To put an end to this cycle of toxic fat storage, proper dietary and lifestyle changes need to be made to generate true cellular detox and sustainable, long lasting weight loss.
Toxins affect our hormones and trigger weight loss resistance, so in order to lose weight we have to fix our hormones. Leptin is the hormone that tells the brain to burn fat for energy, however, if the brain is not receiving the correct message from leptin due to toxic overload, the body will not burn its fat for energy. Therefore, when the body is in this state of toxicity, lasting weight loss is not possible.
The fastest and most effective way to jumpstart the release of toxic pounds is to participate in a detox. Choose a program that focuses on replacing bad fats with good fats and features an influx of healthy fruits and vegetables and meals that are either raw or vegan. This program should also feature anti-inflammatory drinks to help reduce the inflammation in the body. It is also important to remove all sugars and processed grains from the body.
Are you looking for a sustainable diet plan and a long term solution to your current state of health? Interested in refining your diet through a detox program? Do you want help to change your lifestyle, but don’t know where to turn? Come and spend a detox holiday here at Santosa Detox & Wellness Center.
For more information, simply fill out the enquiry form below. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Santosa Detox & Wellness Center.
What is the difference between The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal TherapyAnd Chi Nei Tsang? Since I have been in Asia, I am often asked this question.
Just to clarify, I am a Certified Practitioner of The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy®, not a Chi Nei Tsang practitioner, yet, although I hope to be soon. I have experienced a Chi Nei Tsang treatment and read a lot about it. I will touch on the basic definitions and differences, please feel free to add your two cents.
What’s in a name?
The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy® are based on the teachings of Rosita Arvigo, who apprenticed for ten years with Don Elijio Panti, one of the last Mayan shamans of Belize. Rosita saw the power and benefits of his treatments and incorporated her own training as a Naprapath (an off-shoot of chiropractic that focuses on the ligaments) to create the method that bears her name.
Chi Nei Tsang literally means qi – usually translated as vital energy and nei tsang – means internal organs. This is a a specific type of internal organ massage based on Taoist teachings from China. This method is taught by Mantak Chia who developed the Universal Tao system and is based at Tao Garden in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Premise
Arvigo Therapy is based on the Maya belief that “a woman’s uterus is the spiritual center of her being: if it’s out of balance, than her entire life is out of balance,” says Dr. Rosita Arvigo. Proper re-positioning of the uterus is done by working on the ligaments and muscles that help bring her into proper position. This work is also beneficial for men too. While woman tend to have more issues of displacement in the pelvis; men have more issues of congestion.
Meanwhile, the massage of the abdomen, lower back and focused work on the sacrum, also work to:
soften musculature
enhance circulation of the blood, lymph, nerves & qi
improve digestion, assimilation & elimination
Chi Nei Tsang’s focus is on the internal organs. Much of the diagnosis is based on the positioning of the navel and its shape. They also massage the abdomen and work to:
directly stimulate the internal organs
facilitate their drainage of toxic wastes
draw circulation of blood and energy into the organs and glands to repair & replenish them.
Both therapies place great importance on the emotions, since negative emotions do so much damage to our health – physically, mentally and spiritually. All massage therapists and body-workers know that “muscles store memory” and that long held emotions can be released through skilled bodywork; many times being much more effective than being more affective then western style psychotherapy.
Digestion of emotions also takes place in the abdomen, each organ corresponding to a different emotion. We don’t often consider that we digest emotions, believing that digestion only has to do with food. When we hold in our emotions the diaphragm muscle constricts which impedes circulation throughout the abdomen by restricting its rhythmic movement with each respiration. Other muscles in the abdomen and back also tighten creating stagnation of energy, hence impeding the function of the internal organs.
Adjunct Therapies
Arvigo Therapy tends to incorporate more instruction in self-care massage as an integral part of their treatment and other adjunct therapies.
Arvigo Therapy depending on the circumstances will teach clients about the “faja” (adominal wrap), “bajos” (vaginal steam), castor oil packs and when appropriate dietary advice.
Chi Nei Tsang practitioners teach clients to meditate on the inner smile, microcosmic orbit and healing sounds and also give Chinese dietary guidelines.
Having experienced both techniques they take different approaches. I recommend experiencing both if you have the opportunity. Since I am only touching on the very basics, for further information here are some websites and books if you would like to learn more.
Sastun- My Apprentice with a Mayan Healer, Rosita Arvigo and Nadine Epstein
Rainforest Remedies, The Maya Way to Heal your Body and Replenish your Soul – Rosita Arvigo and Nadine Epstein
Chi Nei Tsang– Chi Massage for the Vital Organs, Mantak Chia
The Tao of Detox, Daniel Reid
Wind in the Blood; Mayan Healing and Chinese Medicine, Hernan Garcia, Antonio Sierra, Gilberto Balam
Santosa Detox & Wellness Center would like to thank Lisa Levine for her guest blog post this week. From July 27 – 30, Lisa will facilitate The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy Self-Care Workshop here at Santosa. Interested in more info? Give us a call at 076 330 600.
At Santosa, guests can use their free time to relax and disconnect from the stresses of the outside world by joining our free classes, taking a swim or a relaxing ice bath after a sauna.
Santosa Spa is truly an extension of our ethics; to take you on a sensual and luxurious journey. Our treatments nurture and support the connection between body, mind and spirit.
Shirodara & Ayurvedic - Thai Herbal Compress - Hot Stone - Cupping Therapy - Infrared Dome Sauna - Ion Cleanse Foot Bath - Epsom Salt Foot SPA and Foot Scrub
It is super easy to make Detox Water at home and there are a lot of ways to flavor it including fruit combinations, vegetables and herbs. Simply chop up your ingredients and add hot or cold water. Obviously, the more of an ingredient you use, the stronger the flavor will become. Here are some delicious Detox Water flavors:
