Aug 9, 2015 | Santosa Programs
The feeling of truly being clean is hard to come by.
I never expected to find myself doing a detox. Then in the middle of July I found myself right in the middle of it. I came to Santosa with an open spirit, ready for what they put in front of me. I sat down at the first morning meeting and I heard everyone talk about their detoxes and I found fear running up my legs to my chest and to my head. I was truly afraid that I wouldn’t be able to detox, that I was unable to control my cravings. Fear can work wonders into pushing you to do things, but it was truly pulling me back.
But then I met Sandra. As I have lived in the budding new generation I have come to understand that we humans look for knowledge in other humans. If you ask me, Sandra is highly intelligent in the world of detox. When I started asking her about the little things such as my fear of the colema, and not eating while on the juice fast; she responded with a resounding acuteness. She told me that the colema (colonic) was easier than a walk in the park, and that your energy level while on the juice diet may be far greater than your energy on your normal diet. She set some high expectations for me but I began to become excited to overcome temptation and cleanse my body.
As I started my first day of the Juice detox I did not know what to expect, but I showed up to all the events thinking they were mandatory for keeping such a detox, but I was wrong.
I was relieved to find out that I did not have to show up to every activity, because my limbs weren’t made for yoga.
In Santosa they don’t even pressure you to try all the activities they have planned, they just write it on the board and give you the opportunity to try new things.
I had my first colonic coffee break; this was probably a more horrifying thought than anything. I was wrong. The colonic, just as Sandra said, was a breeze. I walked out of the room a kilo lighter, and surprisingly energized. I skipped my way to the juice bar enjoyed the fresh coconut juice and then experienced another revelation at Santosa. The juices they made for me tasted like rainbows and vegan unicorns. The juice was magnificent. I drank the juice very quickly as if I hadn’t drunk in years and urged for more.
I looked at my schedule and saw that my next juice was to be consumed in an hour. Oh was I excited. I walked from the juice bar to the gym on the second floor. I was afraid that because I wasn’t eating carbs that I would not have enough energy. I was wrong, yet again. I sprang onto the treadmill and ran an easy mile in six minutes without gasping for one last breath of fresh air.
I also have to give it up to the Thai Boxing instructor, Chalarm Kao. As I punched into his pads as hard as I could he would yell at me “no balance, no good.” He was right, and he showed me that if I punch as hard as I can without a conscious balance that I am easy to knock down. That kickboxing class has been a highlight of my time here and I am hoping I can find someone nearly as good as he is in Miami to keep me going!
As I am now finished with my Juice Fast one of the most remarkable things I will always remember about my detox is the unreal amount of energy I had. I was able to function all day, and only became tired when I wanted to go to sleep. I was an energizer bunny soaring through the day with nothing stopping my charge. I have to throw in another perspective for you to look from.
I am from Miami Beach, Florida. That’s a city where life never stops and the only great views are the beaches. I was dying to go to Thailand, relax and see true beauty in nature. I then got afraid that because I was detoxing in a wellness center that I would not be able to travel Thailand a little. I’m not a bad student, but I was wrong again. Freedom is served daily here. I was able to leave the resort and make my way to the beach and swim with the fish.
If I wasn’t in the mood to leave the resort I was able to just look around me because Santosa is in the middle of a mountain with an astonishing view of the sunset, and Big Buddha to cap that off.
Another untold secret about Santosa is their staff. I don’t know how they hire these people and what their interviewing system is like, but I was dumbfounded to realize that every single staff member here is perfect for their job, and even more so; their politeness is top of the key. I walked around feeling like a real “sir,” and I have not once been disappointed with the service here in Santosa.
Although I make detoxing sound super easy, it still is quite tough because you’re challenging yourself to try something new and it is a mind game, but everyone can win.
One of the biggest factors in Santosa that helps you truly enjoy your detox is the environment. There is not one point in time where I questioned the campus. I always basked in the sublime that Santosa provides, and when you start to cleanse your body you expect the place where you detox to be clean as well. Santosa is sparkling pure. There has never been a time here when I felt dirty, and it’s like you’re walking in a world created by Dr. Seuss. Santosa truly understands that while someone cleanses their body, they are expected to cleanse their environment and they have done just that. Even the people here are very clean, and that’s surprisingly also a relief.
So now to the massages – I hate when people touch me. Oh I am around seventy percent extroverted but I cannot stand when people just touch me. This is where I praise the masseuses. I decided that I would take advantage of my detox massage and let them press their hands against my back for an hour. I condemn myself for being so cynical about it. Have you ever closed your eyes and seen the light. I have. In my first Thai massage, and every single one after it in the perfect world of Santosa. I lay on the massage bed and felt the knots in my back release. I felt the warm oil swarm my legs and create a sensation on my body. I praise Santosa for changing my perspective on massages. I always thought that massages were a waste of time but I would be ecstatic to spend twenty four hours on one of those massage beds letting those godly hands relieve the stress from my body.
I never realized how crucial massages are in the detox process until I truly experienced it myself.
My detox was amazing. I would do it all over again if I had the time. Santosa has played a major role in my life as it changed my perspective on a myriad of personal objections. The team at Santosa knows how to give every one of their guests the best times, and the amount of personal attention you get at Santosa proves that. I would never ever have expected myself to detox and cleanse my body, but thanks to Santosa; I did. Now I will always maintain a yearning for personal cleanliness. In the great words of the warlord Justin Bieber: “Never Say Never.”
Aug 6, 2015 | Guest's Story
I let my legs glide through the sand to the rhythm of the crashing waves. I sink my toes into the sand, letting it engulf my feet. I look up to see the waves beating to the rhythm of their own drums. It’s as if there is a heartbeat within each wave. I breathe in the pristine air of Thailand during our early morning beach walk before we make our way back to the beautiful resort that is Santosa. I take my sandals off and I make my way to the morning meeting.
As I sit there within our group of detoxers I get ready to drink my vibrant green wheat grass shot and my ginger tea. As it races through my body I prepare to make my cleanse drink all while revealing my very own oracle card and conversing on topics such as super foods or finding out more about chemicals in our daily lives.
I then find myself shuttered with excitement as I make my way for my coffee break, more formally known as a colonic! Not knowing what to expect on my first day doing a juice detox I was surprised to find how energized I felt. After my colonic I strutted my way to the juice bar and picked up my coconut juice and as I downed my nutrition pills I already begin to sense my excitement for the next exotic juice that Santosa provides.
I then get ready to release the strains in my body with Bliss Yoga. I struggled controlling my breathing all whilst stretching my limbs to the max. As I sit with my head resting on the mat and my legs far above my head I struggle keeping my body up, but with more aimed effort I am able to control my body and mind and put my body into a raised stasis. I let the sweat of pure effort drip down my face while I allow my muscles to cool down with my much awaited Juice.
As the juice rolls its way down my tongue I taste the pomelo as it has a rendezvous with my tastebuds, I taste the apple and mint medley as it weaves in between my taste buds, and this happens all while I get ready to relax for my warm oil massage. I lay in the room while I feel the fingers run up my back, like a massage from a divine spirit. I lay there unable to move, not because I can’t, but because the divinity of the massage is too pure.
Moments later in the Sauna, I find myself surrounded in herbal infused steam as it detoxes my body and releases unneeded toxins. As the heat rises, I run to the ice bath and I plunge my body into the arctic pool. Goosebumps manifest, my body’s circulatory system is jumpstarted just before I run back into the sauna for another round of a sweating detox. After I leave the sauna I find myself strolling into Santosa’s gorgeous restaurant to pick up my warm broth. As I sit in the restaurant savoring the taste of the warm broth at the end of the day, I look out from the restaurant to see the eccentric view and feel the sublime of living here. Tomorrow I embark on a new journey in the wonderful world of Santosa, and I suspect every moment of tomorrow will be just as resounding as today.
Jun 28, 2015 | Healthy Eating
When dieting and invited to an even typical thoughts might be:
“What am I gonna eat? Celery stick? No way, there will be the best selection of my favorite food…”
“Should I say yes to the mayo-chipotle-double sauce-veggie- -pancake-with-french-fries-on-the-side? It’s for tonight only…”
Every event could seem perfect to splurge, but the consequence can be the worst kind of party affliction: the FOOD HANGOVER.
Here some easy-to-follow tips to save you, so you will learn how to say no to that extra slab of creamy, spicy, luscious, fluffy yummy dip.
1- Go to sleep earlier the night before the party and rest at least for seven hours
Rest up at least for seven or eight hours. When we sleep less than that, we have the tendency to eat more than what we need and to choose higher fat foods. This will have a consequence on our choices, when in front of a buffet.
2- Be a food detective
We have the tendency to consume the most of the food we first pile onto our plates, so act accordingly: take a look at the buffet and examine all the dishes, and ask questions if necessary. Don’t be afraid you’ll not be able to have that amazing fresh vegetable roll because the other guests are fighting to have one: just wait for few minutes and you will find them again. The catering companies know this very well, that’s why they always have extra rolls ready J
Use your senses: sight, smell and talk to the waiters, they can give you the best advice.
3- What to drink?
Drinking water, two or three full glasses, before going to the party will help you reduce your appetite so you can make the best choices once you are in front of the buffet. The choice will not be driven by psychologic hunger. At the party ask for fruit juice or fruit mocktail. If there will be wine and you really, really, really want a taste of it, follow this simple rule of thumb: when pouring the wine, mentally count to 3 before saying stop: that is the right quantity of wine. Actually wine can help you because it can reduce the impact of high fat foods. Please, remember that moderation is the key.
4- Choose a small plate
Do we really need to explain this?
Several studies demonstrate, that by choosing a smaller plate, we can trick our brains to think we are eating more.
Another piece of advice: go for the vegetables, unadorned. Despite the fact that I’m vegan, so this article might be a little tricky and definitely supporting the vegan movement, veggies are really the best choice at parties. Cooked or raw, they can fill you up leaving you lighter and ready to dance like a pro…without that nasty food coma, too!
Golden Rule:
If there is fruit at the buffet, always eat fruit as first course, possibly without any yoghurt or custard or double-cream-mousse. Eating fruit first will help you to feel full, without being bloated and the sugar of the fruit is enough for you not to feel the need to put that extra slab of sauce or ice-cream on top. When the blood sugar level is ok, you don’t feel “the need” to eat like tomorrow never comes J
This is it for today, don’t forget to let us know about your results and if you like this article, like it on FB!
May 15, 2015 | Detox & Wellness
In case you want to do a fast at home, you will need to do some preparation. The first and foremost is preparing your mind for the practice. Fasting requires discipline but also involves getting to know about yourself. One of the reasons it is part of numerous religious traditions is that fasting is a great way to discover things about yourself and your beliefs.
A normal human body can go for weeks without food. Nevertheless we are all unique. Two people can be subjected to the same conditions and their reactions can be quite different. If you have a serious illness or contraindications such as any kind of deficiency diseases you should not take up long term fasts.
Plan
Select a length of time to do your fast. While many regular fasters can do a fast from 3 to 30 days, beginners should experiment by trying several shorter fasts first to see how their bodies react.
Plan your fast for a period during which you will not be under a lot of stress or during which fasting might interfere with your daily routine.
Pre-cleanse
If your diet consists of a lot of meat, processed foods, and you drink coffee and smoke it may be quite a shock to cut any or all of these things out of your diet. Not drinking coffee, for example, can induce headaches if you are used to having caffeine every day. Cutting back and altering your diet several days before you fast can help your body’s detoxification process be less of a shock once you get into your fast.
Prepare mentally
You will need to begin to learn how you respond mentally to not eating. Sometimes the mind can throw up lots of pent up emotions from the past which are stored in the subconscious mind. The important thing is to understand that being emotional and more sensitive are normal reactions. Keep the mind as peaceful as possible. Maintain a witness attitude during this time. Practice slow deep breathing to make the mind steady and peaceful.
Society
There will also be external challenges. As you move through your day you will inevitably come across food. This is true whether you stay at home, go to work or are on vacation. Anyway, you will find yourself in different social situations. These may be interactions with your family, co-workers, and people that are part of the social communities that you have in your life. Interactions that you have with others can be a challenge because many social interactions involve food. It is good to have some idea of what you might want to say if you get into a situation where others are eating while you, conspicuously, are not. Besides a few people you trust and find supportive, you should consider limiting who you tell. People will ask or tell you all kinds of things about food, nutrition and religion when you mention you are fasting. Realize that there is nothing wrong with saying you do not feel like eating, rather than feeling like you need to tell everyone you are fasting.
Energy level and exercise
Get plenty of rest during your fast. You may experience a drop in stamina and energy during this time. Don’t overexert yourself. Maintain healthy sleep patterns. Fasting is all about rest – physical, emotional, sensory and physiological.
Avoid intense exercise during this time. Instead, try Yoga or Tai Chi. It must be a quieting restorative exercise. A calming way of stretching the body’s muscles is what a fasting body needs. You may also do light walking to keep your muscles strong and to aid in the detoxification process. And you can do resistance training. Working your muscles against a resisting force, helps flush out toxins and waste through the lymphatic system. Lymphatic fluid is only moved by muscle contractions.
Perform enemas
The body has a natural mechanism to throw out toxins from the body during the healing process. These toxins are mostly thrown out through digestive system into the intestines. At this time, one gets a thick white coating on the tongue. The coating may remain even after scrapping the tongue. This is a sign that the toxins are being eliminated.
Within a short period our body turns from burning the usual fuel of food and drink to metabolizing matter already present in our body. This process is called autolysis where a huge amount of morbid matter, fat cell debris, so-called ketone bodies, dead cells and diseased tissues are burned up; and the toxic waste which has accumulated in the tissues for years, causing disease and premature aging, are loosened and expelled from the system. The digestion and elimination systems are the main pathway by which these toxins are thrown out of the body.
As during fasting, the natural bowel movements cease to take place, the toxic wastes would have no way of leaving the system, except with the help of enemas… All this can cause headaches, weakness, dizziness, bad mood. Enemas during fasting will assist the body in its cleansing and detoxifying effort by washing out all the toxic wastes from the bowels.
The toxins may also get removed through the lungs. At that time one may get foul breath which may last for a day or two.
Breaking the fast
Breaking the fast is equally important as the fast itself. When the body goes without food for several days, it sort of gets used to it. The digestive fire goes down meaning the stomach lining is more sensitive and your body is not producing as many digestive enzymes. At that time, one cannot eat or digest large quantities of food. It will be like a shock to the system, if you consume solid food. So one has to gradually increase the digestive fire and bring it back to normal. Start with fresh juices and smoothies and then add soft raw fruits and veggies for the first few days. Begin with frequent small meals, every 2 hours or so. Then progress slowly toward larger meals with more time in between until you reach a ‘normal’ eating routine such as 3 meals a day. Wait at least 1-2 weeks before you consume any form of dairy, red meat, grains, beans or baked goods, coffee and black tea.
Enjoy your fasting at home! Or if you feel it’s too hard to detox at home by yourself, you are more than welcome to join one type of detox program in Santosa Detox & Wellness Center.
Apr 28, 2015 | Detox & Wellness
As we learnt in the last Blog Post how important the Liver is, today we will look at a home detox protocol for the liver.
There are many, many Liver detox out on the market and here at Santosa we incorporate a gentle Liver Flush on the 4th day of your detox to assist your overall experience.
Yet the one I am about to describe is a detox that I have done consistently over the years and have seen amazing results from reduced muscle & joint pain, migraines disappearing, digestion improving and losing weight and improving skin – just to name a few.
Do you have a deeper interest in clearing out your liver of thousands of toxins?
Read on and do this Amazing Liver Cleanse.
This Cleanse helps you eliminate the toxins that are supposed to be transported out of your body through your bile but have turned into “stones” of various sizes.
If our Liver and Gallbladder are congested with these stones it can be very painful and these organs cannot perform their usual functions. And as we learnt in the last post they do a lot for your body!
The Amazing Liver Flush Protocol
The liver cleanse requires six days of preparation,
This is followed by 16-20 hours of actual cleansing.
Things you’ll need:
- Apple juice 6 x 1-liter containers (fresh pressed is even better but for convenience organic store bought works well too)
- Epsom salts – 4 tablespoons dissolved in three 250ml glasses of water
- Virgin olive oil, cold-pressed One-half glass 125ml
- Either fresh grapefruit (pink is best), or fresh lemon and orange combined
Enough to squeeze 2/3 glass of juice (160ml)
- 1 liter jar and a small (250ml) jar with a lid
*Look for oral Epsom salts – not bath flakes!
*Don’t worry if you can’t find grapefruit – the other citrus fruits have the same effect!
Six Days Preparation period
- Drink 1 liter of apple juice per day for a period of six days. (You may drink more than that if it feels comfortable). The malic acid in the apple juice softens the gallstones and makes their passage through the bile ducts easy. Drink the apple juice slowly throughout the day, between meals (avoid drinking the juice during, just before and two hours after meals, and in the evening). This is in addition to your normal water intake.
- Dietary recommendations: During the entire week of preparation and cleansing, avoid taking foods or beverages that are cold or chilled; they chill the liver and, thereby, reduce the effectiveness of the cleanse. All foods or beverages should be warm or at least room temperature. To help the liver prepare for the main flush go vegan so try to avoid foods from animal sources, dairy products and fried food items. Otherwise, eat normal meals, but avoid overeating.
Day 6 of drinking apple juice:
If you feel hungry in the morning, eat a light breakfast, such as a hot cereal or fruit.
Avoid sugar or other sweeteners, spices, milk, butter, oils, yogurt, cheese, ham, eggs, nuts, pastries, cold cereals – basically stay vegan and eat whole foods!
For lunch eat plain cooked or steamed vegetables with white rice and flavor it with a little unrefined sea or rock salt.
To repeat, do not eat any protein foods, butter or oil, or you might feel ill during the actual cleanse.
Do not eat or drink anything, except lots of water after 2PM, otherwise you may not flush out any stones!
Follow the exact timing given below to receive the maximum benefit from the liver flush.
The Actual Cleanse (day 6 of drinking apple juice) Evening
6:00PM: Add four tablespoons of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to three 250ml glasses of filtered water in your 1 liter jar.
This makes four servings, ¾ glass each. Drink your first portion now.
You may take a few sips of water afterwards to get rid of the bitter taste in the mouth or add a little lemon juice to improve the taste.
Some people drink it with a large plastic straw to bypass the taste buds on the tongue. It is also helpful to brush your teeth afterwards or rinse out the mouth with baking soda. One of the main actions of Epsom salt is to dilate (widen) the bile ducts, making it easy for the stones to pass. Moreover, it clears out waste that may obstruct the release of the stones.
8:00PM: Drink your second serving (¾ glass) of Epsom salts.
9:30PM: If you have not had a bowel movement until now and not done a colon cleanse within 24 hours, take a water enema; this will trigger a series of bowel movements.
9:45PM: Thoroughly wash the grapefruits (or lemons and oranges). Squeeze them by hand and remove pulp. You will need ¾ glass of juice. Pour the juice and ½ glass of olive oil into the small jar.
Close the jar tightly and shake hard, about 20 times or until the solution is watery. Ideally, you should drink this mixture at 10:00PM, but if you feel you still need to visit the bathroom a few more times, you may delay this step for up to10 minutes.
10:00PM: Stand next to your bed (do not sit down) and drink the concoction, if possible, straight. Some people prefer to drink it through a large plastic straw. If necessary, take a little honey between sips, which helps chase down the mixture. Most people, though, have no problem drinking it straight. Do not take more than 5 minutes for this (only elderly or weak people may take longer).
LIE DOWN STRAIGHT AWAY! This is essential for helping to release the gallstones! Turn off the lights and lie flat on your back with 1-2 pillows propping you up. Your head should be higher than the abdomen. If this is uncomfortable lie on your right side with your knees pulled towards your head. Lie perfectly still for at least 20 minutes and try not to speak! Put your attention on your liver. You may even feel the stones traveling along the bile ducts like marbles. There won’t be any pain because the magnesium in the Epsom salts keeps the bile duct valves wide open and relaxed, and the bile that is excreted along with the stones keeps the bile ducts well lubricated (this is very different in the case of a gallbladder attack where magnesium and bile are not present). Go to sleep if you can.
If at any time during the night you feel the urge to have a bowel movement, do so. Check if there are already small gallstones (pea green or tan colored ones) floating in the toilet. You may feel nauseous during the night and/or in the early morning hours. This is mostly due to a strong, sudden outpouring of gallstones and toxins from the liver and gallbladder, pushing the oil mixture back into the stomach. The nausea will pass as the morning progresses.
The Following Morning
6:00-6:30AM: Upon awakening, but not before 6am, drink your third ¾ glass of Epsom salts (if you feel very thirsty drink a glass of warm water before taking the salts). Rest, read or meditate. If you are very sleepy, you may go back to bed, although it is best if the body stays in the upright position. Most people feel absolutely fine and prefer to do some light exercises, such as Yoga.
8:00-8:30AM: Drink your fourth and last ¾ glass of Epsom salts.
10:00-10:30AM: You may drink freshly pressed fruit juice at this time. One half-hour later you may eat one or two pieces of fresh fruit. One hour later you may eat regular (but light!) food.
By the evening or the next morning you should be back to normal, and feel the first signs of improvement. Continue to eat light meals during the following days. Remember, your liver and gallbladder underwent major surgery, albeit without harmful side effects.
If you want to know more – read the book ‘The amazing Liver Cleanse’ by Andreas Moritz where you can find more detailed information. This cleanse should be done every 3 months until no more stones appear. Then a bi-annual cleanse is recommended.
