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.
A vegan diet is a diet that avoids all animal products. There are many ethical reasons that people choose a vegan diet for, but also for health reasons, too. A vegan diet is overall better for your body, makes weight loss or the maintaining of weight easier and offers better protection against chronic diseases.
What is a vegan diet?
Essentially, vegans are vegetarians that have taken their eating habits one step further and have cut out all animal products. Vegans are committed to eating more plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds. In addition, most vegans cut out ultra-processed foods such as sugar and white carbs.
What do vegans eat?
When speaking of veganism and going vegan, many people who are new to the concept often believe that they will starve if they go vegan. This idea could not be further from the truth. Vegans have a wide variety of food choices available, and these days, most restaurants feature menu items catering to vegans.
To give an example, when you become a vegan, breakfast instead of eating bacon and fried eggs could be oatmeal, fruit and nuts. Lunch might be a veggie-packed salad with beans while dinner could feature tofu, sweet potatoes, crunchy vegetables and slices of fresh fruit.
Examples of the types of food that vegans eat include:
Nuts and seeds
Legumes
Beans
Whole grains
Nut milks and nut butters
Dried fruits and vegetables
Fresh herbs
Spices
All sorts of fresh fruit and vegetables
Health benefits of eating vegan
Studies have shown that eating vegan is better for the heart and the waistline. Changing one’s diet to favor plants instead of a diet that is high in sugar, refined carbs, dairy and meat cuts back on calories which is great for those watching their figures. A vegan diet is also good for gut health as consuming a plant-based diet loads the gut up with probiotics which help to maintain a healthy gut environment. A plant-based vegan diet is also rich in antioxidants and nutrients.
Vegan for One Week: Take the Challenge
Interested in veganism, but don’t know where to start? Take the challenge! Santosa challenges you to Eat Vegan for One Week. It’s a fun way to try a vegan diet and learn about your health.
Vegan for One Week: Take the Challenge
Being vegan isn’t difficult. It’s just learning to eat in a much healthier way.
What are the rules?
No meat, poultry, seafood, eggs or dairy for one week (7 days)
Announce to your friends, family and social media followers that you are doing the challenge
Tag Santosa Detox & Wellness Center or Santosa Vegan Restaurant on Instagram, and don’t forget our dedicated hashtags:
Ready to start? All you have to do is make a commitment! Replace all non-vegan food items with loads of fresh fruit, delicious vegetables and whole grains. The more plant-based your Vegan for One Week Challenge can be the better!
This challenge is easy and fun, plus we have some great prizes based on Vegan For One Week Challenge social media posts.
1st Prize: Healthy Eating Program for 3 days including accommodation
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.
Widely known as being a fun-filled three days of water fights and laughs, Songkran is the Thai New Year and subsequent celebration that takes place every April 13th. Officially, Songkran is observed as a three day national holiday, but often times the celebration lasts for nearly a week.
Traditionally, Songkran was a festival spent with family “spring cleaning” and part of this aspect was the cleaning of the images of Buddha in the household. The water used to clean those images was then regarded as blessed and sprinkled on friends and family for good luck as well as paying respect and bringing good fortune.
These days, Songkran has become popular as a full-on water fight, with people using water guns, buckets of cool water, and even garden hoses to soak passersby and wish them good luck. This year, however, the fun does not stop in the streets. In fact, the good times overflow here at Santosa Detox & Wellness Center.
During Songkran, Santosa will host a few special events and activities to usher in the Thai New Year. One of the most interesting activities during the Thai New Year will be our traditional Muay Thai class. Muay Thai is a traditional Thai combat sport that requires practitioners to be strong both mentally and physically. It is an essential boxing class and a wonderful workout.
In addition to the Muay Thai class, Santosa Detox & Wellness Center will also host a variety of games to inspire a fun-filled Songkran celebration. A bit of healthy competition never hurt anyone, and our various games and activities are sure to bring out the winning spirit in our participants.
Once the festivities have died down, rehydrate with a fresh coconut or a refreshing juice from our juice bar. We also have a wonderful on-site sauna to enjoy as well as an ice bath. If you are hungry after participating in the day’s Muay Thai class or other events and activities, pop into our wonderful vegan restaurant to nibble on a snack or partake in a meal. Our restaurant features outstanding views of the below Kata Beach neighbourhood, but more importantly, offers delicious plant-based, vegan cuisine that not only tastes great but is innovative in presentation, too.
Come and celebrate Songkran with us at Santosa Detox & Wellness Center. Located high in the hills above Kata, ours is a tropical oasis surrounded by lush trees and plants. We offer all sorts of events and activities and well as wide variety of detox and wellness programs. There has never been a better time to kickstart your health and fitness regime, and we are here to help and encourage you along the way. Here at Santosa, we take great pride in creating a nurturing environment with a supportive community. Come and visit us. We promise you won’t regret it.
To learn more about the available events, activities and detox programs available at our detox & wellness center in Phuket, simply fill out the enquiry form below. A member of staff will be in contact with you soon after to answer any questions you might have and to suggest a program that is right for you.
We look forward to ushering in Songkran and celebrating the Thai New Year with you!
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
