Category: Detox

Turn off to Stay on Top of Your Game

As a doctor in a busy clinic, I often find myself in a similar predicament as my own patients, that is, how to stay focused and stay present, without feeling that there is not enough time to take care of all that is on my plate. From early morning professional meetings to a lively stream of patients throughout the day, to important time with family, it’s key for me to be vital in every moment—to be physically, mentally and emotionally present.

I need to engage in active listening, critical thinking, business planning and fine motor skills and deliver medical interventions at the same time. As I do all of this, I need my heart to be open and connected, and my spirit to be grateful and joyful. I need my memory to be clear, my muscles to be relaxed yet springy, my body functions to perform in balance, and in general to generate the necessary energy to sustain my day. This is just the basic demand, without any additional emotional or relationship experiences that might be playing out in my mind at any time. Welcome to modern life! And hold on to your seat because this ride is just going to get more intense over the next few years. Time is accelerating.

No matter what is happening in my life, I am sustained by the practices that I learned from my teacher Carlos Castaneda. In particular, he taught me various series of movements to revitalize the body and mind. One of his favorites was a very simple yet powerful one he called Turning on the Body. A practical, descriptive name (quintessentially Castaneda).

To “turn on the body” means to first completely relax the body and then, in a split second upon a sudden command, engage the totality of ones muscles, joints and even internal organs, followed by turning everything off again. The effect of this on the nervous system is to trigger a state of readiness and ease at the same time—much in the same way as taking a short cold shower and then drying the skin briskly to warm it up again creates a circulatory flush from the blood shunting, which is very invigorating. The idea of turning on is alluring, but the real gem lies in the corresponding opposite state: turning off. Our capacity to be on wears off unless there is an equal and opposite capacity to turn off.

Radiant Health2016“You have to turn off to turn on,” Carlos Castaneda told me. The longer the distance between the off muscle state and the on muscle state, the stronger the activation of the body awareness. When we apply this to the heart muscle, we call it Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and the longer the variability, i.e., the more distance between the heart beats, the healthier the long term outcome of not only the heart, but of health markers across the board in all bodily systems.

Biologically, turning off is a given. Though we may have forgotten how, we are naturally designed to be able to turn off with no effort of our part. That is our nature. That is what I saw with my very own eyes while on safari once in the Serengeti plains. A pack of female lions chased a group of Impala. The gazelles seemed to freak out and run everywhere. The lions finally caught one of them, rounded up to eat it, and then, right beside this, the rest of the Impala returned to grazing, as if nothing had happened. So why is it then that when, for example, we feel betrayed by what someone said to us, we stay contracted and anxious for days or months or even years?

Peak performers know that the ability to turn off is as important as that moment when they turn on. Elite tennis players are a great example of this. How does a player sustain energy throughout a match that lasts hours? They cycle through being on and being off from moment to moment. With some players, it can seem like they have all the time in the world to return a serve across the net.

We, too, can have all the time in the world and operate at our highest level.

In our September Radiant Energy + Radiant Health Los Angeles Retreat, we will show you how to retrain your body to turn off when it doesn’t need to be on so that you can get deep rest, tap into your well of energy and move with suppleness. You’ll learn how to identify holding patterns held in your fascia, the fascinating network of soft tissue that turns on to help us do all the things we need to do in life, and release these patterns so that they no longer interfere with the on-off cycle that is required for you to perform at your best.

 

Times have changed, and in our world today, learning how to better adapt to the growing demands that life places on us is vital. It’s also of great help to receive specialized treatments to help your body restore and investing time in seeking neurological balance. These things are not luxuries. They are now, more than ever, necessities.

In health, joy and energy,

Dr. Miles Reid

The Truth about Detoxification

Are you thinking about doing a cleanse? Everywhere we turn these days, we see cleanses and detox programs being promoted. The truth is that not all programs are created equal. A proper detoxification program can be greatly beneficial. But some cleanses actually do more harm than good.

Why Detoxify?

A good detox program is energizing and rejuvenating.

We’re exposed to toxins every day—in our food and water (pesticides, heavy metals, microbes), in the air we breathe, from things we come into contact with through our skin (soaps, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, lead paint) and from our body’s own natural metabolic process. This toxic load can become a toxic overload.

Given this, I believe that periodic detoxification is important. Our organs are constantly trying to repair and regenerate, and we can help them do this by removing toxic obstructions. Any excess toxicity that you can shed can make a difference in your life. But therein lies the difference between a proper detoxification regime and one that is harmful. Some cleanses actually impair your body’s ability to eliminate toxins.

What to Avoid

Avoid juice-only cleanses. Why? A juice cleanse may seem like a good idea, but the truth is that doing such a cleanse without proper nutritional support can make you very ill. This is because when you fast or consume fruits and vegetables only, you diminish your body’s ability to rid itself of toxins. Amino acids are essential for liver detoxification. If you are consuming only juice, you may flush out toxins in your system that it then has inadequate ability to eliminate. It will pull amino acids from your muscles in order to deal with this, which can cause loss of muscle mass.

Other problems that can arise from some cleansing programs include blood sugar imbalances and fatigue.

Benefits of a Good Program

A good detoxification program will suggest you avoid foods and beverages that cause inflammation. It will also include proper nutritional support. Having physician support, as with our Detox Program, is also highly recommended.

The benefits of a good program include:

  • Greater energy
  • Clearer mind
  • Improved circulation
  • Glowing skin
  • Good sleep
  • Healthy weight loss

You can also purchase our 21-Day Detox Program to do at home.

Jump the Gap! How to Live Fully Right Now

“If your mind stops on the sword your opponent is swinging at you, a gap opens up; and in that gap your action falters. If there is no gap between your opponent’s striking sword and your action, the sword of the adversary will become your sword. A mind like a spark means the state of mind where there is no gap. When flint is struck, sparks fly at once . . .  There is no interval for the mind to linger . . .  If attention lingers, your mind is taken over by others.” Zen Master Takuan (1573 – 1645), from The Unfettered Mind

Taiso_-_Ronin_fending_off_arrows_cph.3g08655Are you living the life you want to live? Is there a gap in your mind? A falter in your action?

For many of us, there is a divide between the life we are living now and the life that we want to live. How do we jump that gap? A state of joy, balance and harmony involves the body as much as it does the mind, spirit and emotions.

As a healthcare provider, I look at helping my patients fortify their bodies to bring greater joy to their lives.

I advise all of my patients to have an annual physical that includes systems-based laboratory testing. This type of testing gives you and the doctor a comprehensive picture of your current state of health, and identifies nutritional imbalances and toxicities that underlay chronic disease.

  • Are you getting enough of the basic nutrients for maintaining optimal health?
  • Are you absorbing what you take in through your food?
  • Is your body eliminating toxins properly?
  • Are your systems in balance?

The answers to these questions can be found through some key medical tests. For example, an Essential and Metabolic Fatty Acids Analysis evaluates the level of red cell membrane fatty acids. Imbalances in these fatty acids significantly affect inflammatory and other disorders.

Knowing your baselines will act as the guide for making important changes in your dietary and lifestyle choices, and reveal the nutritional supplements that will help you feel and be your best. Fortified with this information, I can recommend specific supplements and an acupuncture protocol that will help you thrive.

Doing this testing once a year is a key step in closing the gap between the life you’re living now and enjoying the life you want to live, with energy, clarity and balance.

LA_Featured_2We invite you to experience a state of being where there is no gap. We’re offering our first Los Angeles retreat, September 4 – 6. This retreat is unlike any we’ve ever done. Each participant will have personalized health treatments as well as enjoy dynamic group classes.

One Powerhouse Supplement for Glowing Health

Called the “Mushroom of Immortality”, reishi is a powerhouse supplement with a variety of benefits. From its immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties to help with cancer and AIDS, it’s one of my favorite products. We incorporate reishi in our detoxification programs, and recommend it to help boost the immune system during flu season.

ChenhungshoGANODERMAReishi may be the most highly respected medicinal mushroom in Asia. In ancient times, it was reserved for Chinese royalty to extend life and improve health, and it is just as highly regarded today—but now you don’t have to be a royal to enjoy its benefits. Reishi mushroom has been used to treat:

  • Cancer
  • VIral infections
  • Inflammation
  • Hypertension
  • High cholesterol
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • HIV and AIDS
  • Fatigue

To find out if reishi mushroom supplements might benefit you, you’re welcome to schedule an in-person or Skype consultation. To contact our clinic for a session, email info@energylifesciences.com or phone 310-231-3500.

You may also be interested in reading what the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center says about the benefits of reishi in cancer treatment.

Wishing you vitality,
Dr. Miles Reid

4 Simple Steps: A Detox Recipe to Reenergize

Are you looking for more energy? Maybe you’ve been thinking about a detox program? It seems that everyone is talking about detoxing these days, but the trick can be incorporating a program into your life without disrupting your daily routine.

The good news is that there are things that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine to help clear toxins from your body and boost your energy. One of the best ways to do this is through diet. So here we are with an ideal recipe for your springtime vitality: Alkalizing Green Puree.

IMG_6677aThis is a great recipe for bringing more energy to your body and mind, and works especially well if you reduce or eliminate your intake of processed foods, dairy, alcohol, caffeine and animal protein for a mini detox.

PENTAX ImageTo make the puree:

  1. Chop some green vegetables, preferably organic (zucchini, green beans, parsley, celery, spinach–note, the more zucchini you add, the creamier the broth will be).
  2. Put a pinch of sea salt and about two inches of water in a soup pot, then add the vegetables.
  3. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft, but not overcooked.
  4. Puree the mixture in a blender with 1/2 tsp. olive oil.

celreyTry eating 8-32 oz per day for two days in a row, skipping a day, and repeating as you like to alkalize and energize your body. Be well!

 

 

 

 

7 Reasons to Try an Infrared Sauna Session

What can boost circulation, ease muscle tension, promote weight loss and activate the release of toxins from your system? An infrared sauna session. What’s even better: You get to relax while the sauna does all the work!

DSC_0601Detoxification is a big theme for us right now—the spring season is a perfect time to detoxify and activate rejuvenation. There are so many tools to help us reenergize with a “spring cleaning” and each has its role to play. What we love about the infrared sauna is that it offers multiple benefits all wrapped up in the feeling of giving yourself a spa treatment.

In fact, an infrared sauna session is one of the most popular detox services at our clinic—either enjoyed on its own or in conjunction with other treatments such as acupuncture and massage.

An infrared sauna provides a deep and gently penetrating heat. It operates at a lower temperature than traditional saunas and so can feel more comfortable, and yet has even greater benefits. It emits a red spectrum wavelength that research shows to be safe and therapeutic (far infrared rays are even used in hospitals to warm newborn babies).

Benefits include:

  1. Detoxification
  2. Weight loss
  3. Improved circulation
  4. Reduced stress and improved sleep
  5. Joint and muscle pain relief and faster injury recovery
  6. Uplifted mood
  7. Stronger immune system

These are seven great reasons to give the infrared sauna a try.

Detoxification

Studies show that the sweat you release in an infrared sauna session contains less water and up to six times more fat, toxins and impurities than regular sweat.

Weight Loss

When you produce sweat, you expend energy. An infrared sauna session also activates your metabolic rate so that you burn calories at a higher rate for hours after your session. Of course, in any sauna, you’ll lose water weight, which is readily regained, but the calories that you burn can translate into real and sustainable weight loss.

Improved Circulation and Heart Health

The sauna naturally stimulates circulation, increasing blood flow to the surface of the skin to dissipate heat.  Your heart rate and metabolic rate increase while blood pressure drops. In fact, research has shown that a 15 – 30-minute infrared sauna session can result in dramatic reductions in blood pressure.

In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, repeated infrared sauna sessions resulted in improved vascular and cardiac function, and reduced symptoms of  chronic heart failure (CHF) in patients diagnosed with CHF.

Reduced Stress and Improved Sleep

An infrared sauna session promotes relaxation and stimulates endorphins, effectively reducing stress and resulting in improved sleep for many who try it.

sauna1-520x258Joint and Muscle Pain Relief and Speedier Injury and Wound Recovery

The therapeutic heat from far infrared waves penetrates deeply into the tissues, helping to relieve joint and muscle pain. The increased blood flow also promotes wound healing and recovery from injury.

It’s also be shown to reduce pain from chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, chronic back pain, fibromyalgia and more.

Uplifted Mood

Far infrared rays are said to mimic the benefits of natural sunlight and chase the blues away. An infrared sauna session can uplift your mood and combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), symptoms of which include depression, irritability and lethargy.

Stronger Immune System

The heat from the sauna creates what might be called an “artificial fever”–the body’s core temperature increases to the point beyond which certain microbes can tolerate. Blood circulation and the production of white blood cells increase to combat colds, flu and other infections.

All this, and it also improves the look and feel of your skin. The increased blood flow and collagen production from an infrared sauna session, combined with the flushing out of toxins can improve skin health and give you a glowing appearance.

Curious to give it a try? Call our Los Angeles clinic to schedule a session: 310-231-3500.

Dr. Miles Reid

Yum: A Green Smoothie that Tastes Great

What? Yes, that’s what we’re saying. Our Green Detox Smoothie is not only really good for you, but it actually tastes…great.

Smoothies play a key role in our Detox Program diet plan, for those who do well with raw vegetables. For good reason: They are packed with nutrition, easy to digest, quick to make and satisfying. They are a natural energy booster and full of phytonutrients that help support your immune system.

We admit that not all smoothies are created equal. A green smoothie can taste, well, vegetable-y and kind of yucky. So we wanted to share with you our new favorite and tasty recipe.

ELSI’s Green Smoothie

Yields 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 2 cups organic baby spinach and/or kale (or other leafy greens), tightly packed
  • 1 -2 cups unsweetened coconut milk, almond milk and/or coconut water (depending on how thick you like it)
  • ½ small avocado
  • 1 apple or pear, cut into small chunks
  • 1 Tablespoon almond or coconut butter
  • Dash of cinnamon

Optional ingredients (these really boost the nutritional value): One serving of one or more of the following: PaleoMeal DF (vanilla), PaleoGreens, PaleoCleanse (you can purchase these products through my online store).

Directions

  1. Blend the leafy greens and coconut/almond milk or water until smooth.
  2. Add avocado and apple or pear and other ingredients and blend again until smooth.
  3. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Tip: To make the smoothie even thicker, you can try adding a few ice cubes during step two. We sometimes also add fresh grated ginger and/or turmeric when blending to add zing.

We hope you like it, and wish you good energy!

Learn more about our Detox Program, which includes a complete booklet with instructions, tips and recipes for a successful 21-day detoxification.

Dr. Reid

How to Train Your Mind and Flourish

3 Ways to Detox This Spring

Whether you’re conscious of it or not, your thoughts can either block or accelerate your energy. Get the tools to make way for more joy and abundance in your life.

It seems like everywhere we turn lately, someone is talking about a detox program—juice programs, retreats, and all variety of programs vying for our attention. We have one, too! But what makes ours different from the rest is not only that it is doctor-supervised, but also that it incorporates your thoughts to support you. Intentions are a key element of the program—intentions to carry you through and take you forward.

This is a detox program for body + mind + soul!

Your mind can be your greatest ally. The thoughts you have and the words you use can either boycott your best efforts or they can focus everything to enhance what you’re doing so that you can meet your goals (and beyond).

Intentions focus your mind to align with the dietary changes, exercises, breathing practices and supplements that are part of the program. They help create the channel so that everything you’re doing flows together unimpeded.

An extraordinary truth is that when you begin to work with intentions you train your mind in the service for greater energy. Even more than learning about the effects of your food choices, movements and supplements to activate detoxification and sustain your vitality, the skills you gain for training your mind can create dramatic positive change for you. You might find it surprising!

Are you ready to refresh, reenergize and empower your vitality? Jump on board for our group detoxification program, beginning on Saturday, April 11 at 8:30am with our next Nutrition + Health class.

We think you’ll find that it’s a program that isn’t like any other program out there, and that you’ll take away tools that will have lifelong value.

Living with Vitality 24/7

What does it mean to have vitality 24/7? What does that look like? What picture comes to mind?

Everything we do at ELSI is aimed at feeling fully alive and expressing your greatest potential in life. The question is: What does this look like? Well, it’s different for every person, but at the center of it is a natural flow—a connection with natural rhythms and an alignment of self (body, mind and spirit).

Being 100% vital doesn’t mean that you run a marathon every day without tiring, or that you’re dynamically engaged with your work or family all of the time. What it does mean is that you can visualize or dream your path, and have the energy and clarity needed to accomplish your goals. It also means finding harmony with those around you and letting go of what doesn’t serve you.

Being vital means being strong in body and mind. Our bodies have a remarkable intelligence. They are finely tuned organisms designed to function, repair and regenerate at a level that is astounding. But things can come in and block our body’s ability to rejuvenate.

Toxins in our food, air and water can create blocks to our energy. Poor dietary and exercise habits can lead to stagnation. Resentful thoughts can harm our ability to move forward in lively way. This is why we created our Detox Program. This program has helped many people turn their health around and feel renewed energy in their lives. From this place of energy, you can be creative, meet challenges and grow and live in a truly vital way.

To make detoxification easier and fun (yes, fun!), we offer a group program each year. The group program really jumpstarts detoxification to catapult you to a place of greater flow, better health, and a renewed ability to rejuvenate. The group program begins with our next Nutrition + Health program on April 11. We invite you to learn more and join!

But why should you bother?

Toxins can interfere with nutrient absorption, circulation, hormonal regulation and even the expression of information stored in our DNA.

We encounter toxins daily. They enter our bodies via:

  • Air and water pollution
  • Household cleaning products
  • Cosmetics, other beauty products, soaps and shampoos
  • Pesticides in our food
  • Chemicals in the building products of our homes

Toxins are also created in our bodies through metabolic processes, and microorganisms can generate toxins to our systems, too.

Some common signs of toxic overload include:

  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Lethargy or fatigue
  • Muscle aches and joint stiffness
  • Yellowish tinge in the whites of the eyes
  • Dark circles under the eyes
  • Bad breath
  • Acne and rashes
  • Sinus congestion or infection
  • Poor concentration and memory
  • Tremors
  • Moodiness
  • Tendency toward negative thinking
  • Constipation

What can we do? We can make smart choices about what we eat, and the products we buy. We can also periodically cleanse our systems of accumulated toxins in a careful and specific way.

ginger isolated on white backgrouIn our Detox Program, we look at diet and exercise as well as emotions and thoughts. We integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine, functional medicine and shamanism for a uniquely broad and effective experience.

Our detoxification program is a comprehensive program that works in a natural way, giving your body the information and support it needs to release harmful toxins so that you can feel your best.

How does it work? Many of the toxic chemicals that enter our bodies are fat-soluble, meaning that they dissolve only in fatty solutions and not in water. This makes them difficult for the body to eliminate. These fat-soluble chemicals can accumulate in our fat tissues and cell membranes. In these fatty parts of the body, you may have toxins that have been stored for years.

The liver can convert fat-soluble chemicals into water-soluble chemicals so that they can be excreted from the body. It has two pathways for accomplishing this, known as Phase 1 and Phase 2 detoxification. The Detox program addresses both phases for an effective detoxification.

Certain foods, supplements and herbs, as well as physical and breathing exercises, can aid in liver detoxification. The idea:

  • Remove harmful substances from your diet and environment
  • Enjoy helpful foods and take supplements to support detoxification
  • Take action with helpful exercises and routines to support cleansing

Effective liver detoxification happens in two phases, widely known as Phase I and Phase II liver detoxification. Here’s a snapshot of what each phase incorporates.

To promote Phase I detoxification:

  • Favor organic foods
  • Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Enjoy herbs like rosemary and basil
  • Eliminate trans-fats and saturated fats from your diet
  • Avoid high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners
  • Avoid processed foods

To promote Phase II detoxification:

  • Eat foods rich in B-complex vitamins (wild salmon, oats, eggs, avocado, kidney beans, almonds, spinach)
  • Enjoy whole grains, nuts and legumes
  • Try probiotics, milk thistle and alpha-lipoic acid
  • Eat lots of turmeric at this stage (curcumin enhances Phase II detoxification, but inhibits Phase I detoxification)
  • Choose fruits high in flavonoids, like organic red grapes and blueberries
  • Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cabbage, etc.)
  • Drink green tea
  • Avoid alcohol
  • Avoid Tylenol (an other drugs containing acetaminophen)

wpid-SF_912_Mary_Nativity_GrapesIn addition to this, it’s important to address emotions and their role in toxic overload.

Traditional Chinese Medicine provides extensive knowledge with respect to emotions and their connection to different organs and organ systems in the body. Specific acupuncture and acupressure points can be used to provide greater balance. Shamanism also offers insights that we incorporate into our program.

Now as the season is changing and spring is in bloom, we can do a spring cleaning with our bodies, too, and make way for greater flow and vitality.

 

What Is Your Perfect Weight?

Your perfect weight is an individual expression of being in harmony with your soul. Ideals of beauty change through time and among cultures, but what is best for each of us is a unique matter.

While obesity is a serious health issue that is tied to various diseases, the idea of optimal body weight can also be tied to a feeling of being accepted by others.

A trip to an art museum immediately brings to light that different cultures at different times have had very different standards of beauty—from plump Rubenesque figures to the hour-glass shape of the Gibson Girl to the more boyish figure of the Flapper or 60s Twiggy eras.

To not get caught in the vicissitudes of popular culture and enjoy the weight that is best for you comes down to feeling connected to your body—feeling vital and energetic. Your perfect body weight supports this experience of vitality.

Some may naturally feel best with a thinner frame, especially if they have a hotter constitution, while others who tend toward feeling cold do better with more body fat to keep warm and grounded. Some people need more muscle tone because they require a stronger structure, and others need more flexibility to combat a tendency toward stiffness.

Feel for yourself what makes sense for you. Your body is an indivisible twin of your mind, and when mind and body work together, there is clearer pathway for a joyful experience of life. This is the functional approach to body weight.

A dysfunctional approach is trying to meet an external ideal–especially today in the West, with the widespread presence of extremely thin fashion models (many who reportedly struggle with bulimia and other health troubles including digestive difficulties and ceasing of menstruation).
We may judge ourselves because we see our body weight in a certain way. We may have unresolved issues of self-worth or self-confidence, and our weight on some level is an expression of our level of comfort with ourselves.

Whenever you have a critical thought about your body weight, try asking yourself: “What unresolved issues do I have in my life? How can I feel better?”

It is true that eating is often an emotional activity—we sometimes seek to satisfy our emotional needs and resolve emotional knots through food. In this case, it’s not about the food. So we can look to what satisfies us on a deeper level, makes us feel self-love and self-respect—makes us feel connected.

It’s also true that healthy eating and exercise habits promote your unique perfect weight. It’s an interesting phenomenon that the more nutritious food that you eat, the more you want to eat nutritious food. The more movement you engage in, the more you want to move.

The body wants more of what helps it feel good. The key word here is “more”—vs. deprivation or restriction. So instead of trying to eat less sugar, aim to eat more greens. Instead of sitting less, look to walking more. Focus on the “more” of the healthy habits rather than on the “less” of the unhealthy habits.

When you do more of what is good for you, you’ll naturally want less of the things that don’t support your wellness in body and mind. When you eat better, you’ll naturally have more energy for activity and feel better in your body.

When you feel vital and connected, you are in harmony with your soul.