SICKLE CELL AND THE SIMPLE ‘CLEANSE’ ROUTINE TO RESET YOUR BODY.

• Carla Oates is the founder and CEO of the probiotic wellness empire Beauty Chef
• Carla said you need to boost your hydration, load up on fibre and dry body brush
• She also recommends eating fermented foods

A leading health and wellness entrepreneur has shared her five-day cleanse to follow to feel drastically healthier.

Carla Oates, who is the founder and CEO of the bio-fermented, probiotic wholefood powder said it’s possible to alter your health for the better in under seven days provided you follow 10 simple tips.

1. Hydrate by drinking plenty of water

The first thing Carla said you should do is boost your hydration to make sure you’re drinking between two and three litres of water every single day.

‘We already know that drinking plenty of filtered water each day is essential for good health, but staying well hydrated is also vital for healthy digestion,’ Carla said.

Drinking lots of water helps the body to cleanse itself and get rid of any waste or toxins.

‘When you’re feeling fatigued, sluggish and bloated, there’s a good chance your body is retaining these excess waste products – putting extra burden on your detoxification systems, as well as your skin,’ Carla explained.

If you struggle to drink water because you find it bland, consider adding fruit like lemon, ginger, a slice of orange or cucumber to give it more flavour.

2. Load up on fibre

Once you’ve upped your hydration, the second thing you need to do is load up your plate with plenty of fibre. 

‘More than any other food group, fibre helps to nourish your digestive system and support healthy cleansing,’ Carla said. 

‘While our bodies have three stages of detoxification, it’s during the final stages that fibre plays a key role – binding to toxins in the bile and gut, assisting with elimination.’     

For example: oats, pears, citrus fruits, peas, beans, pulses, nuts, potato with skin, apple, bananas, strawberries etc.

3. Ditch gut-compromising foods

On the flipside, any gut-compromising foods need to be ditched for the five days for good health. 

You will also benefit from steering clear of fried food, refined sugars, alcohol and caffeine.

4. Favour fermented foods

Once you’ve rid your diet of ‘gut-compromising foods’, Carla said you need to add some fermented items to your diet.   Fermentation rises dietary standards of foods, and allows us to live healthier lives.

‘Probiotic-rich fermented foods are not only essential for a healthy gut – helping to encourage microbial diversity and combat inflammation – but they also help to support our body’s natural detoxification pathways by neutralising certain chemicals and toxins so that they don’t have to then be processed by the liver,’ Carla said.

Good fermented food options include gari from cassava, ogi and mahewu from maize and kaffir beer from sorghum.  Some serve as food condiments and are made from the fermentation of protein rich seeds.  These are: iru from the African locust beans, Ugba from African oil beans and ogiri from melon seeds, cheese, yoghurt, kefir etc.  Aim to include at least one to two serves per day.

5. Dry body brush 

Dry body brushing is the ancient practice that sees devotees brush their body in order to stimulate the lymphatic system and rid the body of toxins.  A lot of the traditional sponge in Africa would do the work. Hard traditional loofah helps to exfoliate dead skin cells and provide thorough clean. Hard traditional loofah helps to exfoliate dead skin cells and provide through clean.

‘When we’re sick, run down or exposed to lots of chemicals and toxins, our lymph system can slow down – leaving us even more vulnerable to fatigue and infection,’ Carla said.

But by helping to keep this system flowing effectively, you can help to support effective detoxification and boost your body’s ability to fend off pathogens.’

6. Move mindfully

Alongside dry body brushing, mindful movement is key to a successful cleanse.

Carla said you should incorporate some form of movement into every day, whether that be pilates or walking.

7. Eat the rainbow

While we all know that fruit and vegetables are key for any healthy balanced diet, it’s also important to eat a wide variety of different colours.   

‘Where possible, opt for dark blue, purple or red fruits and veggies – including purple carrots, sweet potato, beetroot and berries – as these are richer in antioxidants,’ Carla recommended.

Anti-oxidants help defend your cells from damage caused by potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals.

8. Focus on sleep

Finally, Carla revealed sleep is one of the keys to getting your dream body. 

‘Getting enough high-quality shut-eye does more than leave us feeling rested and recharged – good sleep actually supports our body’s ability to detox itself, too, helping to remove any toxic substances and wastes that may have accumulated during the day,’ Carla said. 

If you struggle to sleep, then try to focus on creating an environment that helps to bring on sleep – without any blue light or technology.

You should also avoid exercising too close to bedtime, which can impact your shut-eye.  

By Dailymail Australia – Sophie Haslett – April 2021

My book: HOW TO LIVE WITH SICKLE CELL: SICKLE CELL and I (is now available on OkadaBooks & Amazon). Pls get your own copy.