When Hippocrates proffered the sage advice "let food be thy medicine", we had not yet been confronted with preservative-laden pre-packaged meals and a microwave oven to cook them in.
We are constantly exposed to environmental toxins, found in everything from plastic containers to dry-cleaned clothes to skin and hair care products. Toxins are also produced as a by-product of our digestive and metabolic processes. And we may even unknowingly be eating toxic food.
I believe our bodies produce and take in more toxins than they can safely eliminate, and so we live in a state of chronic toxicity. Many natural health professionals believe this to be the underlying cause of many chronic diseases. Enhancing your body's capability of detoxing helps to correct this imbalance.
In my opinion a regular detox programme - one that targets the liver - is an essential health practice. The problem is that detox has become fashionable and commercialised. There are a plethora of detox options, some of which may only mess up your metabolism more, weaken your immune system and leave you with the same toxins you started with. Water and juice don't work.
For the past two years I have been working with the nutritionists and chefs at the wellness sanctuary of Kamalaya in Koh Samui to infuse my dishes with well-being. I believe the key secret to being healthy is as simple as eating well.
Kamalaya co-founder Karina Stewart, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, says research shows that certain key nutrients are needed for a detox programme to be effective.
"These nutrients, which include antioxidants and amino acids, help your body to efficiently metabolise and clear out the waste," she says.
