Mind Body Cleanse

CHAPTER 11 Maintenance phase/days 10–12

Well done! You have completed the Power Phase, eliminating a vast amount of toxic waste and giving your digestive system a full service.

Your eyes should start to look clear and sparkling, your skin glowing, your mind refreshed and your energy levels increased – you will be feeling amazing! During the 12-Day Plan you have not only been removing toxins, waste and unfriendly bacteria from your digestive system, you have also been restoring your internal garden to a state of optimum health and efficiency.

Your checklist

Remember to do your Mind Body Cleanse practice

Try skin-brushing

Drink hot lemon water first thing

Drink fresh juices

Drink plenty of water

Continue to stretch gently.

MIND BODY CLEANSE PRACTICE/THE MAINTENANCE PHASE

MAINTENANCE PHASE

Continue your practice as described during the Power Phase. This week we add a couple of more poses as well as new techniques for pranayama and meditation.

Sun Salutation (Preparation Phase, see here)

Triangle (Preparation Phase, see here)

Revolved Triangle (Preparation Phase, see here)

Extended Side Angle Pose/Parsvakonasana (Power Phase, see here)

Chair Pose and Twist (Utkatasana)

Chair Pose and Twist establishes strength in the gluts, hamstrings, quads and core to create support for the lower back. The revolved variation stimulates the kidneys and adrenals as well as digestion, elimination and liver detoxification.

Step-by-step technique

Stand with your feet together, toes and heels touching. Lift your toes and spread them wide. Place each toe back on the floor individually, letting them touch each other as you press them firmly into the floor. From this clear connection to the earth, begin to soften your knees, moving your shins forward as the upper thighs move down and back. Lift your arms up alongside your ears. Rest your gaze on something right in front of you so that your forehead can be soft.
Now imagine that you had to stay in this pose for an hour! What changes would you have to make in order to make this happen? Would you release muscular tension? Would you focus on your breath? Ask these questions to help you find an answer.
Bring your palms together in front of your chest. Inhale, and as you exhale, twist to the right. On your next inhalation, untwist. Repeat that action, twisting and untwisting twice more. Press your palms together just enough – not too hard – to spread your collarbones. Accept what is available to you today without cranking your arms up. Try to centre your weight on the middle of each foot.
Stay here, breathing evenly for a few more breaths, and observe if there is any opening or softening that allows you to twist around more. Inhale to untwist.

Contraindications and cautions

Headache

Insomnia

Low blood pressure.

Modifications and props

You can increase the strength of your thighs by squeezing a block or thick book between them during the pose.

Deepen the pose

Bring the bases of your palms to your thighs and dig your heels deep into the floor. At the same time lift your sitting bones up into your pelvis.

Beginner’s tip

To help you stay in this pose, perform it near a wall. Stand with your back to the wall, a few centimetres away from it. Adjust your position relative to the wall so that when you bend into the position your tailbone just touches, and is supported by, the wall.

Benefits

Stimulates the abdominal organs, diaphragm and heart

Strengthens the ankles, thighs, calves and spine

Stretches shoulders and chest

Improves flat feet.

Partnering

A partner can use either hands or feet to press your heels firmly into the ground.

Head Balance (Sirsasana)

Head Balance is the king of poses and is considered to be the most important yoga pose of all. The reason for this reputation relates to the effect the pose has on the brain and the lymphatic system. The inversion aspect of this pose causes increased and unrestricted blood flow to the brain, which brings increased oxygen, nutrients and vitality, providing energy for the mind, clarity of thought and ease of concentration.

Step-by-step technique

Use a folded blanket or sticky mat to pad your head and forearms. Kneel on the floor. Lace your fingers together and set your forearms on the floor, elbows at shoulder width. Roll your upper arms slightly outwards, but press your inner wrists firmly into the floor. Set the crown of your head on the floor. If you are just beginning to practise this pose, press the bases of your palms together and snuggle the back of your head against your clasped hands. If you are more experienced, you can open your hands and place the back of your head into your open palms.
Inhale and lift your knees off the floor. Carefully walk your feet closer to your elbows, heels elevated. Actively lift through your top thighs, forming an inverted ‘V’. Firm your shoulderblades against your back and lift them towards your tailbone so that your front torso remains as long as possible. This should help prevent the weight of your shoulders collapsing onto your neck and head.
Exhale and lift your feet away from the floor. Take both feet up at the same time, even if it means bending your knees and hopping lightly off the floor. As your legs (or thighs, if your knees are bent) rise to be perpendicular to the floor, firm your tailbone against the back of your pelvis. Turn your upper thighs in slightly and actively press your heels towards the ceiling (straightening the knees if you bent them to come up). The centre of your arches should align over the centre of your pelvis, which in turn should align over the crown of your head.
Firm your outer arms inwards and soften your fingers. Continue to press your shoulderblades against your back, widen them and draw them toward your tailbone. Keep the weight evenly balanced on your two forearms. It’s also essential that your tailbone continues to lift upwards towards your heels. Once the backs of your legs are fully lengthened through your heels, maintain that length and press up through the balls of your big toes so that your inner legs are slightly longer than the outer.
As a beginning practitioner, stay for 10 seconds. Gradually add 5 to 10 seconds onto your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 3 minutes. Then continue for 3 minutes each day for a week or two, until you feel relatively comfortable in the pose. Again, gradually add 5 to 10 seconds onto your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 5 minutes.
Come down with an exhalation, without losing the lift of the shoulderblades, with both feet touching the floor at the same time.

Contraindications and cautions

Back injury

Headache

Heart condition

High blood pressure

Menstruation

Neck injury

Low blood pressure (warning: don’t start your practice with this pose until you are experienced)

Pregnancy: if you are experienced with this pose, you can continue to practise it late into pregnancy. However, don’t take up the practice of Head Balance if you are already pregnant.

Head Balance is considered to be an intermediate-to-advanced pose. Do not perform this pose without prior experience or unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher.

Benefits

Tones the abdominal organs

Improves digestion

Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression

Stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands

Strengthens the arms, legs and spine

Strengthens the lungs

Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause

Therapeutic for asthma, infertility, insomnia and sinusitis.

Child Pose (Balasana)

Step-by-step technique

Kneel on the floor. Bring your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees to about hip width.
Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis while you lift the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.
Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your shoulders towards the floor.
Child Pose is a great resting pose, and you can stay here anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes. Beginners can also use Child Pose to get a taste of a deep forward bend, where the torso rests on the thighs.
To come out of the pose, with an inhalation lift upper body from the tailbone.

Contraindications and cautions

Diarrhoea

Pregnancy

Knee injury.

Modifications and props

If you have difficulty sitting on your heels in this pose, place a thickly folded blanket between your back thighs and calves.

Beginner’s tip

Child Pose provides us with an excellent opportunity to breathe consciously and fully into the back of the torso.

Benefits

Gently stretches the hips, thighs and ankles

Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue

Relieves back and neck pain when you do the pose with your head and torso supported.

Partnering

Have your partner place one hand on your sacrum (fingers pointing towards your tailbone) and the other hand on your mid-back (fingers pointing towards your head). As you exhale, your partner can press gently downwards. You can help your partner regulate the pressure on your back.

Variations

To increase the length of the torso, stretch your arms forwards. Lift your buttocks just slightly away from your heels. Reach your arms longer while you draw your shoulderblades down your back. Then without moving your hands, sit your buttocks down on your heels again.

See Half Lord of the Fish (Ardha Matsyendrasana) in the Pre-Purification Phase (see here).

Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

Forward Bends can be wonderfully relaxing and make you feel pleasantly introspective. However, they can also strain or injure your lower back, especially if the backs of your legs are tight. So practise with caution.

This pose stretches the back of your body and compresses the intestine in your lower belly. It is a wonderful pose to stimulate bowel function, relieving bloating, constipation and reflux, and it creates space for all the organs to flow and function.

Gravity and sitting for long periods can cause your torso to compress, which slows down circulation. This pose compresses and then releases the lower belly, creating a flush of fluids to a typically stagnant area of the body. It can really help to get your bowels moving.

Step-by-step technique

Sit on the floor with your buttocks supported on a folded blanket and your legs straight out in front of you. Turn your top thighs inwards slightly and press them down into the floor. Press through your palms or fingertips on the floor beside your hips and lift the top of your sternum towards the ceiling as the top thighs descend.
Draw your inner groins deep into your pelvis. Inhale and, keeping your front torso long, lean forwards from your hip joints, not your waist. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis. If possible take the sides of your feet with your hands, thumbs on the soles, elbows fully extended; if this isn’t possible, loop a strap around your soles and hold it firmly. Be sure your elbows are straight, not bent.
When you are ready to go further, don’t forcefully pull yourself into the Forward Bend, whether your hands are on your feet or holding the strap. Always lengthen your front torso into the pose, keeping your head raised. If you are holding your feet, bend your elbows out to the sides and lift them away from the floor. Your lower belly should touch your thighs first, and then your upper belly, then your ribs, and your head last.
With each inhalation, lift and lengthen your front torso just slightly. With each exhalation release a little more fully into the Forward Bend. In this way your torso oscillates and lengthens almost imperceptibly with the breath. Eventually you may be able to stretch your arms out beyond your feet on the floor.
Stay in the pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. To come up, first lift the torso away from your thighs and straighten your elbows again if they are bent.
Then inhale and lift your torso up by pulling your tailbone down and into your pelvis.

Contraindications and cautions

Asthma

Back injury: only perform this pose under the guidance of an experienced teacher.

Beginner’s tip

Never force yourself into a Forward Bend, especially when you are sitting on the floor. Often, because of tightness in the backs of the legs, a beginner’s forward bend doesn’t go very far forward and might look more like sitting up. Be patient.

Modifications and props

Whether you are experienced or not, it’s a good idea to sit on a folded blanket in this pose, and if you are a beginner you need to hold a strap around your feet. If you are very stiff you can place a rolled-up blanket under your knees.

Benefits

Improves digestion

Calms the brain

Helps relieve stress and mild depression

Stretches the spine, shoulders and particularly the hamstrings

Stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries and uterus

Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause and menstrual discomfort

Soothes headache and anxiety and reduces fatigue

Therapeutic for high blood pressure, infertility, insomnia and sinusitis.

Head-to-Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)

Step-by-step technique

Sit on the floor with your buttocks raised on a folded blanket and your legs straight in front of you. Inhale, bend your right knee and draw your heel back towards your perineum. Rest your right foot sole lightly against your inner left thigh and lay the outer right leg on the floor, with the shin at a right angle to the left leg (if your right knee doesn’t rest comfortably on the floor, support it with a folded blanket).
Press your right hand against your inner right groin, where your thigh joins your pelvis, and your left hand on the floor beside your hip. Exhale and turn your torso slightly to the left, lifting your torso as you push down on, and ground, the inner right thigh. Line up your navel with the middle of your left thigh. You can use a strap to help you lengthen the spine evenly, grounding through the sitting bones.
When you are ready, you can drop the strap and reach out with your right hand to take your inner left foot, thumb on the sole. Inhale and lift your front torso, pressing the top of your left thigh into the floor and extending actively through your left heel.
Exhale and extend forward from the groins, not the hips. Be sure not to pull yourself forcefully into the forward bend, hunching your back and shortening the front torso. As you descend, bend your elbows out to the sides and lift them away from the floor.
Lengthen forward into a comfortable stretch. The lower belly should touch your thighs first, the head last. Stay in the pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. Come up with an inhalation and repeat the instructions with the legs reversed for the same length of time.

Contraindications and cautions

Asthma

Knee injury: don’t flex the injured knee completely; support it on a folded blanket.

Modifications and props

If you can’t comfortably reach the extended-leg foot, use a strap. Loop it around the sole of your foot and hold it with your arms fully extended. Be sure not to pull yourself forward when using the strap; walk your hands lightly along the strap while you keep your arms and the front of your torso lengthened.

Beginner’s tip

Make sure the bent-leg foot doesn’t slide under the straight leg. You should be able to look down and see the sole of your foot. Keep the bent-leg foot active too.

Benefits

Calms the brain and helps relieve mild depression

Stretches the spine, shoulders, hamstrings and groins

Stimulates the liver and kidneys

Improves digestion

Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause

Relieves anxiety, fatigue, headache, menstrual discomfort

Therapeutic for high blood pressure, insomnia and sinusitis

Pranayama: Bellows Breath (Bhastrika)

Bellows Breath strengthens and balances the nervous system, bringing peace and tranquility to the mind in preparation for meditation. During Bellows Breath there is an increase in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide into and out of the bloodstream. This action stimulates the metabolic rate, producing heat and flushing toxins and waste out of the body.

Step-by-step technique

Sit comfortably in any meditative posture. Sit erect and keep your left hand on your left knee in Gyan Mudra (fold your index and the middle fingers of your right hand to touch the palm).
Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Exhale through your left nostril and immediately inhale forcefully. Quickly open your right nostril by closing your left nostril and repeat the procedure.
Keep repeating this pattern rapidly, gradually increasing the speed of inhalation and exhalation. Simultaneously contract and expand your abdominal muscles and slowly return to the initial speed.

Contraindications and cautions

Pregnancy

Uncontrolled hypertension

Epilepsy

Seizures

Panic disorders

Avoid practising Bellows Breath on a full stomach.

Beginner’s tip

Practise Bellows Breath at a slow breath rate, using a 2-second inhalation and a 2-second exhalation, with no force on inhalation and exhalation. With regular practice the abdominal muscles will become stronger, so the speed can be increased to 30 breaths per minute, using a 1-second inhalation and a 1-second exhalation.

Benefits

Increases physical vitality

Clarity of mind

Activates and invigorates the liver, pancreas, spleen and abdominal muscles, thus toning the digestive system and improving digestion

Good for the respiratory system including the diaphragm and the bronchial tubes.

Savasana

After you have completed the Sun Salutations, rest in Corpse Pose (see here) for 2–5 minutes.

Meditation

At the beginning and end of your sitting, try to mentally offer thanks to all the people and events in your past who have helped to bring you to where you are, here, now, today. It’s an interesting exercise to go on a journey backwards, piecing together the various people you’ve met, things you’ve seen or read, or events that have changed the course of your life.

Another interesting meditation to do while cleansing is not to focus directly on yourself, but instead think of others, perhaps less-fortunate people who have yet to be introduced to the benefits and the path that you are now travelling. Meditate on the benefits you may one day be able to bring to such people, when they see the shine in your eyes: the healthier and happier you. Visualise yourself being of assistance to them not by preaching but simply by being yourself. This is the only true and genuine way to help others – to lead by example.

YOUR NUTRITION

What to expect – breaking your fast

‘Easy does it!’ Make your first meal fresh fruit – just one variety and ideally something in season. Then take it easy regarding food intake: ideally a light diet of fruit and vegetables, plenty of salads, water and juices. Congratulations, you have made it this far!

Menu Guide/Days 10–12

Day 10 BREAKFAST

Choose your favoured breakfast from the Preparation Phase (see here) and the Pre-Purification Phase (see here). Enjoy!

Day 10 LUNCH

Super-Boost Sesame Salad

The rich flavour of toasted sesame oil and lemon juice breathe life into this easy-to-make salad without adding any salt or spices.

4 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

400g soaked chickpeas

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

6 pieces artichoke heart, roughly chopped

6 spring onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp sesame seeds (untoasted)

1 tsp sesame oil or to taste

Juice of ½ lemon

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and serve with salad.

Day 10 DINNER

Squash and Lentil Soup with Chilli and Fennel Seeds

This hearty and subtly aromatic soup is a wonderful soup that will leave you feeling full for hours!

4 servings

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 dried chillies, finely chopped

1 tbsp ground fennel seeds

200g green lentils

1 medium squash, peeled, deseeded, cut into 1cm cubes

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion, garlic, chillies and ground fennel seeds, and sweat gently for about 5 minutes.
Add the lentils and the diced squash. Cover with water and simmer for about 40 minutes until both the squash and lentils are tender. Season to taste.
The soup can be served as it is or you can blend a cupful and stir it back into the pan.

Day 11 BREAKFAST

Choose your favourite breakfast from the Preparation Phase (see here) and the Pre-Purification Phase (see here). Enjoy!

Day 11 LUNCH

Beetroot and Bean Salad

This tasty salad is a permutation of the ingredients that are always on my shopping list! Although the cooking time is longer, the results will make it well worthwhile.

2 servings

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 medium beetroots

200g green or mixed beans, trimmed

40g toasted pine nuts

25g fresh parsley, chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a roasting pan with aluminium foil and place the beetroots inside. Coat them with a tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for about an hour or until tender.
Meanwhile, mix shallots with parsley and olive oil. Season with pepper to taste.
Bring 1.5 litres of water to a boil. Add the beans and let them cook for about 3 minutes. Blanche the beans rather than cooking them through, so that they stay firm and bright green. Remove the beans from the water and add them to the marinade.
Once the beetroots have cooled, slice them as thinly as you like, season with pepper and arrange in a single layer over four large plates. Top with green beans, spooning any leftover marinade on top and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Delicious!

Day 11 DINNER

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Casserole

Another heart-warmer, the coriander and cumin in this recipe bring out all flavours and sweetness in the vegetables.

4 servings

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed

1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped into 2cm pieces

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 tsp paprika

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

400g can chickpeas, drained

400g can chopped tomatoes

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into wedges

Flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Method

Crush the coriander and cumin seeds using a pestle and mortar.
Heat the oil in a large pan and gently sweat the onion.
Add the garlic, crushed spices and paprika and stir until the onions are coated.
Add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cover. Cook on a low heat for 40–45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Garnish the casserole with chopped flat-leaf parsley before serving.

Day 12 BREAKFAST

Choose your favoured breakfast from the Preparation Phase (see here) and the Pre-Purification Phase (see here). Enjoy!

Day 12 LUNCH

Chickpeas and Salad

1 serving

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Method

Use leftover Sweet Potato and Chickpea Casserole (see here) served with salad.
Make a mixed salad of fresh raw vegetables: celery, grated cabbage, chicory, any green or red salad leaves, chunks of fennel, watercress and any other fresh salad vegetables you enjoy. Make a salad dressing of your choice.

Day 12 DINNER

Beetroot and Chilli Burgers

A quality veggie burger with all the trimmings can really hit the spot, especially on the last day of the 12-Day Plan. This recipe creates a satisfying burger with a good texture and plenty of flavour.

4 servings

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Makes 6 large burgers

Ingredients

1 onion, finely sliced

3 tbsp olive oil

1 beetroot, grated

½ courgette, grated

100g vegan Quorn mince (if frozen, thaw first)

½ pepper, finely sliced

1 tsp mixed herbs

2 cloves garlic, crushed

30g sunflower seeds

150g kidney beans, lightly mashed

30g breadcrumbs

½ tsp paprika

1 tsp hot chilli sauce

A splash of Tabasco sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Fry the onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Place the grated beetroot and courgette onto paper towels and press out as much liquid as you can (this will prevent a soggy burger).
In a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, and season well. The mixture should be fairly dry and easy to press together into burger shapes. If it’s still a little wet, add more flour.
Place the burgers onto a tray lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for one hour.
Carefully place the burgers onto the grill and allow them to cook slowly on a gentle heat. Brush them with a little oil from time to time.
Turn after 10 minutes and cook on the other side.

Some final tips

IF ATTAINING PEACE in body and mind was as simple as reminding ourselves to relax whenever we felt agitated, most of us would be blissed out most of the time. Like any other worthwhile skill, though, benefiting from a mind body cleanse takes practice.

The techniques outlined in this book can be a good training ground for cultivating a more peaceful approach to life. The skills we learn in our practice can support us in the rest of our lives, helping us to manage stressful times with clarity and balance.

‘After the Cleanse I must admit that I am feeling full of energy and light. I do not feel hungry and do not crave for processed and refined foods.’

What can we do to deepen our ability to drop into a state of ease in potentially challenging situations? How can we connect with our inner state of peace when our outer lives are awash with stress and chaos? The techniques we have covered in Part 2 can help you make your way back to balance and tranquility, both on and off the mat. Here are some easy-to-follow tips:

Exhale One of the best ways to bring yourself back down to earth is to lengthen your exhalations. This form of breathing encourages the nervous system to become calm and quiet, moving the body into a more restful state of being.

Focus your mind Sometimes, when the world sends us spinning, we want to do nothing more than drop into an easy chair and stare into space. But this approach often gives the brain free rein to continue its obsessive and agitated thinking. Instead, try focusing your mind in a constructive and engaging way. If you are tired, practise focused relaxation or an absorbing breathing exercise. During your relaxation session, use an eye bag or eye wrap while you’re in restorative postures to quiet the eyes and the brain.

Minimise external stimulation Turn off the television, unplug the telephone and dim the lights – turn down the volume of your life, remembering that outer calm nurtures inner calm.

Substitute positive thoughts for negative ones When we are disturbed by negative thought patterns, we can recover our balance by inviting peaceful thoughts into our minds. So the next time you find yourself overcome with an agonising fear or a depressing thought, notice the negative habit, toss it out, and use your creativity to develop a more positive outlook on the world.

Seek out laughter There’s nothing more stress-busting than a first-class belly laugh. Call your funniest friend, or attempt a complicated arm balance that will likely leave you swaying to the floor. Some arm balances are so ridiculously difficult (and let’s face it, funny-looking), how could you not laugh?

Practise, practise, practise Like fine wine, equanimity improves over time. Even if you don’t happen to feel completely blissed-out in Savasana today, you are priming the body for quiet and ease tomorrow. Repeatedly practising restful postures greases the wheel of relaxation, so you will be able to quickly and easily drop into a deep state of ease further down the line.

Steer clear of frozen or tinned vegetables, which often have added salt and sugar. Also avoid potatoes as they are high in starch and will slow the cleansing process dramatically.

Drink 10–12 glasses of water every day. Drinking plenty of water helps flush out toxins – so ideally you need at least 2–3 litres of filtered water per day.

Eat fruit and vegetables with their skins on – most of the vitamins and minerals are found just beneath the skin (but wash them before you eat them).

What you DON’T eat is more important than what you DO eat!

Take snacks with you when you are on the go and you can also fill up on fresh fruit and fresh juices.

Take leftover food from your evening meal to have for lunch the following day but avoid using a microwave if it needs reheating.

Throw away your microwave. It destroys anything of value in your food!

It’s important not to drink your calories. Fruit juice, wine, beer and full-fat lattes all add up to calories that could easily equate to a three-course dinner. Water and green tea are best when it comes to staying hydrated and losing weight.

Try to keep portions under control. Two handfuls of food at a time is more than enough and the vast majority of meals are filling and satisfying if you use nutritious ingredients and chew slowly, thus allowing the ‘full’ signal to get through and signal to you that you can stop eating.

Stock up on snack items – it’s often between-meal, stressed-out hunger pangs that lead to the search for comfort food.

For a quick pick-me-up, treat yourself to a sulphur-free dried fig or fresh high-quality medjool date. As well as naturally satisfying sugar cravings, they have laxative properties to keep things moving inside.

For a snack try pumpkin seeds, olives, hummus and raw vegetables or a rice cake with unsalted hazlenut butter.