GreenQuest Ways to a Healthier Life
Go to food & drinks, detox, wheatgrass, super berries, tips & links
These days more and more people seem to be getting respiratory or digestive ailments, or even worse get diagnosed with malignant tumors. More and more research seems to be pointing its finger at our lifestyles being a major contributor.
Every breath we take, every steak we eat, every cosmetic we apply, how do we know they are not contributing to our own downfall?
What we do know is that clean air, organic food, pure water, and non-toxic sprays do us no harm, so why don't we all take that path?
We hope the below articles can help you take the path to a healthier body which leads to a natural glow and confidence that you thought only perfect teeth could bring!
General Tips to a Healthier Life
Please explore the healthy living tips links below for more details on living a healthy lifestyle.
- Eat well but not too well! Have fresh organic fruit and vegetables every day – at least five portions preferably. Eat wholegrains too for fibre.
- Reduce your intake of processed foods.
- Consider taking a good multivitamin and multimineral supplement.
- Try a raw food diet. Wash all foods. Wash peel/skin before peeling.
- Consider detox (see below article).
- Buy yourself a good juicer.
- Take some aerobic exercise every day and give yourself a thorough workout about three times a week.
- Practise safe stress. If your work or life situation is stressful, learn some simple de-stressing techniques.
- Get lots of fresh air, every day if you can. Do your exercises in the fresh air if possible.
- Get plenty of rest and recreation. All work and no play … no way!
- Make time for your family and friendships.
- Get enough time for relaxation and sleep.
- If you do get sick, use alternative medicines such as homoeopathy and herbalism as a first choice.
- Visit our lifestyle page.
- Avoid toxic stresses such as unnecessary chemicals in the home and in your body care routines. Read on...
Chemicals
Ever wondered why you or your child has a skin irritation or other symptoms? We hope the table below will help you in checking product labels and live an itch-free life!
| If you have this | you may have used this | in this product! |
|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer’s and other dementia | Heavy metals (mercury & lead) | chocolate, dental amalgam (e.g. silver fillings) and vaccinations |
| breast tumours | Parabens | preservative in facial and body cosmetics, skin care products, acne treatments, shampoos and conditioners, sunscreens, underarm products (antiperspirants and deodorants), colognes, perfumes and soaps (including liquid hand soap) |
| cancer, immunotoxicity and reproductive disorders | Dioxins & Furans | pesticides, plastics, solvents, detergents and cosmetics. Beef. Paper pulp products such as tampons and sanitary pads. Bonfire smoke |
| dermatitis & cancer risk | Formaldehyde | shampoos, lotions, sunscreens, wet wipes, toothpaste, medicines, fabric softeners, cleaners and washing materials (preservative) |
| feminine irritation (AFI) | polypropylene, polyacrylates, surfactants, plastic and chlorine-bleached wood pulp | standard sanitary pads, tampons |
| irritation of the eyes, skin rashes and flaking skin, and possibly permanent damage to the eyes | Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) | shampoos, hair conditioners and shower gels (foam-making detergents) |
| non-Hodgkin lymphoma | polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or organochlorines | solvents, pesticides, plastics, disinfectants, forms of packaging and bleached pulp and paper |
| pollution (if not disposed of properly) | Pentachlorophenol (PCP) | wood preservatives |
| reproductive defects, severe eye and skin irritant, harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin | Phenoxyethanol | cosmetics, ointments, eardrops and vaccines & some toiletries and wipes (preservative) |
| skin & hair dry, cracks and fissures in the skin | Isopropyl Myristate | hair rinses, hand lotions and fragrances |
| skin irritation causing dermatitis | Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) | skin cleansers & oven cleaners! (grease remover) |
| skin irritation causing dermatitis | Propylene Glycol | cosmetics, hair care products, deodorants and after-shave. Antifreeze and brake fluid |
| skin irritation, dermatitis | 2-bromo-2nitropropane-1,3-diol | Preservatives (formaldehyde-releasing) |
| skin irritation, dermatitis | diazolidinyl urea | Preservatives (formaldehyde-releasing) |
| skin irritation, dermatitis | Imidazolidinyl urea | cosmetics, toiletries, lotions (preservative) |
| skin irritation, dermatitis | Quaternium-15 | Preservatives (formaldehyde-releasing) |
For more on what the above can do to you, click here.
Natracare has feminine, maternity and baby care solutions for you.
The Organic Pharmacy has everything from detox capsules to after-sun products for purchase on-line or from stockists.
For recipes to make your own natural cleaners, polishes etc, we have it here.
your Body
For all non-organic foods and many drinks you consume, your body is absorbing toxins some of which build up to an extent that can cause health problems. Your colon, kidney and liver become toxic and don't perform as well as they should.
Cleansing the body of stored toxins can be achieved in several ways:
- Eating organic foods (fruit, veg and poultry)
- Reducing meat intake
- Drinking acai berry juice, or wheatgrass juice and grow it too if you can
- Drinking pure water (try to avoid plastic bottles unless you are recycling them)
- Drinking about 3 litres of water (or good liquids) a day.
- Drinking fresh fruit drinks (use juicers to get the best results). What better drink than juicing organic fruits grown from your own trees or orchard!
- Drinking herbal drinks including teas
- Increasing fiber intake can accelerate the elimination of toxins
- Regularly detox your body (read on)
Is Detox for You?
Purging the body of all the bad stuff would be beneficial for adults with these following chronic medical problems (especially involving congestive conditions):
- Constipation
- Sinus
- Bronchitis
- Obesity
- Colds
- Flus
- Indigestion
- Back pain
- Bloating and flatulence
- Acne and inflammatory skin problems
- Fatigue
Detox Self Test
If you have some of the above, and score high in below test... read on
| Yes | No | |
| Do you have less than one bowel movement a day? | ||
| Do you take prescription or over-the-counter drugs? | ||
| Do you eat meat more than twice a week? | ||
| Do you eat fast or processed food regularly? | ||
| Ever smoked or been exposed to excess passive smoke? | ||
| Do you have any skin/digestion problems or gas/bloating? | ||
| Do you drink alcohol (more than 3 glasses/week)? | ||
| Do you live in a major city? | ||
| Do you drink coffee or soda? | ||
| Do you feel fatigued, have low energy or poor sleeping habits? | ||
| Total Yes score |
A score of 4 or higher may indicate that a cleansing, detox program would be beneficial for you.
It is not recommended that people with diabetes, low blood sugar, or eating disorders go on detox diets. Neither is it necessary or recommended for teenagers or children to detox.
Juice Detox
Juice detox has a greater ability to encourage healing compared to fasting on water as it supplies a remarkable increase in vitamins, minerals and enzymes. This has a dramatic impact on cancer cells, toxins, built-up chemicals, excess body fat, transformed fatty acids, impacted mucus in the bowel, sickness and disease as evident in countless healing testimonies.
Please contact us with your account of detox or your favourite recipes.
The benefits of juice fasting:- Purification
- Rejuventation
- Resting of digestive organs
- Drug detoxification
- More restful sleep
- Better skin beautification
- Reduced allergies
- Anti-aging
- Clearer and sharper mind
- Mental clarity
Detox Drinks
Try these great juice recipes at Healthy Juice Central or at Freedomyou.
Apple Cider Vinegar
If you have a batch of carrot juice with a tart flavor, a few tablespoons of cider vinegar will greatly help the flavor. It contributes to healthy veins, blood vessels, and arteries. Apple cider vinegar has extraordinary potassium content and beneficial malic acid. When purchasing cider vinegar (look for unpasturised), it should have fuzzy sediment (mother) on the bottom, proving that the vinegar is still in the live fermentation stage. A tablespoon of cider vinegar and honey in hot water is a tasty health drink.
Detox Foods
Cruciferous organic vegetables assist in detox.
Some good examples:
- Broccoli
- Bok Choy
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Watercress
- Horseradish
- Mustard greens
Hunger Pangs and the Day After
Some people experience hunger cravings during the night. Keep a glass of pineapple, apple or mango juice in the refrigerator and treat yourself to it if you feel too hungry.
Remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Start the next day with fresh fruits and vegetables.
After you do a detox or a juice-fasting day, try and eliminate foods which are harmful to your body like alcohol or processed foods.
For Detox Links (to other sites), scroll down.
Myths of Detox
You may feel fasting is too extreme for you or may have started a form of 'detox' and experienced new symptoms of illness. Well don't give up!
Don't go to Extremes
Fasting seems pretty extreme and it can be dangerous if not done properly. What GreenQuest advocates is not fasting, but one detox day a month and that liquid levels must be maintained throughout the period. If you are having problems or are unsure, please visit the below links or consult a professional in the field.
Understanding a 'Healing Crisis'
If you try detox and soon get put off as you experience new symptoms of ill health, this is called a healing crisis.
This reaction is a common effect as the toxins are released faster than they can be eliminated. Just continue with your regimen and drink plenty of fresh water. Rest and meditate if needed, but realise that these symptoms mean that the detox is working and is getting rid of the stored toxins. As long as you continue with above tips, the adverse symptoms will fade away as your body is cleansed.
Those who had been consuming large amounts of red meats would experience more side effects compared to those who are vegetarians.
To learn more on this topic, read this.
Healthy Foods & Drinks
This can never claim to be an ultimate list, but just some that you may not know of.
- Organic Olive oil and Cider Vinegar can help
- Wheatgrass and green barley (article/link below)
- Acai berry drinks
- Wholegrains, legumes, garlic, onions and soybeans are also good for health and detox
- all the cruciferous vegetables in the detox section above.
Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is a variety of grass that while unprocessed, contains an extremely high concentration of cellulose, which renders it undigestible. However, when processed, wheatgrass juice and wheatgrass in powder or tablet form has been said to be able to aid in the detoxification of the body as well as a number of other ailments.
One of the best health benefits of wheatgrass is that it aides in the removal of many toxins from the body. It can also help eliminate problems with acne and scarring related to acne problems. Wheatgrass can also be very beneficial health wise to the body's liver and kidneys by helping to restore damaged tissues.
Why use Wheat Grass?
- It is 100% organic and is made up of 70% chlorophyll (life blood of the plant, and similar to the molecules of our red blood cells)
- Anti-bacterial
- High in Oxygen
- Stops Growth and Development of bad bacteria
- Helps rebuild blood
- Can eliminate Free Radicals
- Increase your body's resistance to illnesses
- Not just another supplement but is actually a complete food in itself (suitable for gluten-free diets)
- Contains over 80 Enzymes which are necessary for digestion and the many other chemical changes in the body
- Provides nutrients & minerals
- Helps to remove body odour
- Helps with skin problems ie eczema
- Keeps hair from greying
- Skin cleanser
- Helps prevent tooth decay
- Boosts your energy levels
- Easy to digest
- A good antioxidant (helps with detox)
- Aids rejuvenation of the body
- Helps to depress you appetite (stops you wanting to snack)
- Alternative cancer therapy
Wonder Berry
A berry grown in the Amazon rainforest, it has as much calcium as milk, twice the cancer-beating antioxidants of blueberries, more nutrients than a multivitamin, tastes like chocolate-covered cherries and can boost your sex life! Too good to believe? Just hype? Well you’d better believe it!
Pronounced ah-sah-yee, acai is more of a lifestyle option than a foodstuff; a magic fruit potion, a purple wonder-berry, that is already a fashionable food in the United States, where scientists recently found it destroyed four-fifths of cancer cells.
Started by the Jiujitsu Gracie family in the 1920's, it has now built up a band of celebrity fans, including Oprah Winfrey, the Formula 1 racing driver Rubens Barrichello, tennis star Andre Agassi, the singer Sting and former model Gisele Bundchen.
Since the berry is the most important non-wood forest product (in terms of money) from the river delta of the Amazon, they work with the local people to ensure a sustainable harvest and prevent deforestation. If that is not enough to go out and buy it, the Brazilians believe that it is good for your sex life too!
Check-out these super food drinks in you local stores now >
- Happy Monkey are the first to bottle the benefits of acai berries. You can find it in stores of Waitrose, Holland & Barrett, Selfridges, and on-line at ocado. Happy Monkey mixes the berries with grape juice to make it more palatable.
- Green & Kerley mix theirs with apple juice and mango.
- Pomegreat also retail cartons of delicious Pomegranate and acai juice drink at Sainsbury's and other main supermarkets: just about the best natural source of antioxidants you can get!
- Innocent Drinks
have great natural smoothies including an acai berry drink.
Health Links
For more general info for ladies only!
For good health information for parents, kids and teenagers, click here.
For great tips on a healthy lifestyle, visit greenfootsteps.com.
For a great directory of how to use nature to improve your health, click here.
The Organic Pharmacy has extensive natural products available both on-line and from stockists.
If you want to find a healthy product for a particular ailment as well as health supplements, click here.
For Detox products, try Feel the Difference or Ultralife Detox drink.
For a wonderful retreat on a tropical Thai island for detox, yoga, holistic spa and general wellness, visit the Kamalaya site.
For information on juice fasting, click here.
For information on living foods with courses and shop, click here.
Find our more from UK experts and shop on-line at 
Also, get kits and juicers at Wheatgrass-Kits.
More at 
Not only wheatgrass, but green barley powder click here.
For detox diets, click here.
For a listing of some great restaurants, click here.
For a tropical retreat with fasting and detox programmes on the Thai island of Phuket click here.
Wanting to know more about the nutrition data or calorie count of certain foods or fastfood stores? Click here.
For Natural Way health food and supplement store with complementary health centre, (Paignton, Devon) and secure mail-order online, click here.
For Europe's Largest Alternative Health Portal - Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Organic, Personal Care, Herbal, Health Supplements for sports, ladies, kids and more, click here.