Kai Chronicles

Eating, exploring and enjoying life


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Detox in Bali: Day 2 Feeling light and hungry

Sorry it’s taken so long for me to post the accounts of Detox in Bali Day 2!! Click here to read about day 1.

For the second time, I awake to laughter and squeals before 7am. There’s a school beside the Yoga Barn guest house and boy, they start early! It’s hard to get upset about waking up to happy children though.

7am

I sit up and reach for my water bottle and herb capsules. I must drink a litre of water before anything else enters my system. After a couple mouthfuls, I’m forced out of bed and to the toilet. Elimination is key to a good detox.

A few scrapes of my tongue is next up in my morning regime. Rinse with filtered water. Bali is like Mexico: Don’t drink (or brush teeth with) the water.

In my room fridge is a bottle of coconut kefir. It’s a probiotic – great for good gut health. I have my morning shot then jump in the shower.

detox day 2_c

9am

I have a busy schedule today so once showered and dressed, I wander to the cafe for a coconut water,  green juice and more plain water.

green drinks

I feel satisfied with my liquid breakfast now it’s time to get naked.

10am

I head to the Spa for my infared sauna booking. I like saunas because they make me sweat. I’m not a huge sweater (unless nervous or anxious which is just embarrassing). Another litre of water is downed during my 25 minute stint in the tiny wooden heat box. A cool shower feels heavenly afterwards.

11am

No rest for the wicked now though; I’m off to a Yin Yoga class. I’ve never been to a yin class but I choose it for its gentleness. During a detox, there’s no point pushing the boundaries on your energy levels. Slow and easy does it. There’s a lot of hip openers, which is not easy for me so the 90 minute-class is not as easy as I would have hoped for. I do my best to relax into the poses and enjoy the pain. Hahahahahahaha

detox day 2_b

1pm

From class, I race to my room for a quick rinse and more peeing then back to the Spa for my Kati Basti massage. Now, this is more like it. All I need to do is lay face down and let some Indian man pour oil into a donut  (hmmmmmm donut) shaped clay mould on my lower back. It’s warm and relaxing. The entire treatment is focussed on my lower back, which in Ayurveda, it’s said to house excess Vata. I won’t go into the basis of Ayurveda now but it’s a very interesting way of life from India. My dominating dosha is Vata so this was a valuable session for me. But, what massage isn’t awesome?

detox day 2_a

230pm

Believe it or not, another appointment but I will keep the details private. I have my second coconut water during this one and of course, more water. During the day, there are many trips to the toilet – to pee. Contrary to what many people think, there is no diarrhoea during a safe detox.

PS. I cheated a little by scraping the inside of the young coconut with my straw. The gel-like meat gets stuck in the straw. It feels like a may suck my eyeballs into my skull as I try to get at that coconut meat.

530pm

Each Wednesday at the Yoga Barn, the American yoga teacher, Levi holds a free community talk on Astrology. Levi does this as a way to promote that fact that he is an astrologer and does readings. Even though I’ve already booked a session with him for tomorrow, I attend the free seminar where he answers general questions about the stars, sun and moon. Afterwards, I stop in at the cafe for the last of my liquid meals for the day: herbal tea and green juice.

730pm

My last appointment for the day: Sound Medicine. I feel like I’ve walked into a 1960s hippy commune when I enter the room. There’s all sorts of musical instruments – everything from drums to Tibetans bowls as well as colourful silks and pillows. There are 3 hosts: 2 are bearded and one’s in a flowing dress. We start off with a sing-along. Now, I really feel like flower power is upon me. Peace man. Once we lay down on our mats we are to be still for the rest of the session. It’s easy at first but then my entire body and soul aches and screams for me to shift and fidget. The girl beside me (who is also on the detox) stomach is growling. Sometimes, there’s a drum or cymbal sounding right over my face. Then, a piece of material is placed on my stomach. Suddenly, my body relaxes and I am calm again. When we are told to open our eyes, I see the red silk on my tummy and I’m amazed at how this was able to still me.

9pm 

I’m so tired and hungry that I don’t even attempt my enema. I shower and go straight to bed. I try to read but there’s no point. I can’t stay awake. Day 2 is over. Bring on Day 3. I’m already planning my return to food on Day 4 (breaking the fast).

 

 

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I’m not going to sugar coat this

While the wind howled and the rain tapped on the window panes yesterday, I watched the documentary Fed Up.

Fed Up is about the obesity epidemic in the USA but really, it speaks about much of the Western world.

It didn’t tell me anything I do not already know.

We consume too much sugar and it makes us fat. 

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A running start

shoes

always wear proper gear

I’m back baby!

Since returning from my wellness holiday in Bali, I have re-committed to daily fitness.

Each day I get up by 630am and start moving.

I’m back to doing my Tracy Anderson videos – 6 days a week until Sept 30th. I think this will give me a great kick-start to my bikini body. Let’s face it, it’s all about looking good on the beach!!

Of course, that’s not entirely true. I want to feel the best I’ve ever felt too. And so far, I feel amazing.

I’m back running too.

My first day back was hard!

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The World’s Most Popular Drug

Did you have a coffee or tea this morning?

Caffeine laced drinks and products are consumed by millions the world over. Does that make us all drug users…..and possibly abusers?

The truth is: Caffeine is a drug.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, cola and cocoa beans. This, of course, does not mean caffeine is limited to these products. There are countless other soft drinks, lollies, ice creams, energy drinks, chewing gum, supplements and medications on the market today that are enhanced with caffeine.

Many people consume hundreds of milligrams worth of caffeine per day and would never guess they may be dependant on or addicted to a stimulant.

What happens when you stop –  cold turkey?

There is a very high chance of experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as: headache, nausea; feeling light-headed, tired, moody, depressed and irritable. These symptoms may continue for 2-8 days so it is easy to reason why so many people just continue with their daily caffeine fix.

How much caffeine are we talking about?

  •  250ml cup of instant coffee (1tsp)  = 60-80mg
  • 1 oz espresso = 90mg
  •  250ml cup of black tea = 40-60mg
  • 250ml cup of green tea  = 25-40mg
  •  375ml can of Coke = 50mg
  • 100g chocolate bar = 20mg

It is hard to pin point the safe levels of caffeine without doing a scientific experiment first-hand. It all depends on who you ask.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand say:

“There is currently no recognised health-based guidance value, such as an Acceptable Daily Intake, for caffeine. However, a FSANZ Expert Working Group analysed the available literature in 2000 and concluded that there was evidence of increased anxiety levels in children at doses of about 3 mg of caffeine per kilogram of bodyweight per day. The anxiety level for children aged 5-12 equates to a caffeine dose of 95 mg per day (approximately two cans of cola) and about 210 mg per day (approximately three cups of instant coffee) for adults.”

Is there any reason to stop?

According to the Havard Health Publications, caffeine is not only safe, but may also have some benefits.

“Studies show that the risk for type 2 diabetes is lower among regular coffee drinkers than among those who don’t drink it. Also, coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive function, reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease, and reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease.”

There are some health conditions that will not benefit caffeine intake: like candida. Caffeine can feed candida and would aggravate excess candida symptoms that may: abdominal pain, thrush, depression, urinary infections, rashes, acne, white coated tongue and food cravings.

Some people may not tolerate caffeine very well and experience over-dose like feelings such as: restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia and gastrointestinal issues.

Although there is no proven evidence that says caffeine is harmful to an unborn fetus, it is widely known and accepted that caffeine should be limited to (the equivalent of)  one or two cups of coffee per day.

I personally have “gone off” caffeine several times. Each time I endured 2-3 days of physical pain in the form of severe headaches and nausea.

I am currently off caffeinated coffee but have been having small doses of caffeine in decaf coffee and chocolate, occasionally. I do not drink green or black tea at all.

Yesterday I was unwittingly served a caffeinated coffee  and was not aware of this until 1-2 hours later. I  noticed that I was jittery and scatter-brained and couldn’t figure out why. When I was told of the coffee mix-up, I rationalised my confused state to the excess caffeine.

There’s no denying it: Coffee and caffeine products are big business and keep getting bigger. It does make me wonder though….

Do we need to be stimulated all the time? And are we just trading off one drug for another?

Cigarettes are no longer in fashion and are now a known health hazard but coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks are very sociable, acceptable and consumption is on the rise……for the moment.