Food for Thought“Mummy, you are NOT coming to my birthday party!” announced Belle at bedtime.After trying to sweet talk her in to a post beach hair wash, I ran out of patience to do it nicely. There was an unceremonious dunking and a major protest.At that particular moment, not going to her party seemed like a great idea. I could go to the spa! Or just lie star shaped on the living room floor surrounded by sweet silence. I would miss the mess and the chaos and the sugar rush. So what I wanted to say was “Great! Have fun with your daddy!” What I in fact said was “That’s a shame, I was looking forward to coming…. And who’s going to make your cake?” A low blow, I know.Because despite bedtime-gone-wrong and the madness of a kids party, of course I wanted her to want me there. Cake and candles is fun at any age, but especially when they are three. It’s probably the first time our kids REALLY get what their birthday is all about. I let my shamefully manipulative words sink in and she reconsidered. Later, as I kissed her good night, she whispered I love you my mummy and our cross words were forgotten. Forgotten because of the big chocolate “3” cake I have promised to cover in Smarties? Partly I am sure. But I also believe she means it. She is a little fire cracker but so tender at heart, and the tantrums are over as quickly as they start.I do admit I was scared of the terrible twos. My Mum still talks about my brother’s legendary tantrums, which is funny to me now because he is a Very Sensible lawyer very cool, calm and collected! So when Belle’s tantrum gene kicked in I did wonder if we were in for the full foaming-at-the-mouth experience. So far they just seem to come and go in a flash but it does mean that I am ever quite sure of exactly where I stand a position I was also put in with a client yesterday.Of all the questions I get asked, the detox question is probably one of the most common. Everyone wants to detox and they want to do it fast. The thing is, just like the weight loss world, the detox world is incredibly faddy. How about a cayenne pepper and maple syrup cleanse? A cabbage soup fast? What about drinking the milk of wild Arabian camels? Or applying the freeze dried excrement of Tibetan monks? I might have made up the last two but you know what I mean. So when my client asked me what my top detox tips were, I didn’t have anything especially new to tell her. There are tons of new ideas out there, but few have hung round long enough to be properly evaluated.The fact is that detoxing means eating a whole healthy natural diet and avoiding all the processed trash. Green drinks, body brushing and liver cleansing foods all help, as does drinking warm water and lemon first thing in the morning. You’ll have heard about the latter before, it’s one of the few detox strategies that has stood the test of time largely because it works! And while it may not be wildly exciting, I do suggest you give this one a go. Here are the four major reasons why:1. Lemon juice is rich in vitamin C which helps to detoxify, boost the immune system and accelerates cellular repair both inside and out. It’s also rich in potassium which helps to neutralize free radical activity, increases the production of red blood cells and lowers blood pressure.2. As acidic as it might taste, lemon juice is actually alkaline. In the field of complementary/alternative heath, being in an acidic state is associated with weight gain and disease, whereas being in an alkaline state is associated with weight loss and repair.3. If you rely on a big dose of caffeine to get your digestive system moving, this might be a healthier choice. Warm water helps to get your bowels moving and lemon helps to stimulate the production of bile acids.4. As great as the above are, I think this is the most important part. Drinking warm water and lemon in the morning is more about the habit it replaces and the precedent it sets. If you start your day with this, rather than a huge latte with caramel syrup, then you have already made one fantastic decision. It’s also much easier to make good decisions the rest of the day when you have had a good start. No one likes to take a step back after stepping forward.I must add this though if you are going to start working on this habit, you need to remember to take care of your teeth. Some dentists are concerned that drinking warm water with lemon can erode tooth enamel. Minimize your chances by drinking it through a straw. Also don’t brush your teeth immediately afterwards wait a while instead. And remember, there’s no need to go overboard with the lemon. You don’t want to feel like you are burning a hole in your esophagus. I just squeeze in a wedge. Use warm water rather than boiling hot too as boiling water will diminish the vitamin C content.The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the Managing Director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the U.K. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda