by Kanika Ward, Life Science Practitioner and Natural Health Consultant

Are you overweight? Do you suffer from frequent colds, flu, or allergies? Do you often feel tired? Do you eat a lot of processed foods? The answer to the state of your health lies within what you eat. More than 85% of all women have the “orange peel” look, also known as cellulite. Over half of all Americans are overweight. Our lifestyles have made us accustomed to eating fast foods. The fast food routine has us shoveling food into our faces in less than five minutes. This allows just enough time to make it for that one o’clock meeting. Perhaps you’ve heard someone say, “When you get to be 30, the body doesn’t work the same,” or “my stomach can’t take spicy foods like it used to.” When we get older, we become more conscious of how our bodies react to what we are eating. We know what foods give us stomach aches or send us to the restroom. In reality, our bodies are begging us to relieve them of the toxins and waste that has built up over time from our lifestyles. So how do we restore the body to its natural state of wellness? We have to allow the body to heal itself by giving it a rest. An internal cleansing helps get rid of the toxins and waste that are being stored in the colon and other vital organs. This process is called detoxification and should be done every time we have altered the body’s natural function by eating badly. At this point the body is purified and ready to receive the proper nutrition it needs. Without an internal cleansing, the body may be unable to absorb key nutrients and vitamins. After detoxing, the next step is to incorporate proper nutrition. Since most of us do not have the time to eat foods that contain the nutrients we need, it’s important to supplement your diet with essential fatty acids, enzymes that aid in the proper digestion of the foods we eat, and daily multivitamins. Next, we need to change that lifestyle we are accustomed to. Yes, we need to eliminate processed foods and limit red meat intake and other fatty foods. Learning to read food labels and understanding what the ingredients are will help us learn how to eat what we love by simply substituting the bad stuff with the good stuff. A witness myself, the waste and toxins literally melted off of me after incorporating the above program as a lifestyle change. My energy levels were restored. My immune system was no longer compromised with allergies and frequent colds. I lost 15 lbs and at least five dress sizes. For a free consultation, call Kanika Ward, holistic lifestyle change consultant at Kosmik Kare Day Spa, 633 W Capitol Drive. Ward does not claim to be a physician nor a psychologist, and this column should not be construed as medical advice.