Cleanses Archives - Jovanka Ciares

What is Panchakarma (as featured in the Kardashians)

You Can Do THIS without being as rich as the Kardashians!

Whether you follow the Kardashians or not, they are impossible to miss! I don’t personally watch their show or follow them, but I do love traditional practices that help people heal and feel amazing.

Last week, a friend mentioned that Ayurveda was front and center in one of the Kardashian episodes and specifically a treatment call Panchakarma. I must admit I got curious, checked out the portions of the show and the reference to this ancient practice.

Personally, I LOVE pachakarmas and believe that we all can learn about its principles and practices and perhaps even try some ways to do your own ‘mild’ version of a cleanse at home.

So today, I’m sharing how you can do your own little Western version of panchakarma without breaking the bank!

Follow These Steps!

PRE-CLEANSE (2-3 days)

No caffeine, alcohol or sugar
No heavy workouts of sex
Get a book to learn the basics – “Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide” is a good option
Learn to make Kitchari – follow this recipe

CLEANSE (4 to 7 days)

100% plant based, whole foods for the entire cleanse
Options are small smoothie, soups, salads and kitchari
Can use ghee or mushrooms if vegan
Try Abyangha – oil massage – once a week
Bouncing / Rebouding
Use heat – saunas/steam rooms
Massage your feet with Sesame and ginger essential oils

4 Tips to an Effective Cleanse at Home

Many people find cleanses and detoxes appealing as a way to reaffirm a commitment to healthy eating, especially at the start of a new year. While I certainly understand the desire dial down cravings for sweets and processed foods and create a pathway toward eating well over the long haul, the trouble I see with juicing and other similar cleanses is that too often, they leave people hangry, sluggish and distracted by constant thoughts of food.

Cleansing can also lead to unwanted issues, like constipation (from lack of fiber) and bloating (due to excess fructose from juice cleanses).

If you want to reboot your diet in the new year without the unnecessary restriction and potential downsides that comes with detoxes and cleanses, clean up your eating with these coach-approved tips instead.

GO GREEN (AND ORANGE AND PURPLE AND RED)

Most Americans aren’t anywhere close to meeting their needs. (90 percent fall short of vegetable recommendations and 85 percent aren’t meeting their fruit quota.) To help you boost your intake and your overall health, add sliced strawberries to your oatmeal at breakfast, opt for a summer salad at lunch, and fill half your dinner plate with a steamed vegetable medley.

And don’t forget snacks! Enjoy sliced carrots, celery and jicama with hummus or a little guacamole with gluten free crackers.

CUT OUT ADDED SWEETENERS

While Americans fall short on fruits and veggies, we’re overdoing it on sugar, consuming close to 20 teaspoons a day. Health authorities suggest capping added sugars at 6 teaspoons (equivalent to about 25 g) a day for women and 9 teaspoons (or about 36 g) for men. Challenge yourself to cut back on added sugar from sweetened yogurts, cereals and granola bars, as well as the usual suspects (soda, cookies, ice cream, cookies and other baked goods). You’ll appreciate the natural sweetness of fruit so much more when you cut unnecessary added sweeteners from your diet.

BE GOOD TO YOUR GUT

Many people are drawn to cleanses to reset their GI system, and these regular cleanses can have amazing benefits! While trying to flush out toxins, take measures to boost your gut health so it can do its job well.

A healthy gut is important for almost every aspect of wellness — from boosting your mood to helping you sleep, from weight management to preventing chronic diseases, the list goes on and on. To reboot your diet and reset your gut, remember to do a mild, food-based “reset cleanse” on a regular basis.

EMBRACE MILD, FOOD-BASED CLEANSES

Our team does a 3-week purification challenge twice a year, using some meal replacements, herbal supplements and easy-to-digest meals that are perfect for any part of the year. Check out more details about it here.

Learn To Poo The Right Way

How are your bathroom trips? If you suffer from too much gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation or any other digestive issues, chances are there’s just too much “poo” or debris in your intestines.

The way you poo could be part of the problem. And the solution could be as simply as learning how to sit while in the toilet.

Check out this video to learn why I love Squatty Potty so much. And click on this link to get yours today!

Let me know what you think, in the comments below the video!

How Detox Can Help Your Digestion

Much has and can be said about detox and its benefits for overall health. But can it help you with your tummy troubles? I believe so and here’s how. WATCH HERE!

Digestion Function:

Digestion of the food
Transferring nutrition to the cells of your body
Processing waste and eliminating it from the body
Serves as a drain pipe for waste and toxic substances absorbed through our lungs and skin.
Serves as a home forbeneficial
Produce a number of nutrients that boost your immune system

How a detox can restore digestive balance:

Helps bring the colon back to life by stimulating the muscle movement of the colon
Soothes and promotes the healing of the lining of the full gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Helps stimulate the body’s healing mechanisms.
Draws old fecal matter off the walls of the colon
Removes heavy metals
Helps clean the gallbladder, bile ducts and liver.
Optimizes the growth of beneficial bacteria
Draws out toxins
Destroys and expel parasites
Maintains regularity.
Speed up the transit time of feces through the large intestine.

My Diet Is Better Than Yours + Jovanka Ciares, ABC, jovanka, shaun T

New ABC Show “My Diet Is Better Than Yours” Hosted by Shaun T & Starring Jovanka Ciares!

AH-MAZING NEWS! I’ll be starting along with 4 other celebrity trainers and Shaun T of Insanity Workouts on a new show that will air on ABC prime time. The show, called “My Diet Is Better Than Yours” and will premiere on January 7th at 9/8pm C.

This is an amazing opportunity to showcase alternative treatments and healthy living practices to mass audiences.

You’ll get the full scoop on the show’s premiere but what I can tell you right now is that my health coaching system, the Wellness Smackdown™ will be showcased as one of the 5 expert plans for people to follow to lose a significant amount of weight, improve their health and feel great again.

I’m honored, humbled and ECSTATIC to be chosen for this opportunity. And especially excited to show the world, and my communities (the Hispanic and Black communities) that it is possible to heal and thrive using the wisdom of the ages. And of course, a great chance to make the worldwide wellness and compassionate lifestyle communities proud!

This is a dream 10 years in the making. Please join me on January 7th to check out the series premiere!

Here’s one of the TV promos:

[youtube]https://youtu.be/Jk5lKN7MNcA[/youtube]

I’ll be sharing my own personal insights about the show and the process of coaching someone in front of national TV here on my video blog so make sure that you sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss a beat!

In the meantime, please be well!

What Does It Mean When You Crave Salt (And How To Stop It)

Do you feel like you crave salt regularly? Think you eat way too may salty foods? Or maybe not enough?

Yes, eating too much salt is bad, but eating too little is bad too.

Salt is necessary to control the balance of body fluids, provide vital trace minerals and is crucial for growth and reproduction.

So do you have cravings? Check out the video:

Do you Crave for salty foods.

Cravings for foods that have a lot of salt in them even if they don’t taste salty. Examples include bread, crackers, cookies, TV dinners, and canned foods?
Cravings for sausages, bacon, olives, seasoning blends
Do you have fatigue, low energy and mood swings.
Muscle cramps or slow recovery from exercise.

If so, here’s what I recommend you do:

Test your adrenals and hormone levels. Cortisol and other stress hormone issues may be affected by sodium deficiency so check with your doctor asap.
Pay attention to how you feel after eating foods with a lot of sodium. Listen to the cues of your body, maybe it is trying to tell you something!
Pay attention to exercise. If you sweat a lot, rehydrate with a mixture of water and himalayan pink salt.
Be present and celebrate where you are right now. This will help you reduce stress levels.
Add some Himalayan sea salt to a big glass of water during dinner. This will help you not go to the bathroom a thousand times per day or at night.

Tips to reduce sugar cravings Part 2

In the previous video we spoke about sugar addiction and how you can get rid of it. I wanted to create a second video to give you even more tips to finally get rid of sugar in your life!

If you missed that video, click here to access it!

Check the video and tips below!

NUMBER 1 – EAT CARBOHYDRATES (UNLIMITED)
Yes, that’s right. Carbohydrates in droves. Did you know that vegetables are carbohydrates? From them you can eat all you want. Unlimited refills! I refer specifically to non-starchy vegetables, such as greens, the broccoli family (cauliflower, kale, collards, etc.), asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, onions, zucchini, tomato, fennel, aubergines, artichokes, peppers , etc.
Also eat fruit in small portions, once a day for about 14 days. Avoid potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash and beets – only for 14 days.

NUMBER 2 PLAN YOUR RECIPES
It is easier to follow a program when you have a list of ingredients and recipes that you can work from. In my sugar detox program I personally check all the ingredients and recipes to make sure they were all low in sugar. Choose a day in the week to plan your recipes so you know what ingredients to use and avoid thinking about other full of sugar. Also keep a contingency plan food around special events such as birthday parties and social events.

NUMBER 3 – ELIMINATES THE RISKS BY FINDING SUPPORTERS
When I decided to change my lifestyle and try detoxification, I told all my friends and colleagues who supported me very much and inspired many to take some of the advice I explained. This kind of support helped both me and them and became an indispensable weapon for success.

NUMBER 4 HELP YOURSELF BY HELPING OTHERS
If you observe or participated in any recovery program, the last step is to help others and teach them through your experiences. We always hope that by sharing our experiences, they inspire others, which is a powerful positive feedback loop which naturally will keep you satisfied, without sugar!

NUMBER 5 – REDUCE STRESS
If you have stress, your hormones go crazy. When cortisol (the stress hormone) rises gives you more hungry, it promotes the storage of fat in the stomach and can lead to type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions. Try doing deep conscious breathing exercises. This is something you can do anywhere, anytime.

NUMBER 6 – SLEEP MORE
Less sleep affects your appetite and makes hormones that you crave more sugar and carbohydrates. You need more energy if you do not sleep, so you head rapidly absorbed sugars. Sleep is the best way to fight the urge to overeat and manage stress.

How To Use Palo Santo To Cleanse Your Space

Spiritual cleanses are as important as physical/nutritional ones. And they often go hand in hand. Just like going deep to cleanse your body is key to weight loss and overall health, going deep and addressing our emotional, spiritual and mental home is key to getting rid of behaviors that don’t serve us, clear them out and replace them with ones that help us grow and evolve.

Many years ago in my native Puerto Rico, I discovered a wonderful bark that has been used for centuries in South America for its energetically cleansing and healing properties and now it’s becoming more and more popular in the rest of the world: Palo Santo (Spanish for Holy Wood).

Check the video below to learn the benefits of Palo Santo and how to use it!

How To Cleanse The Home With Palo Santo

This is the easiest and safest way to use Palo Santo to clear the energy of your home or work space:

Burn 1-2 sticks at a time. Hold the bark at 45 degree angle and ignite the sticks. Let them burn for 45 seconds then blow out and allow the smoke to spread.
Close all doors and windows to keep as much of the smoke indoors.
Set your intentions for the energy clearing of your home. Recite your favorite prayers, mantras and/or chants out loud.
Move around your space (including bathrooms, kitchen and dens). Place close attention to the windows, door entrances, pipes and any other areas with access to the outside of the home/space.
When done, place the remaining stick in a fire proof bowl (metal or clay) and leave to smoke in a safe area (away from loose fabrics or furniture) overnight.
In the morning, open all doors and windows, to allow the excess of smoke (shouldn’t be too much) to take away any lingering heavy or negative energy.

candida drink, candida detox, jovanka, jovanka ciares

Home-Made Candida Treatment

This home-made candida treatment is my go-to remedy to get rid of the symptoms of candida in a flash. An anti candida diet is key to control candida overgrowth but this video will show you one of the best home remedies for candida I’ve seen. Hope it helps!

Check the video for my candida treatment below!

And below the video, tell me: are you willing to try the remedy (even though it may not taste that great)?! Let me know!

And feel free to share my new fun Infographic below!

Share / Comment / Enjoy!

Foods That Detox Every Time You Eat Them

As the weather gets warmer and you get excited about the prospect of going to the beach and enjoy the sun on your skin, many of us scramble to lose as many pounds as we can, get our skin to glow and our complexion to shine. You can enjoy all of these every day of the year by consuming these amazing foods that detox your body every time to eat them.

No need for cleanses and juice only diets. Just add these foods that naturally detox to your diet and you’ll help out your natural detox channels.

This video will give you lots of food options and will show you why they are so amazing for you!

How many of these amazing foods do you consume every day? Let me know in the comments below!

And feel free to share my new fun Infographic below!

Share / Comment / Enjoy!

Food Allergy Elimination Diet

Ever wonder how to do a food allergy elimination diet? IF you are having food allergies or intolerances, you might want to eliminate certain foods from your diet for a few weeks, allow your body to heal and then slowly re-introduce foods to help you learn what helps and what doesn’t.

And on the comments below the video, tell me: Have you tried something similar before? If so, what was your experience? Let me know in the comments below the video!

And feel free to share my new fun Infographic below!

Share / Comment / Enjoy!

3 Day Winter Detox (Vegan & Food Based) – Day 3

Day 3 of the winter detox is here! If you miss day one, just click here for day 1. And click here for day 2!

As a reminder, this is a food-based, vegan cleanse since we now know that your body craves warming foods that are grounding, nurturing and comforting. Those don’t have to mean fried, doughy shit. We could still boost our detox channels with a food-based winter detox. Here’s how to do it.

This is Video #3

Have any questions about cleanses or this winter detox? Let me know in the comments below!

3 Day Winter Detox (Vegan & Food Based) – Day 2

Day 2 of the winter detox is here! If you miss day one, just click here to go to that post.

This is Video #2

Have any questions about cleanses or winter detox? Let me know in the comments below!

3 Day Winter Detox (Vegan & Food Based) – Day 1

During winter, it is very hard to do a juice only or smoothie or raw foods cleanse. Your body craves warming foods that are grounding, nurturing and comforting. Those don’t have to mean fried, doughy shit. We could still boost our detox channels with a food-based winter detox. Here’s how to do it.

This is Video #1

Have any questions about cleanses or winter detox? Let me know in the comments below!