Horwath Spa Consulting

With the growing awareness of health in the broader community, more and more people are looking at specific options of these. Some are exploring the virtues offered by such dietary regimes as that provided through becoming a Vegetarian, a Vegan or even a Fruitarian. Others are not seeking such apparently diverse dietary requirements and opting for that of just consuming raw food.

For many, the idea of consuming raw foods may be a little extreme, especially if you are used to a highly processed diet, but it is also something that does not have to be entered into in totality, as the consumption of any raw foods on an empty stomach will greatly improve the digestive process.

What are raw foods? These are any foods which have not been subjected to heat above 48ºC. Reality is that you probably already include some raw foods in your diet through the consumption of salads and fresh juices, but with a little thought, these can be further developed to contain all types of foods, including breads and cookies.

Why eat raw foods? We need enzymes to help us to digest the food we eat. In raw food all the enzymes that we need are present in the food, but if we heat it to above 48ºC we will be killing off these naturally occurring enzymes. This genocide will can also occur in apparently raw foods that are not consumed in their premium state (as in ‘fresh fruit juices’ which are not consumed until hours after their production). This does not mean that we cannot then digest the foods, just that our bodies are then forced to work all that much harder to accommodate this process, potentially at the loss or reduction in efficiency of other processes that our bodies need to carry out on a daily basis.

Any dietary change can and probably will result in immediate changes in your bodies reactions to the food you consume. As when traveling to a foreign country the subsequent dietary change can result in stomach and bowel upsets until your body adjusts to the new foods, so equally can be the reaction when you start on a raw food diet. Start out slowly and you will minimize if not avoid totally any of these potential concerns.

Starting each and every meal with a ‘raw’ course is the first and easiest way to incorporate raw food into your diet or even if you have decided to start a complete raw food dietary programme for ‘medical’ reasons. When you are comfortable with this and ready to move on to the next step, increase one more course. Probably the easiest meal to go completely raw on is breakfast, although that does mean that coffee is not on the menu. Fresh fruit juices and Sprouted buckwheat mixed with soaked raisins is a great way to start the day. For lunch, salads with ‘live dressings’ made from soaked sunflower seeds can be more filling than any traditional office day lunch. Then there are the sun-dried breads that can be added to this, or even a warm soup. For dinner, more elaborate combinations of the lunch selection, or why not add ‘raw’ fish or meats, if you are not into a totally vegetarian diet. Traditional dishes such as Japanese Sashimi and Italian Carparccio are great raw food dishes.

What ever your choice in raw foods, the selection really is yours. To increase the amount of raw food in your diet is better than no raw food, and practicalities can be limiting depending on when and where you eat your meals. Regardless, you will find that the more raw foods that are included in your diet the better you will feel, and while you do not have to be as extreme as some of the ‘raw food retreats’ that are on offer around the world, with a little effort, you can at least have some of the benefits in your own home.

Always consult your health care advisor before entering into any significant dietary change.

For more details, read ‘Living with Green Power’ by Elysa Markowitz and ‘The Raw Gourmet’ by Nomi Shannon, both published by Alive Books (Canada). Raw food ‘cooking classes’ are also available at: New Beginnings, Sukhumvit 22

Spas have become renowned for the massages that they offer and while industry surveys may indicate 85% of therapies experienced at the spa are your basic massages (Swedish, Aromatherapy, Thai etc.), there is much, much more that you could enjoy.
The main services of a Spa may well be based on massage but the element of water, which defines what a spa is, is essential.  S.P.A. – Sanus Par Aqua / health through water.  This water element can be varied, from simple steam, sauna and showers to soaks and baths – all of which can enhanced with chromotherapy, music and/or aromas to create a truly luxury experience.  Other spa services can include exercise, nutritional therapy, dietary programs, mind therapies, herbal medicine or even traditional and complementary medicine.  The content and diversity of the offering will vary, depending upon the spas concept.
Your spa experience may begin with a body scrub or wrap and be followed by Acupressure, Hot Stone, Sport and Four Hand Massage or even Lymphatic Drainage, Shiatsu or Tui Na, but there is a myriad of lesser known options for you to consider.
Abhyanga - Ayurvedic massage to improve hydration and relaxation without targeting specific areas.
Chi Nei Tsang – Internal organ massage – to improve general well being and can assist digestive blockages
Craniosacral Therapy - Massage therapy focusing on the head and neck areas.
Oleation - Ayurvedic treatment using friction massage with blended essential oils.
Panchakarma - Ayurvedic cleansing and purification treatments using essential oils, massage and meditation techniques.
Trager Massage - Massage technique of gentle rhythmic rocking movements to induce relaxation and relieve tension.
Polarity Massage - Through gently rocking, holding and massaging this technique with stimulate relaxation, restore energy flow and encourage revitalization.
Rolfing - Deep muscular manipulation for the relief of rigid muscles, bones and joints, to improve energy flow and relieve stress often related to emotional trauma. Can be painful!
Rasul - A specific body treatment, which begins with a shower, followed by a Moroccan mud application. After this is rinsed off the treatment is concluded with an herbal steam bath. Detoxifies, exfoliates and improves circulation.
Enzyme Bath - Wooden tub filled with fibrous material (such as wood chips) and plant enzymes, which naturally ferment creating a heated substance in which you are submerged to sweat out toxins; aids relaxation, improves circulation & metabolism.
Flotation Tank - A tank filled with enough salt water so a person can float in it; lights are either dimmed or turned off. Music & light therapies are often combined with this.
Hamam - Turkish/Middle Eastern communal bathhouse.
Mandi Susu - Indonesian bathing ritual using regular milk or buttermilk, sometimes yogurt.
Roman Bath - In ancient Rom numerous baths were used alternately hot, warm and cold. The varying temperatures aided in stimulating the circulatory system.
Swiss Shower - A water therapy treatment combining the use of stationary water jets (12 to 16) which are aimed at pressure areas of the body; the water alternates between hot/cold. Stimulates circulation and relieves tension.
Watsu - A massage treatment where the client and therapist are immersed in a pool of warm water. Treatment consists of pressure point massage, and rhythmic movements and stretches.
Gommage - Various creams applied in long massage-like strokes to the body and used on the face with short, quick strokes to cleanse and rehydrate the skin.
Inhalation Therapy - Treatments involving the inhalation of steam vapor, which may have been treated with medicine or natural herbal or contain curative mineral substances.
Shiro Dhara - Ayurvedic treatment of warmed oil slowly pouring over the ‘third eye’ in middle of one’s forehead to induce total relaxation.
Spa therapies may also include ones that more commonly associated with ‘alternative therapies’, lifestyle classes or even gymnasiums such as Aerobics, Body Composition Analysis, Life Coach Counseling, Tai Chi, Pilates, Physiotherapy or Yoga, but can also include those that are less common, such as;
Alexandar Technique - a method that works to change movement habits. It is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, support and co-ordination by releasing unnecessary tension.
Bowen Technique - Holistic bodywork therapy developed by Tom Bowen in Australia in the mid-1950s.  It is a therapeutic soft-tissue manipulation technique that is applied to the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body very gently and with minimal pressure.
Feldenkrais Method - developed by Russian Doctor, Moshe Feldenkrais (1904 - 1984) to help you understand your body and explore the way you move so that you can correct yourself - aids mobility and flexibility and treats conditions such as sport injuries.
Labyrinth – a version of walking meditation
Mind Coach Counseling – concentrates on the state of mind rather than the body – a form of mild psychotherapy.
Qigong - Oriental discipline, incorporating body movements with specific patterned breathing and mental concentration. Believed to improve overall health, circulation and body movement fluidity.
Then there is those therapies that are more medically inclined, be they traditional or complementary;
Acupuncture - Oriental technique inserting needles into specific points on the body to stimulate healing and balance.
Bach Flower Therapies - the use of certain flower essences to treat emotional problems. The method has been used since the 1930’s, when Dr. Edward Bach observed that personality types had a close relation to certain patterns of illness.
Cell Therapy - This therapy involves the injection of lamb embryonic cells - believed to regenerate cell growth and reverse the aging process. Not FDA approved in many parts of the world.
Chelation Therapy  - preventative or curative cleaning of the arteries by way of an intravenous fluid.
Colonic Hydrotherapy  - Irrigation of the colon for the purpose of cleansing trapped debris.
Crystal Therapy - works in a similar way to colour therapy with similar results.
Ear Candling – lighted wax cones used to gently extra ear wax and improve hearing
Harmonic Resonance Therapy - encourages our body cells’ own frequency to be amplified by running a small, electromagnetic current through the palm of the hand or the ball of the foot. Its effect is an increase in energy and mental clarity.
Magnet Therapy - the specialized use of magnets to improve blood flow and oxygen supply to the red blood cells, increasing energy levels and accelerating healing.
Rebirthing - Rebirthing is a healing process that engages with the mind, the body and the spirit to cleanse away toxic patterns of being and facilitate new, healthy and fulfilling goals and choices. The core practice of Rebirthing is a breathing technique.
Stress Management – generally counseling sessions with a specialist experienced in stress related problems.
To finish you have the head & toe therapies, commonly associated with Beauty Salons or similar establishments, but a logical conclusion to your spa experience.  These can be everything from a basic Manicure, Pedicure or Shampoo Blow Dry to the more luxurious Hand Scrubs, French Manicures, Foot Baths, Paraffin, Waxing and Hair Masques.
If you have been following a tried and true ritual by just booking a massage, why not explore other options and enquire of about different therapies which may be available at your spa – ones to complement your massage, your lifestyle and give balance to your mind, body and soul – for a truly whole-istic experience.

We have known for years that sugar is ‘bad for us’, but what is it that is so bad and what can we do about it?

Sugar has through food production and good advertising become a supposed essential ingredient in our diets, to the point that we consume approximately 45 kg of sugar per person per year.  While it is produced naturally in our environment as a result of photosynthesis or a natural chemical reaction between the sunlight, chlorophyll, carbon dioxide and water, it is the refined sugars that cause the most damage as these are devoid of the nutrients which enable it to be digested properly.  Of specific note here is the lack of Vitamin B1 which is required for its proper digestion.

From simple sugars like glucose and fructose which are made up of a single molecule, to sucrose, maltose and lactose which are two molecule sugars, there are pit falls in sugar consumption all the way.  Sucrose, made up of one glucose and one fructose molecule is equivalent to refined white sugar.  Starch is a complex sugar which is made of a combination of sugar molecules which cannot be digested by our bodies, and while sugar is considered a carbohydrate, these must be converted into simple sugars for the body to be able to utilize their benefits.

Fruits and vegetables all contain the necessary levels of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and hormones that are required to enable these simple sugars to be easily absorbed into the blood stream, but with the consumption of refined sugars, the body has difficulty in finding sufficient nutritional support for this to take place.  It is for this reason that the imbalances in diets can so easily take place.  High sugar consumption as with any other imbalanced food consumption WILL cause a dietary imbalance.  With sugar, this can lead to stomach and digestive disorders such as obesity and diabetes, which are difficult imbalances to deal with, as they require a lifetime of adjustments, and are not the sorts of disease that can be cured with one visit to a doctor.

To minimize the exposure of your body to harmful effects of refined sugars, try leaving it out of your diet completely as a additive.  Admittedly this is not as easy as it first may appear.  Firstly your palate has probably been ‘educated’ over a number of years to ‘need’ this sweet high.  Fresh fruits containing levels of simple sugars to appease the taste buds, together with all the necessary nutrients to ensure proper digestion and utilization by the body makes these the best option in a naturally sweet diet.  Dried fruits are also a good choice, but consideration must be given to the number of chemicals that may have been used in the drying process.  A naturally dried piece of fruit will be dark in colour, so if your dried fruit is bright or luminous, you can be sure that it contains a level of chemical to maintain the ‘natural’ fruit colour, that will give it the consumer acceptance level on the supermarket shelf, even if it is not totally ‘healthy’ for you.

Honey (not the refined variety) contains high levels of nutrients making it one of the best ‘natural’ sweeteners after fresh fruit, and then there is the fruit concentrates.  These are not widely available to the domestic consumer but in food production are used in huge quantities.  To know how much is used check out the labels on the products you buy.  Apple and pear concentrate are probably the most wide used fruit concentrates.  Being concentrated juice of these fruits, they contain only simple sugars, and while due to the processing, the level of nutrients is reduced, they are a ‘healthier’ option to refined sugars.  There are also chemical produced sweeteners on the market such as saccharine, aspartame and others, but being chemically produced they are not the type of products to be included in a healthy diet, and in fact some of these products have been linked to very negative health issues.

Caution must also be exercised in the purchase of processed foods.  Everything from bread to chili sauce, processed meats and cans of fizzy drinks contain varying levels of added sugars.  These are added to appease our increasing demand for sweet products perpetuated by sugar.  The more we consume, the more we crave.

As always it is better to look at the big picture.  A can of cola while containing a huge level of sugar is not going to kill you if you consume one a month, on the other hand if it a staple of your diet, then you seriously need to reconsider.  Try to keep a balance in your diet and remove wherever possible those refined sugars.  Ensure you diet contains plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and you will be on the right track.

With today’s busy lifestyle, there seems so little time for some of the so called ‘luxuries in life’.  Now it seems that even caviar and chocolate are on the ‘NO’ list – at least it is for those suffering from Gout.

Gout, a form of arthritis is a swelling and severe tenderness of the joints where even the weight of a bed sheet can cause excruciating pain.  Caused by the improper metabolism of proteins and the kidneys inability to excrete uric acid, these crystals build up in the synovial fluid (the natural lubricant) in the joints.  The body then tries to excrete these invaders by defending itself with inflammation and increasing the blood flow to these areas, unfortunately this can then result in intense pain that can last for weeks if not treated.  In severe cases, the uric acid crystals can even build up under the skin in the ears and elbows.

The good news for half the population is that Gout is rare in women especially before menopause.

Gout can be treated with modern medicine; however there may well be side-effects that need to be considered, especially if there are other medical conditions to be considered.  Aspirin and some medications for reducing blood pressure can also aggravate gout.

Whether allopathic or complementary medicine practices are employed to alleviate the problem, dietary changes will assist with the control of the condition.  If you are overweight (and at least 50% of sufferers usually are), then a reduction in body fat can significantly reduce if not eliminate the chances of an attack.  Following a low fat and moderate protein diet is your easiest option.  Make gradual and progressive changes to your diet and DO NOT go on fad or crash diets to reduce your weight as these are more likely to increase the amount of uric acid in the blood, thereby aggravating your gout.  The additional bonus to dietary changes made gradually is that they are much more likely to be effective in terms of their permanency.

Vitamins B6 and Zinc are essential in the metabolism of protein so are an essential part of a preventative nutritional programme.  Foods high in purines promote the production of uric acid, so these should be avoided.  Consumption of fish high in the Omega 3 fatty acids have been found to be beneficial, but care must be taken to avoid the oily varieties as these are more likely to provoke an attack.  This means that such delicacies as sardines, lentils, dried beans, offal (all kinds), processed meats (including smoked, chocolate, wine, beer, caviar and shellfish are on the taboo list.  Items that have a lesser purine content like cauliflower, asparagus, green leafy vegetables, mushrooms, and anything made with baking powder should be consumed only in small quantities.  Water is an important part of the dietary control and consumption of at least 6 – 8 glasses of water a day is essential to ensure that your kidneys are flushed regularly.  Accordingly to some complementary medical practitioners, consumption of sour cherries and nettle tea can assist in the treatment of gout, although this has yet to be verified, on top of which they are extremely difficult to source here in Thailand.  Your grandmother may also have used beetroot in the treatment of gout, but there is no substantiated benefit in this, and consumption of celery is purported to be beneficial.

Many people that suffer from gout also suffer from other medical concerns such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, so always consult your health care professional to ensure that any action that you take at home to treat a particular concern does not have a reaction that negatively impacts on other ailments.

Moderation is the answer to a healthy eating programme.