Cellular Re-nourishment™

What is Cellular Re-nourishment™?

The foods and drinks we use for cellular re-nourishment are healing foods that are carefully chosen. They represent the most concentrated sources of vitamin complexes, macro and micro minerals, chlorophyll, and phytonutrients having multiple health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

At Fresh Start, for Cellular Re-nourishment™ we use the following means:

• vegan, organic meals with a large % living (raw) ingredients
• green smoothies (enhanced with superfoods)
• re-mineralizing hot soups
• top-quality supplements for digestion activation (probiotics and digestive enzymes by Avena Originals)
• living drinks for activation of the digestive tract and liver (Liver Activation Shot™= fermented beet juice and GI Tune-up Shot™= fermented sauerkraut juice)
• an herbal drink for deeper sleep (a tea made from specially-chosen calming herbs)

Why Cellular Re-nourishment™?

The main goal of the program is health restoration. If detoxification is like cleaning a basement, nutrients are like paints and building materials for its renovation. They are crucial for the restoration of your cells, organs and tissues.

People often think of nutrition in terms of avoiding “bad” foods. We get so sucked into elimination diets that sometimes we forget that nutrition is not about omitting but about nourishing. People may say, I do not eat anything bad and still do not feel well. But the question is not about what you do not eat but what do you actually eat. Does it give life to your cells?

When you go out to restaurants or stop at the airports, very few food items meet that requirement. No fresh salads, sometimes a few cut-up vegetables, in many cases, reheated or even microwaved food. If you are lucky, you may be able to get an apple and an orange for your breakfast. The rest will be carbs, meats and sugar. If you eat like this once and a while, you’ll be ok. But if you eat such revitalized foods on a regular basis, your building materials will soon not be enough for what your body needs.

Without adequate nutrients, the body is like a car running out of gas – it cannot go far. With the body, this effect is even worse: it may not stop functioning completely, but bit by bit, the body will break down. It’s obvious: without proper parts, your internal machine will be coughing, sneezing, and crawling instead of running 120 km per hour like it’s supposed to.

With the added nutrients, you can move mountains: you’ll have more stamina and endurance for exercising, improved clarity of thinking, restored healthy state and will have healed many aches and pains. And very importantly – your body will start gradually cleansing and rebuilding cells that may not have been working optimally. This means a stronger digestive system and bones, better emotional and physical well-being, less mucous in sinuses, deeper sleep, shrinking unwanted inches, and weight loss. Start the process with cellular renourishment!

Why Do We Use Raw Food in Cellular Re-nourishment™?

Our main program goal is to assist the body cells in recharging, rejuvenation and healing, and raw food works best for this goal. Raw food is highly detoxifying, does not contain preservatives, and contains enzymes involved in cellular restoration. This is why in our programs, we use a large % of this type of food.

Taking a Load Off the Digestive System and Freeing up energy

The not overworked and well-functioning digestive system can break down and utilize raw foods more effectively than nutrients from a cooked meal because such foods are not changed from how they are found in nature, mixed with fewer other ingredients and not loaded with food additives. Due to the presence of enzymes, they require minimum energy and time for their digestion process. In fact, according to research, your body can digest up to 10% fats, 20% proteins and up to 80% carbohydrates in the stomach passively, just using the enzymes from the raw food itself. The faster process of digestion takes an enormous load off the stomach, allowing the body to send the energy required elsewhere for cleansing, re-nourishment and cellular repair. This is why you do not feel tired or sleepy after consuming a meal made from raw fruit and vegetables.

Optimization of Peristalsis of the Digestive Tract (Constipation Relief)

When consuming large amounts of raw foods, your bowel peristalsis works much more effectively. When consulting a client with severe constipation, we suggested she drinks green smoothies daily. That was basically all she added to her diet besides drinking more water. After a week, the person called us and said that she started having normal bowel movements every 2^nd day after just three days (though before, she had a hard time going every 3rd day). When a healthy person eats 80%+ raw foods, his/her elimination will happen after each meal, which is normal and brings a feeling of well-being (and +ensures proper elimination of toxins).

One of our guests admitted that this is the first time in 20 years that she started experiencing painless and smooth bowel movements!!! This should be a normal experience. It took her 20 years to find the Fresh Start, and all that happened was three days on a quality diet with high raw food content.

Warning! If a person wasn’t used to eating a lot of raw on a regular basis, when he/she comes to the Fresh Start, he/she might occasionally experience a temporal slowing down of the bowel at first. This is related to the adjustment of the digestive system to different proportions of essential nutrients and high fibre content, as well as the removal of stimulants both from food and the environment.

Weight Loss, Joint Cleanse and Assistance with Healing of Many Ailments

Any person who tried raw food, even for a short term, is familiar with the feeling of lightness, clarity of mind and improvement of joint health it brings. You can eat large amounts of raw food, and you will not be gaining any extra weight. People with many health conditions notice significant improvements after starting to eat raw. Diabetics especially benefit from this type of nutrition, as it requires the production of fewer digestive enzymes and thus “spares” and optimizes the work of their pancreas.

Detoxifying Properties

Please feel free to read our article about these and other benefits of Raw Food Diet

Pros and Cons of Raw Food

Pros

According to Dr. Gabriel Cousins, up to 50% protein, 80% minerals and vitamins, and 100% phytonutrients and enzymes are destroyed by heat. According to Dr. Furhman, who does not support a raw foodist lifestyle, “up to 50% nutrients are destroyed when food is baked at high temperatures—and especially when it is fried or barbecued—toxic compounds are formed, and most important nutrients are lost. Many vitamins are water-soluble, and a significant percentage can be lost with cooking, especially overcooking. Similarly, many plant enzymes function as phytochemical nutrients in our body and are useful to maximize health. They, too, can be destroyed by overcooking.” For example, roasting nuts and baking cereals reduces protein availability and absorbability. In spite of the above, very concentrated starches, such as legumes and grains, are best eaten cooked or sprouted to deactivate enzyme inhibitors. Steaming and baking are the best methods to prepare starchy vegetables, like potatoes and yams.

Cons

Many people share that they love the comfort and the warming effect of cooked foods, especially in colder climates (in the entire of Canada :)). Additionally, often people who switch to 100% raw (or drastically change their diet in any way) do not give their bodies sufficient adjustment time and do not dedicate much time to meal prep and learning about nutrient balancing. As a result, they’ll develop nutritional deficiencies over time and may feel weak and disappointed that though they felt great originally on this diet, they feel worse. Also, if someone consumes 100% raw foods over 6-12 months, they start losing tons of weight, till a point they may become underweight. Bodybuilders share that they need to be creative to keep adequate muscle on raw foods and consume humongous amounts of “roughage” to match their active lifestyle. Most of them quit it. These are valid reasons why most people will not choose 100% raw food diets. And it is not impossible to do it otherwise, but it is very challenging in modern lifestyle conditions. It does not work for a majority of people (and even most of those who say it works often do not tell you or themselves the truth about how they are truly doing).

Raw Food for Extremely Compromised GI Track

Some people will say that raw food is difficult for their digestion. This is because toxins and stress may become inflamed and weak when our digestive system gets damaged. As a result, raw food may irritate the GI. Additionally, it may become challenging to break down cellulose covering raw foods, and they may experience some pain or discomfort when eating raw. Digestive difficulties are usually not limited to raw foods. As a result of a compromised GI tract, some people may lose the ability to digest sugars effectively, others fat, even third ones proteins from their concentrated sources.

Usually, they say in such cases: do not eat raw foods, eat soft foods. Or: avoid all sugars, they are bad for you etc. With this, the quality of foods is often not considered, and lots of animal proteins and junk food may be included in a suggested list of foods. Sometimes people are starved for glucose until they start binging on “healthy” or not chocolate, develop constipation from low fibre/high amounts of animal proteins, and experience other consequences of such limiting diets. However, many people do not realize that the issue here is not the food but the current state of digestive health. The discomfort will be present in such conditions, even on a very healthy diet. And even if one starts taking tons of supplements at once, there is very little chance that he/she’ll be able to digest or absorb them. Though soft foods put into the body will not cause irritation, in the long run, lack of fibre will aggravate the condition due to poor GI peristalsis. You will not resolve digestive issues by excluding foods that create discomfort, though it will temporarily relieve and mask symptoms.

Such advanced conditions of GI when one cannot eat raw foods at all are relatively rare. They need a careful GI rebuilding strategy while supporting organs to help digest foods as well as they can. There is no quick fix here, so do not get discouraged if you start the process and it does not improve quickly.

Most people at this time still have moderately working digestion and need to cleanse their GI and make lifestyle changes to keep up good health.

Fresh Start Raw Food Philosophy

Even if the digestive system is inefficient and the body cannot absorb that many nutrients from raw foods, it is beneficial to include a certain percentage of raw foods to ensure proper bowel work, regular cellular detoxification and adequate nutrition. Only in extreme cases of inflammation and raw state of GI and only for short periods of time avoidance of raw foods may be beneficial. And during that short period of time, a person would be mostly fasting and taking freshly squeezed juices and broths because anything else will not get absorbed or assimilated in such an acute state.

Fresh Start does not suggest a 100% raw food diet on a regular basis for most people. Without proper knowledge and high-quality nutrition (inaccessible to most), it is easy to develop a lack of certain nutrients in this diet.

Yet eating raw food short term and expanding your diet up to 80% raw on a regular basis has huge benefits. If we know that a handful of nutrients get better with cooking, there is no doubt that most nutrients are abundant in raw foods. Nutrients in raw foods are unadulterated with thermal processing and, when served fresh – oxidation. Due to this, according to Dr. Joel Robbins, up to 30% of nutrients from raw foods can be utilized by the body. In juices, this ratio is even higher. Because of the fine structure, up to 90% of nutrients contained in a juice can enter and be utilized by cells. Flooded with these nutrients, your body can heal and restore the tissues – to accomplish cellular re-nourishment and repair.

We include raw food in your program and some cooked dishes, including hot re-mineralizing soups. Using this combination, many of our guests can see great health benefits they did not have a chance to experience. We use some cooked foods to assist with digestion so that you can experience how to do it at home. Unfortunately, at this stage, we are unable yet to take in people who cannot take large % raw foods, but we are working towards creating a special plan for their overtime.

At Fresh Start, we’ll share with you how you can use the benefits of raw food without developing nutritional deficiencies and how to incorporate it into the crazy-busy city lifestyle most of us live now. Removing all philosophies, a raw food diet is simply consuming unprocessed food in its natural state. It is delicious, energizing, and healing; our body loves it.

Why Do We Not Serve Meat, Eggs and Dairy at Fresh Start?

Animal products are highly mucous-forming. Excessive amounts of mucous create all sorts of problems, from sinus issues and common colds to allergies, asthma and constipation. Consumption of meat may also cause feelings of anxiety and aggression due to the hormones in the animal blood, especially in red meat.

Even though we understand that not everyone desires or is ready to transition to a vegetarian lifestyle permanently (just like not all our staff are vegetarians or advocate a vegetarian lifestyle), incorporating it for a few weeks will benefit almost everyone. Vegetarian food allows your body to lighten its digestive load, remove excess uric acid from joints, which is a by-product of protein digestion, and clear the symptoms related to mucous accumulation.

Those who adhere to the paleo diet will find our diet meets their dairy-free and gluten-free needs. Additionally, a temporary vegetarian diet may be very beneficial to deal with certain health issues associated with high animal-content diets, such as weight control, heaviness, bloating and parasites. Many people with allergies will have a chance to see during the stay whether dairy and gluten may be a culprit in their health condition and how it feels after their elimination.

Do We Teach Vegetarian Lifestyle?

For many people choosing a vegetarian lifestyle is an ethical issue. If you desire to transition to this type of nutrition, we may assist you in doing it gradually and successfully. Such change is possible and doable, and a balanced diet may be very beneficial for one’s health. We highly suggest considering that option. However, due to the fact that it is not straightforward and requires a skillful approach and a certain level of health, we leave that choice up to every guest and do not proclaim it a cure-all diet.

In the modern age, it is hardly possible to find an ideal diet, and our goal is not to create one more panacea or above-the-head standard diet but to affirm what already works for each person who comes to us and to provide the knowledge that may help them to improve their diet further.

Allergies Accommodation (at an Extra Fee)

Our staff will be happy to accommodate your allergies and serious food sensitivities. All you need to do is to mention those on your health form in the field provided.

Note: Please note that the degree of accommodation of allergies is determined by how extensive they are. We may not be able to accommodate a list of 20, but we will happily do so if it is one or two items.

Meal Portion Control

Even though our meals with high raw food content have moderate calories and you do not have to worry about gaining weight, your meals will be portioned and served on individual plates. This ensures they are balanced in carbohydrates, proteins and fats and help avoid overeating. We also keep in mind that most people come to work on their health in-depth, so we ensure decreasing of the load on the digestive system and let the body use the energy for internal healing. In spite of portioning, our meals are filling and satisfying, so you should not worry about being hungry.

Cell Nourishing Drinks

Green Super Smoothies

We call Green smoothies a health booster drink. Full of fibre and rich in chlorophyll and other nutrients, these delicious drinks are among our guests’ favourites. A green smoothie is a delicate combination of a variety of nutrient-packed greens and yummy juicy fruits. In addition, for enhanced cellular re-nourishment, many of our green smoothies include superfoods, such as Goji, Incan Berries, Mulberries, Flax, Chia, Hemp and Sesame seeds.

Flax Tea

This yummy and comforting drink is among our guests’ favourites. It is very soothing and restorative for the GI tract. Additionally, flax is a complete protein, which considering that it is a vegetarian source, makes it an invaluable food.

Hot Re-Mineralizing Soups

The hot veggie soups you’ll be served for supper are soothing for digestion and contain significant amounts of minerals. It is a great way to finish the day and start calming down your digestive system, preparing it for rest.

Supplementation

Digestive Enzymes

Due to common issues with low Hydrochloric Acid, diminished thyroid function, and scant bile flow, many people have difficulty digesting foods effectively. We have introduced digestive enzymes, served here along with meals to assist the process. We use top-quality proteolytic enzymes by Avena Originals. Some people who could not digest other types previously did well with these.

Top Quality Probiotics (acidophilus)

Repopulation of the intestines with probiotics helps increase digestive function, and immune response increases mineral absorption and lactose tolerability and creates competition with harmful organisms, such as Candida. There have been some encouraging findings about probiotics, high blood pressure, colon cancer, IBS, and cholesterol. The probiotics are also served with each meal and made by Avena Originals.

Digestion Tune-up™ and Liver Activation™ Drinks

Every 7th Canadian experiences heartburn at least one time per week. After adding bloating, IBS, and constipation – we’ll realize that our digestive tract is crying for help. Specially-prepared fermented vegetable juices in our digestion-aiding drinks will help you digest foods more effectively, heal gut inflammation and calm the stomach.

Herbal Tea for Deeper Sleep

Most people living in North America today have insomnia – occasionally or often. Even though in the case of long-term lifestyle factors and underlying depression, it may take some time to resolve sleep issues completely, this special tea has been very helpful to our guests on a physical level by calming the nervous system and assisting the body to relax into a deeper and longer sleep.

Please feel free to read: Why Do We Eat Supper Like a Pauper at Fresh Start?

Disclaimer: Program structure, drinks and activities are subject to change without notice.