Breaking News!

Tune in to Iowa Public Television at 12:00 noon (CST) on December 10 to watch the b. organic show with host Michele Beschen. Michele visits Sheree Clark's home for a lesson on using the dehydrator to make delicious snacks and meals!

And one more thing...

Plans are now in place for the January Fork in the Road Detox. Go to our website calendar for more details and to learn about the various program options and start dates.

Deciding to Detox

Although your body is actually "detoxing" all the time, problems can arise when more junk goes in than comes out.

Detoxification (detox for short) is essentially the removal of toxic substances from the body. This process can be accomplished in any number of ways, depending on the goal of the detoxification procedure. A diet detox (as opposed alcohol, drug or heavy metal detoxes, for example), might involve the elimination of certain foods for a period of time. It could mean adopting other approaches as well (or instead), such as taking herbs, drinking additional water, fasting, or participation in specific therapies such as colon hydrotherapy, meditation retreats, oxygen treatments, focused exercise therapies, etc. 

Why do it? 

In addition to regular exercise, one of the first steps to improved health is to adopt a predominately whole foods diet. If you eat like an average Americanmeaning lots of packaged, processed convenience foodsyou take in a lot of things that don't serve you or your body. Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, preservatives, chemicals: all these and more "foreign" substances stress the body and make it more difficult to maintain well being. Even if you eat a substantially healthy diet, environmental toxins are virtually everywhere, and you've probably been accumulating harmful substances for decades. A periodic "time out" from these things can help get you back on the path to good health, and ideally get you jump-started on a healthier track: one that will last beyond the days or weeks of your cleansing/detoxing period.

Just as with a car enginewhich is subject to waste build-up and can become sluggish over timeyour body needs an occasional tune-up and runs much better when it's clean. Detoxing helps the body cope with the onslaught of toxins that are an unavoidable part of modern day life. Boosting the detoxification system helps bring the body back into balance. It's an important first step in achieving optimal health.

What is an optimal detox program? 

That would depend on your own personal goals, commitment level and timeframe. There really isn't any one-size-always-fits-all type of perfect cleanse. It's also not good to partake in the yo-yo practice of "detox, then retox," which a lot of post-holiday cleansers seem to subscribe to. It might be helpful to think of a detox as a time for walking away from habits we realize no longer serve us. Some people find they have to sort of "reset" themselves in order to break a pattern, and a cleanseespecially one done with the support of otherscan do just that.

We are continually adding new classes, workshops and talks to the schedule. Go to our website calendar for the latest additions and more details. A gift certificate to a Fork in the Road class (or a paid, personalized 6-month program) is a thoughtful holiday gift!

Healthier Holiday Desserts
It started with Halloween, and for some of us it'll continue through Valentine's Dayit's sugar extravaganza time! We know that all those refined sweets and baked goods aren't good for us, but they are so darn tasty! Don't fret, Holistic Health Counselor Sheree Clark has a solution and she promises your sweet tooth won't be left wanting.

Monday, December 5, 2011 

The $15 fee includes food samples. For more information and to register, visit www.meetup.com/RawFoodDSM, email info@fork-road.com or call (515) 249-2992.

Fast Chocolate Fudge

Equipment: Food Processor

Yield: 4-6 servings

This yummy and easy fudge recipe isn't as bad as some, since there's no refined sugar and no dairy. Let's enjoy one last hurrah before we all start our New Year detoxes!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup moist pitted dates
1/3 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Dash of cinnamon

Place raisins, dates, cinnamon and coconut oil into a food processor fitted with the S blade. Process until mixture forms a smooth ball. Add cocoa powder and continue processing until well mixed. (Be careful not to over process the mixture and cause the oils to separate.) The mixture should be smooth but not greasy. Press the fudge into a square shape and cut into individual pieces. Refrigerate for a firmer texture.