BIO

Anasuya Basil, NC, Dipl. ABT, CST is a certified nutrition consultant and multi-disciplinary body worker specializing in nutrition, craniosacral therapy, prenatal and postpartum massage, acupressure, Tui Na (Chinese Massage), and Shiatsu (Japanese massage). She has lectured at venues including the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, the National Association for Nutrition Professionals annual conference, and City College of San Francisco (CCSF) Health Science Department, and her cutting-edge work has been featured in media outlets including Massage and Massage & Bodywork.

Anasuya has maintained a private practice in Northern California for the past 20 years, and she also offers internet-based programs on nutrition and detoxification. Previously, Anasuya served as an instructor or assistant instructor at leading complementary and alternative healthcare schools, including the Acupressure Institute (specializing in nutrition for pain and depression, as well as traditional Chinese medicine for women’s health issues), Bauman College (specializing in nutrition consultant training), and the Upledger Institute (specializing in craniosacral therapy). In addition, she served as co-founder and president of the California chapter of the Society of Certified Nutritionists, and she studied intensively with holistic health leaders like craniosacral therapy founder John Upledger, DO, OMM, herbologist Susun Weed, Acupressure Institute founder Michael Gach, PhD, and Bauman College founder, Ed Bauman, PhD.

Anasuya received her board certification in Asian Bodywork Therapy from the National Certification Commission on Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). She received her certificate in craniosacral therapy from the Upledger Institute; her certificate in acupressure from the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, her certificate in nutrition counseling from Bauman College, and her certificate in prenatal and postpartum massage from Carole Osborne, CMT, NCBTMB (one of American Massage Therapy Association’s “National Teacher of the Year” recipients).

Anasuya enjoys helping people feel comfortable with their bodies, whether they are dealing with pain, stress, pregnancy, or any other matter. She is a compassionate practitioner who connects with the essential goodness of each person, and she recognizes the body’s innate healing power. In addition, she has been on her own intensive journey of mind-body-spirit healing — including recovery from chronic depression as a teen; she spent a decade living in meditation centers in India, Boston, and upstate New York; and she spent three years tending to the health needs of horses, cows, and sheep. All of these experiences have helped Anasuya refine her intuition, sensitivity, and non-verbal communication skills — making her especially skilled at working with people recovering from trauma and going through major life transitions.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  • Safe and powerful detoxification programs
  • Hidden allergies to popular foods
  • Nutrition strategies for effective weight management
  • Ideal diet for balancing blood sugar and hormones
  • Proper nutrition for resolving chronic health conditions
  • Optimal diet for athletic performance
  • Best lifestyle habits for maintaining health and wellness

INTERVIEW TOPICS

Demystifying Detox

The human liver is a biological miracle with an uncanny ability to remove toxins from our body. Whether these toxins are inside or out— environmental hazards or the foods we eat — the liver breaks them down into harmless substances and sends them along on their merry way. When our liver functions properly, we feel energetic, move easily, and are emotionally stable. When it functions poorly, however, we feel lethargic, move with pain, and get sick. A detoxification program optimizes the liver’s performance, by giving it a rest from the daily onslaught of contaminants. By reducing unhealthy foods and increasing healthy ones, we receive a “tune-up” that is essential for maintaining health and wellness.

Detox Then and Now

Detoxification is both a physical and spiritual tradition that goes back to ancient times. From Yom Kippur to Lent, in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine, spanning from Egypt to Russia, it is common practice worldwide to incorporate an annual detoxification — for both physical and spiritual purity. In many traditions, the detox is performed in the fall or spring seasons, as humanity transitions to a period of hibernation (in winter) or activity (in summer).

Benefits of Detox

A sound detoxification program is useful for anyone who wants to get more in touch with the body. It is especially useful for improving athletic performance, preparing for a healthy pregnancy, decreasing pain caused by inflammation, easing transition into menopause, and balancing blood sugar levels. By giving the body a chance to regenerate and create a healthier metabolism, a detox program also reduces the intensity and frequency of headaches, improves sleep, boosts energy, and reduces or eliminates asthma. At the end of a detox program, it is advisable to get tested for previous health conditions, to evaluate whether it may be possible to decrease the associated dose of medications.

The Detox Hit List

Some of the most important substances to reduce or eliminate include caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and recreational drugs — which push the body to perform, without offering the nutrition to support that performance. These and other substances, like nicotine, also can be addictive — another reason to eliminate them during a detox. Gluten and dairy are similarly important to reduce, as many people have unknown sensitivities to these substances — often the hidden culprit behind inflammation-related diseases.

Addictions and Substitutes

If the body has a physiological addiction to substances, like caffeine, a detox program is best approached by slowly weaning off those substances. Sudden withdrawal from coffee, for example, can cause intense headaches. Ideally, a detox experience should be a fairly comfortable transition. By increasing nutritional intake, withdrawal symptoms should be minimal. Fortunately, there are healthy alternatives to a number of addictive substances. Coffee, for example, can be substituted with roobios tea and special vitamins for the brain — to increase clarity, alertness, and focus.

Detox Made Easy

In a sound detox program, participants consume adequate protein which provides the amino acids necessary for the liver to run its metabolic processes. Ample vegetable intake ensures a healthy acid/alkaline balance, and special meal replacements, formulated by professional nutritionists, enable participants to benefit from regular and concentrated nutrition — without the hassle of preparing meals. Another way to ease the experience of a detox program is through joining a support group. Human beings learn in social settings, and many of us have developed poor nutrition habits through growing up in our families. By being part of a community with a shared value for healthy eating, we can undergo a profound and rapid transformation.

Baby Your Way to Detox

For those of us who feel apprehensive about diving head-first into a detox program, there are numerous baby steps we can take. First thing in morning, for example, we can drink water with the juice of half a lemon. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the liver “wakes up” from the sour taste, so the drink serves as a gentle nudge to get the liver churning. We also can eat less processed foods and more organic foods — thereby decreasing the toxins entering our system. We can eat a regular amount of protein each day, effectively supporting the liver’s ability to cleanse itself. And we can gradually reduce the amount we consume sugar, caffeine, and alcohol.

Find the Right Detox Program

An unfortunately popular detox program is one in which participants drink water with a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper, but otherwise fast completely. This kind of detox is counter-productive, because the body does not get enough amino acids to run detox pathways in the liver. As a result, toxins get stirred up but not broken down and eliminated — making people worse, not better. A good detox program is well-balanced, professionally supervised, and typically includes ample protein, vegetables, fiber, and water. A good fasting program includes mineral broths and fresh vegetable juices, and it encourages participants to spend ample time resting. The ideal detox facilitators have a background in nutrition education, have detoxed several times themselves, understand proper supplementation, can help with cooking tips, and are prepared to handle the emotions that may arise during a detox program.

Bio-Psycho-Spiritual Detox

The body and spirit mirror each other, so the physical detox process may be reflected emotionally. Old doubts or worries may arise, as physical toxins leave the body. Then, following a detox, participants may experience a renewed sense of clarity about life’s purpose and may feel more emotionally stable than before. Just as the toxins get unstuck, so do our lives — enabling us to move forward with a renewed sense of vigor and purpose.

Ready Set Detox

To optimize the detox experience, it is best to put aside the space and time for “inner world” activities. Whether meditating, journaling, walking in nature, playing an instrument, drawing, or painting, detox participants ideally engage in activities that require a relaxed focus — enabling insights to arise and helping the physical detox to work more effectively. By shifting from the “sympathetic mode” (concern with the outer world) to the “parasympathetic mode” (awareness of the inner world), the body shifts its attention to the metabolic functions of the immune
system and digestion system, enabling an optimal cleanse.

Detox Your Life

When we go through a detox program, our relationship with our body transforms. Not only do we emerge with a stronger sense of self and purpose, but also it becomes obvious where our problems have been caused by imbalanced hormones or blood sugar. A chronically depressed individual, for example, may eliminate caffeine and discover that she is not in fact depressed at all, but rather, her system has a “crash and burn” reaction to the after-effects of caffeine.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. I eat pretty well. How would I benefit from a nutritional detox?
  2. A detox program sounds hard to do. If didn’t have gluten, dairy, caffeine, alcohol or sugar, I don’t think I would survive! What would I eat?
  3. My doctor thinks a nutritional detox is a gimmick or a fad and doesn’t recommend that I do it. Is your program based on science?
  4. How does your detoxification program benefit people with such varying health conditions — from asthma to PMS to anxiety to chronic pain?
  5. I have had friends who did a detox program where they fasted and drank lemon juice with maple syrup and cayenne. Why don’t you recommend this type of program?
  6. I am surprised that you allow people to eat meat on a detox program. I thought meat was bad for you. Please explain.
  7. Why would a couple preparing to conceive a child want to do a detoxification program?
  8. What are food sensitivities, and how do they affect us?

CONTACT

Anasuya Basil NC, Dipl. ABT, CST
Cell: 510-848-8439
Postal address: P.O. Box 609, Forest Ranch, CA 95942

PHOTOS

Anasuya Head Shot (2136 x 3216)

Anasuya with Tomatoes (1690 x 2015)

Anasuya with Veggies (2136 x 3216)