Diet and exercise are very important in not only detoxifying the body, but also in maintaining health and preventing disease. According to natural therapeutics, a healthy diet means obtaining the following ratio of daily calories: 70% from complex carbohydrates, 20% from fats and 10% from protein. Complex carbohydrates are unrefined and unprocessed foods, for example whole oats, wheat, rye, rice, barley, fresh fruit, all fresh vegetables, whole white potatoes and yams. Very little meat should be eaten, as it can lead to allergies, cancer, osteoporosis, and depletion of certain nutrients like calcium. Fasting, one of the most ancient healing strategies, can also be used as a method of treatment as it triggers the body's natural cleansing mechanisms. It eliminates accumulated waste and gives the organs a rest. In natural therapeutics, dieting is the keystone of a healthy body and can be used to both heal and prevent disease.
Other practices utilized in natural therapeutics have the ability to heal certain ailments through human touch. These practices include acupuncture, shiatsu and therapeutic massages. Acupuncture is an oriental practice that involves applying pressure at certain strategic points on a person's body to release the flow of chi, or energy. Similarly, in Shiatsu the physician applies pressure to points on the patient's body that affects the flow of the chi. There are two main types of shiatsu: Eastern and Western Shiatsu. Eastern Shiatsu, influenced by principle of Chinese medicine, focuses on the free circulation of the chi throughout the body and mind. Western Shiatsu intends to normalize the nervous system and release the accumulated stress from the body. Therapeutic massage is slightly different, and there are many types of massage. In general the massages aim to relax and tonify the musculature and increase the blood flow throughout the body. This will help bring nutrients to the cells as well as remove certain toxins that have accumulated in injured parts. These practices are very important in the healing process of many illnesses and injuries.