Planning a detox? Read this first

With many of us gradually getting back to our daily routine from the festive season, it only makes sense to also start with detoxing the body from all those toxic substances or rather not-so-healthy food you indulged in during the festive season.

Cleansing isn’t about depriving your body of food or nutrients – instead, it is a chance to retrain your appetite to acquire a taste for whole foods in their natural state. I strongly believe eating wholesome, healthy foods in order to bring your body to a basic state will balance your body in a way that will be beneficial for your entire life. Approaching a cleanse in a healthy way can help you to re-establish a starting point and allowing your organs to function at their best potential. Detoxing also helps you introduce healthy, organic and fresh foods to your diet.

Cleansing is about eating fresh whole foods as the basis of all your meals: eating more salads, drinking more smoothies, and drinking lots of water throughout the day. This might be challenging for many but, trust me, it’s definitely worth it in the long run, especially for your health going forward. At the very least, start your day with a glass of warm water with lemon juice to get the process going – this is the easiest and best thing you can do to start your cleanse today. If lemon is not your thing, still water will most certainly get the job done. Intake of water and fluids is one of the simplest and effective ways to detox after all that feasting over Christmas. Water helps hydrate your body, flush out toxins and initiate muscle recovery.

Green tea, Aloe Vera and honey are also great health-packed options to go for, as they offer amazing detoxifying properties. Remember it is also important to go light on your diet by adding healthy foods, fresh fruits, and green leafy vegetables. Try and avoid processed food by all means during this time. Adding different kinds of non-fatty salads, dressed with olive oil, is a great option. I don’t think that eating meat while detoxing is bad for you. I think that by cutting out heavy protein products allows the body to better digest and detox easier without the intensive job of breaking down meat during the digestive process.

When your body has become inactive from too much rich, indulgent food, getting out into the fresh air and getting your blood pumping is a sure-fire way to cleanse it off that feeling. Exercising and sweating will help you burn off the extra calories that you’ve consumed and bring oxygen racing back into your bloodstream.

Aerobic exercise at least three times a week for 30-minute sessions is all you need, as during the detox process you don’t want to over apply yourself. Exercising also normalizes the digestive system, enabling food wastes to be washed away from the body. Sleep plays a vital role. Ensuring adequate and quality sleep is a must to support your body’s natural cleansing system. We know that celebration and enjoyment have no limits. But you should know the same does not apply to our body. Know your limits. You can party hard and enjoy yourself, but do not forget to detox.

About the Author:

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.