Have the last few days of fun and festivity left you sluggish and lazy with dull skin and limp hair? All you need to do is give your body a thorough cleansing. Sweets, fried foods, alcohol (too much of it) and sleepless nights can lead to accumulation of excessive amounts of waste products and toxins in the body. The best way to detox is to put less stress on the liver, one of the main organs responsible for eliminating waste products and toxins from the blood, along with the kidneys. A detox diet helps your body’s natural cleansing process by resting the organs and stimulating the liver to eliminate body toxins. It also refuels the body with healthy nutrients. Here’s the five-step recovery plan...

DRINK WATER

Take plenty of water to help flush out toxins. Water rids waste by dissolving excess salt and urea in the kidneys, which passes out as urine. Alcohol, colas and excessive amounts of caffeine-rich coffee and tea have left your body crying for hydration. Water is essential not just for cleansing but also for hydrating your body back to life.

Drink at least two to three litres of purified, distilled, filtered water for a good toxin flush. If you find it difficult to drink plain water, go the herbal way. Aloe vera juice is a great all-round tonic for boosting the cleansing processes in the digestive tract. Ginger and tulsi teas are great too. Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe your tired muscles. You can even try carrot, apple or watermelon juice.

FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Maintaining the right acid-alkaline balance is extremely important to the detoxifying potential of the body. Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables helps in maintaining the right pH balance and prevents the body from becoming too acidic. Moreover, they are also rich in antioxidants and keep your immune system bolstered so you don’t have to spend your post-festival week ill. Also include juices, salads and soups to keep toxins at bay.

HIGH-FIBRE FOODS

Stay away from fast food, sugary drinks, ice cream, pastries and cakes. Eliminate sugar, artificial sweeteners, colas, alcohol, packaged and canned foods completely from your diet for a week.

Refrain from eating processed and refined foods. Eat chapati instead of bread, which is processed and contains preservatives. Follow a high-fibre diet. Opt for brown rice instead of polished white rice. Choose whole-wheat over refined maida. You can also consume psyllium husk. Constipation is the last thing you want when you are straining to get rid of toxins. Remember, if you are still smoking, you are not detoxifying at all.

WORK OUT LIGHT

Take up any physical activity for at least 20 minutes a day to increase blood circulation and encourage perspiration. Toxins are released through sweat too. A gentle and light exercise such as yoga, Pilates or a swim can help you relax and loosen up. But remember not to strain.

 

 

SNOOZE

After all those late nights and long days, you’re bound to feel pretty worn out. Make sure you sleep for at least seven or eight hours at night.

 

 

 

Detox diet with...

Fruits like apricots, all types of berries, cantaloupe, oranges, sweet lime, kiwi, papaya, mango, melons and red grapes, apples and pears.

Vegetables like peppers, beetroot, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, spinach, radish, turnip, red cabbage and tomato.

What not to do...

Don’t starve yourself. Starvation or crash dieting is not an answer to unhealthy eating or binge eating. It will only lead to muscle loss, which slows down your metabolism and will not let you stave off those pounds you’ve gained. It will also weaken your body and reduce immunity.