How to detox your body post-festivals

Tis the season to indulge in good food, drink and be merry. No matter how much you tried, your will crumble and you gave in to the chocolates, sweets and all the god food. But fear not, these simple ‘post-festival’ detox steps will help you be back at your best with minimal efforts.

Gulp down the water- After eating so many sweets, your body slowly feels the need of water. Yes, eating plenty of sweets leaves you thirstier on days following the binging. So add more water to your diet. Include green tea for a boost of antioxidants, lukewarm water for cleansing your gut and lime water (no sugar here!) for the extra vitamin C. Have fresh fruits and coconut water for getting the “best of nature” into your body and do its magic.

Get more veggies and fruits - After eating high fat and sugar laden foods, its time you start binging on veggies and fruits. Chow down more greens and less of tubers (potato, yam, sweet potato), these being a good source of fibre will satisfy your hunger pangs, ensure smooth bowel movement and provide essential nutrients to your body. To satisfy your sweet cravings (if you still have one after all that sweet eating!) Eat fruits. Avoid adding teaspoons filled with sugar to your food for the next few days.

Reduce sugar and oil- Yes, that’s right. Cut down on sugar by half of what you use. Reduce having more of processed package foods and eat home cooked meals. Avoid drinking sugar filled carbonated beverages and fruit juices. Reduce oil intake by not adding it to your meals where it is not necessary like in roti, dal, rice etc. (you want to control/prevent a skin breakout). Have more natural foods like whole grains, raw vegetables for more nutrient and fibre.

More protein- After loading your body for days with sugar, now it’s time to load it with protein for healing your body. Have lean meats (seafood, poultry), legumes and pulses (dal, beans, lentils).

Eat more Dahi(Curd)- This food is the perfect probiotic and prebiotic which will help your gut repair itself and aid in better digestion. Include it in meals in the form of dips (salads), beverage (chhaas, lassi) or eat as is. You can add unsalted nuts and seeds to it to make it into a low calorie snack. Try to avoid the packed fruit based yogurt which is high in sugar.

No crash diet, fasting- The worst you can do is to ban foods for yourself or starve. This has negative impact on your health and leaves you feeling craving for more sweets and fatty foods from which you are abstaining. Instead, have light meals and avoid cravings by having a small serving of your favourite food, but beware of eating too much of it. Do not skip meals or restrict eating adequately, instead eat more frequently, have smaller meals after every two hours.

Get moving - Indulge in light to moderate exercises like a gentle or brisk walk, jogging, crunches, stretching or may be a game of sports to help your body get moving. This is essential for not just burning those extra calories but also help you recover from the long hours of spending time sitting and chatting with friends and family around a table of sweets. You can also add a little more activity at office by taking short trips around your office compound or using the stairs instead of the lift.

Get enough sleep- After spending nights catching up with family and friends, heading out to the parties, its time you get your quota of sleep. But do not head to bed at odd times like the mornings or late afternoon. Instead, turn in early at night and make sure you set your alarm to wake you up 6-8 hours after you tuck in (this will give time for your body to repair itself and your skin to look good again).

De-stress- Last but not the least, de-stress. Relax and unwind by treating yourself at a good spa or just being at home and grooving to some good music or settling with a good read. Whatever helps you relax and feel good, do it. After a week of socializing and engaging in the fun of festivities, its time you take it a notch down before gearing back to the routine.

So let go of self-pity and holding back from indulging in food. With these tips, you can make your body and yourself happy without “sacrifices”, get your waistline trimmed and dispose of the “holiday weight” you otherwise would dread to carry around. Have fun getting back to healthy.