Cleanse the body internally through a detox
So you’re all partied out and had a blast eating and drinking the night away on New Year’s eve. But post the food and alcohol bingeing, it’s now time to flush the toxins out. Says nutrition expert Naini Setalvad, “With excessive partying during the festive season we ingest chemicals of all kinds, more sugar and refined foods, and abuse ourselves with various drinks and processed foods, which put extra pressure on our organs. It’s very important to remove this strain from our bodies.”
Important to cleanse liver
Fried, rich foods and heavy drinking make toxins from gut bacteria go into the liver, leading to inflammation and liver cell damage. But the organ is regenerative, so improve your liver health with the right food choices, says nutritionist Dr Nupur Mahajan. “Beets aid liver and gall bladder health. Add sliced garlic to your dish as it helps the liver produce detoxification.”
Oranges
Citrus fruits work best to cleanse the system. Oranges offer a blast of vitamin C, rutin, hesperidin, and other powerful bioflavinoids. The membranes in the fruit provide a good amount of pectin, a soluble dietary fibre. Mix orange juice with lemon and honey for a great morning pick-me-up!
She presents detox strategies to follow:
Drink at least 6-9 glasses of water a day. Water is an essential nutrient because your body cannot make enough of it to meet the daily requirement. It helps maintain skin turgidity, transports nutrients to body cells and helps remove toxins.
Try to control the sodium intake and flavour enhancers as they retard the detox process.
Eat vegetables like broccoli, carrot, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, leeks, etc, all rich sources of phyto chemicals. Drink veggie soups, smoothies. Have regular sleep timings. If the drainage paths of the lymph system are blocked, it causes toxic build-up. Go for a gentle massage, which gives a boost to the circulation system. Lastly, give up or cut down on one food vice each week.
Warning
When a person is undergoing medication, he should be careful about embarking on a detox programme because, for example, cholesterol lowering statin drugs become 12 times more concentrated in the blood when taken with grape fruit juice. Also, pregnant women, lactating mothers and those with thyroid, liver and kidney problems should avoid it.
Eat more guavas
Guava makes for an apt snack. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, high in pectin and other soluble dietary fibre. The fruit has almost thrice as much vitamin C as an oranges and it boosts digestion and reduces liver inflammation. Guava seeds are edible and contribute extra fibre.
Exercise aids detox
During a detox regimen, aim for one hour of exercise daily, says Dr Nupur. Walking or any other cardio workout increases body temperature, making you sweat and breathe heavily, eliminating toxins through the skin and lungs. Exercise also helps lymph fluids circulate in the body, which in turn moves out the waste matter.
Once a week?
Ideally you should go on a detox once in 3 months for a week, but if the condition is severe one might do so under supervision every weekend too.
Author: Ismat Tahseen
Image courtesy:©Thinkstock photos/ Getty images
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