Cut down on red meat, oil, butter and replace fried snacks with fruits and veggies
Overindulged during the last nine days? Here’s how you can re-boot your system post the festive fervour.
So, you’ve piled up some extra pounds by grabbing those lip smacking pizzas and jalebi bites this festive season. Now it’s time to deck up in that gymwear and chalk out that fab-fit regimen to get back on track after a 10 day long dance and binge eating spree. With Diwali just around the corner, a detox regimen becomes all the more important for gearing up for the next festival, which is just a little over two weeks away…
Follow a detox diet
Since you have about a fortnight in hand, you could try going on a mild detox diet to refresh your upset metabolism. Everyday kitchen ingredients like pepper, lemon, cinnamon, garlic, green and red chilies and turmeric help greatly in the process. Cut down on refined white flour, red meat, oil, butter, aerated drinks and beverages that include caffeine etc during these two weeks and replace fried snacks with fruits and veggies.
The age old concoction of warm water with lemon and honey consumed early morning is a great way to get rid of bad acids too. Your everyday dal is high on fibre too, make sure you eat lots of it to restore digestive normalcy. Nutritionist Hiral Prajapati says, “After nine nights of eating out, it makes sense to eat simple home cooked food, with low salt and not too much spice and oil to slowly get your system back in shape.”
Work out to the fitness route
Fitness trainer Bhavin Zala believes, “A good workout means a good balance between weight training, cardio and rest. Ideally, one should workout six days a week, keeping four days for weights, two for cardio and one day to take rest.” Brisk walking, stretches, push ups, crunches are exercises you can try at home. You could also try skipping and jogging if you’re up to it.
Yoga is also a great way to increase flexibility and body strength while toning it up. You could start your day with yoga and follow it up with an extensive 30-40 minute workout. “Drinking lots of water and following a strict diet is essential or else the exercises are going to show no effect,” says Bhavin.
Listen to your body clock
Your body needs at least six to eight hours of sleep which it hasn’t gotten due to your wild Navratri regimen. You don’t have to make up for the lost sleep by sleeping more, but you need to clock your system back. Try sleeping early, keeping at least a two hour gap between dinner and bedtime.
Create comfortable conditions to ensure a good night’s sleep. Take a deep breath and light some fragrant, sleep inducing incense to make the experience even better. Nothing ends a day like sound sleep and nothing starts a day better like an early morning workout.
Think rejuvenation
The nine nights have taken a toll on your body and the coming Diwali festivities aren’t going to spare you either. So why not take this time off and spend some quite time at a spa, indulging in a luxurious body massage or a hair spa. Beautician Bhoomi Shah says, “Ideally one should wait for a few days before going in for a spa treatment instead of rushing to one immediately after the festival.
Let your body rest a while so it can prepare itself for the rejuvenating experience it is going to receive.” It is essential to look after yourself well after the spa treatment too. Soak your feet in warm water spiked with aromatic oils at night, moisturise your hands and feet before bed each day, give yourself a hot oil head massage thrice a week and always make sure you look good.
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock photos/ Getty images
More on >> Fitness
