Following on from last week’s blog ‘Digital Detox‘, next up is food. What you eat is vitally important and has a direct effect on your body and your health. After all the festivities, most of us have indulged some what! It is highly likely (!) that even if you try to be good during this time, you still end up eating more sugary treats, alcohol, fatty foods and less vegetables and fruit. Although I do not recommend extreme detox’s, at this time of the year, I think a sensible detox can be a great way to get you back on track and re-balance your body. Let’s face it, it maybe the only time of year where you review what you eat, so it is worth capitalising on the opportunity!
A detox does not have to be extreme and it should be more about re-establishing a healthy eating plan which you can continue throughout the rest of the year. There are many things you can do, but I thought I would share my ‘food detox’ for the month of January. You can follow this to the letter or add/substitute other things which you know work for you. For me, these things work and I know I will feel and look better for it. Everyone’s body is different and therefore we process and digest foods differently. Experiment and see what works for you.
January Food Detox plan
1. Dry January (no alcohol)
2. Substitute brown bread for rye bread
3. No sugary treats i.e. cakes, sweets, chocolate etc. Substitute them by baking batches of healthy, sugar free treats at the weekend
4. No coffee and limit English Breakfast tea to x2 cups a day. Substitute with other hot teas such as Green tea, Jasmine and Fennel
5. No red meat and limit white meat to once or twice a week. Eat plenty of fish, beans, lentils and pulses instead.
6. Eat leafy greens with every meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and snack on vegetables throughout the day, keep fruit to twice a day
7. Start each day with a ‘Power Smoothie‘ packed full of spiralina, maca, chlorella and wheatgrass
8. Drink 3 litres of water a day and add slices of fresh lemon to a few cups, both hot and cold
One last tip: Make sure you clear out your fridge and cupboards before you start so that temptation is limited! At the end of January, you may find that your desire for ‘naughty’ foods has dampened. That often happens because you are eating nourishing foods which re-balance and satisfy your body. Sugar and caffeine are particularly addictive and thats why if you have a ‘detox’ from them, the desire to eat them fades.
Let me know how you get on and if you have any great tips, please write them down in the comments!