The post-Christmas detox

Christmas tends to be the season to over-indulge and we find ourselves simply eating too much and regretting it on 1^st January. After Christmas is the perfect time to give your body a rest and a complete “clean out” from all those toxins and unhealthy food or drink choices you may have made. 

Detoxing has been known to have many benefits, such as boosting your energy levels, clearing the skin, improving your digestion and aiding weight loss. 

Here at The Upcoming, we wanted to share with you some steps in how to kick-start your Christmas detox programme and some easy ways to incorporate a detox into your daily life. 

One step is to avoid black tea, coffee and alcohol. It’s best to stay away from drinks that contain great deals of caffeine and instead opt for something lighter, such as a green or herbal tea. 

Make sure you are drinking at least one litre of water every day, and even more if you can. Water is a natural way to clean out your system and keep things hydrated. 

Drink a variety of fresh juices such as carrot, apple, cucumber or beetroot. If you are opting for fruit juice that you can buy from your supermarket, pick up one that is not from concentrate. Concentrated juice has a lot more sugar hidden in it and is generally not as good for you. 

Try to avoid processed foods as much as possible including ready meals or savoury snacks. Try and eat food in its natural state to keep all the goodness within. Cook foods by steaming or boiling, and this way you will keep all the nutrients and all the flavour, too. 

If you are able to, try to choose organic food wherever you can. This will minimise your intake of any pesticides that are on the food. It’s easy to understand that not every piece of food you buy can be organic, but it’s best to pick organic where you can. 

Although you should aim for this every day in general, try to make sure you get your five portions of fruit and vegetables each day as well. With mealtimes, try to cover 60% of your plate with vegetables to get as many nutrients as you can. 

You can also help the detox programme by reducing your consumption of animal products such as dairy. Replace these items with soya milk, quinoa, seeds and nuts as these are great sources of protein. 

Last but not least, possibly the best option for detoxing is to get a full night’s sleep and try to exercise whenever you can. Exercising releases endorphins and can generally make you feel a lot more invigorated! 

By following a detox plan, you really are looking after your body and giving it the best chance to be healthy throughout the year. 

Jade Stokes