Post the Diwali celebrations and festivities; it is time for a rain check on all the sweets, fats, carbs and calories consumed. A detox (short for detoxification) is a must.
What is a detox diet?
Detoxification or detox basically means to cleanse our body of unwanted toxins, harmful chemicals and bodily waste products by converting them in to less harmful compounds, breaking them down and excreting them from our body. We are dumped with toxins in our everyday life due to factors like pollution, smoking, drinking alcohol, high intake of processed / junk food / sugar / fat etc. If these toxins are led to accumulate they result in a host of problems like heart diseases, obesity, fatigue etc.
Importance of detox diet
Detoxification in simple terms means cleansing. Our body has a natural way to release unwanted toxins and waste products in the form of sweat, liver and urine. A detox diet lets us get rid of our bodily waste and toxins by promoting and consuming nutritious foods and drinks that make us healthier not only physically but also from within as well.
Foods to include for detox diet
In a detox diet, the intake should be of fresh and clean food stuff. Water is the most important element. Having at least 8 glasses of water every day is essential to flush out the toxins from our body. Organic or fresh and clean vegetables, seasonal fruits, yoghurt/curd, healthy oils like coconut or olive for cooking purpose should be included in daily diet.
Foods to avoid for detox diet
When on a detox, it is best advisable to refrain from high fat dairy products like mayonnaise, cream, butter etc. Gluten rich grains and food items like pasta, breads, breakfast cereals are to be avoided. Refined and brown sugar should be replaced by natural sweeteners like jaggery and dates syrup. Alcoholic and aerated beverages should be totally avoided. Caffeine and tea also should be restricted to one cup per day.
3 Easy detox water recipes
Detox water is simply ingredients added to water, which thereby helps us in flushing out toxins faster from our body.
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Cucumber, Lemon, Ginger, Sweet Lime, Mint leaves water
All the above ingredients should be washed and cut and should be added to a jar of water overnight and let rest. This water should be consumed throughout the day in intervals.
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Fruits detox water
Mix all available fruits cut into pieces in a tumbler of water and let it rest overnight. Sip it throughout the day.
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Green tea detox water
Green tea on its own is extremely beneficial. For detox water, we need to add tea leaves or green tea bags in a jar of water and let it sit for at least 2 hours. This water should be sipped in the day. To add some extra flavor, a dash of lemon juice or mint leaves can also be added to it.
Recommended duration for a detox diet
Detox diet is usually done for a short period of time to rejuvenate and cleanse our bodies from within. The most popular detox is usually a 3 to 7 day detox or some last for 20 or 30 days as well. Continuing it for too long makes us loose valuable nutrients in our body and should not be done very often.
A detox diet is usually recommended for cleansing our bodies and is extremely beneficial as it refreshes us in the long run if done the right way. It isn’t a fad diet and care should be taken to keep proper intervals between two detox.