10 easy detox tips to get back in shape after the holidays

2024-01-03 13:24:00, Lifestyle CNA

1 - Clean the refrigerator

To eliminate temptation, free the refrigerator and pantry of harmful foods and foods that can continue to poison us: such as foods rich in refined sugar, hydrogenated fats, refined white flour, dairy products, sausages, snacks based on GMO soy and alcohol. Stock up on healthy fresh, nutritious foods like vegetables, fruits, lean fish and meat, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, algae and extra virgin olive oil.

2 – Drink a lot of water

The easiest way to detox? Drink at least 2 liters of water a day between meals, as recommended by specialists, to rehydrate the body dehydrated by alcohol and stimulate diuresis; starting with the canonical glass of hot water and lemon in the morning, which helps cleanse the liver. To make the process more pleasant, flavor the water with slices of lemon, orange, apple and cucumber, or mint leaves.

3 – Replace coffee with green tea

Green tea contains chlorophyll and flavonoids such as catechins, antioxidant substances that help the detoxification functions of the liver, accelerate metabolism, fight cellular aging and make the skin beautiful. Try replacing your morning cup of coffee with a cup of sencha or bancha green tea. Either a matcha tea, or a version of matcha latte, a type of milky coffee made with matcha powder, a fine green tea originating in Imperial China, which is a concentrate of antioxidants.

4 – Eat salad

Green leafy vegetables (the darker the green the better), especially raw, aid the detoxification process by neutralizing pesticides and heavy metals, and thanks to their high fiber content, aid bowel regularity and the elimination of toxins. Make a salad by mixing things like spinach, arugula, and kale, and top it off with vibrant, colorful veggies like carrots, radishes, and red pepper for a nutritious cocktail of antioxidants.

5 – Consume garlic

Not ideal in social contexts, garlic is essential for encouraging detoxification of the body: it contains sulphur, allicin and selenium, substances that help the liver to remove toxins. Use it creatively like honey garlic and, if you like, eat it raw to reap all the benefits, finely chopped and added to salad dressings, but also to soups and risottos.

6 – Take a milk thistle supplement

Give it to your liver and take supplements that support its cleansing functions: such as those based on milk thistle (available as a solution or dry extract), a plant that grows in central and southern Italy and contains a complex of ingredients known actives such as silymarin, which protects the liver, regenerates its cells and treats intoxication.

7 – Try intermittent fasting

This may be a good opportunity, if you haven't already done so, to try intermittent fasting, an eating regimen that involves eating for a short period of time, normally 8 hours, and then fasting for 16 hours. . This method allows the digestive system to rest and can make us feel more vital and energetic. And if when we eat, we consume healthy foods, this can help the detoxification process.

8 – Eat as much as possible at home

It seems like basic advice, but if we really want to cleanse ourselves even for a short period of time, it is essential to avoid restaurants as much as possible. When we prepare meals at home we can monitor the quality and freshness of the food we use, moderate the use of salt and completely avoid the use of sugar and "bad" fats. In addition, we can choose healthy and easy cooking methods, such as in the oven or steamed.

9 - Practice yoga

Yes, because the practice of yoga has, among countless benefits, also a detoxifying effect. Yoga positions increase blood flow to the internal organs, oxygenating and massaging them and stimulating their functions, including digestion and excretion of toxins.

10 - Sauna (and Turkish bath) as desired

The skin, the largest organ of our body, not only protects against external agents, but helps eliminate toxins through sweat. Go for a run in the park, or jump rope at home. Or even better, treat yourself to a session in the Finnish sauna or Turkish bath, which not only help us detox, but leave us with smooth, radiant skin and warm us from the inside out, which is no small feat at this time. of the year.