Consider A Clean-up

All said and done, festive times are occasions when we go easy on ourselves and succumb to bingeing on unhealthy food and sleeping late. This is not easy on our health though. Lethargy and body aches are usually the first symptoms. Fever, cough, cold and more – in no particular order – follow one after the other. Some fun and festivity definitely do us a lot of good, but what about all the junk we pack in? That stays in our system and may have consequences if we continue to pile it on.

Join us for a clean-up as we give you some tips for a festive detox. You can start with a day, three days, a week, a fortnight or a month. You could even make it your lifestyle! Whatever it is you decide, making a start, however small, is half the battle won.

1. Eat plant-based

When we wish to cleanse, we need to first avoid putting the trash in. Animal products, including dairy, are extremely toxic. Stop dumping them in the only body you have.

2. Up the fibre intake

Fruits and salads act like a broom and cleanse you internally. Ensure you don’t peel most of the fruits and vegetables as the fibre and anti-oxidants work best together for a healthier you.

3. Go organic

Pesticides and preservatives in our food cause havoc in our hormones. Do yourself a favour – consume only organic as far as possible and get off processed foods (sugar, tea, coffee, packaged foods etc.) that are packed with preservatives. Start reading labels.

4. Get off grains

Rice and bread are not easy to digest. Just have your vegetable curries and dals and minimise grains. Remember to include salads with your meals!

5. Try fasting

The body can either digest or heal. If you are eating all the time, the body is so busy digesting, it has no time to heal! Give the digestive system a much-needed break and allow the body to heal. So, start with a 12-hour fast, which is easy if you have your last meal of the day by 7 or 8 pm. Gradually increase it to 14-16 hours.

6. Do a smoothie detox

Spend the entire day in the company of green smoothies. Just imagine how light and energetic you will feel.

7. Go raw

Either go raw half a day every day or do a whole raw day once a week and gradually increase the frequency. Calculate your current percentage of raw across all your meals and then plan how to increase it sustainably.

8. Exercise

Yes, that’s a big one when it comes to detox. Go to the beach or a park for some fresh air and invigorating change. You also get to absorb a good dose of vitamin D!

9. Join a group

If you feel you can’t do it alone, join a group or a class where you get support from others. Perhaps you and your spouse or best buddy can plan a schedule to detox together.

10. Sleep well

What happens when you don’t recharge your phone or laptop battery? Well, almost the same thing happens to you if you don’t get a good night’s sleep.

11. Go natural

Chemicals in our household and personal-care products play a vital role in our well-being. Go natural and replace them with herbal options. They are easily available; you just need to start looking.

12. Detox mentally

This is extremely vital. Attend a virtual or in-person spiritual class, read inspiring books and keep good company.