Four steps to cleanse the body from extra sugar, alcohol, and food eaten during holidays

Holidays means celebration, meetings, joy, abundance, and of course, food excess. That is why trying to recover healthy eating habits at the beginning of the year seems to be so difficult. To conquer this mission, nutritionists suggest to first detoxify the body and here we explain how it should be done.

According to experts in integral nutrition, the key to clearing body of sugar, alcohol, flour and fat consumed during December, is in the preparation received by the body just after the end of the holiday season or when decided to start with the dietary change. To this end, health specialists propose following some parameters that allow quick weight recovery and physical adjustment.

1. Clear fridge of food waste

As the body must be prepared to initiate a detoxification, kitchen must also be arranged. It is important that all food waste left at home must be eliminated, either by giving it to relatives and neighbors, or by handing it over to those who need it more. In this way all food temptations will be eliminated, and you will start to consume again those foods that are really beneficial for the organism.

2. Four days without animal protein

Animal protein is one of the substances that leaves most waste in the body. Some nutritionists suggest starting the process of detoxification by suspending completely the eating of animal protein for 4 days. Especially, meat should be avoided by people with overweight or tendency to accumulate fat. By evading ingesting animal protein for this days, body begins to release toxins accumulated in liver and colon and prepares the organism to receive nutrients from other foods consumed.

If the person wishes to completely suspend the consumption of animal protein during this four days, it must be replaced with vegetable protein that can be found in grains such as beans, lentils, or quinoa. If, on the other hand, you do not want to completely eliminate the consumption of meat, then it is recommended to consume white meat such as fish, salmon or chicken.

3. Hydration

Alcohol and sugar are two ingredients that contribute to the accelerated dehydration of the body. During the holiday season, their consumption increases by almost 70%. For this reason, nutritionists recommend drinking between two and three liters of water per day that cannot be replaced by any other beverage such as coffee or tea. To make water consumption more pleasant and add more benefits to it, you can add lemon juice or pineapple peel, elements that help accelerate the burning of fat.

4. Physical activity

Increase of physical activity is perhaps one of the most common goal every new year; however, it is the most difficult to accomplish. The fault lies not in the lack of time or absence of discipline, but in the wrong way of choosing the physical activity to enroll in. At this point, experts suggest acquiring a non-disruptive routine, which means that it must be aligned with the lifestyle of each individual. In the case of parents who work throughout the day, it is recommended to carry out physical activity with their children for 30 minutes, preferably outdoor games that require movement.

If it is the case of people without children at home, it could be feasible to join groups of swimming, yoga, tennis, soccer, or any physical activity that produces personal pleasure and that is not seen as an unnecessary effort. In this way, one of the new year resolution would not be “to exercise”, but to find the sport or activity that you will always enjoy doing.

LatinAmerican Post | Krishna Jaramillo

Copy edited by Marcela Peñaloza