If you don’t wake up on New Year’s Day swearing to the Gods that you will not party again, then did you even party?
We’ve all had a rather rough year which means we all deserve a hearty end. It’s time to let the hair down and raise the glasses as we prepare to take on 2022.
Go on then, give yourself the treat you deserve and leave the guilt at home coz we have you covered.
Intense binging needs a good detox, and here’s how you can prepare for all your resolutions.
1. Drink Plenty of Fluids (Not Alcohol)
Keep yourself hydrated to get rid of the toxins.
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Typically, the holiday season brings with an excess of fats, sugary carbs and alcohol. This not only tends to wreak havoc on your system but also dehydrates you significantly.
Additionally, there is a build up of toxins in your body that affect metabolism and immunity. My advice would be to drink a lot of water, tea, vegetable and fruit juice, broth.
Try and stay away from caffeine.
My go to drink would be the carrot, spinach, kale smoothie, which is rich in vitamins, minerals and low in sugar to replenish your electrolytes and get the body rehydrated.
Oh, did I mention coconut water?
2. Don’t Fast: Eat Your Proteins, Fibers and Whole Foods
Include quinoa in your detox diet.
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A major misconception among many is that fasting helps in detox. This is not true. Your body is already struggling with the toxins and excesses of holiday partying, you need to supply it with nutrients that will help in recovery.
If you are worried about any weight you’ve gained, you will not lose it in a week, unless your aim is to lose water and muscles.
So, fill your stomach with high protein and high fiber foods. Make spinach and quinoa your best friends for the next few days.
3. The Greasy Breakfast Is a Myth
Eating bacon and fried eggs does not cure hangover.
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Contrary to notions that a generous serving of bacon, sausages and fried eggs is the cure to all hangovers, you need to consciously avoid all things fried and greasy.
Not only is fatty food harder for the body to break down but most of it will be filled with saturated fats which is not healthy at all.
The idea of a detox is to clean your body in the easiest way possible. Greasy food does not fit either of the criteria.
4. Ditch the Dairy
Drinking milk to get rid of a hangover can cause acidity.
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Just like fatty food, the human body struggles to process dairy food as well. Milk, cheese and other milk products may in fact, do more harm than good.
You are likely to suffer from acidity and a stomach upset if you overdo milk after an intense binge
5. Get Plenty of Workout and Sleep
Go for a walk or run.
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One of the primary functions of sweating is to excrete toxins. So, dust off your trainers and go out for a walk/run.
Get the juices flowing and the toxins flushed. A good workout will also enable you to sleep better and the when the body doesn’t have anything else to do, it can focus on repair and cleaning itself.
A good detox will enable you to kickstart the new year and ensure you stay on track with your resolutions.
Anyway, enough said. Happy New Year! See you all in 2022!
(The author is a lawyer turned business intelligence consultant turned chef. He also designs weekly and monthly meal plans for clients and conducts baking and cooking workshops.)
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