It’s that time of the year again when the post-holiday blues set in, and the hangover is only made worse when one steps on the weighing scale. And suddenly one recalls the countless number of drinks they washed down with the crispy fried snacks they ate mindlessly while gloating over the winning hand that was dealt to them or the repeated round of phuchkas and chicken roll they had while casually walking through the pandals. Of course, the art, creativity, festivities, celebrations are to be blamed for all the overindulgence and binging. Thereby follows a cocktail of shame, regret and longingness to return to the pre-holiday body weight and hence the Internet appears to be a saviour for the so-called detox diets, juice cleanse, 21 days no-sugar-no-alcohol challenge and other “magical” diets and challenges.
Though it is definitely the time to rethink, reflect and reboot, however, it’s never the time to fall prey to fad diets and quick fixes. After a prolonged period of binging, drinking and smoking, going for a “detox” to clear out all the “toxins” from your body may seem the obvious thing to do. The mindset behind a detox diet is that by giving the body a break, one can atone for temporary indulgence and purge all the nasty chemicals. It’s believed to be a health reboot, a fresh start, but here’s the deal: “Nutrition is not a belief system, it’s science”. Like other health buzzwords, “nutritional detoxing” has no scientific meaning and the reason it was never required was because our body is perfectly capable of cleansing itself.
We have our in-built detoxifying system, our organs like lungs, liver, kidney, skin, digestive system, respiratory and lymphatic system work non-stop to metabolise, break down and eliminate chemicals or toxins from our bodies. The so-called “detox diets” that support fasting and low-calorie meals are usually deficient in proteins and hence, is counterproductive, as the liver requires amino acids or proteins to support the entire detoxification process.
Hence, while it may appear to be the only solution to “rectify” all your food mistakes, it’s nothing but an illusion and it’s not going to make you lose anything that you won’t end up gaining once it’s over. “Detox” is a temporary phase which is not sustainable and once it’s over the earlier gains are eroded as quickly as they had set in. So, instead of being so harsh on yourself and getting stuck in the predictable cycle of restrictive eating-deprivation-binging, the smart thing to do would be identify the pros of overindulgence.
Yes, you read that right. Overindulgence has some vastly understated advantages, and it can play a very important role in the bigger picture of health, nutrition and fitness. When the body sends signals of distress is when one is enthused to nurse it back to good health. Nothing can motivate one more than waking up with a hangover, heartburn, gas, migraine or other uncomfortable signs of bodily rebellion that says you need to stop now! The morning- after feeling is usually “I can’t wait to hit the gym again” or “I can’t wait to eat healthy again”. That repulsive feeling you get after abusing your body with alcohol and junk food can be channelised to kick-start your plan again, get new motivation and start afresh. So let’s use this new-found desire to get back to fitness to one’s advantage and turn it into a sustainable and permanent transformation plan.
Here’s how you can get back to your game and promote a detoxifying environment in your body:
1. Focus on how much you eat: Overeating can put a lot of pressure on your digestive system. It makes your organs work harder to secrete enzymes and hormones to break the food and digest it. Chew your food slowly and eat till you are 3/4th full. Practice portion control instead of fasting or starving yourself.
2. Take care of your gut: Excessive sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol consumption can disturb your gut. Lectins found in beans and legumes, gluten found in wheat products, casein and lactose found in dairy, packaged or processed foods such as chips, chocolates etc. are some common offenders that can lead to excess bloating and other digestive issues. You should steer away from or limit your consumption of. Supplement your diet with pre and probiotics such as pumpkin seeds, mushroom, garlic, coconut, ghee etc.
3. Drink enough fluids: Smoking, drinking alcohol, eating deep fried foods can be extremely dehydrating and is a common cause for headaches and migraines. Hydrate yourself by drinking enough water and other liquids such as coconut water, wheat grass juice, herbal tea blends (without tannins), spirulina with water, ginger and fennel seed water and so on. Limit consumption of tea and coffee.
4. Kick in some workout: Start by aiming for at least 10K steps daily, moving on to squeezing at least three sessions of strength training every week combined with running, jogging or brisk walking outdoors that will not only help you stay active, burn calories, synthesize vitamin “D”, but will also help you breathe in some fresh air into your lungs, helping you rejuvenate both physically and mentally.
5. Build your plate around whole foods: Focus on eating seasonal vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains such as millets, quinoa, rice, oatmeal and so on, good fats such as ghee and coconut. Make sure you are consuming enough proteins in the form of organic eggs, chicken, fish, paneer, fresh cheese and so on.
To sum it up, weight loss and progress charts are not linear. It is natural to fluctuate and sometimes even the most disciplined people also find it hard to stick to mindful eating. Dips, deviations, downtime and indulgences during the festive season are absolutely normal and sometimes necessary.
So let’s not only stop resenting them, but also accept them as a part of our growth and use them to fuel healthy eating habits.
Nutrimend is a diet consultancy clinic founded by sister duo Neha Patodia and Nupur Arya in 2016