Post-Christmas Detox
Most of us are prone to overeating at Christmas time, and the food we eat can make us feel bloated, tired and windy. It’s easy to get your body feeling normal again with a few food tips.
If you want to detox after overindulging during the Christmas holidays you don’t need to turn to expensive supplements or radical juice diets. Instead you can just make a few sensible changes.
Beat The Bloat
Some of the foods we love to eat at Christmas can make us feel bloated and windy, so the first thing you should do in your post-Christmas detox is to cut down on them. Avoid sprouts, onions, cauliflower, broccoli and beans, and replace them with other fruit and vegetables instead.
Avoid highly refined carbohydrates like white bread, bagels and cereal, as these can make you feel bloated too. Instead, switch to wholegrains, and limit your portions.
Processed food is also bad for bloating, so try to cut out tinned soup and ready-made dinners.
Reduce the amount of fizzy drinks you consume after Christmas to help reduce bloating and wind, and also to cut down on unnecessary sugar.
Eat The Right Foods
Consuming the right food and drink is important if you want to detox after Christmas. It’s good to get back into a normal eating pattern of three meals a day, and set yourself some rules regarding portion sizes.
Protein is good to eat as it makes you feel full for longer than empty calories. Some studies have suggested that salmon and tuna can even help with bloating.
Instead of fizzy drinks opt for unsweetened fruit and vegetable juice (like cranberry juice) and herbal teas (such as peppermint tea). Make sure you also have tap water to stay hydrated. Women should drink 1.6 litres of fluid daily, and men 2 litres.
Eliminate or reduce snacks and alcohol. Don’t reach for the salty crisps, sugary cake or fatty Christmas chocolates just because they are there. Put them away until the next special occasion. The same goes for alcohol – go back to drinking no more than the daily limit.
It’s easy to incorporate these into light meals to help with festive bloat.
Breakfast:
- Porridge with blueberries and a few chopped, unsalted walnuts, or
- Scrambled eggs, peanut butter or mashed avocado on wholegrain toast
Lunch:
- A colourful salad with some leftover chicken or turkey added for protein, or
- A tuna or hummus salad sandwich made with wholegrain bread
Dinner:
- Marinated salmon, salad and roast sweet potato, or
- King prawns, baby tomatoes and chilli tossed with wholegrain pasta
Snacks:
- Apple slices, watermelon, a banana, a few raisins, a small portion of nuts or seeds
- Carrot, celery or cucumber sticks with a little hummus or salsa
Take Care Of Yourself
There are also some very simple ways to help your body detox after Christmas.
Exercise can not only make you better, it can clear your head, make you fitter, burn calories, and improve your bowel functions. As many of us meet family and friends over the Christmas holidays it can be a good time of year for a bracing walk with loved ones. You could even get a headstart on New Year’s Resolutions and start a regular exercise. Take a look at our tips for Staying Active in Winter for some suggestions of how to get your body feeling better.
Getting a good night’s sleep is also one of the best things you can do to get your body back to normal after consuming too much and going to bed later than normal. Get between six and nine hours of sleep every night. If you’re finding it hard to sleep, establish a nightly routine, avoid television before bedtime, and cut down caffeine and alcohol in the evening.
What do you do to detox after Christmas?
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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