Ways to cleanse after holiday indulgence

It is okay once in a while to indulge a bit just like you did during the Easter weekend. However, most of us resolved at the start of the year to live healthier lives and we need to find a way to get back on track.

It is important to note that it is not easy to switch and stick to a diet, so Innocent Kwame, a nutritionist, says treating it like a lifestyle, rather than a diet helps. Here are some tips on how you can detox after indulging in all kinds of food and drink during the long Easter weekend.

Warm water with melon
Beginning the day with a glass of warm water with lemon and taking it throughout the day is a start. Isabella Amoko, a nutritionist, says lemon will offer you lots of Vitamin C while also keeping you hydrated, which helps your kidneys and liver to rid the body of toxins. Lemon also stimulates digestion throughout the day which will help the body fight off bloating if any.

Green tea
Green tea is known for weight loss abilities as it helps with metabolism and digestion. This is why taking green tea before and after meals is a great idea. Additionally, drinking green tea, even in small quantities helps with dehydration and with a hydrated body, one rarely feels hungry, Amoko adds.

Avoid juice fasts
While a juice fast will help you lose weight, Kwame says many will still feel hungry after a juice breakfast. In such instances, they will be tempted to cheat and eat, leading to a lot of guilt. To avoid this, Kwame says, rather than juicing your fruits and vegetables, eat them whole or opt for a serving of oatmeal topped with fruits such as bananas.

Plant-based foods
After binge eating, guilt sets in, making some people eat poorly by excessively cutting their food portions. However, Kwame says this does not help since the body is being starved of nourishment. Instead, opt for fruits and vegetables and other plant-based proteins such as beans, peas, and groundnuts. These keep you nourished without adding excessive fat to your body.

Intermittent fasting
According to healthline.com, intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. It does not say anything about which foods to eat, but rather when you should eat them. There are several different intermittent fasting methods, all of which split the day or week into eating periods and fasting periods.

With this fast, the feeling of depravation is reduced greatly. There are several protocols followed such as the 16 hour, eight hour and the 24 hour fast.

One of the things is skipping breakfast because you eat between 11am and 7pm, save for the 24 hour fast. That said, water, coffee (without milk) and any non- processed foods are allowed during the fast.

This will leave you filled with healthy foods while boosting your metabolism thus healthier weight loss, Amoko says.

Eat slowly
When you eat very fast, the brain may not recognise you are full, more so after a weekend of eating with careless abandon. Readjusting to eating as before will take a while and that will start with you giving your body time to digest the food, thus lowering your chances of eating too much, Amoko says.

Eat until you are full
In the name of detoxing, a number of people tend to set limits on how much they should eat. However, Kwame says there is an amount of nutrition the body needs which by capping how much you are eating is not attained. When you feel unsatisfied, trust your instincts and fill that gap with some fruits or nuts.

Otherwise, before long, you will be grabbing a bag of chips, causing a setback in your goals.

Prepare meals in advance
Doing this will help you avoid getting too hungry because you will not have been able to eat in time, which means eating more than you actually need when you do. You might also start snacking on unhealthy food or go in for fast foods, Kwame shares.

Chop your vegetables
Most people find it hard to eat as much as needed regarding vegetables. However, Amoko says if you take time and chop them into smaller pieces, they can work well as snacks.

Eat with intention
Poor eating habits bring about guilt which is toxic. Therefore, Kwame says, going forward, irrespective of the occasion, avoid eating foods out of compulsion or fitting into the group. Only eat foods that you eat on a daily basis.

If you want to fit into the celebratory mood, just tweak the food a bit while staying within the confines of your normal. For example, if it is about drinks, opt for juice combinations rather than fizzy drinks.

Enjoying your food irrespective of what others says means you are intentional about improving your lifestyle. It will rid you of guilt-driven diets and in so doing, you are taking care of your body for the long haul rather than momentarily.

Note
● Add protein to your meals. Look down at your lunch for the day. Is it all carbs and no protein? You will likely feel hungry after only an hour or two.  Find ways to supplement your meals with protein in order to feel fuller for longer.

● Cook more. Use available resources to spend more time in the kitchen. Cooking food yourself instead of eating at a restaurant not only saves money, but ensures that you know what is in your food. Restaurants will often be heavy-handed on salt, butter and oil, and being able to have control over that will keep your food healthy and affordable.

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