2018 Cleanse in January:

Another year has come and gone, and for a lot of us, the end of the year means that we over indulge in wide varieties of rich or unhealthy foods and drinks that are probably not too good for our bodies, but, it is the season to be jolly!

Well dear reader, it's over now, January is here and it's time to clean up and shape up for the new year to be the best you, you can be!

Why Cleanse and Detox?

While it's one thing to detox or cleanse, it can be a challenge for most of us to maintain the process to a better lifestyle.

What does help is remember why you're cleansing your body.

Detoxification is quite a normal process your body performs constantly; your body neutralises and eliminates toxins through its major organs such as the colon, liver, kidney, lungs, lymphatic system, and skin. But with our over-indulgences during December holiday periods can overload our natural system a bit, so cleanses or detoxes are great ways to help ourselves out.

Even if your diet is generally good, a detox can restore your immune system and protect against environmental toxins that you may face in the New Year; everything from protecting from an office cold bug to an increase in pollution.

While most of our day-to-day lifestyle habits incorporate toxins, we're going to focus on the unhealthy aspects of December festive habits, like junk food, drinks and whatever else that you may have done to yourself during the holiday time. This is also the aspect of toxins that we have the most control over: what we put into our bodies.

We've come up with a few body health cleansing tips that we think can out you back on the right track when you crawl back to GYM and slog on to the health food section of your nearest store:

1. Water:

   • Water is as basic as it comes when it comes to cleaning out your body of impurities. If you really had to think about it, how much clean water do you drink daily?

     Staying hydrated keeps your body's metabolic processes running effectively and your body's natural salts in balance. Water, is naturally going to wash out any unhealthy or acidic liquids your liver or kidneys may now be dealing with.

     A more advanced tip would be including some lemon in warm water to drink throughout the day; the lemon addition assists with alkalinising your body and improves your metabolism.

2. Skip th Sugar:

   • Seems a little obvious considering what is in most holiday foods, but during your January cleansing period, it's a good idea to cut back heavy on the foods and drinks that would include a large percentage of unnatural sugars, sweets, treats and snacks, cut them all out. Though you could replace that sweet tooth craving with fruit, you'll be surprised how much satisfaction you can gain with replacing a jawbreaker with a few grapes.

     Normally, unprepared cleansers would be averse to eating in general during January, though it is essential to maintain a consistent diet, the only change being no junk and replacing your heavier foods with fruit, vegetables and planet-based proteins.

3. Watch the Caffeine intake:

   • While we're not saying cut out the caffeine; most of us "need" it to get through our day, so we are saying lowering the volume of caffeine you're ingesting daily may help.

     Caffeine, when consumed in more limited quantities can still provide you with its benefits such as; mental focus and energy, but only if kept at a limit of 300 milligrams a day.

     Anything above the recommended dose may just add more toxins into your body, and that's something we're trying to avoid.

4. Eat Cleaner Foods:

   • After over-indulging, it's time to get your digestive system back on track. Start with adding fiber to your diet, start with a fiber based breakfast: such as oatmeal or almond butter toast, to regulate the system and fill you up.

     After breakfast, as a rule, don't eat or drink anything from cans and be very selective of your restaurants too; some may look to prepare food without processed ingredients.

     Cutting out processed foods is the quickest and easiest way to limit excess (and often hidden) sugars, fats, and calories.

5. Workout and Stretch Again

   • Yes, it's true, you're going to have to get back to being active again after all the fun you've had.

     We advise speaking to your trainer or our Dietician for advice on a workout program that works within your detox process, you don't want to do more damage to your body than good, so ensuring you have the correct swiss replica watches and most effective exercise program that works within your cleansing process is a recommended course of action when looking at your iron and treadmill again.

There we have it, some basic tips to get your body and its processes back on track for a new year and making it the best year possible. As always though, consult a professional before beginning your detoxing period and workout period.

Our Hatmed team is ready to take your call and email:

Speak to our in-house Dietician; Nolandi Botha who offers dietetic advice and consultations.

Mobile: 082 443 9926
Email: nolandibotha@gmail.com
Website: www.eat-well.co.za

Have any cleansing tips you've found after the December holidays you think could add to this conversation, why not let us know on Facebook!