From Diwali until the New Year, you can expect an onslaught of food, family time, some more food and considerable weight gain. But binging and detoxing seems to be the circle of life for those of us on the wrong side of the fitness craze. Sadly, fasting and feasting won’t help that situation in the torso region, you’re going to have to flush out all the toxins if you want to do it right. According to Suman Agarwal, celebrity nutritionist and author of The Don’t Diet, Diet Cookbook, you need to detox for the same duration as your binge. That means if you went to town on jalebis for four days, that’s how long your body is going to need to cleanse for.
Thankfully, Suman says that you can alternate your detox days instead of sticking solely to a spartan diet. Holistic nutritionist and wellness expert Luke Coutinho advises mindful eating throughout the holiday season. For those of us with better self-control that means not over-eating or binge drinking. His recommendation for avoiding that unholy hangover the next morning? Chasing every drink with an equal amount of water which flushes out the toxins. But if you, like us, have overdone it this year, here are a few detox tips to get you through the rest of the wedding season.
Post-booze detox drink
Luke Coutinho is a firm believer in an optimised lifestyle as balance is key. According to him, one night of binge drinking takes a heavier toll on your liver and kidneys than enjoying one drink every day of the week. But if you are going out drinking, you may want to slip a slice of lemon into your water. Alcohol makes the body acidic, whereas lime water brings the body back to an alkaline state. Staying hydrated on lime water may help manage the alcohol and help negate the side effects. The morning hangover will remind you of the previous night’s sins, but Coutinho suggests snacking on raw vegetables and fruits to get those antioxidants and electrolytes going.
Flat stomach detox drink
Actress Kriti Kharbanda suggests consulting a nutritionist before attempting the morning shot that helped her lose threes kilos in a week. Yes, that may sound made-up, but Kharbanda swears by a cup of bulletproof coffee — black coffee mixed with 3 tablespoons of cold pressed coconut oil in the morning. She claims this daily shot, coupled with a keto diet, helped her drop the extra weight.
Anti-bloating detox drink
Nutritionist, Suman Agarwal advises her clients to make no compromise on their breakfast, but to cut down on how much they eat at lunch and dinner. Her magic potion to help cleanse the stomach is fennel (sauf) and carom seeds (ajwain), boiled in water to make a tea. She also recommends sipping on cranberry tea throughout the day as it is a diuretic and will help flush toxins out of the system along with excess water retention.
