Weight loss is on pretty much everybody's mind. A largely unhealthy diet, erratic sleep and increase stress is the reason that people find it difficult to lose weight easily. A healthy weight is a sign of overall health and a body that is full of toxins from packaged and unprocessed foods is one that is likely to gain weight quicker. Although our bodies are perfectly capable of flushing out toxins themselves, there are times when one feels like they need to go on a detox diet regime, after a spell of over-eating and bingeing on unhealthy foods. There is no ideal time to go on a detox diet. If you have been feeling you need to go a healthy diet to detoxify your system, then you should start immediately.
Weekends are generally when people go out and eat relatively unhealthy foods. A general rule of key to follow for a healthy body and mind is to indulge in your favourite junk foods in moderation and only during a given day in the week. Coming back to detox, there are certain foods that you can add to your daily meals which can help flush out toxins from your system and give a much-needed boost of essential vitamins and minerals. These foods can help your body rejuvenate and revitalise and make you feel ready to take on the challenges of everyday grind.
(Also Read: Wonderful Health Benefits Of Detox Drinks)
What Is The Ideal Time To Detox?
Though the average human body is hardwired in such a way so as to detox naturally, it is good to detox every now and then. A good time to detox is really any time you decide to go for it. Experts recommend going for a detox after a sustained period of constantly overindulging. Further, it is said that change of season is the ideal time to detox.
Thus, the transition period between summer and winter or vice versa would be great for a full-body detox. Spring or autumn season serves as the perfect setup for the body to detox, since our body's requirements are anyway being subject to many a changes. A detox done during autumn or winter gives your body the much-needed energy boost and also rids the body of toxins.
How Long To Detox For?
A typical detox diet pans over seven or ten days. This is if you're consistently eating healthy food that ascribes to the requirements of your diet and are in full-detox mode. However, several experts say that there is no harm in continuing the detox much longer than the stipulated time period. It is always good to plan a gradual increase in the amount and intensity of detoxification in the diet.
Talking about the frequency of detox to be done, there are no specific guidelines on the number of detoxes that can be sustained by the human body every single year. It's common practice to do about two detoxes every year, but the body can endure more if the overindulgence rate is high.
(Also Read: 4 Things You Must Know About a Detox Diet)
How To Detox During Weight Loss | Best Detox Tips For Weight Loss
Though it may sound intimidating, detox is really simple once you gets started. These tips will help serve as general guidelines for detox during weight loss:
- Eat the right kinds of foods
- Use health supplements during detox
- Drink water to support your detox
- Exercise is important during detox too
- Get good amounts of rest and sleep well during your detox regime
Here are some common foods and spices that you can add to your weight loss-friendly detox diet:
1. Green leafy vegetables
2. Broccoli
3. Walnuts
4. Beetroot
5. Garlic
6. Ginger and turmeric
(Also Read: Revealed: Here's The Recipe For Malaika Arora Khan's Daily Detox Green Smoothie!)
Best Detox Diet Recipes
We bring you some delicious detox diet recipes to help you get started.
1. Detox Breakfast Cereal Bowl
Combining the healing powers of honey and the energising sunflower seeds, this detox breakfast bowl contains muesli which is both gluten-free and rich in satiating fibre and protein. Try this deliciously and extremely easy recipe to kick-start your detox diet regime.
2. Orange and Ginger Detox Drink
Orange brings in the power of the immunity-boosting vitamin C as well as antioxidants, while ginger boosts flavour and nutrition, while healing the body from the inside. This detox drink is delicious and extremely easy to prepare. You can make it in bulk and refrigerate it for use for two or three days.
Swap your normal masala chai for this healthy tea containing a power punch of antioxidants from kachchi haldi or turmeric root. Haldi tea boosts your liver and detoxes your system, also protecting it from the impact of the changing season.
(Also Read: Fruit Juice Versus Vegetable Juice: Which One is Healthier?)
4. Sautéed Broccoli and Almonds Detox Salad
Broccoli is one of the best detox ingredients out there. This salad recipe combines the superfood with almonds. These nuts are rich in tryptophan, which boosts brain function and memory. This detox salad contains par-boiled broccoli florets sautéed in butter with garlic cloves. A generous helping of sliced toasted almonds comes on top.
Beetroot is again a great detox veggie and this salad combines it with celery, apples and broccoli, along with walnuts that are rich in healthy fats. This salad contains good amounts of fibre, protein, healthy fats and loads of deliciousness and nutrition.
The lovely grapefruit is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and is low in calories. It is a great detox ingredient and this recipe combines it with the healthy cottage cheese or paneer. Try this surprisingly delicious combination to detox naturally.
Besides helping in weight loss, detoxification is helpful in reducing inflammation in the body, improving the quality of your hair and skin, as well as for making you feel more energised and alert. There's never a better time to jump on the healthy eating bandwagon than right now. After all, what you put in your meals is what shows on the outside!