Holi is referred to as the festival of colours. But it is more than just smearing each other with colours. The Holi celebration seems incomplete without Gujiyas and Thandai which are irresistible. Often, many of us tend to overindulge on sweets, fried foods and unhealthy snacks during this festival. So, it is important to detox post festival binge eating for a healthy body. Now, let’s talk about how to detox your body after Holi.

“A detoxification regime typically consists of a carefully structured diet and lifestyle changes which are designed to enhance your body’s detoxification system,” says Dr Srikanth H.S, Sr. Naturopath, Jindal Naturecure Institute.

You will find plenty of detox diets in the market that use vitamins, minerals, diuretics, laxatives, and teas among other foods that are assumed to have detoxifying properties. However, Dr Srikanth cautions that there is little evidence to prove the efficacy of these diets for the purposes of toxin elimination and weight loss.

 

Natural ways to detox your body after Holi

According to Dr Srikanth, these simple hacks will go a long way towards boosting your body’s natural detoxification process.

⚆  Avoid alcohol:Over 90 percent of the alcohol you consume is metabolized in the liver. Alcohol consumption damages the liver by causing fat to build up, inflaming and scarring liver tissue. This hampers the liver from functioning at peak capacity, hampering its job of eliminating toxins from your body. Avoiding alcohol consumption is essential if you want your body’s detoxification system to remain strong.

⚆  Get more sleep: Getting eight hours of sleep every night is vital to support your body’s detoxification system. Sleep allows the brain to recharge itself and remove the accumulation of toxic byproducts. If you deprive yourself of sleep, then your body doesn’t get the time to eliminate toxins, which ends up having a whole host of adverse consequences. Research has linked poor sleep to anxiety, stress, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and obesity. If you have difficulty to fall asleep, stick to a strict schedule and make sure you limit the blue light from computer screens and mobile devices for at least half an hour before you go to bed.

⚆  Keep yourself hydrated: Water regulates the body temperature, lubricates the joints, aids nutrient absorption and digestion, and detoxifies the body. The cells need to repair themselves to function properly, breaking down the nutrients present in the food to useful energy. This process also releases waste into the system, a buildup of which is harmful. Water helps remove the waste via urine and sweat. Make it a point to consume at least 3 liters of water every day. This number can vary according to your diet, and the level of exercise you get daily. It is best to consult your physician to know the exact requirements.

⚆  Adopt these dietary changes: Sulphur rich foods like onions, garlic, and broccoli help counteract the adverse effects of harmful heavy metals. They also help optimize the functioning of glutathione, a native antioxidant that plays a major role in detoxification. Generously garnish your dishes with cilantro as it helps the body excrete insecticides and phthalates. Gut health is vital to keep the detoxification system in the pink. To keep your gut healthy, you must consume more prebiotic foods like artichokes, tomatoes, asparagus, bananas, oats, onions, and garlic. They feed the healthy gut bacteria, enabling them to manufacture fatty acids that are good for your health.

⚆  Cut down on sugar and junk food Excess consumption of sugar and junk food is at the center of our health crisis. It is linked to diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer. All of these diseases harm your body’s detoxification process, harming the organs like the kidneys and the liver. Sugary drinks and junk food lead to fatty liver, making detoxification harder. The easiest way to check if you are consuming unhealthy amounts of sugar or junk food is to get a blood test to check for the level of triglycerides in your body. If it is above 150mg/dl, then it is time for you to cut out the junk food. Replace them with healthier alternatives like whole grains, and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.

If you are serious about trying out a detox regime, then you need to consult with your physician or a naturopath before you get started. Everyone has a different body mass index, daily routine, and metabolism rate, and all these factors need to be taken into account before making any dietary changes.