5 Ways To Stay On Top of Your Detox

5 WAYS TO STAY ON TOP OF YOUR DETOX THIS YEAR

Have you been feeling tired, sluggish and bloated lately? Don’t worry, we understand your struggle, but we also know that a crash diet is not always the answer!

The constant enthusiasm of your work colleagues, friends and family throughout January may have helped spur you on with your new routine, but as people around you begin to lose motivation it’s important to make sure you don’t get pulled down with them!

Introducing a gentle detox into your lifestyle is a far more effective and natural way of helping to reboot your body, and we’ve pulled together our top 5 ways to help you stick to it.

1. Are you getting enough H2O?

It may sound obvious, but this one really is a no brainer. Water is the most natural way to cleanse your body, leaving you feeling way more energised and alert throughout the day. Not only does water relieve fatigue, it’s great for your skin, mood and immune system too.[1] Drink at least 2 litres of the clear stuff a day and we’re sure you’ll be feeling 10 x better![2]

2. Get your daily dose of the sunshine vitamin

Vitamin D makes everything better; after all if it wasn’t for sunlight we’d be living in a world of darkness, right? But sunshine lets our body know when to begin synthesising Vitamin D which is essential for healthy bones and a great immune system.[3] We understand it’s difficult with the typically British winter weather to get out and about to enjoy the sunshine, and the limited hours of sunlight we receive in the winter certainly don’t help. But going out of your way to catch even the slightest bit of sun, will help to absorb that Vitamin D which our bodies love so much, giving us healthy bones and a well behaved immune system! [4]

3. Ditch the diet!

Want to get beach body ready before the summer arrives? There’s no better time to ditch the fad diet and begin making more conscious healthy eating lifestyle choices allowing you to receive all the good fats and nutrients that help your body to function at its absolute best.

Focus on getting your 5 fruit and veg a day (this is essential!), consume wholesome foods and choose lean meats along with low fat dairy products. Make 2017 the year to look after your body and ensure you’re eating a healthy, balanced diet on a daily basis – not just for a quick 2 week stint.

4. Food switch up

If you’re a lover of red meat, bread or even cooking with pure cooking oil, then this one may seem like a struggle, but we promise you won’t find it as hard once you get into the routine of things. Consider swapping certain foods rather than cutting them out completely. Swap your red meat for more healthful lean protein choices such as turkey, chicken or fish. Change your wheat bread for rye. Rye bread is 100% wheat-free and can help alleviate bloating and discomfort. It also contains four times the fibre and 20% fewer calories than standard white sliced bread[5]. Finally, think about switching pure cooking oil for a low-calorie oil spray like the ever popular Frylight. The spray form helps to avoid overusing oil when pouring it straight into the pan and can act as a wise tool for people watching their weight. These simple substitutions, will give you a much healthier, as well as tasty option for meal times.

5. Don’t try to climb Mount Everest in your first month back into exercise!

For many, this one is probably sat right at the top of their list, but just because you’ve pledged to begin exercising on a regular basis this doesn’t mean you need to go on 10k runs every day! Ease yourself in slowly, set realistic goals and you’ll more than likely find out you’re much fitter than you first thought. Incorporate new tricks into your day-to-day routine by swapping the lift for the stairs, or even getting off the bus a couple stops earlier and walking the rest of the way. These subtle changes will do a lot for your everyday fitness, but don’t forget that the more exercise you do, the more water you should drink to keep you hydrated!