By Pramila Nautiyal
A post festive diet plan can immensely play an important role in bringing back your health after a sumptuous but a bit unhealthy festive food. So, now, since the festive season is ending, one thing we most likely need is to detox.
“It is really important to take care of the diet and give the body the nutritive dose it needs to build immunity. In the post-festive season, a lot of people visit clinics complaining about issues like gastric discomfort, a feeling of bloatedness and uncontrolled sugar levels, etc. The post-festive detox exercise helps cleanse toxins and builds immunity to protect from infections, allergies and diseases that are common during this season,” explains dietician Payal, attached with RG Stone Hospital, Delhi (East of Kailash), who conducted a survey to see the awareness quotient of people on the issue.
Based on the survey, Dietician Payal has designed the ultimate post-festive detox plan to shed unwanted weight accumulated over the festive season. Food plays a major part in Indian Festivals. The culture of indulging in high calorie food paves the way for several health issues as festive foods which are high in calories, carbohydrates and fats.
“Now, this indulgence calls for a detox diet which can help bring back your health. Whenever we talk about detox, many people think that starving themselves or thriving on liquid diets is the ultimate solution. However, this is only going to land you in nutritional deficiency, fatigue, tiredness and mood swings,” she further explains.
According to her diet plan, the fastest and most efficient way to get a detox after Diwali is to eat the right kinds of food in the right proportion at regular intervals with consumption of fruits and vegetables with higher water content, besides exercising regularly. These have long term benefits in managing your weight and removing toxins from your body that interfere with proper metabolic function.
Foods and drinks that can help in effective detox post-Diwali, taking good sleep is also a part of detox. Detox does not only mean losing weight, therefore orange, carrot and ginger drinks can be of immense help.
Oranges are powerhouses of antioxidants and vitamin C. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene and fibre, aiding in weight loss and digestion. Ginger is an age-old home remedy for digestion, bloating, stomach cramps when it comes to removing toxins from the body thoroughly.
Her diet plan has recommended grinding ginger, carrot, orange and adding turmeric and half lemon to make a healthy drink. Drink this in the early hours of the day. It will help flush out all the toxins from the body and help the skin glow.
The detox diet is simple and uses products that are easily available. Therefore, start your day with warm water lime juice and cinnamon ginger water. Take fruits, sprouts, salad, vegetable juices for breakfast.
The diet plan also recommends hydrating oneself with lemon juice, green tea and coconut water through the day and eating nuts like almonds, walnuts, black roasted chana and sprout salads between meals.
One should also try the Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose), which helps to turn up the parasympathetic nervous system, sometimes called the ‘rest and digest’ response.
“Yogic cleansing processes are an integral part of yoga as they help eliminate accumulated toxins from the system. The body functions like a machine and like a machine it has to be continuously cleaned and maintained. It is this cleansing of toxins like mucus, gas, acid, sweat, urine and stool that improves its functioning. Kriyas also help prepare the body and condition it for the proper practices of yogasana and pranayama,” Payal concludes.
