I’m sure y’all had an awesome vacation filled with friends, alcohol and great food! Now that you’re back home and back to work, you might feel a little heavier, exhausted and in need of a little detox to feel lighter, healthier and back on track.
Adding these easy nutrients and foods to your diet will do just the trick! I’m not a believer of hardcore impossible detox diets, especially if you have a job and you work out and have to endure the hectic life of Cairo. So I took it upon myself to make it easier for you: Just substitute or simply add these to your daily diet and you’re all set.
Oatmeal and Granola
Having oatmeal for breakfast is a great way to start your day. Oats are rich in fiber and are also filling. They excrete energy in your body all day, leaving you feeling lighter, fuller and healthier. Oatmeal has been known to be a great source of energy and fiber and lowers cholesterol. Adding some fresh fruits or flavor, like cinnamon or vanilla, can also boost your metabolism and give you some flavor without feeling overindulged in the morning.
Granola is a snack that includes oats, nuts and sometimes honey. If you don’t have time to prepare your morning oatmeal dish, have a granola bar instead and keep a few with you for when you get hungry during the day and are in no reach of a healthy snack. You can mix your granola up with some yogurt and honey for a filling, low calorie, high fiber snack.
Remember: It’s always better to have breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up to boost your metabolism and burn what you eat all day!
BFF Your Water Bottle and Your Green Tea
During a detox time, water should be constantly within reach. Drinking up five small bottles a day is essential to clean your system of dietary waste and to cleanse your body from unwanted nutrients. Indulging in plenty of water also helps your liver get rid of the excess alcohol you might have had during your vacation.
Green tea is a great aid for weight loss and loosing unwanted wastes. It also speeds up metabolism and inhibits fat absorption by aiding glucose regulation and it has a high concentration of antioxidants. Two to four cups of green tea a day should do the trick!
Remember: If you’re going to the toilet way more than you usually do, you’re on the right track – you’re in a detoxification process.
Lemon and Cucumber
You want to make your relationship with water more interesting? Add lemon or some chopped cucumbers to your bottle. Lemon has been known to cleanse out your system from unwanted waste and stimulates your metabolism. By keeping your insides at a steady pH level, your body is better able to support healthy bacteria and remove toxins, like excess fat and alcohol.
Not many know this, but cucumbers are awesome fat burners. They boost metabolism and are high in sulphur and silicone – both of which help the body’s natural fat-burning process. Lucky for you, cucumber can be added to many meals, including water, feta cheese, salad and even just by itself.
Try it: A squeezed lemon in a cup of hot water as soon as you wake up.
Remember: Too much lemon might give you heartburn so use it in moderation (two squeezed lemons a day is more than enough).
Stock Up on Some of These Greens!
We all know salads are healthy and anything vegetable is a great way to detox and bla bla bla. But these key items are truly the trick here. Luckily for you, they can be added to any dish you eat, at least I think so.
For example, parsley, named one of the world’s healthiest foods, helps clean your kidney and is rich in calcium, vitamins and fiber. Not to mention it tastes absolutely delicious and truly adds flavor to anything you eat. Personally, I add parsley to anything I eat (pasta, fish, chicken, salad, steak, rice). Most importantly, parsley is a rich source of antioxidant nutrients.
Similar to parsley, dill and coriander play more or less the same roll. They are way more than a table garnish or decoration.
Other healthy greens:
Spinach – Fantastic source of antioxidants, potassium, iron, magnesium, vitamin B (good for boosting your metabolism) and C.
Cabbage – Extremely rich source of antioxidants. Remember, a meal with cabbage must be followed by plenty of water.
Broccoli – Contains high levels of vitamins A and C, calcium, magnesium, potassium and protein, making it one of the most beneficial foods you can eat.
Remember: When indulging in high antioxidant foods, plenty of water is recommended to avoid bloating and kidney problems
Try it: Tabouleh is a great way to stick to your diet – with a delicious salad filled with parsley, onions and olive oil! No wonder those Lebanese have great physiques!
Stock Up on Light Protein
Protein is essential for loosing weight, building muscle and getting stronger. However, everything in excess turns into fat, and some proteins tend to be heavier than others. That’s why during your detox period, stock up on easily digested protein like tuna, eggs, beans, fish, turkey and chicken. Basically stay clear of meat, steak and beef for now, for it takes the longest to digest and get out of your system. Meat is the hardest protein to digest and includes a lot of fat and cholesterol. During this period we want to eat stuff that digests quickly and cleanses our system.
REMEMBER: Having too much fish or tuna may cause mercury poison. Maintain a steady level of mercury and avoid eating seafood everyday.
Brown Carbohydrates
The very simple explanation of why brown carbs are healthier than white carbs is because white carbs have been stripped down of all their nutrients and bacteria that aid your body to quickly digest it (aka the bacteria that make carbs brown). The same goes for sugar – brown sugar is healthier because it still has the nutrients and bacteria used to help digest and burn in your body, hence it’s brown. So stick to brown rice, pasta, bread and sugar during this period, and hopefully for ever!
REMEMBER: Complex carbs are great after a workout!
Work Out
I know it takes time to get back into your workout regimen, but rip the band-aid off and just jump into your workout and start slowly, working your way to your regular routine. As long as you’re sweating, you’re burning calories, excreting wastes and cleaning your system. Within a week, you’ll be back to your normal schedule and hopefully exceeding your limits every time.
REMEMBER: Make your workout fun, with an amped up play list, your lemoned water and great company!
WE SAID THIS: Check out these tips to make your workout fun, challenging and effective!
