How To Detox After Holiday Binging

The holiday season is a time to bond with family and friends. But for many, it is also a time for overeating and weight gain.

So how can one get rid of all that junk from his system? Through detoxification, said raw food practitioner Margo.  She said drinking lots of water and fresh fruit and vegetable juices, coupled with rest and exercise, will help flush all the salt, oil and alcohol out of the body.

“Our body is like a car. You bring it to a shop to clean it, the tubes and the pipes. It’s the same with our bodies. We drink fresh juices and vegetable juices to clean out our system,” she said.  Margo said she is currently on a “10-day juice feasting” where she consumes nothing but the juice of different fruits and vegetables. While she believes it is better for people to try eating only uncooked fruits and vegetables like her, she said it is okay for them to start incorporating these into their normal diet.

Margo said first-timers may want to start with the Green Smoothie, which contains fresh coconut water, cucumber, spinach, banana and mango. The smoothie should have 60% greens and 40% fruits, she said. “This is the most delicious of all of raw food smoothies and juices,” Margo said. “It can replace a meal.”

She added: “The smoothie gives your body a break. What the blender does is it digests things for you so your system doesn’t need to work as hard. If you’re starting on a raw food diet, this is what I would recommend.”

Other detox juices that one can do at home include the Green Juice, which includes cucumber, dark leafy greens, cilantro, green apple, bitter melon and red pepper; Carrot Juice which has carrot, cucumber, apple and ginger; and Watermelon Digestive Aid which contains watermelon, lemon and ginger.

Margo said the Green Juice is the most ideal for detox, while the Carrot Juice helps make one’s skin look clear and fresh. The Watermelon Digestive Aid, meanwhile, is helpful for the liver. “Whatever happens to your body, you see it in your skin”.

Aside from drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices, here are some ways to get rid of toxins in the body after all that holiday binging:

1. Drink plenty of water – At least 64 ounces a day or half your body weight in ounces. This should be done daily, and more if you exercise.

2. Exercise – Mix up your workout. Try Zumba, dancing, kickboxing, aerobics, step aerobics, yoga, Pilates or Pure Barre. Pick up a sport.

3. Yoga – Incorporate yoga into your exercise routine to eliminate toxins while also soothing your mind.

4. Give up a food vice

5. Add healthy food or try something new – Get at least five fruit and vegetable servings in a day. Try eating only whole grains. Choose only lean protein foods. Eat breakfast daily.