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New Year Detox

Are you feeling weighed down after the Tet Holidays from all the drinking and eating? The best way to get your body and internal environment to a healthy status is to allow it to re-establish its homeostasis or normal function (state of equilibrium). The partying, eating, drinking and possibly stress of the holidays will have overloaded your body with damaging hormones and chemicals in which your Liver has to deal with.

Your Liver is the largest organ in our bodies and is the epicenter for detoxification and fat burning. The liver will always prioritize its role of removing harmful substances from your body, as this is a basic survival mechanism. Where as, our bodies are more than capable of storing fat and not coming to too much harm (in the short term). Hence, the liver will work first to remove harmful chemicals from your system before actively working to metabolize or burn fat stores. So any detox should really focus on helping or healing the Liver.

Detox means a number of things to different people. Generally, the notion conjures up ideas of cabbage soup, juices or eating nothing at all. As I have mentioned above, to me, detox means giving your body a chance to clear out any harmful substances (hormones, toxins and chemicals) and eliminating any food substances your system may be intolerant of.

You do not need any magic pills or powders, disgusting drinks and foods that provide minimal nutrients that leave you starving or sign up to expensive programmes that provide empty promises. You simply need to give your body a chance to work it’s own magic… you merely have to put a few straightforward actions in place to help the liver do it’s job.

Try these 4 tips to help you feel and look healthier:

1. Increase the amount of natural fibre in your diet: natural meaning increase vegetable consumption. Fibre is only found in plant foods and helps you lose fat by making you feel fuller quicker and for longer, as it slows down the rate of digestion. The other reason vegetables are ultimately important for you is because of substances called antioxidants. Plants produce these antioxidants to fight free radicals (compounds that destroy healthy cells – basically causing the aging process) and protect healthy cells. Here’s the thing… we do not naturally build shields to protect ourselves against free radicals. Fortunately, the antioxidants in plants work in our bodies the same way they work in plants. We need to eat plants to borrow their antioxidant shields for our cells… our health. It’s important you increase your vegetable consumption

2. Take a supplement that supports and promotes good liver function: if your liver has been overloaded then it’s a good idea to take a supplement that will help speed the healing and regeneration process. Milk thistle and dandelion tea are two great options to try

3. Do not eat processed foods: reduce the burden on your liver by giving it less work to do and increase the time it can spend metabolizing fat

4. Drink at least 1 litre of water per 23kg of body weight: here are only a few reasons why consuming enough water is extremely important when attempting to lose fat and feel great:
   1. In order to burn calories our bodies require enough water for function; dehydration slows down the fat burning process
   2. Burning calories (whether during exercise or rest) creates toxins. Think of the exhaust coming out of your scooter), and water plays a vital role in flushing them out of your body
   3. If you are dehydrated your blood volume is reduced. A reduction in blood volume causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles, and a reduction of oxygen to your muscles will make you feel tired
   4. A healthy (fat loss) diet includes a good amount of fibre, as recommended above. But while fibre is normally helpful to your digestive system, without adequate water it can cause constipation. Therefore, holding onto toxins instead of eliminating them

Start your New Year in the best possible way by laying the foundation for health and long-term fat loss through completing a detox that will reestablish the biochemical balance of your internal environment and assist and heal the liver.

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