10 easy ways to detox post-Diwali

With a plethora of sugar and fat laden foods finding their way to your gut, it might be a good idea to try and eliminate them from your system as soon as possible. Diwali is reason enough to knock yourself out with all the high calorie foods, and we don’t blame you, for it is the season of joy and fervour. Mithais, fried snacks, and a number of traditional greasy and fatty foods that decorate platters on this occasion do your body no real good, so here are 10 easy ways to go into detox mode to help your body return to a state of normality.

What is implied by sleeping well is getting good quality and undisturbed sleep for a minimum of 7-8 hours. During Diwali, most people stay up till late at night, attending parties or hanging out with friends, which affects the duration and maybe even the quality of sleep. Sleep is an important aspect of detoxification as it allows the body to recover and recharge itself while removing toxic waste accumulated over the day.

The Achilles heel of most people, exercising sounds like one of the toughest and most tedious tasks. However, exercise does not mean going to the gym and lifting heavy weights or doing hours of cardio. Something as simple as a walk, cycling, or ten minutes of bodyweight exercises at home is enough to help you lose calories and get back in shape.

The idea of a post-Diwali detox is to rid your system of potential toxins that might have accumulated in the gut. Probiotics are bacteria that are essential to maintain good gut health, and consuming them is one of the best ways to naturally restore gut health. Probiotic foods like yogurt and kefir increase the amount of good bacteria, which help in fighting harmful bacteria, thus maintaining optimum gut health.

Sugars contain an abundance of empty calories. This means that they provide you with calories without any nutrition. This is detrimental to the body, as you end up consuming a whole lot of fat boosting calories, which can cause weight gain and other problems. Go for natural sugars such as fruits, jaggery, berries, or honey, which apart from being lower in calories, also provide a number of health benefits.

Probably one of the best ways to detox after Diwali is by eating lots of fruits. Fruits are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, all of which are essential to help your body get cleansed. Vitamins and minerals act as building blocks to cells, fiber helps to eliminate toxins that line up on the intestinal wall, and antioxidants prevent cells from damage caused by free radicals.

It is beneficial to the body to counter the five days of heavy eating by a period of going easy on food. Foods that are light on the stomach are easier for your system to digest, giving your system more time to return to normal state. From staples like khichdi and porridge, to veggies like spinach or cabbage, treat your body to light yet nutritious food that doesn’t put load on your body.

Five days worth of Diwali food is enough to fill your body with a number of toxins. Drinking water helps to flush out all excess fat and sugar, which clears up the system enough so that nutrients from other foods can reach all organs. Try to drink at least 2-3 litres everyday.

Usually people associate detox drinks with fancy concoctions made with various ingredients. However, a detox drink can be as simple as a glass of lemon water or a cup of green tea. These simple yet effective drinks help in getting rid of the effects of Diwali food by aiding weight weight loss and improving digestion. So try to drink a healthy detox drink at least once a day.

Processed foods are loaded with fat, sugar, hydrogenated oils, salt, and a large amount of calories. These are the last things you would want after your unhealthy episode with Diwali food. Processed foods are a strict no-no not just to detoxify your body post-Diwali, but also in general. These foods contain all the ingredients that are bad for your body and that can cause weight gain.

A lot of food during Diwali comes from outside, and it is never a good idea to eat so much outside food. The use of oil, sugars, artificial flavours, and not to mention the quality and hygiene of a restaurant are major concerns when it comes to good health. Post-Diwali, avoid eating food from outside, and stick to the more viable ‘ghar ka khana’, sticking to healthy and tasty food made in your kitchen.