Ayurveda detox tips: Ways to remove toxins from your body after the festive season

India is rightly called the land of festival since each day witnesses some kind of celebration marked by “kuch meetha ho jaye” and the recently concluded festivals of Teej, Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami etc are proof that we indulged in a lot of namkeens, gujiyas, sweets, etc during the festivities. Before thinking of yummy food and sweets, it is a must to think about what to do beforehand to keep our body healthy.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Prajakta Muthe, Consultant Nutritionist at Connect and Heal, shared, “Let’s first understand that our body and work on any habit becomes habitual when we do it continuously for 21 days so let’s challenge ourselves and heal our body with nature. Nature has gifted us with five elements: air, Earth, water, fire and sky and our body is made of these 5 elements, so start to work on it.”

She advised, “Before indulging, ensure to breathe in the fresh air, practice pranayama and yogasan and try to drink structure water rather than having RO water. Always keep yourselves hydrated to remove toxins from the body. You can sit in the sunlight for 20 minutes and absorb the energy, walk barefoot on grass, sand, ground, etc and gaze at the stars in the night sky to relax your mind and body. Start your day with a sip of water rather than tea or coffee and practice pranayama and yogasan or a normal brisk walk. After that have fruits or nuts as breakfast or any Indian homemade breakfast.”

Cautioning to not mix citrus fruits with sweet fruits, she said, “Your plate should be colourful and should have salad and green veggies and anyone pulse in lunch. Have chaas or buttermilk after half an hour. Don’t drink water immediately after your meal, keep half an hour gap before and after. You can have makhana, roasted peanuts, ragi and dry fruits as an evening snack. Switch to jaggery and natural sugar like dates, figs etc. Have dinner before 8 pm and it should be simple with green veggies, salad and bhakri. This will give your body the time to digest and heal. Follow this routine before the festive season so you can have sweets and namkeens guilt-free. Listen to your body and its needs.”

Suggesting to switch to the same routine after the festivals, Prajakta Muthe advised, “Detox your body by having ash gourd juice for 7 days on empty stomach, do an enema once a month; only after a natural bowel movement, preferred in the morning, use plain water, and don’t add anything. Eat mindfully and joyfully and ensure that the eating habits should be sustainable; avoid binge eating, keto diet, intermittent fasting, pills or supplements. Switch to an alkaline diet, eat healthy fats, low calories, and include a lot of fruits and vegetables. The alkaline diet boosts the PH level of fluids in the body and reduces acidity, thereby improving overall health by removing toxins and detoxing the body.”

Understanding that many of us are on a guilt trip post festivals, thanks to a few indulgences, Dr Suchismitha Rajamanya, Consultant - Internal Medicine at Manipal Hospital at Whitefield, recommended not to fret over the past and said, “A stricter diet, low in calories and rich in fruits and vegetables plays a major role. Increasing the duration of exercise, mostly cardio can help shed some of the extra kilos gained. Yoga, plates and muscle stretches will help maintain the tone of the muscles and burn out the extra fat. Including diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids like fish, flax seeds, chia seeds will provide the necessary anti oxidants to fight the damage. As festive seasons approach, apart from shopping for clothes, jewellery, we need to also prepare our body for the onslaught from all the rich, festive food, socializing and the exercise on the back burner.”

She added, “Small measures like increasing the duration of cardio, core strengthening exercise and toning can help maintain the BMR and allow us to burn out the extra calories gained more easily. A little discipline and dedication in terms of not succumbing to gustatory temptation and social pressure and over indulging, can help us feel lot less guilty and more healthy after the season. Acclimatizing ourselves with healthier options like millets, jaggery will ease out the transition to more wholesome, healthy dishes and desserts.”