Shahnaz Husain
During parties, we tend to eat and drink more. We also have late nights and go without enough sleep. Then we make New Year resolutions to change our lifestyle and go on a diet to detoxify the system. The best thing is to go nature’s way and detox the system to look and feel good.
Give up coffee and drink green tea daily. It has great benefits. For example, regularly drinking green tea is said to help in losing weight. It increases fat oxidation and eliminates excess levels of water from the body. Green tea is also said to lower cholesterol levels due to the presence of tannins. You can also add spices to tea, like Ginger (adrak), Cardamon (elaichi), Cinnamon (dalchini) and pepper. Ginger is known as “a universal remedy” because it has so many benefits. Ginger boiled in water can be had as ginger tea. Ginger tea is advised after meals for digestion. It also reduces inflammation. Chamomile tea is available as tea-bags. It helps to induce relaxation and calms the nerves.
While we are on the subject of drinking – make sure to drink more water. Have the juice of a lemon with a glass of warm water first thing in the morning. This helps to flush the system. Have probiotic foods, like probiotic yogurt or drink. Probiotics are natural and good bacteria, which brings about a balance in the digestive system.
There is nothing better than a warm bath to make you feel better. Bath salts, added to bath water, can help to remove fatigue and induce relaxation. In order to make your own bath salts at home very simply, just add two tablespoons of salt crystals to the bath water, along with essential oils. Among the oils that may be used are Cinnamon Oil, Lavender Oil, Rose Oil, Geranium, Neroli or Eucalyptus Oil, etc. You can add 5 drops of an essential oil to pure olive oil and then add it to the water along with the salts. Cinnamon Oil relieves fatigue and muscular tension, while Lavender induces relaxation. Rose oil is said to have a calming effect on the mind. Essential oils should not be used by themselves.
Excess fluid around eyes can be a result of alcohol and binging during parties. According to skin specialists, gently tapping the skin around eyes with the finger tips can sometimes help the collected fluid to drain away. Work from the inner eye and go towards the temples. Grated potatoes or potato juice, applied around the eyes also helps to reduce puffy eyes. So do tea bags. Steep them in hot water, cool them and use them as eye pads.
Apart from a detox program, you may want to shed a little weight after all that spicy and rich food. But first, take your doctor’s green signal before following any program, or making changes in your diet. Have a low fat diet and low fat dairy products. Also have less salt. Keep low-calorie snacks at home….you can have raw cucumber, carrots, fruits, roasted diet-snacks that are available. You can make a snack out of popcorn (without butter), “mur-mura”, boiled or sprouted “kala chana”, adding lemon juice and “chaat masala”.
Include raw, natural foods and fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Natural foods are those that can be eaten raw, those that are naturally derived and those that are unrefined and unprocessed. Not only do they detoxify the system by promoting the elimination of wastes, but also bring about a sense of well being and vitality. Include fresh fruits and lightly cooked vegetables, unprocessed cereals, sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, yogurt.
Take up yoga. The exercises or “asanas” are particularly beneficial for strengthening the body, making it flexible, supple and youthful. They are combined with breathing exercises, thus improving oxygenation, purifying the organ systems and inducing relaxation of both body and mind. It also helps to reduce stress. Bring about lifestyle changes – giving up smoking, alcohol, bingeing on heavy, fried foods, etc.
Last, but not the least, you can go for a deep tissue massage. It will not only be most relaxing, but will also help to release toxins due to massage on pressure points.
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