Your post-holiday detox options

By Chiara Cui | EYP.PH 6 hours ago

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Holiday Detoxing
During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and all those Christmas parties
we're obligated to attend, whether they involve family, friends or your
officemates, one thing is certain, there will be food, and lots of it. This is the time
when eating healthy takes a backseat and we gorge on everything from lechon
and paella to leche flan and chocolate cake. It isnt pretty, especially when youre
trying to watch your weight, and if you arent careful, the Christmas season can
set you back in a major way.


If you cant help yourself from eating all that delicious holiday food then your
only option is detox. Detoxing diets are a pain, but if you follow them diligently,
they can pay off in spades. They can help restore normal organ function and
(supposedly) reverse the effects of all the fat and sugar you ingested over the
holiday season. But with so many detox diets out there, where does one start?
Here are some options:


1. The Master Cleanse - Invented in the 1940s by Stanley Burroughs, the
Master Cleanse focuses on detox in its most basic form. Basically for ten days,
youre instructed to drink a solution of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper,
sea salt, and cayenne pepper, exclusively. Youre not allowed to take in anything
else. Since its development in the 40s its been met with a lot of controversy, and
you shouldnt embark on this cleanse without consulting your doctor first.

What the detox entails: Mix 2 tbsp. of fresh lemon or lime juice, 2 tbsp. maple
syrup, 1/10 tsp. cayenne pepper into 8 oz. of warm or cold water. You need to
drink between six and twelve servings of the solution each day as long as youre
awake. Burroughs stresses the importance of consuming nothing else, implying
that the solution is enough provides enough nutrition for the day. He also urges
you to take laxatives to help the detoxification process, and suggests drinking a
salt water solution the first thing in the morning.
(Check out the major supermarkets in the metro here)


2. The French Detox Diet - Many studies have indicated that the French diet,
even though it is rich in cream and fat, can have positive effects on people looking
to lose weight. The book French Women Dont Get Fat by Mirielle Guiliano
advocates brief detoxification diets to kickstart your metabolism and set you on
the path to healthier eating habits, while Dr. Pierre Dukan, of the famous Dukan
Diet, promotes a four-step plan thats been successful for many a serial dieter.
(Take a look at these bookstores for a copy)


The French Women Dont Get Fat Detox: A relatively short detox, only
lasting 48 hours, Guiliano suggests a leek soup diet. To stave off hunger, youre
allowed to eat greens with olive oil and lemon juice in between your leek broth
intake, which you should have every two or three hours.

The Dukan Diet Detox: For five to ten days, Dr. Dukan suggests you only have
protein and a lot of water, at least 1.5 liters per day, eliminating all sugar and
carbohydrates from your diet and flushing it out. After ten days you are allowed
to slowly reintegrate certain foods, including vegetables and fruits, into your diet.
The Dukan diet incorporates four steps: detoxification, cruise, consolidation, and
stabilization. With each step, youre encouraged to include oat or wheat bran in
your daily consumption to provide the cleansing you need.


3. The Weekend Detox - Many iterations of the Weekend Detox exist. Since
detox plans usually entail a minimum of a 7 day commitment, the lure of a 3 day
detox program is something most people cant resist. According to Joy Bauer,
nutritionist and author of Joys Life Diet by cutting out foods like red meats and
grains, that are typically heavy on the digestive system, your body will expel
toxins and return to a more balanced state, especially if you increase your intake
of fruits and vegetables. While The Fruit Flush Plan developed by nutritionist
Jay Robb, focuses on subsisting solely on fruits and proteins for three days, thus
flushing all the unwanted toxins from your body.


As with all extreme diets, which is at the core of a detox, you should always
consult a physician before embarking on any of these. There are always dangers
when you do anything to the extreme, like subsisting on lemon, cayenne pepper,
and maple syrup for example, so always be aware of the dangers of these fad
diets, and remember: The best defense is a good offense. So the next time you
reach for that second or third serving of lechon, think about the weeks youll be
spending on the treadmill just to work it off. Moderation is always key.