Well, the festive season is over, and here we are in the New Year, contemplating our lives and our belly buttons. The question is whether your belly button is in the same place it was before the season of overindulgence. If you’ve emerged from 2005 struggling in shape and still fit well in your cycling shorts, then well done. However, if 2006 finds you languishing in your emergency joggers (the huge ones in the bottom of the drawer) and still miserably picking up the last of the novelty-shaped cheese puffs, then YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Help is at hand; At this time of year, the newspapers and magazines are full of new diets and the buzz word is DETOX. So, should we detox?
There are so many expensive products and plans on sale; 7 day detox diets, nutritional supplements, scientific looking kits containing exotic herbs and ingredients. They claim to remove toxins that have built up inside our bodies and contain many ‘diuretic’ herbs to stimulate urination and get rid of them. This all sounds like a good idea, especially if we feel slow or guilty about overdoing it. Thank God, there are a lot of products so that we can get back to peak condition as soon as possible.
The problem is, there’s little scientific evidence that these things actually work, other than to make us think we’re doing something healthy. The massive diet and nutrition industries have created another myth, the detox myth, encouraging us to spend money on pills, treatments, spa breaks, books, etc., but the benefits of the products are questionable and the claims are unsubstantiated. backed by science.
Every day, normal bodily processes (including stressful situations) produce “toxic” chemicals that are then used, broken down, or excreted by the body. If you eat plenty of whole foods, fruits and vegetables, stay hydrated, and exercise regularly, your body will work efficiently to metabolize and deal with body and environmental chemicals, but this must be worked on every day of your life; and that is the plain truth of the matter. Most people just don’t want to hear it; seems like too much hard work and that’s why quick fix industries exist. They are selling us the belief that we can behave exactly the way we want and then spend money to do better quickly and without sustained effort.
So my New Years message is to reject the detox mentality! How much difference can a 7 day plan really make? Our body has many different rhythms and processes, some take hours, others take months, and drastically changing your life for a short time will never give you any lasting benefit. Be kinder to yourself and take some time to consider how you can be healthier, then set yourself an achievable goal each week, for example; week 1- drink 1.5 liters of water every day, week 2: eat fruit, week 3: find a walking partner. Healthy living is about making gentle, sustainable changes to our diet and lifestyle, allowing our bodies to acclimate and our tastes to adjust slowly, until eating well and exercising become a regular and normal part of life. daily. This is the true path to a long, productive and quality life, something that cannot be bought in a box, no matter how much money is spent.
Until next time, take care and stay healthy!
Vikki.
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