dEtOx Diet

 Detox is the new drug

The grand festival has just been over and hs left every Bengali in melancholy. The 5days has been real heaven for those lucky enough to stay in hometown. Finding a Bengali who has preferred home-cooked food during the puja, would be a tough job and there can be no doubt that the Bengalis has spent the special days enjoying a scrumptious meal in favourite restaurants. With eggrolls, chow mien, chicken and the best of all "biriyani", it has been a big feast for the tummy. No won-der, the fat has also amassed and probably left you bloated. To help you recover from all sorts of such complications, "detox" diet can be a really helpful solution, and that you can have a jolly "festival of the lights." What is a detox diet?

A detox diet is touted to remove toxins from the body. Experts agree that caring for our bodies with a bal-anced approach to food, along with adequate sleep and movement, supports our natural de-toxification systems. - Willow Jarosh The idea of a detox diet, dating back to ancient Egyptian and biblical times, has been and con-tinues to be an appealing one. However, the concept lacks strong scientific evidence and there aren't high-quality clinical studies to support them. The main purpose of this concept is to give your stomach a rest and get rid of the toxins and helps you enjoy health benefits, including a boost of energy, clearer skin, weight loss and others. It simply "retrains" tour taste buds so that you crave healthier food, to boost well-ness. How does it work?

Detox diets can be of many types, some being short terms or can last for a few weeks. It has been identified that certain food like garlic, grapefruit, and different types of teas may be more effective for detoxification. Drinking more water naturally helps to detoxify the body, and hence water and fruits with higher water contents are a must for the diet. Dietician Subarna Roychoudhury says, " Fast-ing is no option. It is better to intake fruit juices and vegetables and cut back sugar and fat consumption. A strict plan for 3-5days seems to be enough to bring the digestive tract back in track. A longer plan is usually detrimental. However, when you have been eating junk for a longer time, the diet can be your BFF for a few days. What to eat?

Fruits like apple, watermelon, banana, pomegranate, cucum-ber, pineapple and lemons are to be included in the diet. You can have a green coconut each day. Try to keep vegetables like gourd, carrots, and papaya in your plate. You can try salads with season-al vegetables, whole fruits, smoothies and oat-meal for snacks and breakfast. Add cooked chickpea, hemp seed, sunflower seed to regain energy if you feel weak. Make sure you drink adequate amounts of wa-ter, 3-4litres a day, to keep your body hydrated as well. Detox Water

To 1 litre of water, add 2 teaspoons of chopped ginger, one slice of cucumber, 2 inches cinna-mon stick, lemon juice and honey. Mix well, let it settle overnight. Sieve the water next morn-ing, add another 3 litres of water to it. Drink the whole day and you would surely be bene-fitted. Simply focusing on smart nutrition and health habits is free and carries no risk. To stay fit, follow an exercise schedule and you can get results sooner. Feel free to try it, hope it helps...

-Susmita Chatterjee