Healthy Foods and Healthy Habits for a Healthy 2021!
Detoxification (a.k.a a detox) has become such a buzzword over the past few years. It simply means to rid your body of toxins, which can ultimately improve your health and general wellbeing.
Quite frankly, your body is already well equipped to get rid of these toxins without the help of a very specific diet or expensive food supplements. But there are definitely some foods and habits that can help enhance the natural detox process.
Foods for detox
- Fatty fish like salmon or tuna contains omega 3 and vitamin B12. Omega 3 reduces inflammation of the body and improves brain function. Vitamin B12 works with folic acid to produce blood cells and help iron work better.
- Brown rice is less processed than white rice, so it retains more nutritional value (eg. fibre, vitamins and minerals). It’s got a high RDI for manganese that helps enzymes break down carbohydrates and protein to generate energy.
- Sweet potato is very rich in vitamin A (438% of RDI). It’s very rich in complex carbohydrates, which the body digests slower and therefore produces a steadier and more sustained source of energy.
- Eggs are a really good source of inexpensive protein, of vitamin B12, B6 and D, and minerals such as zinc and copper. Eggs are also a source of complete proteins as they contain all nine essential amino acids that we cannot synthesize in our body and have to get from our diet.
Other healthy habits that can help you detox
First of all, limiting the consumption of alcohol will help you detox as alcohol reduces the liver’s ability to carry out its normal detoxifying functions. Moreover, alcohol is well-known for being high in “empty” calories, the calories that don’t bring any useful nutrients to your body. So if you want to wake up a little more clear-headed, you might want to ditch that glass of red.
Another thing: SLEEP. We are all incredibly busy, and sometimes, we find ourselves wishing that there were more than 24 hours in a day. But if there’s one thing you shouldn’t give up on is getting a decent amount of sleep every night. While some people might be able to work on 3 hours sleep and some caffeine; it’s not recommended! You should aim to get between 6 and 9 hours of sleep every night, as sleep deprivation prevents your body from carrying out its normal functions and a build-up (of toxins and tiredness) might occur.
Finally, make sure you drink plenty of water. Water really does so many good things! It regulates the body’s temperature, lubricates your joints, aids digestion and nutrient absorption and so much more. Indeed, body cells break down the nutrients for your body to use as energy. This process generates waste products that are released through sweating, urinating or breathing, and water helps transport these waste products out. You should aim for at least 2 litres a day (and more if you’re exercising) to get all the benefits that water brings!
That’s it, you’ve got all the info on your hands to start a healthy detox to get your year off to the best start! Keep in mind that life is also about balance; don’t be too hard on yourself and enjoy that burger or glass of wine (or whatever other treats you like to indulge in!)
Another great way to get your year off to a great start is to improve your work-life, and what better way than one of our Areaworks spaces. Book a tour of one of our London locations to take a look around and see all that we have to offer.
