Detox & Weight Loss Tips
Vita Health’s Dr
Nyjon Eccles and expert nutritionist, Amelia Freer have put together some quick
detox and weight loss tips to kick-start the New Year
·
Most weight
gain is rooted in poor lifestyle choices, wrong foods (and lack of foods that
encourage weight reduction) with an increased intake of energy-dense
foods that are high in fat, salt and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and
other micronutrients.
o
This is compounded by wrong timing of food intake. A decrease in physical activity alongside the above allows
for excess caloric intake above calorie burn.
o
You should ideally have eaten your
evening meal by 7pm at the latest. I
have patients who by only doing this and not changing their food intake have
achieved their desired weight.
·
Animal food
and high sugar diets are pro-inflammatory, meaning they encourage inflammation
at a cell and tissue level. This in turn can lead to raised stress hormones
(cortisol), insulin excess (insulin resistance) and increased weight.
o
A diet rich
in plant food (all green vegetables & fruit) and Omega 3’s ( oily fish like
mackerel, sardines & tuna) and a
good quality fish oil supplement (ifosprogram.com)
keeps inflammation at bay
 |
The recently launched VITA HEALTH medical
programmes at Rocco Forte’s
Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily are a new
approach to preventative health,
combining the latest integrative medical
techniques and advanced natural therapies.
|
·
Consider
a day of fasting (just drinking herbal teas and water). This will work wonders
for your self-control as well as allow the body a short period of rest, repair
and detoxification.
·
Toxins get stored in our tissues. While avoiding foods that contain toxins is
helpful, a real detox also encourages the healthy elimination of stored toxins
and heavy metals from our bodies. So
it’s not just about what you don’t eat, but what you do eat that can assist
this process.
o
Antioxidants, fibre and amino acids
are essential for detoxification. Chia
seeds for example help to transport toxins from the body, artichokes are rich
in fibre to encourage healthy elimination, dark green leafy vegetables are rich
in antioxidants which support phase 2 liver detoxification, broccoli sprouts in
particular. Green tea contains
antioxidants which boost liver function and garlic stimulates enzymes in the
liver to further aggravate and flush out stored toxins.
o
So just avoiding the bad foods isn’t a
real “detox” – it’s essential to support your body by eating healing and helpful
foods to encourage toxin removal.
o
Green food
supplements, like chlorella, which is easily available, encourages detox, in
particularly through the bowel.
·
A daily probiotic supplement can
really help to keep your digestive system happy and reduce bloating and gas. Probiotics
sold on offer in supermarkets aren’t good quality, nor are ones with added
sugar and made into drinks. A good quality capsule or powder available from
most health food shops needs to be refrigerated.
·
Dry Skin Brushing is a great way to
liberate toxins and move lymph so that they can be eliminated.
·
If you are trying to lose weight but
note your weight fluctuates by 3-4lbs in a day, you are most likely eating a
food that you are intolerant to.
·
Don’t skip meals. Start your day with
a proper breakfast, preferably with some protein, which helps to reduce energy
dips and sugar cravings later in the day. Starting your day with caffeine only
guarantees energy dips and cravings for the wrong foods by mid-afternoon. Set yourself up well for the rest of the day.
·
Plan! If you want to be healthy you do
need to prepare your kitchen for success so stock up on your healthy options
and plan your meals ahead so that you don’t get stuck hungry and reaching for
the quick, low quality, low nutrient options.
·
Gluten is one of the most inflammatory
and toxic substances for many people. Lots of detox diets say to cut out wheat
but not all of the gluten grains. I notice quite substantial improvements in client’s
digestive health as well and energy and weight loss when they eliminate all
grains for a short period.
·
If a strict detox feels scary or
overwhelming, just try to remove one negative food habit or introduce one positive
food habit each day.
o
Like taking your multi vitamins one
day, then cutting your caffeine intake by half the next, then adding in
broccoli to one meal, then cutting out dairy the next.
o
The word detox gets thrown around
everywhere without real connection to what it means but really, just trying to
change dietary habits, eating more consciously and using fresh and seasonal
produce is already a great improvement for your health.
My Detox
essentials are:
1. Replace
tea and coffee with green tea and dandelion tea.
2. Drink
2 litres water throughout the day
3. Avoid
all cows produce
4. Avoid
all grains
5. Only
eat foods in their natural form, fresh and seasonal
6. No
sugars, sweeteners or syrups
7. Don’t
overcook anything!
A
sample meal plan
-Lean
protein, lots of lightly steamed vegetables, nuts, seeds and 1 portion of fruit
per meal.
-Start the day
with protein such as an egg or smoked salmon or a portion of fruit mixed with
nuts and seeds
-Have a simple
soup or salad for lunch with some chicken or turkey and an apple
-For dinner,
some steamed fish with steamed vegetables followed by some berries or an orange.
-Use fresh
herbs to give flavor with a good quality olive oil and a squeeze of lemon added
at the end and
The recently launched VITA HEALTH medical programmes at Rocco
Forte’s Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily are a new approach to
preventative health, combining the latest integrative medical techniques and
advanced natural therapies.
Created in partnership with Dr. Nyjon Eccles, one of the world’s
leading Integrated Medicine Physicians, the results-led VITA HEALTH programmes
specialise in nutritional, non-invasive and anti-ageing medicine which and are
the legacy of 25 years of pioneering medical and dietary research.
For further information please
call Vita Health on +39 0925 998 060, or e-mail vitahealth@roccofortehotels.com
No comments:
Post a Comment