6 Healthy Ways to Detox
By Erin Hobday,SELF magazine
Find yourself eating too much junk food lately? You might be feeling the urge to detox. But resist the call of juice diets, fasts, and other trendy but potentially dangerous cleanses. Our plan involves "eating clean"- focusing on naturally nutrient-rich whole foods, and cutting back on processed bites.
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1. Skip added sugars
"White sugar, brown sugar, honey-all sugar pumps calories into your diet and spikes your blood sugar," says nutritionist Joy Bauer. Consuming too much of it also promotes inflammation, which can increase your risk for heart disease and certain cancers and make you feel foggy and fatigued.
What to do? Stay away from foods that list sugar, high-fructose corn syrup or dextrose on the ingredients label. High-fructose corn syrup sweetens many processed foods, including cold cuts and ketchup, and food makers often add it to reduced-fat foods to make them tastier. Just like table sugar, HFCS can cause spikes and dips in your blood sugar, and some research suggests it may mess with the hunger and fullness signals the hormone leptin sends out, leaving you less satisfied.
2. Avoid bad fats
Saturated and trans fats can clog your arteries and promote inflammation. Nix trans fats by sidestepping fried foods and anything made with hydrogenated vegetable oils (check labels). And limit saturated fats to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories by wiping out high-fat marbled meats and choosing skim or 1-percent-fat dairy products instead of full-fat ones.
What to do? Saturated fat can also make you... well... fat. According to a recent study, certain types of saturated fat (think: red meat, whole milk, cheese and butter) may actually override those handy "whoah, I'm stuffed, stop eating!" signals your body sends out. But don't clear fat off your plate entirely: oleic acid, the type of unsaturated fat in olive oil, avocados and nuts, don't have the same effect. Oleic acid also helps curb hunger and improves fat digestion.
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3. Pump up proteins
Lean proteins from sources such as chicken and wild salmon preserve your lean body mass, and having some at every meal stabilizes blood sugar levels and helps you feel fuller longer. Divide your body weight in pounds by 2-that's how many grams of protein you should aim to get each day, Bauer says.
What to do? Pumping up your intake of protein from non-animal sources such as whole-grain cereal, tofu and beans may also lower your blood pressure. These foods are also rich in fiber and magnesium, which can help reduce your risk of dying from heart disease by 5 percent. Toss tofu in salads or snack on unsalted nuts and seeds.
4. Be a teetotaler
"Alcohol is taxing on your liver, plus it lowers your inhibitions, making it harder to resist unhealthy foods," Bauer says. Drinking too much not only increases your risk of high blood pressure and obesity, it also messes with your skin!
What to do? Stick to water, seltzer, tea and coffee most of the time, but do indulge in an occasional glass of red wine. Resveratrol, the potent antioxidant in red vino, may help prevent cancer, keep your heart and brain healthy, reduce inflammation, and even help stave off diabetes!
5. Reach for fiber
Soluble fiber in oats and beans is filling, making it a key weight loss tool. It also helps pull cholesterol out of the bloodstream, moving it through the digestive tract.
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What to do? Make a list of high-fiber foods you love and keep a supply at the ready. We're not just talking about cereal-berries, fruit, potatoes and edamame all count. Work as many as you can into your day. Studies suggest that people absorb up to 6 percent fewer calories when they follow a high-fiber dietor at least 34 grams of fiber a day. Have two foods with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving every day.
6. Chew, swallow, repeat
Taking in calories at regular intervals keeps your blood sugar stabilized and metabolism revved. And did you know that certain foods that you could eat more of to weigh less, including steak, eggs and Parmesan cheese? The right foods help you drop pounds by revving your calorie burn and curbing cravings.
What to do? Have breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up, Bauer says, and aim to eat about every four hours. Eating every four hours also means being prepared. Store healthy snacks at work, and keep an energy bar in your purse for hunger emergencies!
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