Dreading the detox?

It's hard work, January.

Christmas decs come down, Christmassy films peter out and the excuses for having an evening tipple or finishing off the box of Celebrations start to wear thin.

As we turn our thoughts to green tea and galloping on the dreadmill, it's only honest to say it probably won't last even the whole of January!

I think it all depends on our motives; to look slimmer, to feel the clothes slacken off a wee bit, to feel less lethargic...or perhaps to rid the pangs of food-guilt! We all have one, but most of the time we're not fully tuned into it.

In my opinion, eating is around 95% psychological for most of us. And by that I mean, we usually have some cognition that leads us to nibble or perhaps an emotional stimulation that propels us to the fridge. For long-term weight management and overall health, I think we need to do some soul-searching first to discover these impulses.

For me, the internal conversation mostly goes, "a cup of tea just isn't as fun without a biscuit!" - mainly habitual. Or my patterns of eating that have just begun to stick over time, "I just can not let that go to waste" or when offered a nice home made cupcake..."it'd be rude to say no".

Really. Really though? Who said a cup of tea isn't just as satisfying without the biccie? And what would actually happen to the person that offered you the cupcake if you did just say "No thanks." Heck you could even geek it up a bit and respond with "It looks amazing, but my body doesn't respond well to the immediate peak and trough in blood insulin and serotonin levels" - I doubt anyone will probe you about that one! 

In a bid to keep it simple, I've compiled a list of my 5 ways towards a healthier January bod! 

1 Drink more water This could be spring, tap, hot, chilled, sparkling, herbal tea or diluted fruit juice - just get into the glugging pattern of 1.5 to 2 litres a day. It clears the skin, mind and bowels!

2 Cut back on the sugar The short term effects that sugar has on the body are really not great. Peaks in blood insulin levels that then take a massive drop, cause the energy lows we often feel after a chocolate bar. It's also hidden in many 'diet' foods to enhance flavour and shelf life. At the end of the day it is a calorific simple carbohydrate that keeps us in the addictive loop of sweet cravings. 

3 Eat regularly Avoid the justification that because you ate so much yesterday, you need to have no breakfast and little lunch today. Your body needs fuel all day, and eating small amounts every 3 hours will help your metabolism to stabilise.

4 Up the greens I know it's an obvious one, but it's a crucial one. As well as containing vital vitamins, fat-burning compounds and gut-loving fibre, green veg is rich in chlorophyll. This is the life-blood of a plant that collects energy from sunlight. It helps to purify our blood by supporting red blood cell production and binds to and expels toxic substances from our body. 

5 Get physical I'd be surprised if anyone didn't realise that exercise was good for them. Our lymph glands and lymph fluid does the job of removing unwanted waste from our body. As well as increasing serotonin levels (the happy hormone), exercise allows the heart to pump these gorgeous lymph juices around your body and through the lymph nodes, cleansing it of nasty cells like viruses and bacteria.

So, next time you hear the biscuit barrel calling, challenge your thoughts and change their direction...away from junk food and towards health and vitality!