Eight ways to detox in the New Year

After the heavy indulgence that comes with the end-of-the-year party season, get back on the healthy track with this eight-step easy detox plan:

1.) Start your days with 45 minutes of brisk walking. This helps in doing away with uncomfortable bloating, as you sweat. Walking also helps release mood-elevating endorphins. There's no better way to get over a hangover and re-energise!

2.) Eat protein rich breakfasts as proteins keep you full and deter you from overeating during the day. A egg white omelette with veggies, yogurt, besan or dal chilla with juicy fruits like berries or melons make for a hearty and healthy way to start the day.

3.) To help deal with mid-day cravings, it is wise to have a serving of veggies like broccoli, mushroom, spinach, carrots, cauliflower, and bell pepper. You should have up to one large bowl of vegetable servings for lunch, which can be topped with grilled chicken / grilled fish / boiled baked beans. You can add olive oil and herbs of choice but must avoid dressing it with chemicals and preservatives.

4.) For dinner, once again, lean proteins and antioxidant veggies are good options. You can add baked sweet potato to satisfy starch cravings if you still have any.

5.) A green cleansing smoothie can be a very important part of the detox plan. In fact, any meal can be replaced with it. The smoothie helps reduce bloating as veggies in it are potassium-rich and helps gets you rid of excess sodium while still keeping you full. You can use baby spinach, cucumber, celery, banana, pineapple chunks and non-fat yogurt to make yourself a glass of a healthy, green smoothie.

6.) Reduce your salt intake for the next few days, and avoid all canned food products, frozen preserved food products, cheese etc.

7.) Keep hydrated. Drinking plenty of plain water helps flush salts and fluid out of our system. Aim to drink at least eight to ten glasses of water.

8.) Eat potassium-rich food such as melon, bananas, sweet potato, beans, lentils, edamame, tomatoes, citrus fruits and fish.