It’s hard to be virtuous about your diet when you’re surrounded by mounds of glistening laddoos, creamy barfi and crispy fried namkeen treats. Don’t stress out too much if you’ve overindulged during Diwali, because all you need to do is follow a detox regimen to get back to your healthy, happy self.

In a nutshell, detoxifying helps you cleanse your system of toxins imbibed from all the calorie-laden foods you’ve been gorging on. It’s also a good way to speed up your metabolism and enhance your overall health.

Here’s why post Diwali is the best time to detox:

1. Rid your system of excess sugar

Your body needs to recuperate from all the sweet treats you’ve binged on. When you eat more sugar, your body demands more insulin, which in turn puts a strain on your pancreas. In the long term, this can cause chronic fatigue, diabetes and weight gain. 

2. Remove toxins from the body

Pollution levels are alarmingly high at this time of the year, and they can affect our metabolism, immune system and are responsible for cancer, neurological diseases, heart disease, strokes, and more.

While our bodies have a built-in detox function (the liver, for instance, is a detoxifying organ) those organs are constantly on overdrive. A detox programme can help improve this natural function.

3. Improve immunity

When the seasons change, our immune system is at its most vulnerable. Detoxing can help strengthen its functioning to ensure we can fight off infection.

4. Accelerate weight loss & increase metabolic levels

Toxins that enter your body are stored in your fat cells, which are metabolized, or broken down leading to weight loss. During this process, toxins stored in the cells are released into your body. So while you lose weight, you’re also releasing into your body’s circulatory system a large amount of stored toxins, which can slow down your metabolism and affect your hormones.

Since storing your body fat is not an option, you have to reduce the number of toxins entering your body. That’s where a regular detox plan helps.

5. Restore your body’s balance

While your body detoxes naturally every day, this process is influenced by the lifestyle choices you make. A bad diet and lack of exercise can cause a toxic build-up, which can lead to fatigue, muscle ache, sinus congestion, headaches, bloating and gas, sleep problems, water retention and weight gain. Detoxing by making the right food choices and exercising can help reboot the body’s natural detoxification systems.

Contrary to popular perception, detoxifying doesn’t mean you starve yourself. On the contrary, all you need to do is:

• Choose the right foods and get your body back into eating moderate proportions at regular intervals
• Increase your water intake
• Add more fiber to your meals
• Avoid processed foods
• Quit sugar for a week, since you’ve had more than your fair share of sweets in the recent past.
• Get back into an exercise regime. Even a 30-minute brisk walk can help!