Laurann O'Reilly: Are you feeling a little sluggish? My fourteen top tips for detoxing the body

We are all allowed to indulge now and then, we only live once after all. It really is about achieving a balance though.

When we think about it, everything that we do and consume has a positive or negative effect on our bodies, similar to us putting the right fuel into our car.

If we feed our bodies with nutritious and wholesome foods, we feel healthier and can function at our best.

If you think that you may have overindulged and you’re feeling the effects of it, fret not as nutritionist Laurann O’Reilly and owner of Nutrition by Laurann guides us through her top tips for cleansing and detoxing the body, so you can feel like new and like you again.

The word ‘detox’ has gotten a bad reputation recently, because as you can imagine there are many influencers and companies recommending all kinds of diets and promises that aren’t always reliable or safe.

The word detox or to detoxify is defined as “the process of removing toxins, poisons, or other harmful substances from the body” and when done so safely, it can have huge benefits to our health. You can even compare it to servicing your car!

My top detoxing tips

Ditch The Sugar:
This could be one of the hardest things to do after a season of indulging in drinks, sweets and desserts, which can result in real cravings for sugar and that dreaded crash and crave cycle. As sugar is in fact highly addictive, unfortunately the only way to curb and desensitise from it is by removing it.
Tip: It may be helpful to do a little sugar audit of your home to remove the guilty sugar culprits.

Pop The Alcohol Back in the Cupboard:
As I mentioned above, it’s okay to enjoy things in moderation, once we achieve a balance, so if you had a few drinks over the holidays with your friends and family, there’s no need to feel guilty. However, if we get into the habit of drinking regularly and in large volumes, this can put pressure on our liver, which plays an important role in filtering out toxins from the body. Interestingly it's not alcohol itself but an enzyme that alcohol produces that does the damage.
Tip: To give our liver an opportunity to detoxify and rest, it’s best to take a little break from the alcoholic beverages. Remember, it’s still possible to enjoy socialising with a drink in hand as there are so many alcohol-free alternatives now available.

Avoid Takeaway Foods:
It really can be really tempting to opt for a takeaway after a hard day and work, however these types of foods can not only be high in fat and sugar but can also contain many processed and artificial ingredients which the body has to process.
Tip: For those who struggle to find time to prepare meals during the working week, I highly recommend getting into the habit of meal planning, you can download my Free Meal Planning Guide here:
https://nutritionbylaurann.ie/ your-meal-planning-guide/

Remove The Temptation:
We can often be left with stacks of uneaten desserts, chocolate, sweets, treats and sugary drinks after the holidays. The real problem lies in that we can be continuously grazing on these long after the presents have been opened and the tree taken down.
Tip: Much like your sugar audit above, the only way to avoid temptation and fully detox from the treats is to remove them completely from your home, allowing you to control your environment. House of house out of mind!

Stock Up On The Veggies:
Vegetables are not only rich in vitamins and minerals but they also contain really important disease fighting compounds called ‘anti-oxidants’ which can help the body heal.
Tip: Why not try to squeeze them into your meals, soups, and juices. Remember, the higher the spectrum of colours the greater the variety of healing compounds, so eat the rainbow as they say.

Load Up On The Fruit:
Much like vegetables, having a variety of fruit throughout the day can also supply you with important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Not only are they great for snacks but they can also be incorporated into meals.
Tip: Remember when I say that “every meal is an opportunity to nourish”, this could be as simple as adding fruit, nuts and seeds to your porridge, Weetabix or even your yogurt.

Hello H20:
Water plays many roles in the body but a major role in flushing out toxins from our bodies and improving our digestion. Each person’s fluid requirement varies depending on weight but it’s good to aim for a minimum of 1.5 – 2 Litres of water per day.
Tip: Remember to carry your water bottle with you wherever you go and to keep it topped up. They even say that you should drink 500ml before you leave the house in the morning!

Get Moving:
Along with clean and nutritious eating, exercise helps get the blood and oxygen flowing to all areas of the body, which can help the healing process too. It also secretes valuable endorphins which leave you happy and glowing from the inside out.

Learn To Calm The Mind & Body:
Life can be demanding and challenging at times so it’s important to find ways to calm your mind and body. As mentioned previously, stress can cause an increase in the hormone cortisol, resulting in a craving of foods high in sugar and fat. By calming our minds, we calm our bodies.
Tip: As we all relax in different ways, it’s important to find the one that suits you. This could be a form of exercise such as walking, swimming, running, cycling or dancing. It may also be a gentler form, through yoga, meditation, listening to music or reading a book. Find your calm

Prepare Your Healthy Snacks:
I discussed the preparation of healthy snacks in my column covering food cravings, but I really can’t emphasise enough how important it is to have your healthy snacks prepared in advance. This will help you to avoid the temptation of high sugar, high fat and processed foods.
Tip: Healthy snacks can include foods such as, whole fruit, yogurts (topped with fruit and seeds), nuts, seeds, rice/corn cakes, hard-boiled eggs and wholegrain crackers with cottage cheese.

Reduce The Caffeine:
Whilst a small amount of caffeine can be good for us (that’s below 400mg/day or 4 shots of coffee). Excess caffeine can impair our absorption of many important vitamins and minerals. It can also affect our quality of sleep when consumed in excess or late into the evening.
Tip: Aim to limit your caffeine to a maximum of 4 shots per day (this may involve requesting 1 shot coffees in a coffee shop) and avoid consuming it a few hours before bedtime, opting for decaffeinated versions, herbal teas and water instead.

Detoxing Herbal Remedy:
I absolutely love the A Vogel ‘Milk Thistle’ Herbal Remedy which can be purchased in tablets or drops (I much prefer the drops). This is a natural and herbal liver cleanser. Remember, It’s important to be careful when choosing herbal remedies so always consult a qualified professional.

Free Detox Pack:
Feel free to download my FREE 3 Day Detox Pack here, which can help you on your cleansing journey:
https://nutritionbylaurann.ie/ your-three-day-detox-pack/

Normalise Clean Eating:
To really reap the benefits of the above tips, it can be helpful to make clean eating a way of life, whilst allowing yourself the odd treat too. You really can’t beat that feeling which I call ‘The Nutritional Click’, where your mind and body are functioning at their very best. Perhaps you can say ‘goodbye’ to feeling sluggish and hello to energy in 2023!