The not-so-scary detox

Can you feel it, the calm after the storm?

It feels like I’ve lost something important but I’m not sure what it is. There’s loads of parking (a forgotten miracle) and the office is a quiet place of busy keyboards and seriousness.

There’s a very simple explanation for all this dullery, it’s the World Cup hangover. It was an orgy of legendary indulgence of all things especially the foodie drinkie kind. Oh and how wonderful it was to earn a hangover that lasts for weeks.

The remedy? A pure and simple detox.

Don’t be alarmed or immediately thrust your head in the sand, I’ve got some great ideas and easy alternatives to the usual fussing. Delicious too, so no starving or cold bitchy celery sticks. Try these tips for 3 days and see how you feel. I’ll eat my apron if you don’t feel 10 times better.

1.    Cut out the booze and junk food!

3.    Getting it all in the morning? No more cheesy toasties or sugar-filled muffins and cereals. Try a big bowl of lovely oats and not the instant kind either. They take 2 minutes in the microwave so no excuses. Add some fresh apples, pears, strawberries or banana, a swirl of honey and a dollop of low fat yoghurt – a breakfast of kings. I’m addicted to it and they’re low GI which means you’re full for ages.

4.    Snacks – yay, great news, you must snack. Once mid-morning and once mid-afternoon. Try things like a low fat yoghurt and some nuts, hummus or ¼ avo on some lovely whole wheat bread or rye or some fresh fruit. You will curb your appetite and keep your metabolism marching on.

5.    One word – soup. Especially now in winter, there are so many fabulous soups that you can make sans the cream and cheese that will warm your heart and fill your tummy.

Try this detox soup for starters, especially designed for cleaning from the inside out and tasty too. There’s this hearty chickpea soup with fresh coriander and a beautiful brothy Vietnamese chicken and pineapple soup. For super-high antioxidants and cleansers, try this tomato and lemongrass soup or this gorgeous beetroot soup with cumin.  

6.    Warm salads like this beetroot and green bean salad, our blogger Sardines on Toast’s winter salad and this drooilicious mushroom, pear and almond salad will seriously hit the healthy spot.

7.    Leave out the red meat for a while, you can do it! There are loads of fish and chicken dishes never mind all the veggie dishes that you can make. Try some of these healthy budget dinners.

8.    Have a bath with fresh rosemary, honey and olive oil, it will relax you.

So go on, try it, and blow your vuvu whilst you’re at it.