Nutrition - Ditch the January detox

2nd January

January sees the abundant release of detox and juice diets, but here’s why you need to bin these ‘quick fixes’ to get the results you’re after!

Most of us will have attempted some form of detox in January as an attempt to cleanse our bodies after overindulging in the festive period. Advertisements are plastered everywhere for faddy juice cleanses and diets that will make you lose ‘7 stone in 7 days’ – often promoted by your not-so-favourite celebrity. But these detox diets are unsustainable, and frankly aren’t enjoyable (Beyonce’s maple syrup cleanse certainly doesn’t float our boat).

Energy

Juice cleanses and detox diets won’t give your body all the nutrients it needs. These diets can often lead to bingeing, and therefore long-term weight gain. Your energy levels will suffer as a result, and won’t do your Gymbox workouts justice. To make the most of your time in the gym, you’ll need a wide range of foods that will provide you with enough energy to push yourself in order to get the results you’re after.

Now we know it might be somewhat apparent that we’re not in favour of a juice cleanse (how did you know?!), but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy smoothies and juices as part of a balanced diet. For a pre-workout energy fix, try the recipe below for my Green Boost Smoothie. The healthy fats from the avocado will fuel your body and the matcha green tea powder contains twice as much caffeine as coffee, providing a huge energy boost prior to your workout. For a post-workout alternative, adding protein powder will help to repair your body tissue.

Green Boost Smoothie - Serves 1

(Guideline): 170kcals, P: 3g F: 11g C: 19g

• Handful of spinach
• ½ banana
• ½ avocado
• ½ tsp matcha powder
• Water (enough to thin out the smoothie)

Throw everything into a blender and mix up, adding water until you reach your desired consistency!

Meal Prep

In addition to energising pre-workout foods, eating healthy, protein-packed meals will ensure sustenance throughout the day. Taking a few hours to prep meals for the week will be your saviour. You’ll know exactly what’s in your food and it will save you time (something we know London life can deprive you massively of). Get yourself a decent set of Tupperware and batch cook meals like turkey chilli and curry to store in the freezer, and take out whenever you need them.

Awareness

One of the only scientifically proven ways to lose weight is to reduce your caloric intake. Now, there’s no doubt that a detox diet will limit the amount of calories you consume and will probably make some difference to your weight in the short amount of time you do it for. But you’re not going to reach your goals overnight, so to keep off that unwanted weight, finding a consistent and manageable nutritional plan is key. That means not denying yourself of cravings, but simply having a better understanding of what you’re eating.

Try using a food-tracking app like My Fitness Pal. It’s easy to log your meals and gives you way more visibility in your consumption. You’ll see that swapping a normal chocolate bar for a snack-sized version will half the calories but still satisfy your sweet tooth! This way, (providing you stay within your caloric needs*) you can enjoy the foods you love and still lose weight.

January doesn’t have to be all juice and no fun. Fuel your body the right way to banish those unwanted pounds for good!

You can follow Catrina on Twitter: NutSoNaughty or Insta: @nutsonaughty

*(Everyone’s caloric needs are different and can be tailored to each individual depending on their goals)