After you’ve gone to all the trouble of following a detox diet, to get the most from it you want to ensure that you continue to eat healthily. I’m sure you will agree that there is very little point in detoxing if you are just going to go back to eating junk and processed food.
You don’t have to go hungry. You don’t have to deprive yourself of food. It’s not about that. It’s about eating the right food. Once you have followed a detox diet you should naturally become more attuned to what kind of foods your body needs to feel satisfied.
If you have lost some unwanted weight on the detox then keeping to proper eating habits will prevent those pounds from returning. A lot of the problems of remaining on a healthy diet come from blood sugar swings which cause cravings for sweet and fatty snacks. When your blood sugar is low all will power simply vanishes.
So let’s look at what healthy eating habits you need to adopt to boost your natural energy levels, feel healthier and fitter than ever.
1. Stay hydrated
Water has many functions in the body. Making sure you stay hydrated can make an enormous difference to how you feel. Water helps to dilute the toxins in your body.
Even mild dehydration can lead to symptoms like constipation, confusion, tiredness, headaches and the risk of kidney infections.
Drink at least 8 generous glasses of pure water a day. That’s about 1.5 liters. You may need to drink more if you sweat a lot.
You can include fresh juices, herbal teas, green tea and coffee alternatives in your daily quota. Canned fizzy drinks and regular tea and coffee don’t count.
Drink a fresh vegetable juice every day.
Limit your alcohol intake too. Drinking alcohol can affect blood sugar levels and make you crave sugary and fatty foods.
Drink a glass of water with a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice first thing in the morning. Drink a glass before your meals and 2 after exercise.
2. Always eat breakfast
Eating a healthy breakfast helps to keep your energy levels stable is essential. Skipping it or snatching a cup of coffee and a bowl of processed cereal can play havoc with your blood sugar level. A couple of hours later you will be hungry, tired and craving a sugary snack.
If you really have to have that cup of coffee in the morning it’s best to have it after or with a breakfast that contains protein and fiber. You could have a healthy muesli or natural yoghurt with fruit and seeds.
If that’s not your thing you could try a tofu smoothie made with some soft tofu, an apple and some seeds. Add some rice, oat or almond milk. If you prefer a cooked breakfast try eggs and some rye bread toast.
If you can do without a caffeine fix and don’t have any blood sugar problems then a large green smoothie will be ideal. Make enough to have another mid-morning.
However busy you are in the mornings eating a good breakfast is the key to having good energy and staying on your healthy diet for the rest of the day.
3 Avoid sugar
There are so many different names for sugar that you might not realize how much you are eating. Sugar is broken down into glucose and absorbed into your blood stream very quickly. This triggers insulin which lowers the blood sugar again very often resulting in hunger and an energy slump making you want to grab an unhealthy snack.
Sugars under names such as sucrose, glucose, mannitol, fructose, corn syrup, malt, malt extract, maltose, rice syrup, golden syrup, invert sugar, molasses, and honey are common additions to processed foods.
If you have been buying low fat foods because you think they are healthier you might be shocked to discover that the less fat the product has the more sugar it contains. a low fat muffin for example will contain more sugar which quickly cause your blood glucose to rise with the inevitable quick drop once again causing your cravings and lack of will power.
Every time you trigger insulin you are causing the glucose to be stored as fat. That’s how the weight goes on even though you are eating low fat food.
Learn more about how to end your sugar cravings here:
4. Eat a rainbow of foods
Many people eat the same foods every day. Do you go to the supermarket 
and do your shopping on autopilot or do you look to see what’s available? It’s vital to eat a wide variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need.
If you tend to buy the same foods every week next time you shop try buying a new fruit or vegetable that you haven’t tried before. It really pays to make your meals more varied and interesting.
See if you can eat a rainbow of foods. Including fruit and vegetables that are orange, yellow, blue, purple, red and green will help to ensure you are getting a wide range of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and other phytochemicals.
5. Make time to eat regularly
By supplying your body with the right fuel at regular intervals during the day you should be able to keep your energy levels stable so you don’t get tempted back to bad eating habits.
It’s too easy these days to rush through the day without taking the time to eat properly. You will probably feel best when you eat three healthy balanced meals a day with a healthy snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
By balanced I mean eating a meal that contains protein, fat and complex carbohydrate. Complex ( unprocessed) carbohydrate and protein take longer to be broken down than simple carbohydrates. complex carbohydrate.
It can take time experimenting with different ratios of protein, fat and complex carbohydrate for your meal to find out which you feel best on and what suits you. You may need different ratios at different meals too.
It’s important for your health to take time to eat slowly and chew your food well. This way you will digest your food better and get more nutrients from it. Eating in a rush does not leave you feeling satisfied and before you know it you will be wanting to eat again and give in to temptations.
It helps to plan your meals and snacks ahead. If your job is really busy and stressful it is is even more important to have your healthy snacks handy to prevent you relying on a quick cup of coffee and a donut or cookie.
Keep a bag of fresh, unsalted nuts, seeds and some fruit handy. An apple and 6 Brazil nuts or almonds would be a good choice. It’s important not to eat too many nuts.
A vegetable dip with some raw vegetable sticks is another good snack. Or try spreading some Guacamole on a couple of sugar free oatcakes or rye crispbread.
Following these 5 rules after your detox diet can help you change your way of eating for life. Most of us are creatures of habit. Making changes to the way you eat and drink may seem strange at first but once you do you will see it can be surprisingly easy and enjoyable.
Chewing your food is very important. Eating is a pleasure not a task. Most of us forget that after detox we need to maintain the diet. Consistency is the key to success.