Today I have posted an article written by guest author Laura White from Detox.me, an interactive community written by people and for people who are passionate and knowledgeable about detox, nutrition, health and wellbeing.(Update March 2015: This site no longer seems to exist)
Laura has written about some of the many benefits of detox and about High Intensity Interval Training.
Why wait for a milestone to make big changes in your life? These changes can be implemented straight away and fit comfortably into your everyday routine with minimal upheaval. Detoxing can be introduced into your lifestyle at any time for any reason, and necessary changes can be made, be it in preparation for your bikini body or an event such as a wedding or a birthday party. The benefits of a detox heavily outweigh the few drawbacks that accompany the eradication of unwanted toxins within your body.
Detoxing replenishes the body and general feelings of positivity by eliminating these toxins, which are the culprits behind the sluggishness, bloating and tiredness we feel when consuming foods/drinks that contain them. Toxins also result in weight gain, and have a negative effect on our bodies both inside and out. Detoxing can improve performance as well as boost your energy and improve mental and emotional balance.
Benefits of detoxing:
Detoxing can flush out the bad toxins in your body that cause bloating and tiredness. Once your body has been able to ‘reboot’ itself, it is left feeling rejuvenated and energised, boosting energy levels as well as metabolism. This increase in metabolic rate and energy levels effectively leads to an increase in weight being lost as a result.
Another benefit of detoxing is being able to sleep better and more easily than pre-detox. This can dramatically improve both your mental and emotional balance, as your brain and your body are getting the rest they need in order to be able to function at the best of their ability.
Detoxing leads to positive changes on the outside as well as the inside. Toxins that clog up your pores will be eradicated, leading to more radiant looking skin.
To better understand the term detox, we can perceive it to be ‘rebooting your system’. As the toxins are flushed out of the body or the body ‘shuts down’ you will experience some unwanted side effects, which will swiftly pass as your system restarts, and you are left feeling rebooted and reenergised.
Like most things that our bodies are used to consuming on a daily basis and in large quantities, withdrawal from something that is relied upon to function becomes apparent.
Like most things, going ‘cold turkey’ from something our body is used to consuming large amounts of and relies on, leads to withdrawal symptoms. Headaches, tiredness and general irritability are a few side effects of detoxing, however these don’t last more than a few days and are replaced with feelings of motivation and energy, which greatly improve performance, and you are able to reap the benefits of a toxin- free lifestyle.
In terms of weight loss, detoxing provides the initial stepping stone to this process. Once the body is rid of the toxins that cause weight gain, you can begin to think about the next step in order to lose weight safely and healthily.
Eating the right foods:
Detoxing can eradicate any negative added stress of a diet that can often not work and leave us feeling even worse as we cut out the wrong nutrients we need to function properly. Diets usually take us to extremes in order to lose weight and it is by no means healthy or safe. Eating the right food and in the right amounts is essential to our health and is the key to consistent weight loss.
After a workout it is important to consume a carbohydrate and protein blend in order to replenish glycogen stores and replace muscle protein which will be catabolised during the workout. Within the protein content it is important to consume all 8 essential amino acids which can be found in high quality proteins such as lean meats, chicken, nuts, egg whites, etc as these are not naturally occurring within our bodies. After completing a HIIT workout (high intensity interval training), it is extremely important to consume these nutrients as soon as possible post workout, as there is a window of around 2 hours post exercise where your body is most responsive to food intake – i.e. protein and carbohydrate stores can be replenished to a greater extent. Also, high intensity workouts burn the most calories up to 24 hours afterwards through a process known as EPOC (excess post exercise oxygen consumption).
Proteins are recommended to be 20% of your daily food intake, and more than this when we exercise. It is recommended by nutritionists that your protein intake should be split 50/50, with half being consumed 30 minutes before your workout (to limit muscle catabolism/breakdown) and the other half being consumed 30 minutes post – to provide the raw materials for muscle building.
Weight loss should be a gradual change introduced to your body slowly. A drastic diet or exercise session won’t allow your body to keep up with the changes and could possibly lead to weight piling on instead of dropping off. Even 15 minutes HIIT can result in weight loss as it is not drastic and can be integrated into an everyday routine, be it before work or during your lunch hour. Keeping fit and healthy is a consistent commitment, but it is important that you allow your body time to rest and repair itself after it has taken part in a high intensity workout. Allowing rest is crucial for repair so that super-compensation can be realised. You can’t function at your best if your muscles are damaged and eating protein can help the recovery process.
HIIT (High intensity interval training):
Mixing up your intervals can keep the workout interesting as well as burning fat in your body more efficiently. So for example if you sprint for 30 seconds and recovery for 30 seconds, the ratio is 1:1. If you sprint for 15 seconds and recover for 45 seconds, the ratio is 3:1. Gradually build up weights, distances and times as you become more comfortable in your previous HIIT routines. This will push your body further each time and you will be able to see the progress made as a result of high intensity training both outwardly and inwardly.
Along with the calorie burning benefits of HIIT, there is an increased toxin loss with exercise through the release of sweat. Also our hearts are beating faster pumping more oxygen around our bodies and in turn working harder to get rid of the bad toxins in our bodies. Toxins within our body lead to us feeling bloated, tired and generally miserable as they build up within our bodies making us feel as though we are lacking energy and enthusiasm.
10 Minute Solution: High Intensity Interval Training
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