Overindulged on the beer and braai? Here's how to kickstart your healthy routine

Article by:  Media Connect Moments Lifestyle
Photo by Nathan Cowley

Clinical nutritionist Nicci Robertson shares some advice on getting back to a healthy lifestyle and routine.

While the holidays are a magical time of the year, they can often disrupt your regular routine, especially when it comes to your health and weight loss goals.

Most of us aren’t very healthy during the holidays. Holidays are always full of food, drinks and late nights - the last thing you may want is to hit the gym or go for a walk or jog.

With the holiday season nearly over, getting back into your healthy routine can be hard.

If you feel it's time to hit the reset button, clinical nutritionist Nicci Robertson shares some valuable tips on kickstarting your health and wellness lifestyle.

She says the cardinal rule of any health lifestyle is consuming enough water, which is critical for our bodies.

"The general rule is to consume 30 ml of plain water per kilogram of body weight. So if you weigh 100kgs, the average is about 3 liters per day. You don't want to drink this all at once so rather space it out through the day. If it's really hot or you're exercising and perspiring, then you can up this to 40 ml of water per kilo of total body weight."

After the indulgence over the holiday season, most people set out to detox in the New Year.

While many believe this is a great way to eliminate toxins from your body, Robertson says the term is often misunderstood.

"Many people think a water or juice fast is how you detox. When we talk about detox, we talk about the liver, the kidneys and the skin. We sweat through the skin and eliminate through the liver, kidneys and gut. It's impossible to detox just drinking water or juices. This is because our body houses toxins in fat cells."

"To squeeze them through the kidneys, liver and gut, we need to turn them water soluble by attaching an amino acid to that. To do that, we need to consume protein. And the first thing people cut out during detoxing is protein. So what happens is that stays in the system and recycles back and that's where you get headaches and mood swings."

There is a medical and technical way of getting a detox right, says Robertson.

"A real detox is done correctly and you'll have increased energy, great skin and a clear head from the get-go. You shouldn't feel hungry and deprived. But if you're drinking enough water, eating real food and exercising, there's no need for detoxing."

If you've overindulged on the booze during the festive season, it's time to go cold turkey and cut it out. Robertson advises doing an alcohol detox for one month post the holidays.

"From the very first day you stop with the alcohol, you can replace it with herbal teas. Your body is really good at getting rid of any excess that's already there."

Nicci Robertson, clinical nutritionist