Cleansing diet after Easter

The Easter It is one of the periods of the year where we are exposed to different things gastronomic temptations and which usually lead to abandoning moderation in the diet and even lead to an increase of between 1 and 2 kilograms of our body weight, according to nutrition and diet experts.

During these specific dates, in the houses, restaurants, cakes and food establishments to take away emphasizes the presence of culinary preparations very diverse and caloric, both sweet and salty.

In the frame commemorations are usually consumed in abundance sweets such as fried milk, dulce de leche, buñuelos and torrijas (slices of bread soaked in milk and coated with egg, fried and sweetened with honey, also called “torrejas” or French toast).

Likewise, on the mentioned dates, and often in the days immediately before and after, other dishes are consumed that are as tasty as they are filling, such as ‘vigilia stew’ (traditional food based on salted cod and chickpeas).

Excesses that make you fat

“In context gastronomic excesses which traditionally follow Easterthere is a risk of consume almost twice as many calories in one week, which can contribute to an increase in body weight of between 1 and 2 kilograms,” states the European Medical Institute for Obesity (IMEO).

In addition to the high caloric intake, it should be taken into account that a large part of the excess calories comes from sugar, i.e. refined flour, butters and alcoholso the weight we will gain will be almost entirely in the form of fat tissue accumulated in the body,” the center points out.

Excessive consumption of these foods for several days may not have a significant effect on people who maintain a Healthy lifestyle and activebut it can have a significant impact on the body weight of people with overweight or obesity and which are prone or accustomed sedentary lifestyleaccording to this same source.

If we did not hold ours during Holy Week usual eating patternin the days after food excesses we can rebalance ours organisma purifying diet, eating healthy food that helps us eliminate certain substances, and which at the same time nourishes us, explains dietitian-nutritionist Carmen Escalada.

“It is a recommended measure to purify our body after overloading and excessive body weight resulting from excess and gastronomic imbalances and abandoning our usual limitations, which occurred to us during those “days of desserts and juicy dishes“, as he explains.

Cleansing diet after Easter

Going on a cleansing diet isn’t all about drinking liquids few days or follow a ‘detox’ diet published in magazines or promoted by a ‘celebrity’, options that can produce an even greater metabolic imbalance, but in maintaining a healthy diet, which protects our body and allows it to restore balance and vitality, he points out.

In order to make this diet more tolerable and effective and to reduce the chances of you leaving it too soon, it is advisable to avoid making it too restrictive, starting with to eat rather than “eating almost nothing”, it is better to focus on the quality of what we eat and drink, says this expert.

Clinical dietician-nutritionist Sonia Peinado recommends a proper selection of foods to start a cleansing diet. food, preferring those that do not contain fats, sugars, alcohol and sodium; are rich in vitamins, minerals and lean proteins; and which contain plenty of fiber and water.

It is also important to consume food in moderation, without eating too much of a certain food, even if it is too much. healthyas well as eating between 4 and 6 meals a day, without skipping a single one, starting with breakfast, to ensure our metabolism stays fired up from the start of the day, according to Peinad.

Cleansing food

Based on the aforementioned premises, IMEO nutritionists Carmen Escalada and Sonia Peinado recommend including the following foods and drinks in the diet for cleansing the body after Easter:

1.- Fruits and vegetables. In order to preserve as much nutrients, fiber and water as possible from these foods, it is preferable to consume fruits raw and steam vegetables.

2.- Waters, liquids and juices. In order to purify the body and help dilute and expel accumulated toxins, it is recommended to drink between two and three liters of water and natural juices without added sugar and various liquids a day, avoiding non-alcoholic, carbonated and alcoholic drinks.

3.- Skimmed milk. Preference should be given to yogurt and milk, as well as fresh cheeses, because they contain less fat and sodium and more water than mature cheeses.

4.- Whole grains. These foods provide fiber and nutrients, create a greater feeling of satiety, and also help to “clean” the intestines.

5.- Meat with low fat and cholesterol content. During the cleansing period, it is recommended to consume skinless chicken or turkey breast grilled on the grill, as well as white fish, and leave red meat and blue fish (fattier foods) for sporadic consumption.

6.- Herbs and spices. They are recommended to season dishes and make them tastier, without too much salt.

7.- Food associated with the liver. Vegetables in general, and especially green leafy vegetables (spinach, chard) are very interesting in the diet after Easter; watercress; broccoli; Citrus fruits; garlic; green tea; walnuts; 8-grain whole wheat bread; Avocado and olive oil help the purifying function of our liver, the organ responsible for expelling most toxins from the body, they conclude.