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After feasting like kings through Christmas and New Year, many of us are looking warily at all that holiday weight that we have gained. Thankfully, I have a 21 day body reset program that will help you get back into shape well before Valentine’s Day!
It's time to remove the hollies and fairy lights from your living room because sadly Christmas is over and a new year has begun. After feasting like kings on fatty, rich foods and endless sweet treats, many of us are looking warily at all that holiday weight that we have gained, trying to hide it under extra layers of warm clothes. Thankfully, I have a 21 day body reset program that will help you get back into shape well before Valentine’s Day!
Now I know what you are thinking… this is the classic diet of eat less whilst exercising vigorously, leaving you exhausted, at best, if not ill. With a global pandemic, this is the worst time to pursue such ‘diets’ and compromise your immune system.
The 21 Day Body Reset is based on ‘less is more’. There are no counting calories and the exercise routine is very gentle. This program is all about healing from the inside out, loving yourself and allowing your body to find its natural equilibrium. Eating the right foods, doing the right exercise to achieve the right results.
Believe me, this reset program works. I am proof of it. Previously, I tried countless ‘diets’ that failed, leaving me feeling demoralised. I had no choice but to start from scratch and after months of research and experimentation, created a program that worked for me. Over the last year, not only I have lost 10 kg, my bloating, headaches, joint pains, brain fog and skin breakouts all vanished. I feel more energized than ever before! I am really excited to share this program with you so that you can achieve the same results I have and feel amazing in your own skin. In fact, I would go as far as to say, you are likely to continue following the guidelines to this program well after the 21 days because you will fall in love with healing yourself!
Before we start...
Before we start with the guidelines, I want to add a disclaimer. This program is not intended to be a replacement for a professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. Please consult your doctor or medical advisor before starting this nutrition plan. If you experience any discomfort following this plan, consult a medical professional immediately.
And just one more thing...
Writing a wellness journal daily throughout the 21 days is a great way to monitor your progress. Not only is it good for keeping track your body measurements – weight, chest, waist and hip size etc, but also how you are feeling from day to day. For example, note down if you are experiencing less headaches, feeling calmer, more energized, clearer skin etc…
Why 21 days?
There are two reasons why 21 days is the right amount of time.
Firstly, 21 days is a sufficient amount of time to detox from all the toxins residing within us and allow our body to begin healing from the inflammation created by them.
Secondly, 21 days is the amount of time we need to form good habits. So after the program is over there is a greater chance of turning some, if not all, of these healing guidelines into healing habits.
The 21 Day Body Reset Guidelines
1 – Meditation and Visualization
The mind and body are deeply connected. We are what we believe and if we have limiting beliefs about our body, this will greatly affect how our body will respond to the reset program.
Take 5 minutes first thing after waking up in the morning and another 5 minutes just before you go to sleep to meditate. This will help ground you for the day and help you get deeper rest during the night.
For a few minutes after both your meditations, visualize achieving your wellness goals. The more specific and clear you can be with your visualisation, the better. Think about what that looks like and how it feels. The more positive emotion you experience during the visualisation exercise, the greater your chance of success!
2 – Sleep well
There has been much research that has shown that those who get enough deep sleep daily are healthier and trimmer.
Creating a night routine and morning routine that suits you will not only help you get better quality sleep but also be more grounded during the day.
Over the coming weeks, I will post a blog with tips to help you get the sleep your body needs to function optimally.
3 – Practice mindful eating
Being aware and conscious of what you are eating and how you are eating plays a fundamental role in the success of your healing journey.
Going forwards, I will outline some basic guidelines for you to follow on this which will have a big impact on your results.
4 – Gentle intermittent fasting
Practicing gentle intermittent fasting allows your body to recover and relax between meals. Our bodies use up an awful lot of energy digesting food. The more we eat and the more frequently we eat, the more we put our body under stress.
Eat 3 satiating meals per day with at least 4 hours apart between each meal and allow a 12 hour break between dinner and breakfast. By doing this and not snacking in between meals will allow you body to start and complete the correct digestive cycles. This greatly helps with those that have stomach issues – constipation, bloating etc.
Later, I will write a blog on the science behind this digestive process called the Migrating Motor Complex.
5 – Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Most of us suffer from dehydration but don’t know it. Water is vital for our bodies to function optimally. Make sure that during the 21 days you are drinking plenty of water.
Over the coming weeks, I will create a blog about staying hydrated, the signs of dehydration, the best times to drink water and tips on how you can increase your water intake.
6 – Step by step
Going for a walk is one of the best exercise to do at any age and is, for most people, affordable as all you need is a pair of walking shoes!
Taking brisk walks daily outdoors helps burn calories and rebalance your hormones to allow fat to burn effectively and efficiently.
Be gentle on yourself and build up your walking stamina gradually.
7 – Leave alcohol behind
After indulging during Christmas and New Year, it’s time to give your body a rest. Cutting alcohol out of your diet for 21 days will radically reduce body inflammation so that it has a chance to heal.
In January, I will write a blog on the science behind the effects on alcohol on our body and how it blocks our body from going towards its natural equilibrium weight.
8 – Ditch the sugar and artificial sweeteners
Sugar and artificial sweeteners not only are full of ‘empty’ calories, they also play havoc with our hormones. When our hormones are out of sync, it is virtually impossible to lose weight.
Over the next few weeks, I will explain how they create an imbalanced body and where food manufacturers craftily sneak sugar into our daily life so you know exactly what to look out for.
In the meantime, do read all the food labels before purchasing and consuming. Any food that has more than 5/6 grams of sugar per 100 grams should be avoided during the 21 days. When embarking on your own research, you maybe surprised to discover many fruits, such as dates, bananas and grapes, containing way above the 5/6 grams of sugar allowed.
9 – Bin the processed foods and take-aways
Processed foods and take-away meals are loaded with unhealthy oils, genetically modified ingredients, preservatives and flavour enhancers. All of which our bodies struggle to process and digest.
Give your body a break from these toxins. Go for organic, free range and local produce as best as your budget allows. Consume healthy fats instead. Your organs will thank you for this change.
Look out for a blog that will go through the difference between the Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids that are found in cooking oils. Which one is good for you and not so good and the best ways to use healthy oils in your cooking.
In the meantime, do stock up on healthy oils and start using like Avocado oil, Coconut oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rapeseed oil in your cooking.
10 – Cut out Caffeine
Caffeine stimulates the brain, affecting the quality of your sleep and dehydrates the body. Need I say any more as to why you need to cut caffeine out for a little while.
As a tea lover, I found cutting out my morning and afternoon tea incredibly difficult. However, I have done plenty of research on the decaffeination methods tea and coffee brands use, which methods are the safest and alternative hot drinks you can consume to keep caffeine out during the program. This is research I am so looking forward to sharing with you soon.
11 – Eat your Veggies!
Consuming animal products (meat, fish, dairy and eggs) takes a lot of time and energy for your stomach to process and digest. By substituting animal produce for plant-based foods, such as vegetables, lentils, nuts and seeds, it takes a huge strain off your digestive system and gives it a well-deserved rest whilst still getting all the nutrients you need.
Over the coming weeks, I will share with you the benefits of a rainbow plant-based diet, many vegan recipes and how to cook grains, beans and lentils to get the most out of them. You are not alone on this wellness journey; I am here to support you!
A tip for if you are not used to eating beans and lentils is to eat a tablespoon of them everyday for a week. This will help your stomach to create enzymes that are needed to break them down efficiently and effectively before you start the program.
12 – Low carb. Not no carb.
I love eating carbohydrates, but I realised during my wellness journey that some are nutritionally better than others. So, it is not about ditching carbohydrates altogether, as they are essential for our wellbeing – physically and mentally, but rather to eat the right ones.
For this program, stop eating bread, potatoes, pasta, corn and white rice and swap them with sweet potatoes, brown rice, and gluten free grains such as quinoa, oats, buckwheat and amaranth. Or beans and lentils which is a good source of both carbohydrates and protein.
At a later date this month, I will post a blog on the nutritional benefits of these substitutions and show you how to cook them. Once you know how to cook them properly, you will prefer these substitutions as they are light and fluffy compared to the stodgier traditional counterparts.
13 – Free from…
Majority of us are intolerant to certain foods but don’t realise it because unlike a food allergy the effects are more subtle and harder to detect. Consuming these foods causes an inflammation in the body which it then must deal with. Often the symptoms are centred around digestive issues by varying degrees from person to person.
Taking gluten, egg, peanuts, yeast and soy out of your diet for 21 days alleviates any stress that these foods cause on the body.
You may feel daunted by not only going vegan but also excluding common allergy foods, but I promise you there is absolutely nothing to worry about. I will share many healing recipes with you on this blog for you to use and be inspired by. I use herbs and spices from all over the world to create tasty, satiating and healing meals for you to enjoy.
If you are still reading this article there is a lot of information to take in. So below is a quick summary.
- Gentle 21-day healing program to reduce body inflammation.
- Will feel trimmer, more energized and full of vitality.
- 5 to 10 mins of meditation and visualisation twice a day – morning and evening.
- Enough deep sleep everyday throughout the program.
- Practice mindful eating.
- Eat 3 satiating meals a day, 4 hours apart. No snacking.
- 12-hour gap between dinner and breakfast.
- Make sure to sip water throughout the day and keep hydrated.
- Go for brisk walks outdoors as much as many days as you can.
- No alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, processed foods or take-aways.
- Consume only healing foods. A rainbow plant-based diet free from the common allergens and beneficial carbohydrates only.
Post below if you would like to do this 21 day Body Reset challenge. More importantly, if you have any questions please ask in the comment section. I would love to support you on your wellness journey.
Anita Anand
xxx