Does timing matter with a detox diet?

It’s down to you really. It’s important that you choose the right time to start your detox diet. The time needs to feel right for you and you need to approach the detox diet with a positive frame of mind.

The new year is often a good time to embark on a detox diet. After the excesses of Christmas, your body will be in need of cleansing and will be ready to revitalize. This time of year is always a good time for decisions and renewed resolve!

You may prefer to begin your detox diet in the spring. After all, this is the season of fresh starts and uplifted spirits. It is also the time of year when there is a greater choice of fruit and vegetables.

On the other hand, you may find it more motivating to embark on this detox diet a month or so before a holiday or special occasion – like the lead up to Christmas. There’s nothing like a big incentive to spur you on. The most important thing is to begin your detox diet with a positive attitude.

Checklist of essentials for a successful detox diet

You don’t have to invest in expensive gadgets but the following kitchen items will help you to prepare your meals more easily.

• Steamer – excellent for lightly cooking your vegetables with minimum loss of valuable nutrients and flavor.
• Storage jars – keep dried foods such as beans, lentils, nuts and seeds in airtight storage jars and use them within six months.
• Blender – use either a hand blender or liquidizer for making soups and smoothies.
• Glass jars or sprouting jars – for sprouting mung beans, aduki beans, chickpeas, alfalfa, lentils, pumpkinseeds and sunflower seeds.
• Food processor – makes chopping and grating vegetables much easier for making soups, hot pots, stews and salads.
• Juicer – a bit of a luxury item but well worth the investment if your budget can stretch that far.

How to prepare your food

Preparing and cooking food is very simple on most detox diets. Usually, most of the dishes in the menu plans can be assembled in less than twenty minutes. You don’t need great cooking skills either, just a bit of common sense and plenty of fresh ingredients to hand. Here are some useful tips to follow.

• Do not buy ready-cut vegetables, salads or fruit. They will have lost most of their nutritional value by the time you eat them.
• Prepare fruit and vegetables just before you make them into a salad or cook them. Once they are chopped they start to lose nutrients.
• Do not cook food too far in advance or reheat leftovers.
• Fruit and vegetables should be eaten unpeeled whenever possible because many vitamins and minerals are concentrated just beneath the skin.
• Use frozen food if fresh is not available – its nutritional value is similar.