Resolution 2024: Adopting a healthy, balanced diet and including detox in your routine

As we step into a new year many will be looking to get back to a healthier lifestyle. The month of January often inspires resolutions focused on health and well-being, and therefore maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, as well as adopting healthier lifestyle habits are often at the top of the list of resolutions.

We are what we eat

We have more control over our health than we think. The food choices we make today not only have an impact on our well-being but are also the key to preventing various health concerns. A poor diet can impact our health, contributing to obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol level and type 2 diabetes, all of which are critical risk factors for cardiovascular disease. ¹ Moreover, the repercussions of obesity can go even further, relating to 13 different cancers, including post-menopausal breast cancer and intestinal cancer. ¹

By broaching the subject of Healthy, Balanced Diet and Detoxification, these two have often been seen as a pillar to maintaining a proper health and well-being. However, it is important to know what they mean and how they can be beneficial to your body.

Adopting a healthy, balanced diet

A healthy, balanced diet goes far beyond simply losing weight, as we might think. It is a holistic approach to eating habits that focuses on the balance of essential nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, all in adequate and reasonable quantities to nourish our bodies, the basis for optimal health, well-being, growth and development. ²

Consuming a variety of foods and cutting down on salt, sugars and saturated and industrially produced trans-fats, are essential for a healthy diet.³ However, it is important to bear in mind that the exact composition of a varied, balanced and healthy diet can also vary according to individual characteristics (for example, age, sex, lifestyle and level of physical activity), cultural context, locally available foods and eating customs. ⁴

According to the WHO – World Health Organisation, a healthy, balanced diet includes taking the following advice into account:

• Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, as these are important sources of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, plant protein and antioxidants.
• Choose legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice).
• Use unsaturated vegetable oils (e.g. olive, soy, sunflower or corn oil) rather than animals fats or oils rich in saturated fats (e.g. butter, ghee, lard, coconut and palm oil).
• Privilege white meat (e.g. poultry) and fish, which are generally low in fat, rather than red meat. Eat only limited amounts of processed meats as they are high in fat and salt.
• Opt for low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products.
• Avoid foods that are rich in salt and sugars.
• Limit consumption of fizzy drinks, soft-drinks or other high-sugar beverages (e.g. fruit juices, syrups, flavoured milks and yoghurt drinks).
• Avoid sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.⁵

What about detoxification?

On the other hand, detoxification, commonly known as detox is a process aimed at eliminating accumulated toxins from the body ⁶. These toxins originating from various sources such as pollutants, synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, and processed foods, can potentially burden our system over time.⁶

Yet, detox practices, commonly known as short-term interventions assist in clearing the body’s pathways, to facilitate the elimination of harmful substances and help avoid various health problems including obesity, digestive issues, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, allergies, bloating, and chronic fatigue; all these promoting to the overall well-being and vitality.⁷ Yet there are many ways to do a detox diet — ranging from total starvation fasts to simpler food modifications, and herbs, teas or supplement consumption.⁷

Most detox diets include at least one of the following:

• Fasting for 1 to 3 days.
• Drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, water and tea.
• Drinking specific liquids such as lemon juice.
• Taking supplements or herbs.
• Completely eliminating alcohol, cigarettes and refined sugar.⁷
• Eating food rich in antioxidants (vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) such as berries, fruits, nuts, cocoa, vegetables, spices, and beverages like green tea. ⁶

Benefits of a healthy, balanced diet and detox

Both healthy, balanced diet and detox play an essential role in supporting overall well-being. Integrating these practices into your routine can contribute to the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle as both help to:

• Reduce risk of chronic disease
• Strengthen the immune system
• Maintain a proper balance weight
• Boost energy level
• Improve mental health

In conclusion, embracing a resolution that includes adopting a healthy, balanced diet and including a detox plan into your routine can be a good step towards a healthier lifestyle. It is recommended to consult a nutritionist that would be able to provide you with a personalised nutrition plan according to your needs and well-being goal.

Reference list:

1. Rice, S. (2024) Exactly what you need to eat to lose weight and live longer, The Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/weight-loss/healthy-balanced-diet-weight-loss-ageing/ (Accessed: 11 January 2024).

2. Healthy diet (2023) World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/healthy-diet#tab=tab_1 (Accessed: 16 January 2024).

3. Healthy diet (no date) World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/healthy-diet (Accessed: 16 January 2024).

4. Healthy diet (2020) World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet (Accessed: 16 January 2024).

5. Healthy diet: Keys to eating well (no date) World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/healthy-diet-keys-to-eating-well (Accessed: 15 January 2024).

6. Full body detox: 9 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Body (no date) Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-detox-your-body (Accessed: 16 January 2024).

7. Bjarnadottir, A. (2023) Do detox diets and cleanses really work?, Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/detox-diets-101#what-they-are (Accessed: 14 January 2024).