It's not you who needs a detox, it's your fridge

It's easier to grab the first snack you see at home instead of making the added effort to prepare a clean meal

KARACHI: From magazines to social media, everything seems to revolve around food these days. Either it's about eating clean or getting your hands dirty with calorie-laden food.

However, according to nutritional therapist Amelia Freer, author of bestseller Eat Nourish Glow, “It’s about eating healthily, not counting calories.”


She was quoted by The Guardian as saying that one must take control of their health by consuming foods which are closest to their natural state. Instead of depriving your body embrace food as part of a healthy lifestyle. Think of it as “something that can nourish and protect”, she said. Your body needs fuel to replenish and work, and if you deprive your body of the essentials, you're causing harm.



While you may be keeping a safe distance from sugar, pasta and fat, Amelia feels that one can still eat the fatty foods they love, without taking such drastic measures. So if you like a good ol' juicy burger from that favourite burger joint, you can replace it with a healthier alternative which you can make right at home.

Read: 10 fun ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables in your meals

The point is to detox your kitchen. It's easier to eat healthy if you have the right ingredients stocked up at home. All that junk lying in the pantry and those tubs of ice cream and bottles of fizzy drinks are not only causing us harm but also our children. One must set the right eating standards at home, otherwise children will follow the same bandwagon down the ditch.

Fizzy drinks are "liquid sugar", and Amelia does have a point when she asks, "Why would we give children food we wouldn’t eat ourselves?". Opt for water with fresh fruits.

Let's break it down. You don't need an extensive list of foods to eat clean, no fancy shmancy recipes. All you need to know about healthy eating is explained in layman terms by the nutritionist. It's real simple, you need to divide your fridge into sections - one for protein (prawns, eggs, chicken and tofu), one for veg, one for fruit.”

You must avoid refined sugar at all costs. Why not switch a tub of ice cream for frozen smoothies or fruit slushies to even homemade ice cream with just bananas?



Instead of giving up your favourites, try incorporating them in a healthy way. For example, I for one cannot live without bread, it's my kryptonite, but instead of eating refined white bread, I choose multigrain or wholewheat bread. And to be honest, it's a much better replacement, white bread doesn't even come close.

If you love butter, try a pure product like organic virgin olive oil, it's healthy and tastes good too. If it's hard for you to keep your hands off butter, eat in moderation.

Read: Grub experimentation could promote weight loss

Usually people with a busy schedule seldom have time to pack lunch when heading to work or prepare a meal when they come home. It's easier to grab the first snack you see lying around at home. But if you keep junk around your house, you tend to gorge on it. Make the extra effort, chop some vegetables, make a healthy dip and keep in your fridge so you can grab them when heading to work or munch on them when you come home.

Ditch packaged vegetables, “They lose their nutrients very quickly,” says Amelia. It's best to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

“Just don’t go there, or the cascade of sugar cravings and hunger will kick in," says Amelia. Steer clear from sugary things in your fridge or at the grocery store, they are sure to increase cravings and might just have you caving in.

Read: Ways to control food cravings

But don't worry, you don't have to eliminate all the sweet things from your fridge. Good quality dark chocolate with over 70% cocoa does the trick! It's healthy and contains your sugar cravings.