Post-Sleaze detox

We all know partying takes a toll on our bodies and, with the upcoming long weekend packed with all-night events like Sleaze Ball, a lot of revellers are going to be feeling the worse for wear come Tuesday.

In an effort to get partygoers healthy again as quickly as possible, organic health food store Ueathealthy in Darlinghurst, owned by Dr Kerryn Phelps, has joined forces with Bondi-based food delivery service, Eat Fit Food, to create a detox program specifically for people who have partied too hard.

Those who sign on for the 10-day program will have all the fresh organic food and vitamin supplements they need delivered straight to their door every second day. That will include three meals a day, plus snacks, and an eating guide.

All produce will be free of wheat, gluten, dairy and preservatives. There will be no red meat but plenty of fish, organic chicken and a lot of vegetables and fruit.

If somebody is out partying, not getting enough sleep, drinking too much and taking substances that are going to affect their body’s chemistry, the body really needs to be properly rehabilitated, Phelps said.

There is going to be some damage done and, if people are choosing to do that damage -“ and I certainly advise they didn’t -“ but if they do, it’s very important they allow themselves to recover. Really central to that recovery is what they put into the body.

Eat Fit Food will supply and deliver the meals while Ueathealthy will take care of the supplements and provide nutritional advice and other services such as naturopathy.

Supplements will include a liver detox formula containing vitamins, herbs and amino acids, a rehydration formula, and a formula containing extra protein, carbohydrates and minerals.

The price of the program will depend on which services participants require, so contact Ueathealthy (www.uclinic.com.au, 9332 0400) for more information. Receiving the food alone starts at $54.95 a day.

Naturopath and store manager of Ueathealthy John Lewis said the detox program would make getting healthy easy.

You don’t have to do anything for yourself, it’s all done for you. It’s delivered to your door, all you have to do is unpack it and eat it, Lewis said.

By the end of the 10 days you should be feeling better than you’ve ever felt, I reckon.

Some general tips for those recovering -“ apart from eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables -“ were to eat brown rice, things with plenty of fibre, grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fish and non-caffeinated herbal tea and green tea, Phelps advised.

She said it was also important to keep up the consumption of water and to get lots of sleep and rest.

The sorts of things best avoided were refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, colours and flavours, caffeine, alcohol and high fat foods.

Lewis also recommended doing some light exercise, but any weight lifting should be reduced.

Some exercise is good because sweating will help you get the toxins out of your system, he said.

In Phelps’s experience, people who complete detox programs gradually return to some of their former habits of drinking coffee or alcohol. But she thinks detoxing every now and then is a good thing.

I think you need a reminder every so often that your body is worth looking after, because you will get the best performance out of yourself in your work and personal life if you do look after yourself, she said.