It’s been a tough start to 2009 for Sheffield students – first the excesses of Christmas and New Year, then the stress of exams and finally the beginning of a new term.
It is easy to slip into bad habits between December and February, with exercise and healthy food going out the window, replaced with junk food bingeing and too much time in the IC.
The start of term is no better – your renewed freedom to party until the small hours guilt-free can wreak havoc on your poor abused body.
But it is not too late to repair the damage.
Detoxes are really popular these days, and despite a few dissenting voices, the medical profession agrees that (used carefully) they are good for your health.
The idea is to purge toxins from your body over a limited period of time.
A detox is similar to an extreme diet in that it requires exercise and lots of water, but because many food groups are banned during detoxing it is not healthy to keep it up for longer than a week.
Although there is often some weight loss, detoxes are most effective if you apply some of their rules to everyday life – not cutting out everything but reducing your intake of certain foods and drinks.
If it encourages you to exercise and be more conscious of what you eat then the detox has worked.
Of course, other benefits can include clearer skin, more energy and motivation and healthier hair – but this depends on whether you continue to follow a sensible routine or go straight back to pizza every night.
Of course, detoxing is not suitable for everyone. The first few days of a detox can seem counterproductive as you might feel headachy or suffer from spots, but this is normal and will clear up.
Some students may find their already active lifestyle is barely impacted by the five steps, whereas people with severe health problems should consult their doctor before radically changing their eating habits.
Celebrities pay thousands of pounds to attend detox clinics where they have the support (and eagle eye) of trained professionals if they lapse from the strict regime.
Students, at least the ones I know, certainly don’t have the cash to swan off to an exclusive clinic for a week, but it is possible to detox on a budget.
So here is Lifestyle’s student detox for the new term…
Step one: Cut out booze and smoking. Yes, it’s difficult, it’s unpopular and it’s sometimes humiliating, but for just one week don’t care what everyone else thinks.
Just order a fruit juice when you go out and if it’s that bad, pretend you have vodka in it.
Step two: Cut out coffee. For some this will be harder than forgoing cigarettes and alcohol, but caffeine is considered just as bad for your body.
Energy and high-sugar drinks like Red Bull and Coke are also a no-no. Think of it as an excuse to finally concoct some smoothies.
Step three: Drink lots of water – we mean lots of water. Everyone knows that humans should drink two litres of it a day, but very few of us manage it.
Well, for one week only, force yourself to down four 500ml bottles every day. Cutting out alcohol, caffeine and sugary drinks will help this, as you won’t have many other options.
Step four: Cut out excess fat. Now, as students are notoriously broke, there is little point cutting out all your staple foods and filling the cupboard with lentils, but refrain from eating chocolate, cheese and meat for just one week. Replace them with fish, rice, and (you guessed it) fruit.
Remember, the idea is not to stop eating high-calorie foods, but to eat naturally low fat, unprocessed food instead.
As meat is usually the most expensive item on a shopping list, avoiding it will free up more cash for fruit and veg for your smoothies!
Step five: Exercise. Every day. Not just walking onto campus and back, but a physical workout that challenges your body (then again, walking onto campus in Sheffield might cause you to break a sweat).
Take advantage of the Union’s Give it a Go programme to try something new like salsa dancing or rock climbing, or just go to the gym for an hour each day. The facilities are there, so take advantage.
And there we have it – a very simple, five-step student detox plan.
Cut out alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, fatty and processed foods and drink lots of water and exercise every day for one week.
If it sounds absolutely impossible, why not up the ante – get your friends to sponsor you, and if you manage it donate the money to charity.