Many people participate in FebFast during February - a great opportunity to ‘go without’ for just 4 weeks after the excesses of Christmas and the new year. For some, this means separating themselves from social media or their devices. For others it’s alcohol, sugar, coffee or meat.

When we cut ourselves off from something we consume every day, we will go into some kind of withdrawal. How this manifests depends on what it is and how reliant our body has become. Some common withdrawal symptoms include headaches, nausea, irritability, mood swings, lethargy and cravings just to name a few.

Your body is detoxifying. Trust it.

Believe it or not, these withdrawal symptoms are your body’s normal response to recalibrating itself and should only last a few days. If it’s food or drink you are ‘fasting’ from, your liver will be helping to clear these toxins out of your system, as will your other elimination organs (skin, breath, urine, bowel). Just as we don’t always love every minute of decluttering our homes, detoxing can feel like hard work But the boost it gives us afterwards is well worth it!

As a naturopath, detoxing sometimes forms part of a treatment plan. This doesn’t mean a month of juices and extreme fasting. It involves removing the things that put your body under pressure while supporting your body’s natural detoxification processes through these organs.

Yes, there is a way to reduce withdrawal symptoms! Here’s my top 5.

Start by drinking lots of fluid!

Taking a break from work to drink a few glass of water per day (at least four large glasses) not only helps keep your mind off cravings, but helps to ‘flush out’ the toxins from your body. Adding a squeeze of lemon juice or teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to your first glass of the day will help kick off the detoxification processes in your body.

It’s particularly useful to include herbal teas such as dandelion root, or lemonbalm, and smoothies including beetroot, celery, carrot, cabbage, cucumber, ginger and turmeric. These help youstay hydrated and contain nutrients that support your body back to strength and vitality.

Eat your veggies!

Eat lots of fresh vegetables and some fruit - avoid processed food. Vegetables are great, and this time of year it’s easy to incorporate them into every meal. A simple salad of rocket, pear and shaved parmesan, roasted pumpkin with spinach and avocado, or steamed green beans with slivered almonds takes only minutes to prepare and tastes delicious. One dish you may like to try is Spanish escalivada - roasted caramelised vegetables with a side of optional anchovies. You will be surprised how delicious vegetables can be with a good recipe and loving preparation!

Let your body move!

Engage in some form of physical activity - just a 20-40 minute walk each day is enough to get your blood and lymphatic systems moving to remove the waste and send nutrients where they are needed. It really helps take your mind off the restlessness that can come with changing our habits.

Get plenty of sleep!

This might mean going to bed a little earlier and/or getting up a little later, but your body will thank you for it. Sleep is a chance for you to have a well-earned rest and for your body to get the full benefit of your detoxifying efforts!

Be actively gentle on yourself

Some ‘self love’ in the form of a massage, sauna, acupuncture or daily skin brushing can help remove toxins and relieve some of the aches and pains you might be experiencing through the withdrawal process. It’s also a nice way of rewarding yourself for the great work you are doing for your body!

So good luck with your FebFast.

Remember support is always on hand from your preferred healthcare practitioner. There are also online support groups and Febfast communities?. I hope it’s a success and leaves you feeling refreshed and ‘lighter’ moving into March.

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Please note: if you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms lasting more than 1 week or symptoms that include psychosis, vomiting or other extreme reactions, please seek immediate support from your preferred healthcare practitioner. If you are dependent or abusing a substance please seek medical advice before starting any withdrawal process.

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