Detox: Tips for adapting your diet after the excesses of the holiday season

For Phytocea by Léa Bathily, Dietitian

The holiday season is often synonymous with abundance when it comes to food. From appetizers to desserts, meals tend to be copious, though undeniably delicious. The best diet after this period is quite simple and all about balance! Indeed, eating a variety of foods in appropriate quantities is the best advice for restoring your body's health after the holidays.

What are the basics of nutrition?

First and foremost, food allows us to meet the needs of our body, which are simply the consequences of our different types of energy expenditure.

First, we define basal metabolism (BMR), which corresponds to the body's needs to ensure all its functions. These are fundamental needs necessary for us to live. The functions in question include, for example, respiration, digestion, and a multitude of biochemical reactions that occur continuously.

In parallel, there is the level of physical activity (PPA), which is defined as "any bodily movement produced by contraction of skeletal muscles resulting in an increase in energy expenditure." In practical terms, this refers to the physical activity performed daily. Whether simply physical (walking, climbing stairs, etc.) or sporting (tennis, running, etc.), these activities result in energy expenditure, which therefore affects nutritional needs.

Furthermore, it's possible to gain a few pounds during the holiday season, as the balance between food intake and energy needs is generally disrupted, with food consumption exceeding our nutritional requirements. To stop weight gain, it's necessary to rebalance this balance, meaning eating as much as you expend.

What is a balanced diet?

A balanced diet means eating everything in the right quantities. Appropriate quantities are personal, as nutritional needs depend on various factors specific to each individual, such as weight, height, age, and level of physical activity.

To function properly, our body needs:

- Macronutrients: carbohydrates, lipids and proteins;

- Micronutrients: vitamins and minerals.

These molecules are supplied via the different food groups and water (minerals only).

Unsweetened drinks

Water, tea, and coffee help hydrate the body, eliminate waste, and participate in several metabolic reactions. Depending on the type of water consumed (spring water, mineral water), it provides varying amounts of minerals that can contribute to meeting our needs for these trace elements (calcium, magnesium, chloride, selenium, sodium, etc.). Consuming at least 1.5 liters of water per day is recommended. It's also worth noting that alcohol consumption dehydrates the body, making it essential to provide sufficient water to counteract this. Water also helps eliminate alcohol-related waste products, supporting the liver's role in its breakdown.

Fruits and vegetables

Low in calories, fruits and vegetables have the advantage of providing fiber , vitamins, and minerals. They contribute to intestinal comfort and meet our needs for trace elements. They also contain a wide range of antioxidants beneficial for combating premature aging of our cells. Fruits are a source of simple carbohydrates (more commonly known as fast-acting sugars), providing quick and sustained energy. It is recommended to eat vegetables three times a day, and two servings of fruit per day are sufficient.

Cereal products and their derivatives

They provide energy to the body thanks to their complex carbohydrate content (a branching structure of many simple carbohydrates), which are generally present in large quantities. The starchy foods consumed in a meal (rice, wheat, oats, and their derivatives) have the advantage of providing sustained energy. Starchy foods should be consumed at least once a day, with whole-grain options being preferred.

Milk and dairy products

Sources of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D , these foods contribute to the intake of elements necessary for building and maintaining bone health. The proteins provided by these products are known to be of good quality, as they contain all the essential amino acids. Their consumption is recommended once or twice a day for adults.

Meat, fish, eggs and plant-based alternatives

These foods provide, in particular, protein. These macromolecules are necessary for muscle contraction and are involved in immune functions, hormonal communication, enzymatic reactions, and the transport of molecules. Meat is valuable for its vitamin B12 and iron content, and oily fish for its omega-3 content. Plant-based alternatives are advantageous for their fiber content and low fat content. However, it is important to pay attention to the amino acid composition of these products, as they are generally deficient in certain essential amino acids . This is particularly true of most legumes, which have methionine and cysteine ​​as their limiting factors. The key is to always combine these foods with products that do not have the same limiting factor. In the case of legumes, combining them with grain products is an effective alternative since their limiting factor is different: lysine. This is known as the nutritional complementarity of proteins. In general, it is recommended to consume:

- Legumes twice a week;

- A maximum of 500g of meat per week other than poultry;

- Fish twice a week, including oily fish once a week.

* "A limiting factor (here: limiting amino acid) is an amino acid present in a lower quantity in a food. This limitation leads to a decrease in net protein utilization."

Fats

Despite their controversial image, fats are necessary for thermoregulation, hormonal communication, and energy production, and are precursors to the formation of fat-soluble vitamins. However, they should be consumed in moderation due to their high lipid content . This nutrient is the most energy-dense of all, which is why fats are very high in calories. For cardiovascular health reasons, cooking with oil is preferable to cooking with butter, and foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids are preferred to those rich in saturated fatty acids. Oils such as:

• olive oil (rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols)

• of walnuts, flax or rapeseed (neutral in taste and well balanced) which contain omega 3.

Sunflower oil consumption should be limited because it is rich in omega 6, which we generally consume in sufficient quantities.
It is possible to meet your omega 3 intake, and more specifically DHA, by using specific food supplements such as the Omega+ food supplement from Phytocea .

Sugary products

This category of food offers no real benefit to our bodies other than the pleasure it gives our taste buds. Composed primarily of simple carbohydrates, they are responsible for weight gain and chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes when consumed in excess. Therefore, it is important to limit your consumption of sugary products to one or two per day, with a maximum intake of 40g of sugar, for example.

The other recommendations of the PNNS4 also advise consuming a small handful of unsalted nuts (almonds, walnuts) daily. These foods provide polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6.

The positive aspects of holiday meals

Although Christmas meals are often rich, there are still some benefits to be gained. For fish and seafood lovers, it's the perfect time to stock up on iodine, selenium , iron, and vitamin B12 . Deficiencies in these nutrients are common. Another characteristic of this food group is its high protein content and low fat content, except for oily fish. For example, shrimp contain 25% protein and 6% fat. Oily fish, on the other hand, provide a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which helps meet the body's needs for this polyunsaturated fatty acid.

Tips for feeling good in your body after the holidays

In addition to a balanced diet, emphasizing the qualitative aspect of food is essential.

Taking care of your gut microbiota

The gut microbiota refers to the entire bacterial flora present in our intestines. It works in symbiosis with our body and plays a key role in digestion and immunity. Large, low-fiber meals tend to disrupt this bacterial flora, making it necessary to restore it. The best allies for this are the consumption of prebiotics and probiotics . While probiotics are a collection of beneficial bacteria that promote the growth of the gut flora, prebiotics serve as substrates to nourish these bacteria, thus optimizing their development.

Phytocea offers, in particular, the Flore Daily food supplement, a symbiotic blend of probiotics and prebiotics designed to restore a functional intestinal flora.

Consume foods rich in antioxidants

Antioxidants should be consumed regularly to combat the damage to our cells caused by oxidative stress. Diet can be one of the factors that promotes the formation of pro-oxidant species. Between alcohol consumption and heavy meals, antioxidants play a crucial role in counteracting the harmful effects of oxidative stress. As mentioned earlier, these molecules are found primarily in fruits and vegetables.

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Sources

https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/pnns4_2019-2023.pdf