This year I kicked off spring with a three-day juice-only detox from NOSH – one of a handful of London-based diet delivery services. It was a review for my blog at work, and although I undertook the challenge with much trepidation it turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done for my body. I lost 3lbs and proved to myself (a self professed non-dieter) that I can actually exert self control and in exchange NOSH got a glowing review and a load of new customers. In fact, it went so well that I signed up for another detox for April – the Body Smooth & Tone plan.
NOSH’s latest diet is a tailored combination of antioxidant-rich superfoods with plenty of fibre and zero ‘bad fats’. Obviously it’s low calorie, but NOSH is very particular about not keeping count and rightly so, because detoxing should be about cleansing your system. (That said, weight loss is obviously a welcome side effect for most people!)
This plan is ideal for people like me who are into their exercise, because there’s enough sustenance to continue your usual routine. I did yoga, reformer Pilates and went swimming during my five-day detox and didn’t feel lacking in energy once. That’s a credit to the meal plans, which are varied, satisfying and genuinely delicious thanks to NOSH’s in-house nutritionists. An average couple of days looks something like this:
Breakfast: Protein smoothie / fruit salad with soy cream and flaked almond
Mid-morning snack: Sweet corn tossed with coconut and mustard seeds / corn cakes with guacamole
Lunch: Three bean stuffed peppers with mixed leaves / roasted butternut squash with raw green beans and mixed leaves
Mid-afternoon snack: Fruit smoothie / spiced aubergine with herb chickpeas
Dinner: Thai priced sweet potato soup / courgette and lemon thyme soup
Refueling every few hours keeps your metabolism fired up, likewise eating your meals in descending order (NOSH is obviously familiar with the adage ‘breakfast like a king, lunch like a price and dinner like a pauper’). I often make a big deal of my evening meal – going out to a restaurant or making something extravagant with my boyfriend at home – so sipping thin soup seemed very minimal on day one. By day three however, I felt so much better for it. No more going to bed with a bloated tummy and waking up with a sense of sluggishness.
By the fifth and final day I felt like a million dollars. NOSH’s mission is to make us all reevaluate the way we eat and they manage to achieve that in less than a week with their meal plans. Five days of clean, nutritious food improved my digestion, skin, hair and nails enormously, not to mention my concentration and energy levels. Getting fresh daily deliveries also takes the thought out of meal planning. You know everything which goes into your mouth is beneficial to your body and the absence of junk food highlights its prevalence in your everyday diet (I’m now scrutinising my alcohol intake particularly closely).
I can’t recommend the NOSH Body Smooth & Tone plan enough if you’re getting married or are off on a particularly special holiday, but be warned – socialising and detoxing do not mix. Clear your diary and concentrate on relaxing: read, soak in the tub, sleep lots and I guarantee you’ll reap the rewards.
