Often, being on a detox makes people feel restricted and like there is nothing nice left to eat. I am a firm believer that dieting does not work. The reason for this, the minute (most of us) feel restricted or told we can’t have things, it makes you crave the naughty stuff even more. It is all about balance. I love my coffee, I love the odd cocktail with friends and I love having pudding with my boyfriend when I go out for dinner. You only live once so, why shouldn’t we have these yummy treats hey! However, having said this, from time to time, it does feel good to have a cleanse, from all those toxic nasties like coffee, alcohol and sugar. It is good to reset the body so we can notice real cravings, as opposed to cravings we think we feel because we are feeding ourselves these addictive substances. They are now saying processed sugar is actually more addictive than heroine, scary stuff! So, currently I am on a 30-day My Escape challenge (for more info on this contact us at My Escape, www.pilatesandyogaholidays.com) – which basically is about eating healthy clean foods and cutting out processed nasties, coffee and refined sugar. So, it really is nothing fancy and it is certainly not a diet. Even this though can feel a little isolating and that you can’t eat out, however, this is not the case, especially when you love somewhere like Brighton which is full of health conscious restaurants and cafes. Here are my top 4 detox friendly, amazing restaurants and cafes that are actually my favourite places to go whether I am on a detox or not.
1) “Food for Friends specialises in the art of cooking delicious vegetarian dishes using the freshest, finest and locally sourced ingredients.” – they have a clear easy menu where you can if the dish contains gluten, dairy, nuts etc. The food is delicious and this is my favourite restaurant in town.
2) Indian Summer – “One of Brighton’s best loved and loyally followed restaurants. Indian Summer has been serving exceptional, authentic Indian cuisine since 2001.” – again like the above the menu has a very easy to navigate menu…perfect for detox months!
3) Iydea – less of a restaurant I like it best for a quick breakfast or lunch spot. “The iydea is great value quality food fast! We offer a large selection of freshly prepared hot and cold meals served in seconds so you can make the most of your lunchtime. All our food is freshly made from natural raw ingredients and served environmentally friendly packaging.”
4) Ask for the extra menu, it very helpfully lists what food types are in each dish so it is easy to see which meals you can eat on a detox. Wagamamas is a great healthy option if you are out of your normal surroundings because most places have a one! Go for something soupy, rice noodles or salad. Avoid avoid deep fried, sugary or meat dishes when on a detox.