Detox/slimming teas actually does what it says. I've tried the 100% natural, all fibre detox drink "Vege fibre" by NH DetoxLim and I took it as part of a weightloss programme back way before I became a gym bunny. Except I failed after 2 weeks because: a) it gave me stomach aches 2 hours after consumption and that drained me b) daily diarrhoea as expected and c) I cannot keep on spending on such things. I've had friends who tried slimming teas and they had the same effects, but their skin and lips became dry after a while. These side effects are not unusual and I am not deterring anyone from taking such drinks but do make sure you stay hydrated and have plenty of water throughout the day. 

After learning so much more about the power of food and the methods of preparation, I find that it is so much worthy to take control of your diet and add in all the right ingredients into your meal to help with your fitness goals. Yes, it takes time to fully understand proteins/fibre/carbs/fats/sugar and how these can be slammed into a bowl yet does wonders to your body. 

Take the initiative to do your research. You can't just read 1 diet article and think you're going to feature on AFC as a fitness foodie. You have to fully understand the food groups/ micronutrients/ macronutrients, what they do and how they are digested. 

Micronutrients are nutrients needed in small amounts to help with our development and well-being. We know this better as vitamins and minerals, hence we should be taking our supplements - especially Vitamin C since our bodies cannot produce any. Macronutrients are nutrients needed in larger quantities such as protein, fat and carbs which give us calories and energy. 

The hardest part of eating clean is to cut our your sugars. Sugar is in everything and our brains can get hooked on it like how it can get hooked on cocaine. I started by totally cutting out sodas and fruit juices that contained sugar (if you can, start making your own juices because then you are fully aware of what goes into your juice), waving goodbye to all my favourite cakes and snacks and realising that I can no longer chomp my way through a whole packet of Chipsmores. Next was to limit the carbs. A favourite question from many is "have you stopped eating white rice?" YES. I've been able to live without white rice for many months now and replacing them with other forms of carbs such as sweet potatoes (contains low GI) and the occasional white potatoes. But ofcourse, you can always opt for brown rice or multi-grain rice. 

The amount of willpower and discipline I had came from my endless complaints of not looking like those fitness models on Instagram, having cellulite and not being able to nicely fit into most of my clothes 😣 and I've a ton of clothes. Do you know how depressing it is to feel crap in the things you wear? Yeah, I had to change all that. Finally, from 60kgs, I am now 53kgs and feeling good and looking a heck lot better than last year with the intention of always getting better as each day goes by.