Detoxing after the Holiday Period
Holidays is a time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. This can mean that we may tend to relax our dietary habits and overindulge during the Holidays season. Most people usually end up having big family dinners and going to parties, eating and drinking too much.
Most of us can’t resist the delicious New Years dinner with turkey, stuffing, puddings, cakes, soft drinks and maybe a glass or two of wine. These things can have a negative effect on our body.
Try these simple tips to detox after New Years and start the New Year fresh and ready to achieve your health and fitness goals.
- Eat Fresh Fruit On An Empty Stomach
The “Food Combining Diet” or approach, suggests eating fresh fruit on an empty stomach. It is claimed to be better for digestion, allowing the healthy nutrients, vitamins and minerals to be absorbed quickly and easily. Apparently consuming fruit after a meal can cause digestive problems such as burping, reflux, gas, bloating etc. Fruit digests quicker than any other food so consuming it after a heavier meal can cause fermentation in the stomach.
- Drink plenty of water
Start your day by drinking half a litre of water in the morning. This helps to flush out toxins in the liver and kidneys and helps to hydrate your body. Adding lemon juice to your water can give an extra cleansing boost to your organs in the morning.
A good way to monitor your true intake of water throughout the day is filling a bottle at the beginning of the day and seeing how much you have left, if any, by the end of the day. If you find your water intake is a little on the low side, aim to increase it a bit each day. We need water. It is imperative for us, just to exist!
- Take A Walk
Exercising helps to bring oxygen into the body, improves blood flow, increases metabolism, assists in the function of the lymphatic system, thereby moving toxins and improving digestion.
Walking is gentle exercise and can assist in calming the mind, improving sleep and overall wellbeing.
- Get Plenty Of Sleep
Holidays can be stressful, but take steps to ensure that you have a quality sleep. Give yourself plenty of time to sleep, turn off all electronic devices that may disturb you while sleeping, including your phone. You’ll sleep better, have more energy when you wake and be able to resist those tempting treats in the morning!
- Breathe
The way we breathe can have a dramatic effect on our health. Oxygen is a powerful detoxifier. Deep breathing is the key. Most of us shallow breathe, thus depriving our bodies of the much needed oxygen. It literally feeds our blood,cells and organs and is as important as adequate supply of water and good quality food. Breathing deeply can help with our stress levels too. Try filling your lungs completely with air before exhaling. Notice the difference in how much calmer you feel.
- Watch What You Drink
Sweetened drinks, bottled juices, tea, coffee and alcohol are all beverages that can dehydrate as well as deplete your body of essential nutrients.
Try alternatives such as fresh pressed vegetable juices, herbal tea and green tea.
Green tea cleanses the liver, kidneys, and stomach, and can help increase your metabolism as well as reduce inflammation, prevent the formation of fat and essentially offer a wonderful general detoxification.
- Eat Organic Wholefoods
Eliminate the junk food and incorporate wholefoods into your diet. Wholefoods are more nutrient based which can assist you with longer lasting energy throughout the day.
If you struggle with eating “rabbit food” as some put it, try incorporating vegetables into your diet by having fresh pressed juice. The juice gets absorbed quickly and goes straight to your blood stream giving you a high nutrient boost. It can be a great cleanser and give a feeling of lightness, as well as assisting in energy levels.