During the holiday season, we all seem to end up eating much more than we usually might. The food around this time also tends to be rich and filling. From turkey and ham to chocolate and cookies, the holidays tend to have us eating not the greatest food. All of this can leave you feeling worse for wear and in need of a reset. Crash diets and exercise certainly aren’t a good solution to this problem. Instead, it’s best to opt for a more mild approach that will allow your body to regroup without shocking it. I want to make it clear here that if you struggle with guilt and food, this is a much more gentle way to redirect your body. None of the advice below is aimed at an extreme detox which has you drinking only water and eating only an apple a day. Below is also no medical advice and if you are struggling, it’s always best to contact your doctor.
Drink more water
Once again, water is the star of the show. Over the festive period, we can all be guilty of drinking sugary drinks, alcohol, and coffees, or hot chocolates rather than the water our bodies need. Water helps to flush your system and is a great way to get rid of toxins. Proper hydration also allows the kidney and liver to function properly. This is essential as this is how the body gets rid of toxins. Starting your day with lemon water (warm water seems to be the best bet here) is hugely beneficial for the body. You can sip sit throughout the day as well to keep your hydration levels up.
Add lemon juice
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Lemons have huge health benefits and when combined with warm water promote hydration and stimulate digestion. If you really can’t face warm lemon water, you could also go for green tea before and after meals. Green tea is exceptionally healthy and also hugely beneficial in aiding digestion. Fennel tea is also an option as it relieves digestive problems. This includes the relief of “ indigestion, bloating, flatulence, constipation, intestinal gas, heartburn, and even irritable bowels”.
You can read more from LongevityLive.com on this topic here: Why You Should Drink Lemon Water
Eat mindfully and prioritize plant-based foods
It’s important to try to avoid overindulging during the holiday season. This can ultimately lead to feelings of regret and dissatisfaction, especially if you indulge in foods that you wouldn’t usually eat. It’s also best to try to stick to a good plant-based diet as closely as possible. If you do slip up and overindulge, don’t stress too much.
Instead, focus on doing better the next day. We tend to think once we’ve fallen off the bandwagon that we may as well just eat what we want. However, that is definitely not the best option. Instead, focus on eating what you know you’ll enjoy. It’s also essential that you eat until you’re full. Obviously, you don’t want to go past that point. But leaving yourself hungry will only make you feel worse and may, in the long run, lead to a binge.
Mindful eating is important
When you are eating, make sure that you focus entirely on the task at hand. It’s easy to become distracted and eat more because you aren’t concentrating. Instead, enjoy the action of eating the food infant of you and don’t focus on the TV or your phone while you eat.
If you have overdone it, it’s easy to think that the way forward is to avoid eating or only eat very small amounts of food. In fact, this is the opposite of what you should do. It’s best to focus on eating plant-based meals that are rich in nutrients, nourishing, and healthy. You may want to opt for well-rounded meals that are full of plant-based proteins and leafy greens.
Take Detox Supplements
Detox supplements are a great way to cleanse your body of toxins and promote overall health. Organic detox superfoods can be found both in powder and capsule forms which not only aid your body to get rid of toxins, harmful chemicals, and waste products but also boost energy levels and Improve digestion. Adding superfood supplements such as Spirulina, Chlorella, and Moringa is one of the fastest ways to detoxify and get back to your healthy lifestyle.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol if you want to get the best chance of a kick-start to a detox
There is no doubt that alcohol is a toxin and isn’t good for us. If you’ve slightly overdone it during the festive season, it’s best to at least reduce your alcohol intake.
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If you want to, you can opt to stop drinking for a while in order to give your body a break and a chance to recover. Ultimately, alcohol dehydrates you and will only make your body work harder in order to rid itself of the excess toxins.
Caffeine, like alcohol, is also renowned for being dehydrating. It’s even more important to avoid caffeine when your stomach is empty. Not only can it result in some pretty awful jitters, but it’s also bad for your body.
In fact, caffeine will stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid in your empty stomach, which can lead to digestion problems later, often making you feel even hungrier.
Here are 3 good article references if you want to embark on effective weight loss
Longevitylive.com has written extensively on how to detox. Here are our top stories to help you detoxify effectively:
How to learn to fast for a detox
What diets to avoid if you want to detox
Kick Start Your Weight loss by eating more plants
References
https://spoonuniversity.com/how-to/10-ways-detox-holidays-keep-new-years-resolution
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-27882/gentle-ways-to-cleanse-after-a-major-holiday-indulgence.html
