Post-Holiday Cleanse

December 30, 2020 4 min read

When all the merry-making and indulging in all the delicious but usually unhealthy treats and drinks subsides, we are often left feeling bloated and sluggish. The same goes even as you have avoided all the unhealthy treats! Chances are, we are eating more than our usual food consumption and our bodies are just not used to this sudden change.

Now it’s time to hit reset, feel fresh, energized and give your body a reboot and a complete overhaul. Firstly, it’s great to note that our awesome bodies detox naturally 24/7. But our bodies need to fight off pathogens, trap and expel pollutants and maintain homeostasis which is the inner balance in the body. And to help support this, the best way is to do it naturally as opposed to those many detox trends/fads that are costly and often built for the hype.

Here we’ve gathered some healthy and cheap ways for you to detox naturally with some items you may already have at home.

1. Hydrate your body.

Lemon water

Lemons contain ascorbic acid which assists in the cleansing process. To reap its benefits, one must drink it consistently and it only works with fresh lemon juice, not artificial ones. Among its benefits are the following:

Good source of Vitamin C
Supports weight loss
Aids digestion
May prevent kidney stones

Here’s a recipe to try:

Squeeze half a lemon into 8 ounces of water.
To further infusethe lemon to your water, you may include the properly washed rinds floating in your drink.
You may also add mint, ginger, honey,cinnamon or turmeric to get a healthier boost out of your lemon water drink.

Apple Cider Vinegar

The benefits you gain from the apple cider vinegar detox are both internal and external. Among the manyare the following:

Supports a healthy immune system
Helps with weight control
Helps remove “sludge toxins” from the body
Adds good bacteria for the gut
Aid with healthy digestion

Here’s a recipe to try:

1- 2 tablespoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
8 ounces of purified or distilled water

1- 2 tablespoons sweetener (organic honey, maple syrup, or 4 drops of Stevia)
You may choose to take this drink 3 times a day.

2. Eat clean for at least a week.

Eat plenty of fiber

Fiber helps flush out all the food we take in. Get it from organic fruits and vegetables. Vegetables are rich inphytochemicals that may regulate hormones, stimulate the immune system and prevent damage to our body’s cells. They also help you feel full and it also prevents colorectal cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Eat liver-friendly foods

Organic kale, broccoli, beets, carrots, brussels sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes are great examples of liver-friendly veggies. Another great option are herbal supplements that can help remove toxin buildup from the liver.

Eat a good amount of proteins

It's common for people to deprive themselves with the right nutrients without them knowing while on a detox. The common misconception of detoxes are focused on drinking herbal teas or juice cleanses which are often protein deficient. However, the right detox or cleanse routine shouldn’t deprive or make you feel hungry.

Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are essential to the detoxification process as protein helps drag toxins out of the body. For this you’ll need protein with high amounts of methionine, which you can easily find in beef, brown rice, chickpeas, lentils, turkey, pinto beans, and soy to name a few.

High quality whey protein is also worth mentioning as studies have shown that it can effectively raise our body’s glutathione levels, a good antioxidant that supports detoxification and aids in a healthy ageing process.

3. Try Intermittent Fasting

What is Intermittent Fasting? We’ve discussed this previously on a different article as it’s been one of the most popular health and fitness trends for a while now.

To put it simply, Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and feasting. There is still a focus on eating healthy foods, but the focus is when to eat them. IF is not a diet and there is no focus on restricting food groups – however reduced caloric intake may result.

There are different types of intermittent fasting so you should be able to find one that suits your eating schedule. The most popular one is the 16/8 Method, which means you fast for 16 hours each day with an 8-hour window to eat.

Know more about Intermittent Fasting and how it works.

Health benefits of Intermittent Fasting.

4. Exercise

Lastly, exercise! Exercise will always be a great way to rid the body of toxins. Aim for atthe veryleast20-30 mins of aerobic exercise twice daily. Most of these toxins and natural body wastes are stored in the fat tissue.Keeping your body moving increases the normal metabolic breakdown of fat tissue, excreting fat-stored toxins in sweat.

Other ways to enjoy quick exercises over the break should be some fun activities that you can enjoy with friends or family like going out for a hike outdoors and sweating it out at the beach.