It happens every year. The holiday temptations are just too much to resist. After all, how can you say no to that gorgeous cheese plate, those yummy Christmas cookies, or that delicious holiday ham? And let’s not forget the cocktails, pumpkin spice lattes, and eggnog. But once the holidays are over, all of that overindulgence is bound to leave you feeling more than a little bloated and sluggish.
There’s no doubt that most of us could benefit from a reset after the holidays. But that doesn’t mean you need to kill yourself at the gym or live on celery sticks for the next few weeks to get things balanced again. With a little support and a nudge in the right direction, your body can detox itself after the holidays. No crash diet required!
Back to Basics
Sometimes it’s the simplest changes that can have a positive impact on how you feel. Lemons are known to offer several health benefits, including stimulating digestion. When you combine the benefits of lemons with water, you’re also hydrating your body, which is key in order to detox and feel better in general.
Start each day with a cup of warm water and fresh-squeezed lemon to nudge your digestive system into motion. And then, sip on lemon water throughout the day to keep your liver and kidneys in tip-top shape and encourage the detoxifying process.
Green tea is also great for digestion and boosting metabolism. You can even add lemon to your green tea for an extra boost. If you’re suffering from heartburn, indigestion, gas, bloating, or irritated bowels, try sipping on fennel tea after meals. It soothes the digestive tract and calms the stomach while improving digestion.
Nourish Your Body with Fruits and Veggies
It’s tempting to skip meals after you’ve overindulged, but you’re much better off nourishing your body with nutrient-dense fruits and veggies that are also hydrating. When in detox mode, limit your intake of animal proteins and go for plant-based proteins instead. Plant-based foods are easier on the digestive systems and will support your body’s efforts to detox itself.
Consider Colon Hydrotherapy
Colon hydrotherapy is a safe and gentle way to improve your digestion, remove harmful toxins and excess waste from your intestines, and rebalance your gut. A colonics treatment will reset your digestive system by cleansing your bowel. Not only that, but colon cleansing can also give you an energy boost, improve your mood, relieve chronic headaches, clear up acne, and reduce joint pain and inflammation throughout the body.
Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a great way to give your digestive system a break without having to endure a full-on fast. It can help you lose weight and detoxify your body without feeling like you’re on a diet. To do an intermittent fast, eat your last meal of the day no later than 7 PM. When you get up in the morning, have a cup of bulletproof coffee to help you feel satiated until lunchtime When you’re ready to break your fast, eat a healthy lunch as you normally would. This will keep your body in a healthy fasting state for around 16 hours, forcing your body to burn fat as fuel and your gut to reset. You don’t need to do this every day, once a week is plenty.
Get Moving
Exercise is important for your overall health and giving your sluggish digestive system and metabolism a boost, but that doesn’t mean you have to drag yourself to the gym. Find a form of exercise you love, such as dancing, swimming, or simply taking long walks in the fresh air. Yoga is a great way to get your body back into balance, plus it relieves stress and boosts your mood. You could attend a class in your community, or stream one online.
Hit an Infrared Sauna
One of the easiest ways to get a good sweat going and detox your body is to hit an infrared sauna. Infrared saunas are more comfortable than traditional saunas because the infrared light heats objects in the sauna, rather than the air, which allows your body to get a good sweat going at lower temperatures. If you don’t have an infrared sauna in your area, a traditional one will still do the trick. Sweating is amazing for detoxifying the body and it may also you lose weight.
Get Your Probiotics
A healthy gut is essential for good digestion, detoxification, and weight loss. Probiotics are healthy gut bacteria that can rebalance your gut after you’ve overindulged. The best way to get your probiotics is to eat some probiotic foods every day, such as yogurt and fermented foods. You can also take a probiotic supplement to give your body an extra boost of healthy bacteria.
Most importantly, don’t beat yourself up for overindulging during the holidays. We all give in to temptation this time of year. The good news is, the damage isn’t permanent and making some simple changes to your lifestyle will get things back on track pretty quickly.