Balanced Living
Quickie Detox
Posted by Arja on March 17 in Holistic Health
It's mid-March in what is possibly one of the more challenging winters we've experienced in a few years. If the snow/ice/excessive cold/thaw/excessive salt (choose your poison) haven't gotten to you yet, then you're in the minority. People are hibernating, and with hibernating often comes less than clean eating. If you're one of the lucky folks who escaped to someplace warm for a break, then you're probably feeling the aftermath of indulgence as well. Spring is on its way (I promise!) though we aren't quite there yet, but there are still a few things you can do to lighten up this week.
Whether you fell off the eat to feel good wagon a few weeks ago, or jumped off somewhere back in January it's never too late to pick up your good habits again. Start by adding a few, sustainable changes and build on your momentum as time moves on. A quick detox is a great way to get your body feeling good again, but it doesn't need to be complicated.
Goals are awesome, but the point is to make lasting changes, so don't burn yourself out within a few weeks by taking on more than you can handle!
Here are 5 things you can start doing this week that will have you feeling less bloated and more energized by the weekend:
1. Start your day off with a glass of water. You wake up dehydrated, so before you reach for that cup of coffee (or tea, or whatever), drink a big glass of water. Add lemon to boost the cleansing effects, or don't if that's going to stop you from doing it. Just drink the water. Most of your bodily functions require water, so start your day off hydrated, and keep it going.
2. Eat breakfast. Break the fast and get your metabolism working. Have a shake, some eggs, oatmeal (or refrigerator oats), yoghurt, fruit and homemade granola, or even a slice of whole grain bread with some nut butter. Don't eat sugary cereals, bagels, anything white/processed, or, for the love of all things healthy, anything that comes from a drive thru window.
3. Add an extra serving of veggies. Bonus points if your veggies are raw so that you get the benefit of those helpful enzymes and a full compliment of vitamins and minerals. Notice that I didn't give you the number of servings to eat each day? Yeah. Start from wherever you happen to be right now and add an extra serving to that. Saute some greens to go with your dinner, make a kale salad, add some spinach to your scrambled eggs, or make a green juice. I'm not particular, just get it in you!
4. Stop overeating. Constantly eating more than your body needs puts extra stress on your digestive system. Watch your portion sizes! Grab a measuring cup and check your grain serving - if it's more than 1/4 to a 1/2 cup then you're probably eating more than you need. Eat slowly and listen to your body! Don't keep eating past the point of fullness just because it tastes good.
5. Ditch the sugar. Especially the refined stuff. Use maple syrup and honey sparingly (they still jack up your blood sugar), but just say no to the refined white stuff (and brown sugar, and fructose, and...). Need a low glycemic index option for baking, or sweetening your (very small) cup of coffee? Try coconut sugar. It's fantastic!
Bonus option! Move. Your. Body. Get that lymphatic fluid moving by getting your butt moving! It doesn't need to be fancy, and you certainly don't need to go to a gym. Take a brisk walk in the evening (it's even lighter out!), or just do a quick circuit of squats, burpees, walking lunges, and other body weight exercises. Even if all you do is 20 minutes, that's a full 20 minutes that you weren't sitting on the couch. It doesn't take much, but you'll feel so much better!
So, the day isn't over yet. Grab a glass of water, and think about what you're grabbing from the store on the way home. You've got this!
Eat to feel good friends!
