After the holidays, it’s common to feel sluggish, run down, and fatigued. The hustle and bustle of all the prepping, shopping, parties and celebrations, along with changes in schedules, different holiday food, and change in sleep can leave the us feeling worn down and in need of a reset. The start of a new year often brings people to focus more on their health and wellness. Looking for some tips to detox and cleanse after the holidays? Not sure what you can do during your prenatal or postpartum period to detox? Here are some recommendations to help you achieve your health and wellness goals to feel and function your best in the start of the new year (and all year long):
1. Drink Plenty of Water/Stay Hydrated
During the holidays, your detoxing organs tend to work overtime! Your liver and kidneys are probably still trying to filter out toxins from the food and drinks enjoyed during all the celebrations. Our skin is also an important part of detoxing; it experiences extra stress during the winter months due to cold weather and dry air. Being fully hydrated is essential if you want to detox after the holidays, because water is needed to eliminate the excess waste from the body and functional optimally. Ideally, the goal is to drink half your weight in ounces/day. For a 150lb person, this would be 75 ounces each day. If you are currently not drinking water throughout the day or consuming much less than this, try adding a glass of water when you wake up and before each meal. Using a water bottle that has the ounces labeled or reminders for drinking during the day may help you stay hydrated and reach your goals. You can also add fruit such as citrus or berries or cucumbers or herbs such as mint or ginger to enhance your water; it also helps your body absorb more water, too! Drinking herbal teas with lemon, ginger, chamomile, rose hips, dandelion, burdock root, nettle, or chaga mushroom can help to cleanse the body as well. IMPORTANT: if you are pregnant or nursing, be sure to consult your doctor before consuming any herbs as some are not recommended or are contraindicated.
2. Clean Up Your Kitchen!
If you want to detox and recover from your holidays, it’s important to clean-up of the food in your house and set yourself up for success. Swap sweets, junk, and processed foods for fresh, nourishing whole foods. To avoid snacking on junk, have healthy options prepped and ready, such as cut up veggies, healthy dips or dressings premade, and freezing meal-sized portions for easier use during the week. Try shopping in bulk and doing meal prep for the week; this may be cleaning and cutting produce, cooking proteins, or putting ingredients together and storing to cook later in the week. Check out meal prep ideas online if you need ideas for how to plan for busy weeks or for your family. Follow pages such as Whole30, The Paleo Mom, or Nom Nom Paleo for clean, healthy, and delicious menu ideas!
3. Eat Detoxing Foods
Eat more fruits and vegetables! Not only are the loaded with water and fiber, which is needed to promote healthy bowel movements, but also in essential vitamins and minerals...and they even contain protein! Daily, you should consume at least five portions of veggies, four portions of fruits and limit grains and simple carbohydrates. Don’t forget to incorporate healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee or grass-fed butter, and nuts and seeds. Healthy fats support hormone function and cell health which are both important for optimal digestion and detox. Fermented foods such as krauts, pickled-foods, kimchi, keifer, and kombucha help to build up good gut flora (good bacteria) which not only aids digestion, but also helps with detoxing and elimination. Cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage and mustard greens are high in fiber and sulforaphane, a compound that has been shown to boost the liver’s detox enzymes and support the immune system. Cruciferous foods are also high in vitamin C (actually, more than citrus!), which has great cleansing properties and is essential to help repair the skin and other soft tissue. Note: if you are nursing, eating high amounts of cruciferous vegetables may cause gassiness in baby; consult your doctor or lactation consult before changing your diet.
4. Get Your Cells Moving!
During the holidays, we tend to be less physically active. Not only is movement important for our muscles and joints but it is also vital for optimal circulation for our bodies to rid themselves of toxins. Exercising helps the digestive system and promotes regular bowel movements. If you were on a fitness routine before the holidays but fell off track, there is no better time to get back into your rhythm! If you weren’t exercising or didn’t have a routine, consider adding gentle activities such as walking or yoga. During winter, incorporating more movement not only supports the body’s detox system, but helps us keep warm and improved circulation. This may be the year to join a gym, start fitness classes (ask us about our prenatal and postpartum series!), or even work with a trainer to reach your goals. There are a lot of great online options that may fit your needs as well. Ask us or one of your healthcare providers what would be a good fit for you. In addition to fitness and exercising, adding healthy therapies such as massage, acupuncture, and infrared sauna sessions can help your body detox. All these holistic therapies support optimal circulation and lymphatic drainage which are essential to the detox process.
5. Support with Supplements
Even someone who eats the healthiest diet can benefit from taking supplements. Why is this? Unfortunately, the foods we eat are not as nutrient-rich as we think due to soil depletion, pesticides, and processing and oxidation. Choosing organic and either growing or buying local are great ways to increase the nutrient content. To fill in any nutritional gaps, or supplement our diet, “supplements” can be beneficial not only to support overall health but also help the body to detox and function optimally. You can boost your energy levels and your immune system with natural supplements such as B vitamins, probiotics, Vitamin D, magnesium, Coenzyme Q10, and zinc. Of course, everyone’s nutrient needs are different and unique. There are detoxing cleanse programs that may help jumpstart your post-holiday detox. Consult one of our doctors, a naturopath, or functional medicine practitioner to learn how to better fill in the gaps and better support your body.
6. Detox Your Mind
Remember that detoxing your body can include detoxing your mind and your lifestyle. Start by focusing on one area or aspect of your life. This can be adding positive daily affirmations, journaling, practicing mediation or prayer, or even taking a walk. Maybe consider cleaning out a drawer or cluttered area a day (or week); clutter in our life can create clutter and stress in our minds. Stress changes how our body functions; increased or prolonged stress responses increases cortisol production and slows the detox process. Consider making modifications to decrease the stressors in your life such as reducing or eliminating unnecessary tasks or responsibilities, changing how you respond to stress/adding activities to help manage stress, and asking for help to avoid feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
Hopefully, utilizing some of these tips will help you to detox and reset for the new year. Be patient with yourself and take each day at a time. Some days may be more challenging than others, but keep the end in mind: a healthier you! Some days it’s more challenging to make healthier choices; give yourself grace and remember that each day is a new day. If you are currently sick or feeling overly run-down, this may not be the best time for detoxing, cleaning, or taking on new habits. You can certainly modify the foods and drinks you consume and practice other healthy habits until your body is ready for a detox program and more exercise. The most important thing is to do more self-care and make positive steps towards a healthier you in the new year. May your new year be filled with good health, wellness, and happiness.
In health,
Dr. Abbey
drcrouse@clechiropractic.com