Somewhere around the end of February, bathing suits start to appear on the racks of our favorite stores reminding us that beach season is around the corner, and we immediately start thinking about ways to detox for Summer. DUN DUN DUN!
Our mindset suddenly shifts from sipping warm hot cocoa around the fire to rooftops, rose, s’mores, and how we’re going to prepare ourselves put on last year’s swimsuit with confidence. We start to think juice cleanse, kale salads, and more intense workouts.
Who doesn’t want to look and feel great in their bikini [or on-trend one piece?] I feel you, I do too. But for me, detoxing is about more than looking great. It’s about feeling fantastic, increasing my energy, and feeling clear headed. I find when one of these elements is off balance, I lose traction on the others.
Unfortunately, while filled with the mostly fresh, seasonal foods, Summer can be one of the hardest times to keep our health goals on track. The days are longer, which means a later bedtime, right? Hence more time to spend at Happy Hour. Summer vacations to foreign lands; weddings; parties; and just a better mood in general all present us with delightful and delectable distractions.
However, there’s room for indulgence and fun while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I promise! It’s all about tuning in with your body, recognizing what makes you feel good and energized, and doing more of that. What works is different for everyone, but there are common threads and health rules.
The world is increasingly filled with toxins that harm our body. Despite our best intentions, we’re exposed to these toxins when we walk down the street, when we eat store bought food, and even in our own homes. When we ‘detox’ our mind, body, and soul, we allow our bodies to find balance and gain more innate awareness of what it feels like to live in a healthy ecosystem.
Detox can help:
- Prevention of chronic disease
- Weight loss
- Increase energy
- Improve skin
- Mental clarity
- Reset your metabolism and kick cravings to the curb
- Restore balance in your body’s ecosystem
If you’re feeling bloated, low energy, have cravings, are experiencing skin problems try these 3 quick fixes to start the detoxification process.
Eat Clean, Whole, Real Food
A baked chip is still a chip dressed up in a ‘health-ier’ label. It’s time to say so long to the easy to grab, packaged foods. More often than not, they are filled to the brim with ingredients you can’t pronounce even if they’re labeled otherwise. Instead, try reaching for foods you can pronounce. Things with one word are my favorite…cucumber, pineapple, avocado, carrots, beets, sweet potato, fish…you see where I’m going with this? The closer to nature in a whole natural form the better.
A few foods that are incredibly helpful in detoxifying are fruits, vegetables, garlic, citrus fruits, cold pressed juices,
Drink. More. Water.
This seems like the solution for everything doesn’t it? Considering our bodies are made primarily of water, and it’s what helps our body absorb nutrients and eliminate toxins, it makes sense!
I’m not a great water drinker, I admit it. I need some help remembering to get enough. I try to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day out of a pretty mason jar or my swell water bottle. I also infuse water with fruits, herbs, lemon and cucumber to motivate me.
Shake your booty, move your body
Dance, walk, swim, run, barre, pilates, spin, roller skate, skip, jump, I don’t care what it is as long as you’re moving.
Exercise promotes the detoxification process because when you’re moving all of the nutrients that you gained from step one are moving through your body to your organs and muscles. Sweating is also a great way to eliminate toxins.
While these are three simple practices that you can incorporate into your every day life to look and feel great, there are more comprehensive detoxes you can participate in that will have a more profound, long lasting effect. Implementing these 3 items into your life will certainly have a positive impact, however, just know that these are all small changes and you might not see results after day 1. Be kind and gentle to yourself knowing that you’re working towards positive, long-lasting sustainable habits.
Here are a few detoxes that I like:
goop, quick 3 day detox
Sakara Life meal delivery
Dr. Junger’s Clean Program
Dr. Frank Lipman
Promise me one thing. If you’re thinking about the benefits of a detox and want in, know that there is an option for you and that you can achieve whatever you put your mind to…you are enough. Feeling great and looking good doesn’t have to be expensive. If spending money on shakes isn’t for you, that’s totally cool. Focus on the basics and you’ll reach your goals.
Feel free to reach out if you’d like to talk more about how to detox in a way that’s right for you or meals that will aid in detoxification.
And leave a comment below to let me know how you’ll detox for Summer!
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
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