The holidays are a time to have fun and indulge a little, but if you had one too many Christmas cookies and rum-and-eggnogs, it may be time to settle into a healthy post-holiday detox.
Focus on fruits and vegetables
If you’ve spent most of your holiday season eating sweet treats, heavy meats and rich cheeses, you aren’t alone; there often aren’t a lot of fruits and vegetables to choose from at holiday parties. So it’s natural that your body will continue to crave those heavy, high-calorie foods after the holidays are over. To break the cycle and start getting your body used to consuming the nutrients it needs again, incorporate fruits and vegetables into each and every meal of the day. This can be as simple as starting your day with a handful of berries, having an apple for a snack, including some chopped veggies and hummus with your lunch and starting your dinner with a green, leafy salad. Small additions will go a long way.
Get it out of the house
If you’re really committed to getting your body and mind back on track after holiday indulgences, then those leftover Christmas cookies in the cupboard are only going to be a frustrating distraction, and they need to go. As hard as it may be to part with such yummy treats, assure yourself that you got to have your fair share of indulging over the holidays, and now it’s time to detox. Send leftover cookies and pastries home with family members and friends, or offer them to your neighbours. And when it comes to rich dinner dishes, many of them can be frozen for a great “second Christmas dinner” down the road. The important thing is to focus on your detox and not think about treats lurking in the kitchen, so get rid of them ASAP!
Sweat it out
No detox is complete without solid workout sessions that get your blood pumping and your body sweating out toxins. Getting in a workout each day — even if it’s just 20 minutes of walking and a few sit-ups — is an important component of a good detox. To keep things fresh and interesting, engage in a variety of physical activities. On days when you have a lot of time, do a lengthy cardio session. When time is limited, pop in a workout DVD. And when you need some extra motivation, sign up for a yoga, kick-boxing or spin class at the gym.
Cut back on the white stuff
Many holiday goodies are loaded with sugar and white flour. Although these ingredients may make food taste yummy, chances are, the more you eat them, the more you’ll crave them — and the more your health suffers. If you know you can’t do without sweet treats, make healthier varieties, such as these vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Do away with the white sugar and flour, and enjoy nutritious goodness instead!
Drink lots of water
With so many delicious and fancy drinks to enjoy over the holidays, it’s easy to forget about the most important one of all — water. But if you want to ensure your system is working efficiently, it’s important to make drinking water a priority. If that means setting a timer that lets you know to take a few sips of water every 30 minutes or so, don’t be afraid to do that. Drinking water regularly can be a hard habit to get into at first, but it will be worth the effort.
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