About once every two months or so, I start to feel like I need to reboot my system. It seems like that movie theater popcorn I splurged on, my ritual Friday night cocktail and any the other chemicals I’ve put into my body are just screaming to be let out. When this anatomical cry for help occurs, I’ve found that giving my body a little cleanse is always the doctor’s order. From juice cleanses (read my detox diary here!) to eating raw foods for a weekend to simply catching up on sleep, there are several easy and effective ways to give your body some TLC in a time of need.
With summer upon us, now is a great time to detox from the inside out. Not only will you feel confident in your bikini, you will feel happier too! Here are five remedies that I can promise will leave you feeling refreshed, restored and cleansed:
1. Eat right and eliminate the bad stuff.
Trying a raw food cleanse—which means spending a few days eating only fresh fruits and vegetables and nuts—is a great way to jump start the cleansing process. While some people may think this sounds extreme, it is so beneficial to your health! Our bodies ingest many hormones, chemicals, and unnecessary fats in a daily diet that includes meat, dairy, and processed foods. According to Livestrong, eating organic, unprocessed, raw foods for a few days will allow your body to eliminate toxins and other unhealthy foods from your body. You will also be giving your system more fiber and nutrients…double bonus. To start, try whipping up a green smoothie, and just make sure you are drinking tons of water if you go the raw food route. And if it seems like a stretch, you can create your own cleanse by eliminating alcohol, caffeine and animal products. Look at it this way: any increase in fruits and veggies does a body good.
2. Switch up your workout.
If you’re feeling bored or uninspired by your workout routine, try changing things up. Take your morning run from the treadmill to the great outdoors and breathe in some fresh air. Swap out your weekly circuit training for a Zumba class. Above all, try taking a yoga class at least twice a week as well. Getting your body into twisting positions naturally detoxes your internal organs and helps with digestion and elimination, according to Refinery 29.
3. Get more sleep.
This is one that I personally struggle with, seeing as I’m a night owl who loves to burn the candle at both ends. However, whenever I have spent quiet weekends catching up on sleep, I’ve noticed what a huge difference it makes in all aspects of my life. Getting enough Zzz’s naturally restores and refreshes your body, lowers your blood inflammation proteins, increases creativity, and reduces stress, just to name a few (Huffington Post). And consider this: If you are trying out new diets or workouts like I recommended above, your muscles won’t be able to build back up after exercising, and your digestion system will not work efficiently without enough sleep. Eliminate those under eye circles—and the stress in your life!—by logging in a few extra hours with your pillow each night.
4. Brush it off.
If you’ve never heard of dry brushing, you are missing out on a great detoxifying secret. Since your skin is the biggest organ in your entire body, it holds a lot of toxins hostage…until you release them, that is. Sweating is one way to release these toxins, and dry brushing is another. When your skin is dry, preferably before you shower or bathe, use a salt scrub, sugar scrub, or a body brush and give your entire body a good rub. Then rinse all those dead skin cells and impurities off afterward. Studies show that this boosts circulation and aids your lymphatic system in removing even more toxins from the rest of your body.
5. Treat yourself to a massage.
Say it with me: Ahhh. Not only does a deep tissue massage feel amazing, it also releases toxins from your muscles and therapeutically cleanses your body of stress and impurities. In fact, massage is actually considered a form of medicine, according to the Mayo Clinic. Don’t have the budget for a spa treatment? Get your boyfriend or bestie to give you a back rub and return the favor for them too. Just be sure to drink lots of water afterwards to speed up that detox process.
These five tips will help to cleanse your body physically, but you should also notice mental clarity and get a little peace of mind. To bring the process full circle, I like to give myself a little mental detox too. Make a long-term list when you start any kind of get-healthy plan so that you can be sure you’re sticking to the lifestyle I want. Write out your goals, even if it is as simple as “book a massage.” Put that list somewhere you see it every day, like your bathroom mirror, and take a peek when you feel like you’re getting off track.
Will you try any of these tips for detoxing from the inside out? What tips do you have for rebooting your lifestyle?I would love to read what all of our wonderful LC readers have to say, so be sure to leave your tips, tricks and stories in the comments below.
xx
Allison
Team LC
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