Detox: 10 tips to recover from the excesses of the year-end festivities
Did you perhaps indulge a little too much during the holidays, and are now feeling the effects? Rich and heavy meals, alcohol, lack of sleep… After the year-end holiday rush, your body likely needs a true cleansing to start fresh. How about using the month of January to tidy up your system a bit?
Follow Omnisens’ 10 tips to take care of yourself and regain balance with ease
1. Take it gently
Wanting to correct excesses is good, but there’s no need to be harsh! Avoid starting a very low-calorie diet that, besides feeding your frustration, might cause a rebound effect once finished. As often, the key to success lies in the middle ground!
2. Try a hot lemon cure
For 15 days, start your day by drinking freshly squeezed lemon juice in a glass of hot water. This brew, with its many virtues, offers a true cleansing action for the body by helping maintain its pH balance, stimulating digestion, and boosting metabolism.
This way, you will more easily eliminate the little excesses accumulated during the holidays. For best results, drink your hot lemon on an empty stomach, 15 to 20 minutes before breakfast. And why not take the opportunity to do a short yoga session?
3. Think “Balance”
Between king cakes, raclette evenings, and Candlemas already on the horizon… it’s hard to avoid calories at the start of the year.
So to enjoy without storing too much, try not to pile on the excesses. If you love frangipane, indulge yourself, but skip the chocolate wrappers. Enjoy a fondue with friends, but serve clementines for dessert. And between festive meals, avoid foods that are too fatty or too sweet, to better savour the big occasions.
4. Give pride of place to seasonal fruits and vegetables
To shed a few extra pounds, there’s no need to starve yourself: eat to your fill while increasing your intake of seasonal vegetables. For cooking, avoid butter and frying, and favour steaming, baking, or cooking in parchment, which better preserves nutrients. Rich in vitamins and fibres, fruits are also welcome, but without overdoing it as they can be high in fructose, and thus sugar.
Finally, whole grains, pulses, and bifidus yoghurts are also beneficial as they support good digestive comfort.
5. Fill up on soup!
Broths, creamy soups, thick soups or purees… Besides encouraging us to eat vegetables, soups are excellent nutritionally. Indeed, rich in vitamins and minerals, they allow the digestive system to rest while replenishing nutrients. Hydrating and endlessly adaptable, don’t hesitate to add spices, crushed walnuts or hazelnuts, as well as quality vegetable oils to get good fats.
6. Take on the “Dry January” challenge
Gaining more and more followers each year, “Dry January” is on the rise. This month without alcohol is said to have many benefits for the body. Besides possible weight loss, not drinking alcohol for a month could improve sleep quality, increase energy, and give you glowing skin! Enough to want to try it… And for a true cleansing month, swap your morning coffee for green tea rich in antioxidants.
7. Move, listening to your body
This is the classic New Year’s resolution: to (re)start exercising! Of course, physical activity is a key element in getting back in shape and losing weight. But there’s no need to rush; listen to your body and respect its limits.
If you are mostly inactive, start with moderate activity and take it easy: yoga, walking, swimming… If you are already quite active, why not set yourself a challenge, like a running race?
Finally, if sport is not your cup of tea, remember that physical activity is not limited to the gym! Walking in the woods or by the sea, choosing stairs over the lift, getting off the bus one stop earlier… There are a thousand ways to move without overdoing it!
8. Treat yourself to a sleep cure
Christmas holidays don’t necessarily mean rest. Between the marathon of preparations, back-to-back family meals, and all kinds of excesses… we often end the holidays even more tired than before.
To make up for all this spent energy, in January try to keep fixed sleeping hours, and don’t hesitate to go to bed an hour earlier with a detox herbal tea and a book to truly recharge. And of course, ban screens at least two hours before falling asleep!
9. Drink… water!
To eliminate toxins, support kidney elimination, and look healthy, there’s no secret: you must stay hydrated. It’s often said to drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day, but we tend to forget. To remember, why not treat yourself to a nice stainless steel bottle to keep with you at all times?
You can also vary the pleasures: hot or cold infusions, lemon water, detox green tea, Rooibos… Be creative and have fun with flavours, everything is allowed!
10. Don’t feel guilty: the Christmas season is made for enjoyment!
Did you gain a few pounds during the holidays? Wanting to set things right is good, but don’t let the number on the scales spoil your mood at the start of the year. Christmas is made for enjoying and indulging in special treats.
If you are reading this article, you are already on the right path to regaining balance! And in the meantime… be kind to yourself!
