The holiday season has come and is almost gone. If you are anything like me, you may have been eating out more than usual. I absolutely love this time of year because I get to connect with loved ones. However, I have to be more mindful of taking care of my body in order to enjoy the celebrations of the season without taking a toll on my health!
Here are my 5 Tips to reset after indulging in holiday bites and libations!
Sleep! Sleep! Sleep! Stay in bed a little longer or squeeze in an afternoon nap. This will allow your body to recharge and detox. A sharp and rested mind, will help you make healthy food choices throughout the day.
Move your body! It doesn’t need to be a hard workout. If you are feeling really depleted listen to your body and opt for a 45 min brisk walk instead of your HIIT class. Recover today, but sign up for that HIIT class tomorrow. Moving your body will get you to sweat and stimulate your lymphatic system, which is crucial for detoxification.
Eat Citrus Fruit. It will support your metabolism and provide you with vitamin C, which helps your body deal with the effects of alcohol. Squeeze 1/2 lemon in your water or add ½ grapefruit to your breakfast.
Use Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV.) Use raw unpasteurized ACV to promote digestion after a day of abnormal eating/drinking. Add 1T of ACV to ¼ cup water about 10 mins before meals to get your digestion back on track.
Eat Lots of vegetables. Lots of them! Include sulfur rich vegetables (garlic, onions, parsley and cruciferous vegetables) which promote glutathione production to support your liver in detoxification.
What exactly does it look like to incorporate these tips into a your day? I journaled what a typical day looks like for me after a holiday party with friends, so you can get a better picture of how to do this for yourself.
Here is what happened at the holiday party:
I ate a delicious and satisfying clean dinner,
I danced a LOT,
I laughed,
I enjoyed my friends,
I enjoyed myself,
I had more alcohol than I would typically enjoy,
and… I went to sleep 2 hours later than my normal bedtime.
So here is an overview of how I mindfully took care of my body the following day:
9:00 am - Woke up. I slept in WAY later than I normally do (what a blessing)! I missed my usual Orangetheory workout… which was fine because I wanted the sleep.
9:05 am - Drank a liter of warm water with a ½ squeezed lemon. While I sipped on my water I made a big green smoothie. I left the smoothie in the blender and put it in the fridge.
9:20 am - I walked out the door for a 45 min walk around my neighborhood. (which is very hilly!) The walk allowed me to sweat, breathe, get some sun, and say my self-love affirmations.
10:00 am - MEAL 1: Big green smoothie
A few pineapple chunks, spinach, cilantro, ginger root, celery, chia seed, collagen powder, coconut butter, coconut water, sea salt
10:20 am - Cup of coffee: 8oz of half caff with MCT oil and cinnamon
1:35 pm - Drink 1 T of ACV and water shot 10 mins before eating.
1:45 pm - MEAL 2: Big salmon salad
Salmon, arugula, shredded carrots, sauerkraut, ¼ avo, topped with avocado oil, mustard, lemon juice, sea salt & pepper
4:30 pm - SNACK: 1 grapefruit & handful of walnuts
6:00 pm - While dinner was cooking I did a quick 25min barre class video. Wanted to stretch and get in a little more movement.
6:45 pm - Drink 1 T of ACV 15 mins before eating.
7:00 pm - Meal 3: Simple homemade soup
Chicken, chicken bone broth, red potato, carrots, kale, celery, garlic, onion and garnished with parsley. Yum!
9:50 pm - Get in bed.
10:00 pm - Asleep!
This day went differently than I expected. I slept in later than normal and I missed my scheduled workout. But I was flexible and had a great Sunday. I did not carry guilt for my indulgences the day before, nor did I give myself a hard time for sleeping in. Instead of really appreciated the decisions I made, and I took care of me!
It’s ok to deviate from your plan and to let loose and have some fun. Just get right back on the healthy train as soon as you can. Avoid self shame at all costs and most importantly show yourself some love! You deserve it!
(( I wrote the blog post for The 30 Clean Blog --- you can check it out here! ))
Live Bright,
Elizabeth