Welcome back collegiettes?! Hopefully you are returning to campus refreshed and with a belly full of delicious home-cooked treats. While I usually get back to New Orleans feeling rejuvenated from my time at home, I also tend to return feeling slightly sluggish and lazy in terms of academics and exercise. This year, I have taken it upon myself to jumpstart the final weeks of the semester by adopting a “Post-Turkey-Day Detox” that should leave me feeling energized, healthy and ready to face the challenges that stand between me, and the relaxation of Winter break.
Now, the word “detox” usually implies a crazy combination of not eating, juiced fruit, raw veggies and cayenne pepper. That kind of cleanse is not only unappealing, but it is also unrealistic. Who wants to ingest nothing but kale-banana-almond-milk-blueberry cayenne-pepper-pomegranate smoothies for a week? Not this girl. I do, however, enjoy the idea of flushing out the toxins that have accumulated in my body over the break in order to reenergize and feel more balanced going into finals.
I’m all about flexibility, and see no reason for a health-promoting detox to cause undue amounts of stress—we’ll endure enough of that in about two weeks, thanks very much. Here are a few small changes you can use to take a break from Thanksgiving indulgences, center yourself for the coming weeks and prepare for the extravagance of
the holiday season!
Drink water with lemon to start cleansing your digestive tract. Antioxidants in lemons stimulate liver function, which enhances the detoxification process. Increasing your water intake helps rinse out your system, while keeping you hydrated.
Cut back on coffee and tea to decrease your caffeine consumption (no soda, either!). While one small cup each day is healthy, many of us drink far more than that. If you have to have the flavor fix of a hot beverage, opt for decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea.
Substitute raw fruits for fruit juices and raw veggies for a plate of pasta at either lunch or dinner. Eating whole produce instead of the processed versions ensures that your body benefits from every single nutrient the item has to offer, including antioxidants and fiber.
Practice yoga to increase blood flow and flush waste products like carbon dioxide, lactic acid and lymphatic fluids out of your system. All of the twisting, bending, stretching and compressing postures stimulate both physical and mental detoxification.
Hit the sauna to eliminate toxins through sweat.
Deep breathing moves more carbon dioxide out of your body while increasing the amount of oxygen available to all of your cells.
Whether you choose to incorporate one of these strategies or all six, you will be improving your overall health. With a stressful finals period sandwiched between two food-focused holidays, this time of year can be quite an obstacle course for us health-nuts. A cleanse is a great way to do something good for your body, allowing you to live happily and healthily this holiday season!
What are some other ways you stay healthy during this time of year?