School and work can leave you tired and stressed. After long days of lectures and cramming for quizzes, it’s necessary to let your body relax. A detox regimen is the perfect way to release the toxins building up from stress and excessive coffee and donut consumption during long hours at Library West. Whether you choose to relax in a hot bath or drink your detox tea, these four recipes are a perfect and healthy way to relax, detox and slim down.
1. Detox BathA busy day filled with stress always calls for a relaxing hot bath – and making it detox will help out even more. A detox bath with help you relax and release built up toxins through your skin. Draw a bath as hot as you can handle, then add about 2 cups of Epsom salt, 1 cup of baking soda, 1/2 a cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of ground ginger and a few drops of essential oils. Sit in the bath for 20 minutes or longer. If you don’t have some of the ingredients, don’t worry; the bath will still work without them. Be sure to stay hydrated during the bath because it will make you sweat.
2. Detox TeaA detox tea is perfect hot or cold, so it’s nice for any time of year. This one is meant to help you slim down a little and fight bloating. It’s recommended you drink a batch once a day. Heat up about 7 cups of water, and steep one bag of dandelion tea in it. Then, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of no-sugar-added cranberry juice. The recipe is meant for you to drink throughout the day, forcing you to hydrate and release toxins.
3. Detox WaterDetox water is perfect for those of you who already drink water consistently and also great to get those of you who need to get in the habit of hydrating more! This detox water will boost your metabolism and help flush toxins from your digestive system. To make the water, cut up about half of a grapefruit, half a cucumber, half a lemon, half a lime and two or three mint leaves. Combine all these ingredients with half a gallon of water. Leave the pitcher in the refrigerator for one to two hours, and then drink it throughout the day.
4. Detox SmoothieThis one is for those days spent by the pool when you need a cool drink – and now it’s a healthy one! In a blender, put a large handful of kale, 3-4 celery stalks, 1/3 of a cucumber (sliced), a few fresh chunks of peeled ginger, an entire sliced apple, lemon juice and 3/4 cup of water in the blender. Then, blend until smooth. Feel free to add ice, but it doesn’t need it.
Next time you have such a busy day that all you have time to eat is a danish from the Starbucks at Library West, end your day on a healthy note with a detox. Relax, and enjoy your smoothies!
Photo credit: colindewaaytraining.com