The holidays are a time to eat and indulge with our loved ones. It’s a celebratory time, a time to we throw out most of our healthy eating habits as well.
The post-holiday season can be filled with a lot of guilt, digestive upset and overall feelings of uneasiness from heavier foods and alcohol. Although spring time is the ideal time for a detox due to changing seasons and warmer weather a post holiday gentle detox can be beneficial.
In the winter months, from a Traditional Chinese perspective it is important to add more warming (Yang-Building foods) into your diet. For example, nourishing broths, soups, and stews, sauteed and steamed vegetables etc. The goal of a detox does not always mean endless hours on the ceramic throne or juicing celery for days at a time.
There are ways to gently support our detoxification organs while maintaining adequate energy levels. For example, a 3-day juicing diet may work for some but are not sustainable if you have to work or are busy with taking care of every day life.
Here are some tips to promote the detoxification of the body from the negative effects of holiday eating.
21 Day Post Holiday Detox Plan
- Start the morning with a good dry brushing of the skin (one of our natural bristle brushes carried at Better Living) Ensure you are brushing towards the heart (left side of chest ) for optimal lymph movement.
- Drink 1 large glass of warm water with lemon and 1 ampoule of Drainaflore Plus before eating anything.
- Daily detox supplement of choice (Canprev Detox- Pro Formula, Pure Encapsulations Liver-GI Detox, New Nordic – Active Liver, Vitazan- Milk Thistle Formulation)
- 3-4 L of filtered water per day
- Detox tea blend (combination of Dandelion Root, Burdock and Nettle 1 tbsp each in a large teapot sipped on throughout the day) –picked up from our large selection of loose herbs.
- Eat organic whenever possible to reduce your toxic load, especially animal protein (invest in organic as much as possible due to hormones to prevent overburdening the liver)
- Eat antioxidant rich foods as much as possible (ie blueberries, artichoke, red cabbage, kale, beets, pomegranate, garlic etc)
- Any form of exercise that makes you sweat (your skin is your largest detox organ) for 20-30 minutes per day, add in an Epson salt bath a couple times per week.
- Ensure a minimum of one full bowel movement per day. If bowels are sluggish add in Magnesium Citrate to ensure regularity
- 10- minute daily meditation to decrease cortisol and manage stress (sit in a quiet place and breath deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth)
Simple Detox Meal Plan
- Meal 1: Daily Detox Smoothie (recipe below)
- Meal 2: Quinoa porridge cooked in almond/coconut milk topped with berries, walnuts, MCT oil + 1 cup of green tea
- Meal 2: Lentil bone broth soup, baked broccoli with tahini +olive oil+ lime dressing
- Meal 3: Baked/Grilled salmon/ organic chicken on a bed of basmati rice, rapini/collards sauteed in ghee.
Daily Detox Smoothie Recipe
- 2 cups dark leafy greens of choice (dandelion leaves, arugula, purple kale etc)
- ½ avocado
- ½ cup berry of choice
- ½ of green apple
- ½ cup chopped cucumbers
- ½ juice of a squeezed lemon
- 1 tsp fresh ginger
- Enerex powdered greens mix (1-2 teaspoons)
Some of our most effective detox kits includes:
- Wild Rose Detox Kit
- Drainaflore Plus
- Dr Reckewig R-DTX (homeopathic detox kit)
- Xymogen- Detox Kit
*Ensure to remove alcohol, gluten, wheat, dairy and all processed and fried foods, refined sugars. Remember if it comes in a package avoid it!
*Remember a Detox does not mean juice or water fasts with zero energy, in the winter months your body requires warmth for energy production therefore eating whole and unprocessed (avoiding too much raw) as much as possible with the right type of herbs and supplements is the best way to go!
Check out our ion detox foot bath, a great way to physically detox while adhering to the protocol above!
In Good Health,
Better Living Wellness Clinic
Wellness Clinic & Health Store
Natural Health Store Etobicoke
416-249-1895
