If you feasted on tons of Christmas cookies, the holiday cheese plate, and some ham, it’s safe to say you may be feeling the need for a reset.
The good news is that you don’t have to resort to a crash diet or hours upon hours of exercise to get back on track. Your body is resilient and knows how to heal itself. Here are a few gentle ways you can help it along the way.
Begin your day with warm lemon water and sip it throughout the day. Lemons provide several health benefits, which combined with warm water, can promote hydration and stimulate digestion throughout the day. Hydration cannot be stressed enough during this time—consuming enough water is essential to help your liver and kidneys filter out toxins.
Try sipping on warm green tea before and after meals to keep your metabolism and digestive fire strong. Fennel tea is a great choice as well, as it relieves digestive problems such as indigestion, bloating, flatulence, constipation, intestinal gas, heartburn, and even irritable bowels. Or add some of our Happy Belly to help with detox and belly bloat. Aromatic herbs in general stimulates digestion and has carminative effects that soothe the digestive tract and prevent the formation of gas.
Although you may be tempted to eat very little after feasting, it’s important to focus on deeply nourishing, healthy meals. Think fruits, veggies, and plant-based proteins. You can find gorgeous recipe inspiration in my Thyroid Yoga Recipe Book: You Nourish You, which has more than 30 pages of nourishing, plant-based meals that are gluten-free and dairy-free. I made many of these recipes when I put on my chef's hat for a recent retreat, and I can promise you that even the most die-hard dairy and gluten lovers will be drooling over these meals and desserts! If you're not feeling the plant-based approach during the colder months, make nourishing broths, and warming bowls loaded with chosen proteins and veggies for a heartfelt meal.
Intermittent fasting is a simple way to get the benefits of a fast without feeling like you’re deprived of food. Eat your last meal no later than 7 p.m. in the evening, and try a delicious cup of 'bullet-proofed coffee' in the AM instead of breakfast the next day. The coffee, grass-fed butter and MCT oil will leave you satiated while your body continues to fast. It is in this fasting state that your body is much better able to burn fat as fuel. Once lunchtime rolls around, you’ll have fasted for over 16 hours, giving your digestive system a total reset. If you're not feeling the caffeine, try our Happiness powder in warm plantbased milk, along with chai if you're feeling the aromatics, along with sweetener of choice.
If you find yourself feeling a little puffy, stiff and stressed... try an anti-inflammatory warm oil rub down! Cooling oils that assist with inflammation can be any base oil of choice (jojoba, mooring, coconut, etc.) with a few drops of essential oils. Peppermint, lemongrass, geranium, or aromatic relaxants like rose, frankincense or lavender. Using a gua sha or just your hands, following the lines of your lymphatic system, comb your body outwards to free energy. Check out this article to learn how to perform lymphatic drainage self massage.
Yoga, movement or any kind of stretching is the quickest way to get your energy system back into balance, plus it boosts your mood. Quick stretching that gently boosts detox are twists. The idea that yoga twists can detox the body was popularized by the famous yoga teacher B.K.S. Iyengar. According to him, twisting poses compressed the muscles and organs, blocking the flow of blood. When releasing the poses, the blood flows back into those areas, improving circulation.
If going for a run is too intense, try getting your sweat on with a visit to an infrared sauna. Infrared is the type of light used to heat objects in the sauna instead of air, allowing the body to sweat at lower temperatures. Because infrared light penetrates deeper, the heat pulls out toxins deep under the skin and exfoliates them through the skin—which is amazing for detoxifying and weight loss! But, ANY kind of sauna that you have access to can be miraculous when it comes to cleansing. Use what you have available, and check out places near you that might have one. I'm telling you, you'll feel amazing!
Eating with intention is my ultimate tip to avoid the feelings of regret that follow holiday overindulgence. To prevent damage at the upcoming parties this holiday season, avoid overindulging in foods you wouldn’t normally eat. For example, if you typically avoid gluten or dairy, you may not feel well if you eat a large amount “because it’s the holidays.” Resist the “when in Rome” mentality, and you won't struggle as much with a guilt-riddled detox mindset in January. Indulge in some vegan pumpkin pie or a small serving of the food that was made with love by your family and friends, and enjoy what's on your plate, no shame! The more you stress out over the small stuff, the worse it will be for your body than the food itself! Eat with gratitude and intention, and cherish the love that was infused into your meals.
You don’t have to go to extremes to reset your body after a festive feast. Take care of your body with the intention of mindfulness, nourishment and self-love.
Written By Fern Olivia
Internationally Recognized Teacher And Founder Of Thyroid Yoga
