At this time of year many women seem to go crazy for the detox. I personally feel that most detox plans are extremely hard to maintain, unpleasant to do and only offer a short term remedy to the heinous acts we put our bodies through. Embarking on a New Year, I like to implement lifestyle changes that I can really try and commit to throughout the following twelve months, whatever they may throw at me. I like to refer to ‘detox’ as giving my liver and my tummy a regular vacation from alcohol and sugar.
So here are my lifestyle changes for 2011, feel free to steal all or just some of them. Remember, this is about being realistic in order to be in it for the long haul…
- Only drink alcohol at weekends. I know there’s always a birthday to toast or it’s been a really long hard day but if for 8 out of 10 weeks you can stick to this you will look and feel so much better for it.
- Keep sweet treats to a minimum. Research is suggesting that sugar consumption is having a massive impact on our chances of getting diseases such as cancer and according to Dr Brandt “sugar breaks down collagen in our skin making us age prematurely.”
- Exercise 3 times a week. And when I say exercise I mean I need to see sweat! Although making the effort to walk or cycle rather than drive is a great start too.
- Go green with food and drink
- Green Tea (boosts metabolism and could potentially protect you from heart disease.)
- Spinach (being a female who doesn’t enjoy meat that much I know I should always be looking for ways to boost my Iron intake to avoid feeling weak and shaky.)
- Broccoli (the superfood of superfoods.)
- Exfoliate once a week from head to toe. Exfoliating clears dead skin cells that will leave you looking grey and tired. It will also kick start your circulation which can reduce cellulite. If you have time try dry body brushing, celebs swear by it.
- Take cleansing seriously. Get yourself into a good routine with some suitable products and never go to bed with your makeup on.
- Finally, stress can be equally as harmful as overeating and binge drinking. Try and have a bit of ‘me time’ everyday. When I say ‘me time’, that doesn’t mean setting aside time to do all of your personal administration. It means take a bath, read a book or listen to some music. Try and do some deep breathing, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Take in the clean air and push out the worries from your day. Our respiratory system is the most sophisticated detoxification system on the market, so use it!
