Post Holiday Sicknss-Tips on how to Detox

Detoxing is necessary for health, recharging the cells, and of course weight-loss. It is very common to have "Post Holiday Fatigue" or "Post Holiday Sickness." You may have noticed people around you sniffling or coughing and perhaps packing on a few (this time of year is when gyms typically get 1/3 of their annual enrollment).

So, I have a few tips of how to detox.

Ease into it:
Most people think of a detox as an extreme liquid diet with headaches, nausea, and frequent trips to the bathroom....and it can be, BUT it doesn't have to be. Detoxing can be gentle and gradual, it doesn't have to be a flush. Sure, after you've adapted some detoxifying habits and adjusted, a short flush (2 days or so) can really give you a boost, but if you're used to eating out all the time, frozen meals, and tons of meat, bread, sugar, and dairy, give your body a chance to adapt to your new found health habits.
Some good places to start: drinking water all day and drinking 32oz as soon as you wake up (this stimulates metabolism and gets your detox systems up and running), cleanse the colon by drinking 2tsp of psyllium husks in water in the morning and evening, eat two big salads a day (skip the heavy dressing and go for vinaigrette or better yet, make your own with fresh chopped garlic, sea salt, balsamic vinegar, and organic extra virgin olive oil yum:), take a quality multivitamin everyday, replace sugar and artificial sweeteners with Stevia.

Detoxing is not only for your body:
The objective of detoxing is to gain health, right? Well, you can live on vegetables, drink gallons of water, but if you let yourself get completely stressed and surround yourself with energy vampires, you'll never reach optimum health. Cleanse your environment, clean out the clutter from your closet, journal a few times a week, and take time for yourself. Engage in activities that allow you to be creative and relaxed. Take a walk to clear your head. The list goes on....

Try out a few of these tips for a week and see how you feel. Also, for when you feel like you're ready to progress to a full flush, I'll be posting some raw recipes and guidelines in my next blog.