Detox the Post-Holiday Binge, Top 5 Steps to Get it Done

The holidays for me deliver a toss-up of emotions. The good, the sad, and the jubilant. I haven’t had a traditional holiday in over ten years. The loved ones who fortified a once joyous time are now gone and I am left to figure out what the holidays mean for me.

Even though I am still figuring out the holidays, there's one speckle of an exception I will indulge. To make some yummy traditional holiday foods. You know, the mosh-posh of tried and true. Candy (Halloween), Mac n’ Cheese, smoked collard greens, and turkey (Thanksgiving and Christmas). Tis the season for comfort foods! And boy do they deliver an impact on your mood, energy, and dare I say waistline (if that's important to you). This can lead to overindulging and by the time the new year comes around, your body may be screaming for some TLC.

Not all foods are created equal in the eye of health. I often find myself in need of a post-holiday detox.

I’ve tried most of the popular detoxes you can find online, in a book, or by word of mouth. Most detoxes will do what it promises and you’ll see results. Better rest, less bloat, and higher levels of energy. Detoxing doesn’t always mean weight loss. If you’re doing a detox with the aim of weight loss, it is a great starting point to give your body a much-needed reset.

The thing is, most detoxes are not sustainable. Its purpose is to reboot your system only. This is why detoxes usually range between 5-7 days tops. And when you see weight drop, it's likely water, not fat. Trying to use a detox regimen long-term will likely result in failing. Don’t push yourself to go any longer than 7 days. Your body and mind will thank you.

The use of a detox is to purge any harmful material such as bad bacteria in your gut from the foods you've eaten. Good bacteria like prebiotics and probiotics work with key enzymes and hormones to keep your system regular. Sadly, those sweet, crunchy, or savory comfort foods are high in saturated fat, sugar, and carbs. This weakens your system and thus weakens your state of health. This cocktail of chemical reactions is a reason aside from viruses why folks get sick this time of year. Your gut is the first point of defense against illness.

Detoxing is great this time of year because we've already made our new year goals and likely in a motivating headspace too. Understanding what a detox will provide to your body is key to sticking with it. As all detoxes aren’t created equal.

For me, I like a detox that doesn’t cause a crash or severe headache. They can cause stress to the system and defeat the whole point of a detox. You want to be as gentle with your body as possible.

Focus on these key agents when detoxing. Here are the top 5 steps I use in my detox journey:

Apple Cider Vinegar and Turmeric tonic

This is simple and something you want to take first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The fermentation from the cultures in the ACV is a probiotic that combat bad bacteria in the gut. Turmeric works as an anti-inflammatory. These two together make a kick-ass combat team. You can use any combination of ACV and turmeric with ginger and cayenne pepper too. If you’re a sufferer of acid reflux, I would stay away from citruses such as lemon or orange. This can agitate rather than reduce acid.

Eliminate all the top inflammatory foods

Dairy, eggs, caffeine, peanuts, refined grains, sugar, corn, and nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants, mushrooms). Removing these scientifically-backed triggers can affect the body. It will help your system reset. Tons of resources online can direct you to alternative food choices. But, since a detox is a short period, you’re likely better off finding meals that stand on their own. We seek alternatives because we mourn what we remove. Instead of focusing on the true purpose of removing what causes inflammation. This can hinder your goal (read my last article on goal setting if you need a nudge to the right course).

Focus on diuretic foods

With inflammation comes water retention. Seek out foods that release excessive water stored in places like the joints is key to a detox. This doesn’t mean you refrain from drinking water. You want to maintain at least 32 oz of water a day, with the aim of at least 64 oz a day. Water helps flush out wastes, relieves constipation, and promotes nutrient absorption. Water helps create movement and that's what we want. Eating foods high in water content can help. Pineapple, broccoli, celery, lettuce, and cucumbers to name a few. There are delicious juice and smoothie recipes that can help with this.

Follow your circadian rhythm, do not remove meals!

Most people think of a detox and feel they need to cut out eating everything. This is entirely false! The last thing you want to do is stop eating. This halts your metabolism and your body will feel starved, go on high alert, and into storage mode. This hormone imbalance affects our circadian rhythm which rules our bodies. And how we operate in our environment too. When the sun is up, we wake, we work, we eat. Eating too early or too late can be taxing in our system. We maintain our life force by having healthy fats to keep us warm and healthy bones to keep our organs safe. The body by nature wants to go into self-preservation mode. Limiting too much food, you are more susceptible to your system ignoring messages and signals to maintain a balance. To not trigger your body, intermittent fasting helps. Eat within a certain window. For beginners, having an 8-hour window is manageable. And not to eat 4 hours before you go to sleep which can keep your body working to break down food.

Get enough rest

If you’re someone who’s always on the go or always putting others before yourself, the only way a detox will work is if you eliminate stressors and get better sleep. You know what’s best for you to achieve this. Make it known to your loved ones the goal you’re setting. Ideally, they should respect your actions and not entice you to fail. Get them to detox with you. Budding up helps us feel like we are not alone and we have an accountable partner to get us through it. Make sleep a priority. Not having the TV on when you sleep or being on your phone does help achieve better sleep. If you’re an anxious-minded person, you may need additional help to get there. Melatonin, the key hormone that naturally signals to our brain is time to sleep. With the stressors of the day, many of us lack the production of melatonin, and it is helpful to supplement. It gently reminds our system its time to rest. The same goes for camomile and lavender.

Another good tool to put in your detox arsenal is meditation or prayer. Any activity that helps your state of being. This is not a time for heavy exercise! Slow walks and breathing exercises are good. Yoga or stretching is always nice and gentle. Remember, detoxing is a reset. When your body is going through a reset the last thing you want to do is trigger stress endorphins aka cortisol. Relaxing the mind and body will make the experience enjoyable and keep you on a pace right for you.