Image courtesy of Marin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Does December’s end mean it’s time to detox?
Ugh. It seems no matter how focused you’ve tried to be on eating ‘right’ during the holidays, a few too many rich foods have made the journey from plate to palate. And as delicious as every bite has been, part of you is longing for the lean, clean feeling you enjoyed before the season got underway. Am I right?
If you’ve gained a pound or two - or just feel the ick from all the excess – the good news is that your body is as eager to get back to bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as you are. And it doesn’t take any special potions, concoctions, or pricey regimens to do it.
As much as commercial ‘detox’ products would like you to believe it, your body needs no special, expensive mixtures to get your body back in balance and the excess fluff off your waistline. It craves the homeostasis of health. You just need to get out of the way.
3 steps to do-it-yourself December detox
1) De-acidify and alkalinize by upping your intake of fresh vegetables and fruits. Your pH balance is the measure of the acidity/alkalinity in your body. Vegetables and fruits are alkalinizing, whereas processed, high-sugar/highly processed foods are very acidifying. We all know the feeling of being ‘over-acidic’ – sour in the stomach and low in vitality. When you realize how easy it is to overindulge in foods that are acid-forming (see this link) it’s easy to see why they lead to system malaise.
The solution is simple. Up your intake of alkalinizing foods. Start each meal with a salad, steam fresh vegetables to have with your whole grains and starchy vegetables, and let it all crowd out the acid-forming holiday fare. Guaranteed in 24 hours you’ll feel like a new being.
2) Move your body. Get out and walk every day for 30 minutes. If the weather is prohibitive, then make a promise to utilize the cardio equipment in the house and then follow through. Or complete a simple circuit in your home of, for example, 20 push ups, 20 squats, 20 lunges, and 20 seconds of planks. Go through the circuit 3 times. Exercise stimulates the lymphatic system – the garbage truck of your body. Stimulating the lymph is the cheapest and easiest ticket to detox there is – grab it!
3) Let the compassion kick in. Compassion for yourself. The fastest way to perpetuate a bad-habit cycle is to come down on yourself for behaving badly at the buffet. Research tells us that when we stop punishing ourselves for falling short, look for the wins, and make allowances for imperfection, we actually do better at changing our habits and getting back on track than if we find a roost in recrimination. New day, new opportunities. Onward!
Each minute of each day you have the opportunity to make a fresh choice. Get your kitchen restocked with plenty of alkalinizing food, exercise each day, and tweak the attitude. If you are just getting started on a vegan diet, the Plant-Based Blueprint may be just the thing to get you started. You can download the Plant-Based Blueprint Sampler for free at lanimuelrath.com.
Award winning Lani Muelrath, M.A., CGFI, CPBN, FNS - 
