Happy New Year! Wow, I can’t believe another year has come and gone. So much has happened in my life this year! The biggest for sure being my husband and I making the leap of faith and moving out of NYC to Charlotte, NC. And let me tell you.. Best decision ever.
We are so much happier now and feel that we have all the tools set up to reach our 2019 goals. I can’t wait! 2018 sure was a rollercoaster for me though. A lot of ups and downs and there is nothing better than starting a new year off right with a fresh body and mind.
Today I am sharing with you 7 of my favorite ways to detox the mind and body.
1. Water is your friend
Drink more water this year! If not this year, at least do it now! Water is a great way to keep your body running smoothly, rid the toxins and keep you feeling your best. Not to mention keeping you full(er) so you won’t be tempted to eat more than you need to. Try to get in a minimum of 64oz a day. However, if you are trying to loose weight a good rule of thumb is to try to drink a half ounce to ounce of water for every pound you weigh. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you’ll want to drink somewhere between 80-160oz of water in a day. Get yourself a large water bottle and start drinking!
2. Detox Tea
When I’ve been really bad and eating too much sugar or drinking too much alcohol, I love to have a cup of detox tea during 1-2 times a day for a few days to clean the liver and body. I personally love dandelion tea. It has some great properties including promoting liver health, soothes the digestive system, can help with constipation and is known to reduce water weight, yay! I love this one from Yogi but there are many others out there on the market to try out.
3. Charcoal Face Mask
We have to think about the skin too when we detox the body. If we eat junk, it comes out through our pores, can cause acne and irritation. Give your face a nice wash and exfoliate. Then apply a charcoal mask. You can either make your own with some charcoal powder, bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar. If you buy some jars like the ones in the links, you can make masks for a long time and way cheap! OR… if you get lazy like me, you can pick up an already made charcoal mask at the drugstore. I like the Yes to Tomatoes Charcoal Sheet Mask or they also make a paste. I find mine at The Dollar Tree!! Can’t beat that!
4. Warm water with citrus and apple cider vinegar.
Starting your day with a glass of warm water also helps to get rid of toxins and ease the digestive system. Adding in some fresh lemon, lime or even orange juice helps to protect the body’s immune system and aid in getting more vitamins. I usually add in about 1/2 a fresh lemon squeezed into my 160z of water long with 2 tsp of raw apple cider vinegar. Raw apple cider vinegar has SO many benefits including, reducing cholesterol, aids in weight loss, helps clear acne, boots your energy and help even help with bad breath. Why not add it in! It takes a little while to get use to, but it is great habit to try to stick to! Make sure you buy the raw apple cider vinegar. You want a bottle that says “with the mother,” in it to get all the health benefits! Try adding in some fresh ginger slices too!
5. Mindfulness
I truly believe that mindfulness and meditation can do wonders for your mind and body. Taking a few moments each day to yourself helps to destress, refocus and boosts working memory. Have a spot you sit in each day and work on mindful listening and mindful breathing. Focus on the breath, close your eyes if you wish and just be present in that moment. Try to do this for at least 2 minutes, but 5 is even better. The more you practice, the easier it will become and you will notice a difference! We have to remember to take care of the mind as well and by giving it some love and attention each day, it will thank us.
6. Stretching.
Our body is busy! We are constantly moving it, working it and putting stress on it. Give it some love back and stretch it out. Yoga is so powerful. I love to just find some yoga videos on Youtube and follow along to give my body a good stretch and give my mind a second to relax. Yoga helps with stress reduction, flexibility, improved energy, weight reduction and help with sleeping problems, aches and pains and concentration. If you have never tried yoga before, I challenge you to give it a shot! Follow along a video on Youtube, or download a yoga app. There are many good ones out there. If that isn’t for you, you can put on some soft relaxing music and pick up some yoga cards which are great as well.
7. Dry Brushing
If you haven’t heard of dry brushing yet, it went pretty trending a couple years ago. Basically before you hop in the shower, you get a brush with some synthetic bristles and brush your body in upwards strokes towards the heart. It helps with blood circulation, elasticity. exfoliates and leaves the skin soft and glowing! I love this one from eco tools. It has lasted me a while and is very inexpensive. You can find it here at Ulta or here at Amazon.
I wish you all a healthy and happy new year! Here’s to 2019! Let’s get it going 🙂
Xo, Melissa
