After a weekend of partying your body is probably feeling less than stellar. And while you may know that you are lying to yourself when you say you are never drinking again, there is nothing wrong with taking a pause from drinking to give your body the TLC it deserves.
Obviously, alcohol has a way of dehydrating you and damaging your body in ways nothing else can. You take the harm alcohol in itself does to your body, then add all the junk you consume while either drunk or hungover, and it’s not hard to figure out why, come Sunday night, you are feeling like a weak, decrepit, hollow shadow of your former self.
Dramatic? Yes. But, true? Maybe a little.
Whether you are hungover or just feeling a bit run down lately, most people can benefit from naturally detoxing their body. Don’t mistake this for a full-blown juice cleanse. This is not about starving or depriving your body, but rather resetting it to get you back on track. Here are some tips to help you detox your way to better health.
1. Sweat it out.
You should be exercising everyday anyway, but if you are feeling fatigued or, worse, hungover, it can be hard to find the motivation. But energy can naturally energize you, and if you get moving, even if it’s just getting yourself to the nearest sauna, your body will than you for being given the opportunity to sweat out all the harmful toxins that have been building up.
2. Eat fruit.
Obviously the juice cleanses are often mistaken for being in one in the same with a “detox”, and that is because the juices are made almost entirely up of fruits and veggies. Produce help detox the body because they are clean, unprocessed food that can help improve liver and kidney functioning.
3. Drink green tea.
Green tea is a super drink. Not only will it give you a much less-harsh dose of caffefine than coffee does, but it is feeling with antioxidants that can help enhance liver activity and, therefore, stimulate and expedite the production of enzymes used in the detoxification process.
4. Drink hot water with lemon.
If you are not a fan of green tea, you can sip on some hot water with lemon instead. Lemons balance your body’s pH levels and, obviously, water is naturally hydrating. If you can’t take sipping on a warm beverage during the summer, you can just drink regular, cold H20 with some freshly squeezed or infused lemon.
5. Twist it out.
If you have ever been to a yoga class, you’re likely familiar with the “yoga twists” or the “spinal twists.” If you are not, sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Make sure your back is straight. Bring your right leg over your left, with the knee bent, so your foot is resting on the floor next to your left thigh and your knee cap is parallel to the ceiling. Bring your left arm, extended to the right side of your right leg, so it is on the outside of the knee and leg. Inhale, and slowly and gently twist to face behind you. If it helps, put your right hand on the floor directly behind you, as close to your butt as possible. Exhale as you turn. Repeat on the opposite side.
Spinal twists can help stimulate the digestive system, which is important for detoxing.
