How To Detoxify After The Holidays

The holidays are all about family get-togethers, apple pies, turkey, chocolate and other yummy deserts. And who can pass these by?

The answer is very few people have the strength to walk past all the junk being served at the holiday dinners. For many people this is the time they gain unwanted pounds, and to top it off, the food has left them feeling sluggish to the point where they have no will-power to do anything about it.

But it doesn't have to stay this way, we can pick ourself up and restore our bodies back to health. All we have to do is detoxify and get all those toxins out of the body, and we will be as good as new.

There are several ways that you can go about getting all that junk food out of your system, but no matter which method of detoxification you choose, you will need a lot of will-power and discipline.

One of the things you can do to detoxify is go on a raw food diet for at least 1-2 weeks. Stay away from all cooked and processed foods. This includes meat, dairy, all sugar, and even the juices at the grocery store which claim to be good for you.

Eat as many fruits and vegetables as you like. If you don't like vegetables, put them into a smoothie to help you get them down. This is actually a good way to get your day started in the morning.

You can also eat as many nuts as you like. Nuts are a good source of protein and healthy oils, so eat as many as you like. You can also add nuts to your breakfast smoothie.

Whatever you choose to eat, eat lots of it so that you don't allow yourself to go hungry. And do not forget your water bottle; drink at least 2-4 liters of water every day.

The other thing that you can do to detoxify is go on a juice fast. You can plunge right in, or prepare your body for the cleanse by eating raw for a few days prior to the fast. The reason you want to prepare your body is to avoid too many toxins from leaving the body at once. This can cause you to have headaches, feel sluggish, and cause greater mood swings.

But if you go raw for a few days prior to the fast then the cleansing process can begin gradually. Your body will thank you for this.

Ideally you should do the juice fast for at least 3-7 days. The longer you fast, the better; some people can go 30-40 days on a juice fast without any problem. But if it is your first time fasting then you might only be able to last a few days. It is important to listen to your body and fast accordingly. If you begin to feel weak, or extremely down, then you should stop fasting and pick it up again when you feel ready.

The most important thing during a fast is to not allow yourself to go hungry, for as soon as you begin to feel hunger, you will be tempted to stop fasting and eat something. Avoid as many temptations as possible by drinking lots of juice.

If you can, get someone to join you in the fast; this way you have someone to hold you accountable, plus you will have moral support.

After your detox is done; or even if you only went on the raw diet for a week, you will begin to feel like yourself again; you will have more energy, and feel much happier. It is always harder to detoxify for the first time, but then after that it gets easier.