A 7-Day Mind and Body Detox
How do you feel about reaching your best body ever in 2019? I’m talking about dramatically advancing your health to be fitter, stronger and more energized than ever before.
Well if that excites you, then you are at the right place at the right time to turn your ship toward the sexy, strong and vibrant life you desire. And I can’t think of a better time than the new year to recommit to your health and fitness goals.
The new year represents a time for transformation. You get to decide who you want to be and become in the next coming year. You are given a new opportunity to play full out, stop making excuses and show people who you really are.
There are a few things you probably don’t want to drag into 2019 … like those extra holiday pounds from overindulging in your favorite holiday cookies, pies and traditions like we all do. We must release all the inflammation from our holiday partying and let go of unhealthy choices to get back on track. Holding onto any struggles and stresses from 2018 will continue to weigh you down and keep you from being your best.
I can relate. I had my son in 2017 and at the time, I doubted I would ever get back my pre-baby body. I developed health and wellness strategies that worked for me, and I’m going to share them with you—starting with what I call the “mind and body detox.” It’s a process of releasing toxic negativity on both mental and physical levels. This process kick-started my seventh-month postpartum journey back to my pre-pregnancy body.
Day 1: Release Any Self-Doubt
To reach any goal, you must believe you can. What you tell yourself is your most powerful weapon. If you are going to fight for fit this year, then you must get your mind right before anything else.
The enemy of belief is self-doubt. You must turn your “I can’ts” into your “I cans” and overcome any excuses and doubts you have concerning your goal.
To-Do
The best way to overcome self-doubt is to write down your self-limiting beliefs. Share your struggles with those you love the most, such as your husband, mother, best friend and/or mentor.
Seek their love and guidance; let them breathe their belief and solutions into you. Be open to receiving help from the people who love and care about you. It takes courage to express how you really feel and get vulnerable.
Also, share your 2019 goals and needs with them. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and what you need, use your resources and meet your goals.
Day 2: After-Christmas Clean-Out
It’s time to get organized by doing an after-Christmas kitchen clean-out. All the Christmas junk left in the kitchen such as cookies, candy and any other killer foods that will stop your weight loss and fitness goals from ever happening have to go. This means no unhealthy foods accessible in the house. The mind can only withstand so much, and if it’s easy to get those foods, you are more likely to eat them because the body always wins.
To-Do
Clean out your kitchen and only allow healthy foods in your house. Rid your pantry, fridge and freezer of any unhealthy junk foods such as “white” foods (breads, pasta, sugar), soda, ice cream, chips, etc., so you can make room for the nutritious foods.
Day 3: Cut the Clutter
It’s very important that your home is a stress-free environment fostering energy and inspiration. It’s much easier to focus and feel less overwhelmed when your home is organized. According to Psychology Today, there are many benefits of de-cluttering, ranging from creating confidence to reducing anxiety and family tension.
To-Do
I recommend doing a 100-item de-cluttering burst: Let go of 100 things in an hour.
Set the timer on your phone to 60 minutes. Grab a bag for trash and one for donations. Start in the areas where you need to do the most de-cluttering.
Day 4: Begin to Detox
The goal is to start triggering the natural detoxification process by making healthier diet and nutrition choices.
Data suggests that certain carbs, especially inflammatory carbs like gluten and sugar, cause insulin spikes. This overproduction of insulin causes your body to store fat, and stored fat promotes inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a hallmark of chronic disease such as damaged arteries, cancer, obesity and a decreased immune system function.
To reduce the inflammation in your body, you must reduce toxicity and stress. To naturally clear and release any toxins, inflammation and disease from my body, I used the three steps below.
To-Do
- Cut out sugar and gluten from your diet.
- Stop eating nonorganic foods grown using conventional fertilizers and pesticides.
- Reduce your emotional stress.
Try my favorite cleansing recipe for weight loss:
Tuscan Kale Salad Serves 2-4
This is a gorgeous salad that is cleansing and satisfying at the same time!
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale (also known as black or lacinato kale)
- ⅓ cup raw sliced almonds
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Remove stems and ribs from kale and discard. Slice kale into ¾-inch-wide ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place kale in a large bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over kale and give kale a nice massage. Then add oil and massage again, really breaking down the kale structure.
Place bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to soften kale. Remove from fridge and top with almonds, Parmesan and a drizzle of oil. Serve.
Eating a gluten-free, sugar-free and organic diet are detox steps to continue until you reach your fitness and health goals.
Day 5: Release Body Tension
The holidays can be a very stressful time, not only from unhealthy eating habits but also from dealing with all types of family members. So you must release all the built-up tension.
To-Do:
Give back to yourself and take your favorite yoga class, get a massage or connect with Mother Nature by taking a long walk outside.
Day 6: Start the Fat-Burning Process
I first learned about daily intermittent fasting from Dave Asprey. Intermittent fasting basically communicates to your body to build muscle and burn fat at the same time.
My approach is to fast for 16 hours, which means not eating between 8 p.m. and noon the next day. Most of your fast occurs while you are sleeping. Skip breakfast in the morning and wait until noon to eat. This is an eight-hour eating window and referred to as the 16/8 fasting protocol. (It means you eat sensibly according to the choices you made starting in Day 4—the feeding window is not a time to binge.) I follow this pattern every day.
To-Do:
Try the eating schedule above and make adjustments if your body needs a window that starts and ends a little earlier. You can continue until you reach your goal.
Day 7: Release Negativity
On your final day, release anything that may still be bothering you from 2018 using my gratitude meditation.
To-Do:
Gratitude Meditation
In your meditation space, sit up straight or in a chair. Gently allow your shoulders to fall in a natural position. Close your eyes, place your hands on your knees with your palms facing up. Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale out through your mouth. Center into your body and become present.
Sit straight up—take five deep breaths in filling your chest and exhale pushing the air out. During your deep breathing, breathe into any areas of tension in your body.
Think of five things you are grateful for. Sit in gratitude for one minute.
Repeat to yourself: I choose to see the beauty in my life no matter the situation and release anything that is bothering me.
Open your eyes
Use this meditation when you are feeling worried, anxious or stressed.
There are so many distractions, resistance and temptations in today’s world that can throw you off course. Keep moving forward by continuing with my daily eating schedule from Day 6, love the part of you that wants better for yourself, and now know that you have to be stronger than anything that can hold you back. Stay focused on what drives you. You can accomplish more in 2019 than any other time in your life when you get your mind and body right.
Keep us posted on your progress! Join the community on social media by sharing your “7-Day Mind and Body Detox ” pics using the hashtag #24hrfitnessMBDetox because we’d love to support you!
Video credit: Aila Images, Shutterstock
Photo credit: Todd Cribari, inspirostudio.com; Cortney Cribari; Jennifer Pallion, Unsplash; Mikhail Duran, Unsplash; Freestocks, Unsplash; Phi Phi, Unsplash; Dominik Martin, Unsplash