Is Your Body Ready For Winter?

Summer is a beautiful time of the year where we enjoy traveling and outdoor activities. However, these fun moments also involve a lot of eating, and not always the best foods for our health. With our constant high exposure to toxins and poor-quality food choices, we might develop sluggishness in the body, including a sluggish detox pathway.

That’s why it’s a good idea to take a few days during fall to focus on supporting your body’s detoxification with targeted nutrition. Doing so might help keep your immune system more effective, thus reducing your risk of common winter infections such as the flu and the cold. Some signs that you need to detox include headaches, body aches, fatigue, and low energy, poor sleep, skin problems, and brain fog.

Here are six tips to help you put together a fall detox plan

1. Make a list of some foods you would like to include in your detox

Select foods and spices with known benefits on the liver, kidneys, lungs, digestive system, and immune system. These foods and herbs include beets, artichokes, turmeric, ginger, parsley, cilantro, sweet potatoes, winter squashes, carrots, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and cruciferous vegetables. I particularly like to include turmeric because it impacts pretty much every organ in the body, including the liver, your master organ of detoxification. It also has some specific benefits on supporting the immune system to be more effective. Considering all that turmeric has to offer, I think it’s a must-have as part of any detox plan.

2. Include some detox tea

 Dandelion, milk thistle, Nettle Leaf, and Burdock Root are all great for supporting the liver. However, keep in mind that these herbs might also interfere with some medications. That’s why it’s always good to check with your doctor before taking any herbs or other dietary supplements. If it’s ok for you to take these herbs, you can look for them at the tea section of any health food store. I suggest starting with dandelion tea, considering you have probably already consumed dandelion in your spring mix salad.

3. Make a meal plan for the length of your detox

Planning is critical for any goal you would like to achieve in life. Therefore, taking some time to plan and prep your meals is crucial for the success of your detox program.

4. Eliminate all junk foods, alcohol, sugar, red meat, or all meats

As you plan your meals, keep in mind that the goal is to focus only on natural, whole foods for those five days. So, include a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Because grains and potatoes are high-glycemic, and the detox is just for a few days, I suggest leaving them out. Instead, use beans, sweet potatoes, and winter squashes such as butternut squash as your source of complex carbohydrates.

5. Drink plenty of water

Water makes up about 60 percent of your body weight, and every system in your body depends on it. It’s crucial to drink a little more than usual during a detox program to help flush out toxins and waste from your body. Set a goal on how much water you would like to drink. Half your body weight in pounds and converted in ounces can be a good goal for the detox.

6. Take actions to reduce stress and improve your sleep.

Stress and poor sleep directly impact your immune system. So, taking action to reduce stress and improve your sleep is critical. For example, you can take a bedtime tea with some relaxing herbs such as chamomile, lemon balm, and holy basil to help improve your sleep. For tips to reduce your stress, check out this article on my blog: 8 Simple & Effective Tips To Ease Stress.

I hope these six tips help you put together a successful fall plan.

Notes:

If you are looking for something ready to implement, I have gotten you covered. I have put together a 5-Day Fall Mini Detox Challenge For You. It will be fun and easy to follow, and I am super excited about the recipes. They emphasize food that supports detoxification and the immune system. I hope that you join us.

You can register TODAY by visiting “Academy” on my website. The program is $50, and by signing up now, you will only pay $35. You save $15. The discount ends on October 30^th. The detox starts on November 8.

Let’s get our bodies ready for winter!