WORDS: Jessica Scott-Young | NUTRITIONIST
Feeling sluggish and bloated?
Not sleeping well?
Need more energy?
Brain fog?
Suffering from skin issues?
Sweet cravings?
These are all signs it is time to give your body a boost with this simple cleanse and reset!
As we head into the warmer months, the days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and we are all craving more social connection (especially after months being stuck at home). Now is the perfect time to think about shedding some of those old, unhelpful habits that crept in over the winter lockdown and replacing them with new, healthier routines to set you up for success.
Spring is the perfect time to boost your immune system to combat seasonal allergies, shed any excess winter weight and feel vibrant and full of energy for the lightness of Spring. Then, as we head into summertime, we want to cool down our internal system, maintain adequate hydration for healthy skin and digestion, and support our liver before the onslaught of the summer festivities.
I don’t like using the word ‘detox’ with my clients as it feels challenging and a little anti social. Our bodies naturally detox on a daily basis, but the additional physical, emotional and environmental stressors placed on our body as busy urbanites means our detoxification pathways can become a little stunted.
Stressors that affect our bodies include:
- Work (e.g. longer hours, increased workload, blurring of work/life boundaries)
- Family and relationships worries
- Lack of social support and connection
- Financial stress
- Dietary stress (nutritional deficiencies, food allergies and sensitivities, unhealthy eating habits)
- Increased alcohol consumption
- Increased coffee consumption
- Reduced exercise routines
- Disrupted sleep patterns
- Hormonal imbalances
- Increased screen time (e.g. work/study, social media, news)
- Musculoskeletal imbalances (hello, poor WFH set up)
- Virus and illness
- Uncertainty around COVID-19
- Environmental pollution
I am all about helping you make healthy living easy and accessible… and after months of lockdown, I know the element of social connection plays a huge part in our overall mental and physical wellbeing. So, here are a few of my favourite diet and lifestyle tips that you can incorporate into your weekly routine. Pick three things from the list below to commit to this week:
FOOD
- Glass of warm water with lemon or fresh ginger or 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar upon waking to kick start digestive fire
- Eat a protein rich breakfast within 45 mins of waking to kick start your metabolism. Think of including protein sources such as eggs, beans, nitrite free ham, smoked salmon, halloumi etc
- Chew, chew, chew – chew every mouthful 20-50 times to help boost digestive enzyme function
- Swap your coffee for a cup dandelion root tea (great liver support)
- Add 2 cups of vegetables to each meal! This boosts your fibre intake and floods your system with antioxidants
Keep a food diary – it may help you identify emotional triggers around food
LIFESTYLE
- Get up early to see the sunrise – a great way to support your circadian rhythm (aka improve sleep cycles)
- Get outdoors in the morning for you daily dose of Vitamin D
- Jump in the ocean! Morning ocean dips are great for firing up your metabolism, getting the lymphatic system moving and supporting adrenal and thyroid health
- Dry body brushing – supports lymphatic drainage and detoxification. Did you know your skin is your body’s largest organ?
- Reduce screen time – swap screens for reading, meditating, listen to music, play a card game, do sudoku or go for an evening walk
- Mediate – focus on slowing down. Start with 5 or 10 minutes. This is time for you
- Aim to be in bed by 10pm each night
Good health doesn’t need to be hard but it does need to be manageable which is why it is important that you can incorporate these tweaks into your week or weekend to get your body firing on all cylinders again.
If you are looking for more personalised support on how to optimise your diet and lifestyle, I am available for 1:1 consultations on Wednesday and Saturdays. Click HERE to book.
Stay well. Eat well. Live life.