Sorry for my lack of blog posts last week, I was in last minute prep mode for my sister’s wedding and am so glad that I took a few days off to fully (slash overly) enjoy the extended wedding weekend. You don’t get that many chances in life to see your entire family, lots of friends, and watch your favorite person marry the man of her dreams! It was truly a magical few days, and I can’t wait to share more about it, along with photos, as soon as we get pics from her photographer. In the meantime, you can see a little sneak peek right here.
While we were in Philly, we definitely over-indulged in every way possible. From drinking too much too many nights in a row to eating one too many Philly Cheesesteaks (worth it) to not sleeping enough, I came home yesterday as a shell of a human being. My heart was happy but my body was not. I was/am tired, bloated, and breaking out like crazy!
Traveling with a toddler on it’s own can be an exhausting experience, but when you add in all of the drinks, not-so-healthy food, and lack of sleep, it can really mess with with a girl! Getting up this morning to finish this post was a real struggle, let me tell you.
So today I’m starting a little “detox” that isn’t exactly a detox at all, it’s just something that I like to do after I go overboard, when my 80/20 rule turns into more of a 20/80 state of mayhem.
I realized that I’ve never actually written about this little ritual of mine so I thought I’d share it with you today. It helps me a lot after travel weekends, and I hope it helps you too! Even if you didn’t leave home this weekend, feel free to join me and let me know how it goes.
Rules: The best part about my detox is that there really are no strict “rules” so I never feel bad if I don’t stick to it 100%. I just try to do my best. That’s the biggest key to it’s success for me. For example, Halloween is on Wednesday and I will for sure be eating candy, I just plan to have only a few pieces as opposed to handfuls of Twix and Reese’s (my two fave Halloween candies!) like I usually do.
Food: On detox weeks, I pretty much stick to my anti-inflammatory diet, with one change which is that I allow myself plenty of caffeine because, well, reality.
Eliminate:
Gluten
Dairy
Added sugar
Fried foods
Peanuts
Alcohol
Add more:
Cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli)
Fiber (I add flax and chia seeds to everything I can)
Garlic, onion, scallions, leeks
Fish
Healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oils)
Turmeric
Ginger
Dark leafy greens (kale, chard, etc)- I add ton of spinach to my smoothies every morning for an easy dose of greens
Lemon Water: I try to drink 1/2 of my body weight in oz of filtered water daily, but during this detox, I add in 3-4 cups of hot lemon water as well. I start the morning with it, have one before or around lunch time, and another before dinner.
Exercise: My exercise routine is one workout with my trainer each week and then a 30 minute walk five days a week. After trips like this, the only change I make is that I turn my morning walks into a light jog, and just getting my blood moving in that one way makes a huge difference in how I feel for the res of the day. The reason I don’t do this all the time is that I just don’t love running. I used to! When I lived in the city, I would run on the East River every night after work, but for some reason in the last few years, it doesn’t do it for me anymore.
Supplements: As I’m typing this, I’m realizing that I haven’t actually shared my updated supplement routine. I will do a full post on it after I tweak it a little with a professional in a few weeks (so excited), but after drinking and eating a lot, everything in my body feels inflamed so on detox weeks, here is my go-to supplement sitch.
This week I’ll be amping up my intake of Curcumin which is the orange chemical found in turmeric that has anti-inflammatory properties. After too much alcohol, gluten, and sugar, everything feels inflamed from my skin to my stomach to my eyeballs. I also take a ton of Vitamin C, D, and Probiotics because I know my immune system is weak from the lack of sleep. Lastly, I take NAC, which is a supplement that supports a healthy liver, aka great for a hangover.
Detox Bath: Every night for the next few nights, I’ll take what I call a “detox bath” which is basically just a super hot 20 minute bath with Epsom Salts and relaxing essential oils to sweat out/pull out some of the toxins in my body. The added benefit is that if you do this before bed, it relaxes you big time as well.
Sleep: I try to get in bed at 9:15 (lights out by 9:45) for a few days to catch up on sleep. The extra hour makes a big difference for me. It isn’t always possible to get in bed so early, but I prioritize early sleep on post travel weeks.
Beauty: Last night I did my favorite charcoal face mask because I had full hair and make up for two straight days and let me tell you it’s breakout central around here! I also used my secret weapon eye masks because the bags under my eyes are no joke, friends.
How do you like to get back on track after an overly-indulgent trip?
Love this post, great ideas! Looking forward to pictures of the special event! Family is everything!
I can’t wait to see the photos either! So excited to share them as soon as I have them.
I feel you on needing a detox…traveled for work last week and then away with friends for the weekend. I am craving a week of healthy eating & exercising. Thanks for the tips!
In it together! Let me know if you have any questions and good luck 🙂
This is just what I needed after also getting back from attending a wedding at a winery this weekend!! Going to incorporate some of these into my routine this week!
https://premedwearspearls.blogspot.com
xoxo Libby
Oh man, it’s brutal isn’t it? I’m on the struggle bus today for REAL!
I’m feeling the exact same way after a birthday party/brewery tour and then football Sunday, ugh. I made it a priority to get myself to a morning workout before work and I’m mainlining water over here haha. I try to do the same, but I’m curious about you cutting out peanuts. I eat pb everyday (only ingredient is the nuts and occasionally I’ll have the one with added sea salt). Do you find that causes you inflammation too? I’m a super picky eater with an almond allergy so I’m limited but could certainly do thing like walnuts and pecans to get more protein.
Great question! I usually eat PB too and love it but I’ve read a lot about how peanuts can be inflammatory, so when I’m feeling especially inflamed or sick or anything, I cut it out for a few days. I think overall, if it’s not making you feel bad, it’s a great protein source.
What water to lemon juice ratio do you use for your lemon water?
I do a full mug of hot water then squeeze in juice from about a 1/4 of a lemon.
I love this! I haven’t ever sat down to strategize recovering from being out of town. But I always feel like I need a vacation from my vacation! Thank you for sharing and the tips for execution. Can’t wait to try something similar next time I am out of town.
Oh good! So glad this was helpful. Let me know how it goes.
Such good tips!
And I am feeling the same after three weeks of traveling…and I really didn’t even indulge — just the routine being off throws everything off.
Have you ever tried taking charcoal internally?
I haven’t yet but my Functional Medicine Doctor recommends it if you’ve eaten something bad.
Curious to hear your thoughts…
I haven’t really explored charcoal… It freaks me out a little TBH! Is that bad? I’m usually all about that stuff but for some reason the charcoal thing feels like a trend that we’ll all look back on and wonder what we were thinking. But would love to learn more obvs!!!
NEEDED THIS DETOX POST!!! I love this list, I’m going to incorporate after a rather over-indulgent October/September. Do you have any favorite detox recipes? What are your favorite meals to make with “detox foods”? Thanks!! becca
Yay enjoy! One of my favorite recipes (that I’m making tonight) is this detox split pea soup. So easy to make and SO delish: https://lemonstripes.com/recipes/detox-lentil-soup/
I will definitely need to try these tips out, thanks for sharing!
xx, Merritt
The Style Scribe
Thanks Merritt! It definitely helps after rough weekends!
Hello it’s me, I am also visiting this web page regularly,
this website is genuinely good and the visitors are genuinely sharing fastidious thoughts.