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?
