Detoxing is becoming the new “gym membership” for New Year’s resolutions, and many companies are capitalizing on this trend by issuing “detox” products.
However, you don’t need to buy a fancy juice cleanse to detox. Here are some ways you can keep your resolution without breaking the bank:
First things first: water. If you find yourself to be constantly fatigued, headachey, and irritable, you’re likely not getting enough water. Water flushes your body out and keeps your cells firm and hydrated.
Next might surprise you: cut out all the sweets—including replacements for sweets:
Skip sugar – and low-calorie sweeteners. You want to ground zero your sweet taste buds with more limited intake of sweet of all kinds. Cut out sugary drinks, snacks, and treats, and you’ll be surprised how fruit will satisfy your sweet tooth. And taking a break from all low-calorie sweeteners helps you learn to tamp down your perception of sweetness.
Artificial sweeteners are designed to be sweet, and reinforce your body’s desire for sweet things, keeping you on a cycle of cravings. The whole point of detox is to calm your body down, so cut out the diet sodas and the Stevia and find yourself craving sweet things less.
Last: sweating is your friend.
Skin is the body’s largest organ, and sweating helps you eliminate excess body salts and other metabolites of body processes. Breaking a sweat every day is a good way to support your body’s healthy elimination of metabolic breakdown products.
Lululemon has a quote printed on their bags that says something to the effect of: “sweat every day, it regenerates your skin”.
This goes to show: you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on an official “Detox” from some marketing company.
It may be time to detox your wallet, too.