Summer is typically a season for backyard barbecues and sweet treats with friends, but these outings can take a toll on your system and make you feel bloated if you eat too many sugary and salty foods. A three-day detox will help reset your system and help you feel great, so you can hit the beach with confidence. Check out these three rules for a safe and successful detox.
Stay Hydrated Naturally
Never underestimate the importance of staying hydrated during the heat of summer. When you’re cutting sugary drinks like soda and coffee out of your diet during a detox, you don’t have to just chug plain water. Pour some iced herbal tea or infuse your water with fruits like strawberries and blueberries to get a fun flavor. You’ll look forward to keeping your body hydrated with naturally sweet, fruit-infused water.
If you’re looking for a healthy replacement for your morning coffee, follow in Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow’s footsteps by squeezing fresh lemon juice into some warm water. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the benefits of lemon water detox include a boost of vitamins for your immune system. Lemon water also aids in digestion by cleansing your system and supporting the liver and kidneys.
Cut Processed Foods
The most important part of a detox is cutting processed foods from your diet. Pre-packaged foods often contain refined sugars, artificial chemicals and saturated fats that put a strain on your digestive tract that then affects your whole system. According to the Mayo Clinic, processed foods contain too much sodium, which contributes to water retention and feeling bloated. In the long term, too much sodium can raise your blood pressure and risk of heart disease. Cutting these foods during a detox is a great way to feel the difference in your health.
Olivia Wilde, a former vegan who still regularly follows a diet free of processed foods, says that she sees the difference in her skin. If you want a healthy, glowing tan during summer, avoid processed foods that have excess sugar, salt, and fat.
Related reading: Sugar Detox – Supercharge Your Health In 5 Simple Steps
Your best bet for staying satiated and refreshed during your detox is to prepare your own meals from whole foods. Avoid the center aisles of the grocery store where all the pre-packaged foods are in favor of circulating the outer aisles to find fresh produce, lean meats, eggs, organic dairy products and whole grains.
Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh fruits and vegetables contain a slew of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are terrific for your body and easy for your body to access. Summer is the best season for getting fresh produce at your local farmer’s market, and the produce at your grocery store is likely to be fresher and cheaper as well during this peak season of delicious fruits and vegetables. You might choose to eat a lot of raw produce during your three-day detox, but you can also get plenty of benefits from grilling, sautéing or baking fresh vegetables.
Related reading: How A High Fruit & Vegetable Diet Can Detox Your Body
Fresh fruits taste great in a fruit salad or smoothie. When you blend fruits and leafy greens into a smoothie rather than juicing, you’ll drink the fiber in the produce, slowing down the absorption of the natural sugars in fruits and vegetables. You can add detox-friendly sources of protein, such as nuts, and healthy fats like avocado to your smoothies and other fruit dishes to keep you feeling full as you reap the health benefits of detoxing from processed foods. In addition to keeping you feeling full, balancing your intake of fruits with protein and healthy fats will help keep your blood sugar from spiking too high, leading to a crash in energy later.
Final thoughts
Your three-day detox this summer is a great way to feel the difference of natural foods in your body. You may be motivated to decrease your intake of sugary and salty foods throughout the summer to keep your skin glowing and your immune system healthy.
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