It’s no secret that we all like to indulge around the holidays. There’s no shame in that, of course — we should enjoy ourselves unabashedly and have all the treats we get only once each year.
Still, Christmastime can be a bit daunting if you adhere to an otherwise healthy lifestyle and meal plan. Take the holiday feast as an example: the average person eats a whopping 7,000 calories on Christmas Day, according to experts. That’s much more than you’d tally in a normal 24-hour stretch.
Perhaps that’s why you’re planning on how you’ll bounce back after this year’s holiday. Surprisingly enough, one way to do it is to get started now. Yes, you can get yourself ahead of the curve(s) by partaking in a pre-holiday detox, which has more benefits than just safeguarding your silhouette.
Here’s why you should get started on your holiday detox now.
1. You’ll Boost Your Immune System
If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that we should cherish our good health — and protect it at all costs. Christmastime makes it hard to do so, though. It’s strange, considering how much we love the holidays, but it’s a notoriously rough season for our bodies. There are many reasons for this trend. For one thing, Christmas can be a bit stressful. Having family around, buying gifts, preparing big meals — all of it can make us anxious and tense. These sentiments strain the immune system, leaving you open to illness that might not otherwise have affected you.
On that note, we spend more time indoors in winter, too. That means we are in closer proximity to others who might be sick. The lack of distance and fresh air makes it easy for colds and flu to spread from one person to another. You’re probably aware of this already, since viral spread is of the utmost concern in 2020. However, this advice applies to Christmas this year and beyond: a detox can bolster your immune system when it needs it most.
If you detox, you’re helping your immune system flush toxins from the body. Then, you’ll replenish your systems with nutrient-rich foods, which will further fortify you. Altogether, a detox can make you more resilient in the face of illness this holiday season — and prep you for further fitness pursuits come New Year’s Day.
2. You’ll Feel Good — And Make Better Choices
Let’s say you start a pre-Christmas detox. You’ll walk away with a sense of accomplishment, but, more importantly, you will feel amazing.
A gentle pre-holiday detox will have you drinking lots of water and filling your menus with fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins. You’ll skip out on all the indulgent ingredients that weigh you down or make you feel tired — no sugar highs until Christmas, people. All this will make you feel great in the lead-up to the holiday season. When you start to feel better inside, you will continue to make good choices in service to yourself.
For example, let’s say you get in the habit of starting your day with a detox smoothie. A good recipe will incorporate lots of fruits and veggies, which give you plenty of nutrients and energy to power you through your morning.
With your detox over and a full slate of Christmas activities on the horizon, you might find yourself continuing to mix a smoothie to start your day. That’s because when you feel refreshed, satiated and energized, you will make the right choices to keep yourself feeling that way.
Now, we’re not in any way suggesting that you shouldn’t — or won’t want to — indulge over the holiday season. Instead, you’ll find it easier to decide what’s worth the indulgence and what you should skip. Only the best Christmas treats will be worthy of your time and energy once you have healthy habits in place, and you will know when to splurge and when to stick to your plan.
3. You’ll Pick Up Healthy Habits To Bring Into 2021
Your pre-holiday detox can lay the foundation for your 2021 health goals. If you can stick to a cleanup in the run-up to Christmas, you truly can do anything.
You don’t have to limit yourself to just a food-based detox, either. Perhaps you’ll find that you enjoy cleansing your body by sweating as you get into the habit of exercising. When the new year starts, you will have already made fitness part of your routine, so you can simply continue instead of resolving to do so.
Plus, your detox will give you some ideas as to how to make your lifestyle healthier. Drinking more water, eating fresher foods, avoiding processed ingredients — you won’t have to overhaul your life if you start now. Instead, it will just feel good, and that’s how we all want to go into 2021 and beyond.
There’s No Time Like The Present
A pre-holiday detox will strengthen your immune system, make you feel good and lay a foundation for healthy choices in 2021. That’s why we say there’s no time like the present — pun intended — to get started.
