Welcome to 2021! A new year brings with it new hopes, goals and dreams. One such goals that seems to be consistent among people this time of year is the annual detox. Time to re-calibrate the body after all that bingeing on not so healthy, but oh so yummy food. Everyone seems to wake up on January 1, look at their belly and panic!

While detoxing anytime of the year is great for getting rid of toxins and healing gut issues, it doesn’t have to be about extreme restrictions and will power. There are daily habits and foods that people can incorporate all year round to maintain optimal health.

Including these foods in your eating regime will allow your body to release toxins gently without draining your energy.

• Lemons
• Beets
• Green leafy veggies including kale, spinach, and chard
• Apples
• Dandelion leaves
• Artichoke
• Watercress
• Flax
• Cabbage
• Broccoli

 Herbs and Spices that detox and purify the blood include:

• Turmeric
• Rosemary
• Milk Thistle
• Ginger
• Garlic

And of course, we can’t forgot about one of the most powerful detoxifier ,water! Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water. For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would consume 75 ounces of water per day. If you drink coffee, you will need to match each cup of coffee you drink with an additional cup of water. Exercisers will also need extra water during workouts to replace what they sweat out.

Getting rid of household cleaners and personal hygiene products that are full of chemicals is important as to not add back toxins you are trying to rid your body of. Reducing these toxins will also help to take some pressure off your already overworked liver ( the main organ responsible for detoxification) keep your brain sharp, your gut healthy, your hormones balanced and your nervous system functioning optimally.

 If you browse any natural health food store, you will see many toxin free, natural items to choose  from.  It may take some trial and error to figure out what you like, but it’s totally work it!

Something that most people don’t consider when cleansing is their mindset. Negative thoughts can do just as much harm to the body as the chemicals listed above. Keeping a journal of your negative thoughts throughout the day can be very eye opening. See which thoughts are reoccurring and try to figure out where they might have originated from. Is that really how you feel, or is it based on something you heard some one else say, or from past experience or traumas? See if there is another way to reframe a situation to make it more positive.

Doing a social media cleanse goes a long way towards detoxing your brain and  is key for emotional health and resiliency. Stay away from scrolling through Facebook  as a way to compare your life to others. Stay away from media that tells you that you will only be worthy if you look a certain way. Get in touch with yourself and rediscover what your own true beliefs are, not the ones fed to you.

Hope this helps! Good luck with all your New Year’s goals.