A post-summer detox doesn’t have to involve pea-sized portions and drill sergeant fitness routines. A holistic approach to cleansing your lifestyle can do wonders for enhancing your physical and mental health.
The damage we do to our bodies during the festive season seems to get all the publicity for post-season detox solutions. Amid holiday celebrations, parties and not-so-occasional late-night kebabs, our health is crying out for some TLC.
But if you’re finding your festivities trickle on for months after this binge siege, you’re not alone. It’s hard for everyone to let go of living life to the lax, especially coming out of the COVID restrictions from the past couple of years. But a routine of carbalicious meals, calorie- laden cocktails and late nights is not only bad for your health but it also starts to manifest itself in breakouts, weight gain, weak hair, dry skin, wrinkles, tiredness and all-round energy depletion. If you haven’t already learned that beauty radiates from the inside out when it comes to looking after yourself, it becomes painfully clear once these manifestations start blocking your daily glow.
How do you rise out of this rut? Small steps are the key. You don’t need to become an overnight vegan gym-bunny to make positive changes to your lifestyle and appearance, but taking a holistic approach to your routine can do a lot for looking and feeling refreshed, relaxed and a little more zen.
The mind-body connection
Paul Taylor, founder of the MindBodyBrain Performance Institute, says the brain is a powerful tool in making lifestyle changes. ‘Staying in shape is just as much about focusing on the brain as it is about exercising and eating well,’ he says. ‘The brain controls everything the body does but is reliant on the health of the body’s optimal function.’
While for some people motivation comes naturally and is a powerful instrument, it is often relied upon as the sole catalyst for change. ‘Motivation is completely controlled by the brain and is dependent on the chemical dopamine. The biggest mistake people make when trying to get into shape is that they rely on motivation, which waxes and wanes. The real key is to create a new habit, and the key to this, as far as the brain is concerned, is to develop rituals.
‘When we repeat something enough, it becomes a habit. The reason it does so is because the neural wiring for this activity moves to a part of the brain called the basal ganglia, which is where our habits are stored – simply put, the brain loves routine.’
So, funnily enough, you actually have the power to trick yourself into living well. Injecting a space in between leaving work and arriving home to do a 25-minute jog on the treadmill, or replacing a mid-morning pastry with a green tea, can go a long way in achieving long-term life balance.
Superfoods are real
We all essentially know what we shouldn’t be eating but what about the foods that make up the ‘should’? We’re constantly bombarded with new information about nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins, with some categorised as essential and some as elite. ‘Superfoods’ are in the latter group and are characterised by their high content of vitamins, minerals, fibre, antioxidants and essential fatty acids.
The speculation about whether the term ‘superfood’ represents a microcosm of health food marketing ploys has been the subject of many inquiries, with frequent reports about the dramatically higher sales of blueberries since being painted with the superfood brush.
Blueberries, along with salmon and other omega-rich fatty fish, soy products, grains, tea and dark chocolate are the top choices for superfoods. They boast effects such as lower levels of cholesterol and blood sugar, lower risk of heart disease and cancer, as well as a decrease in inflammation – one of the key culprits in the ageing process.
While they are often associated with extreme diets and fad detox plans, you don’t have to survive on these foods alone to experience their benefits. Working these foods into each meal, one at a time, will add variety to your diet and can slowly evolve into exploring new ways to enjoy food.
Experts advise that adding half a cup of blueberries to your morning cereal is a healthy start. As a general rule, the more colour the fruit or vegetable has, the richer it is in antioxidants. Integrate spinach, pumpkin, beetroot and capsicum into your weekly dinner cycle.
When we go zen
Meditating can be an extremely beneficial way to decrease stress, clear your mind and help maintain an emphasis on what’s important to you. Part of feeling good about yourself and leading a balanced lifestyle is honing your personal goals and putting a name to the qualities you like about yourself (and no, this doesn’t have to involve reciting affirmations to yourself in front of the mirror every morning).
Defining what actually classifies an act as ‘meditation’ is difficult, particularly because there are so many varying techniques and cultures from which the skill has evolved. At its core, meditation has been described as a state of bare attention, or a focused yet relaxed state of mind.
Simply sitting quietly and concentrating on the action of breathing can achieve this, as well as walking in the park – the point is to de-clutter your mind and overcome internal chatter.
Research has shown that meditation activates the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for involuntary functions such as digestion and blood pressure, often negatively affected by stress. It makes sense that when stress is eased, stress-related health problems are lessened and general wellbeing is enhanced. Take half an hour for some ‘you time’ to promote calmness – it’s a simple and effective way to integrate meditation into your routine.
So, given the definition of meditation remains somewhat murky, how do you know if you’re doing it right? The answer across the board is that if you feel better than you did before you began, you’re doing it correctly!
A daily fitness routine can act as a form of meditation as it requires a certain level of concentration and can create a sense of freedom in the mind. Experts say modern versions of meditation are just as effective as their ancient counterparts because the techniques have been adapted to suit modern-day lifestyles and associated stresses.
Simply put, when it comes to reintegrating a sense of the holistic into your lifestyle and radiating from within, slowly introducing realistic and achievable goals into your day-to- day is the key. CBM
