There’s no denying that the holidays are indulgent… Large meals, delicious treats, decadent drinks, and more time snuggled up by the fire on the couch. It’s almost impossible to turn down homemade pumpkin pie, and a giant turkey dinner is always better enjoyed in leftover form. After a season of indulgence, many of us feel bloated, uncomfortable, and vowing to never eat again. A post-holiday detox is exactly what is needed to reset back to normal.

Start planning your post-holiday detox plan with a proper detox diet, detoxification tips and tricks, and easy lifestyle changes to make sure you’re back on track with your wellness now that the holidays have ended and the New Year’s resolutions have started!

Post-Holiday Detox Tips

Clear the Fridge

First things first, clear out your fridge! We know that holiday leftovers are amazing, but they can derail you from your post-holiday diet efforts. Give leftovers to family members, freeze them for a later date, or have a mini post-holiday clear-the-fridge party for friends to help you clean out your leftovers and remove any unhealthy temptations.

Write Down Your Goals

One of the first steps in being successful in your post-holiday detox plan is being clear in what you want to accomplish. Whether it’s a 3-day detox or one month long, make a list of all the goals you’d like to achieve. Goals can include: Cut down on sugar, reduce bloat, lessen alcohol consumption, lose 5 pounds, have a more positive body image, etc.

Be Understanding

Know that your after-holiday cleanse may not produce immediate results. Going through the detoxification process is a slow and steady one, but the results are worth the wait! Be realistic and understanding of your goals and what your body can accomplish in a set amount of time. Unrealistic goals will leave you feeling discouraged, and may hinder progress.

Set Up a Support Group

Round up your friends and family to keep you on track! Whether it’s a post-holiday detox buddy who does check-ins with you and is there for moral support, your partner to meal prep with, or a coworker who can help keep those break room snacks at a safe distance, tackling anything with a partner is much easier than going solo.

Control Your Environment

During your post-holiday detox, the first tip was to clean out your fridge. Maintaining a controlled environment at home, work, and while out is just as important, if not more. During this time, learn what things aren’t serving your journey toward health. This way, you’ll keep temptations at bay and learn new healthy habits to continue throughout the year.

Get Some Sleep

You might think that laying in bed for 8 hours won’t necessarily help with an after-holiday cleanse, but it is an important factor in weight loss. Poor sleep habits have been linked to worse appetite, higher calorie intake, and lower resting metabolic rate. On the other hand, studies show that sleep detoxes the brain and helps improve physical activity.

Start Your Day with Breakfast

By starting your day on a healthy note, you will be more likely to continue making healthy choices throughout the day. Not only will you be primed to make healthier decisions, the benefits of eating breakfast will also help you experience more controlled blood sugar, better heart health, and heightened focus, making the post-holiday detox easier.

Sweat it Out

One of the best ways to detox is by sweating out the toxins. Getting in a good workout is always a great option, as you are burning calories and sweating. You can also do a post-holiday detox by sweating in an infrared sauna – which is especially effective for detoxification when used after working out. You can detox and destress with hot yoga as well.

Stay Hydrated

After sweating out all the toxins in your body, it is imperative to stay hydrated. Be sure to replenish any fluids you may have lost while sweating to ensure you body is functioning properly. Drinking water flushes toxins from your body, which is especially important after holiday eating. It also helps reduce the bloat you may experience from the holidays.

Add Color to Your Diet

A healthy plate includes a range of items, including protein, high-quality fats, fruits, and vegetables. When it comes to your post-holiday diet, studies show that vegetables such as broccoli, radishes, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower help aid in the detoxification process, along with fruits like pomegranate, blueberries, grapes, and black raspberries.

Post-Holiday Diet Plan

Breakfast

As mentioned previously, starting your day with a well-balanced breakfast is key to starting you off on the right foot for your post-holiday detox diet. It is recommended that your breakfast contains approximately ⅓ of your daily calorie intake. Keep your plate simple and healthy with protein, fruits, and vegetables. You can even help boost your metabolism with some plain, black coffee!

Healthy egg scrambles are a delicious and easy way to get protein and vegetables in your morning routine! If you prefer your breakfasts on the sweeter side, other healthy breakfast options include Greek yogurt with fruit and oatmeal with peanut butter – just be sure to keep the sugar content of the ingredients down.

Lunch

Having soup at lunch for weight loss is an easy way to have a delicious meal while cutting down on calories. A soup for lunch has a high volume with a low calorie count, meaning it has a low energy-density. On top of that, because of the volume of food you are eating, you will feel full quickly, thus suppressing your appetite for the remainder of the day.

When deciding on a soup, stick with broth-based or vegetable-based soups. Avoid fatty or creamy soups, but feel free to add in lean proteins like chicken, fish, or beans. A low-sodium and low-glycemic lentil soup is recommended for a post-holiday detox diet, as it is easy to digest after a season of indulgent eating while maintaining healthy blood sugar.

Dinner

Dinner during your post-holiday diet is fairly straightforward. Focus on filling your plate with lean proteins and vegetables, while cutting out starchy menu items. Keep the meals simple to reduce the amount of sugar added, but make sure you add spices and seasonings that will keep your meal interesting and leave you wanting more.

If you would like, start off your meal with another bowl or cup of soup to help reduce your appetite and reduce the portions of your meal. You can also add in a cabbage salad to get things moving, as cabbage is high in fiber and can aid in eliminating toxins through waste. Cabbage also contains anti-inflammatory antioxidants and helps lower cholesterol.

Snacks

In between meals, have some carefully-portioned healthy detox snacks on hand that will help whet your appetite without encouraging binging on unhealthy treats. Just like with the full meals, keep your ingredients simple and natural to avoid unhealthy additives in processed foods.

Start off your morning with a holiday cleanse green smoothie filled with leafy greens and fruit to reduce inflammation or Greek yogurt that is packed with antioxidants. If you have mid-day cravings, slice an antioxidant-rich avocado and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, or spice up some popcorn with cayenne pepper to jumpstart your metabolism.

You know what they say: New year, new you! So start off this year right by making some healthy decisions. Not only will a post-holiday detox leave you feeling healthier after a season of indulgence, it’ll set you up for a year of better decisions with a balanced diet, improved sleep, more exercise, and a more positive body image. Treat your body right and it will reward you with the best year yet. Happy New Year!