Exploring the Physical and Mental Well-Being of Firefighters

Firefighters are among the most courageous individuals in our communities, ready to run toward danger to keep others safe. However, the nature of their profession exposes them to intense physical challenges and mental stress. Between the demanding hours, exposure to hazardous materials, and extreme heat, it’s crucial for firefighters to find ways to support their well-being.

Read on to explore the physical and mental toll firefighting takes and introduce how tools like infrared saunas, red light therapy, and halotherapy can help these heroes recover, recharge, and maintain a balanced lifestyle.

The Physical Demands of Firefighting

From battling roaring flames to rescuing victims from dangerous environments, firefighting is a high-risk job that places tremendous pressure on the body. Firefighters often work in extreme conditions, wearing heavy gear and breathing equipment that can weigh over 45 pounds.

Heat Stress and Dehydration

Firefighters face dangerously high temperatures while combating fires, increasing the risk of dehydration and heat-related illnesses. Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to heat exhaustion, cramping, and fatigue. It also impairs physical performance, making recovery time essential between calls.

Exposure to Harmful Toxins

In fire environments, firefighters are exposed to toxic chemicals from burning materials, which can absorb into the skin or enter the lungs. Over time, exposure to these toxins has been linked to respiratory problems and even higher cancer risks.

Muscle Strain and Physical Injuries

Firefighting involves heavy lifting, climbing, and high-intensity activities, which put significant strain on muscles and joints. Injuries like sprains, back pain, and muscle fatigue are common in the profession. Recovery becomes a priority to maintain physical strength and prevent burnout.

The Mental Health Impact of Firefighting

In addition to the physical challenges, firefighting takes a toll on mental health. Regularly facing life-and-death situations can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. Research shows that first responders, including firefighters, experience higher rates of PTSD and depression compared to the general population.

Stress and Anxiety

The pressure to make quick decisions and the unpredictability of emergencies contribute to elevated stress levels. Many firefighters report difficulty “switching off” even when off-duty, leading to chronic stress.

Sleep Disturbances

Shift work, late-night calls, and the adrenaline of firefighting make it difficult for firefighters to establish a consistent sleep schedule. Sleep deprivation can impair cognitive function, further affecting job performance and emotional well-being.

Emotional Burnout and PTSD

Repeated exposure to traumatic events can lead to emotional fatigue or PTSD. Firefighters often witness distressing scenes, which can result in feelings of helplessness or guilt. Left untreated, these emotional challenges can impact personal relationships and overall happiness.

The Role of Infrared Saunas in Recovery & Mental Well-being

Supporting firefighters’ physical and mental well-being is essential, and infrared saunas offer a holistic solution. These saunas, along with complementary therapies such as red light therapy and halotherapy (salt therapy), promote recovery and mental relaxation, helping firefighters recharge both body and mind.

Detoxification from Toxins

Infrared saunas help the body release harmful chemicals absorbed during firefighting. Unlike traditional saunas, which rely on high ambient heat, infrared saunas use gentle infrared light to penetrate the skin, promoting deep sweating at lower temperatures. This process aids in detoxifying the body, flushing out toxins accumulated during fire exposure.

Additionally, halotherapy enhances detoxification by introducing finely ground salt particles into the air. As firefighters inhale the salt-enriched air, it helps clear their respiratory system, removing mucus and pollutants. This therapy can be especially beneficial for those exposed to smoke and chemicals, improving lung function and reducing the risk of respiratory conditions.

Muscle Relaxation and Pain Relief

The heat from infrared saunas improves circulation, delivering oxygen-rich blood to fatigued muscles and joints. This helps relieve soreness, reduce inflammation, and speed up recovery from injuries. The soothing warmth also helps relax tense muscles, lowering the risk of strain or further injury.

Incorporating red light therapy further enhances muscle recovery. Red light therapy uses low wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to penetrate deeply into the body, stimulating cellular repair and reducing inflammation. This therapy has shown promising results in alleviating joint pain and muscle fatigue, making it an ideal recovery tool for firefighters dealing with physical strain.

Stress Reduction and Mental Clarity

Infrared saunas create a serene environment for firefighters to unwind after intense shifts. The gentle heat and calming atmosphere help lower cortisol levels (the body’s stress hormone), promoting relaxation and reducing feelings of everyday stress.

Red light therapy also contributes to mental well-being by enhancing mood and energy levels. It encourages the release of endorphins and serotonin, chemicals that promote happiness and alleviate symptoms of anxiety or depression. Regular sessions can improve emotional resilience, helping firefighters manage the mental toll of their profession more effectively.

Improved Sleep Quality

By incorporating an infrared sauna session before bedtime, firefighters can enjoy deeper, more restorative sleep. The relaxation induced by the sauna helps the body wind down, making it easier to fall and stay asleep – crucial for first responders with irregular work schedules.

Both red light therapy and halotherapy can further improve sleep quality. Red light therapy has been shown to regulate circadian rhythms by enhancing melatonin production, making it easier to maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle. Halotherapy supports respiratory health, promoting easier breathing during sleep and helping firefighters get the restful sleep they need to recover fully.

Taking Steps Toward a Healthier Future

Firefighters are dedicated to protecting us, but they need the right tools to protect their own health as well. Prioritizing both physical recovery and mental well-being is essential for firefighters to continue performing at their best and living fulfilled, healthy lives.

Infrared saunas offer a sanctuary where firefighters can detox, relax, and heal – empowering them to handle the demands of their work with greater resilience. By investing in self-care and recovery, these heroes can stay strong, both physically and mentally, for the challenges ahead.

Supporting First Responders and Their Wellness

At Clearlight, we’re proud to support those who serve our communities, our country, and our loved ones. Firefighters, along with other first responders, face extraordinary challenges every day to keep us safe. That’s why we’re committed to making recovery tools accessible for them.

We offer a special 10% discount exclusively for military personnel, medical professionals, nurses, first responders, and teachers. This offer is available through our partnership with ID.me, a secure verification service, ensuring those who dedicate their lives to serving others can access our wellness solutions.

We invite firefighters and first responders to explore the benefits of infrared therapy and take advantage of our discount to invest in their well-being. Whether you’re looking for pain relief, stress reduction, or a way to sleep better after a long shift, Clearlight can help you find balance.

Infrared Saunas for Detoxification

Written By: Dr. Raleigh Duncan
Originally Published: The Holistic Health Magazine & Resource Directory

The evidence is overwhelming. Toxins are everywhere, in our water, air, food, soaps, shampoos, even in the clothes we wear. It has become commonplace to read about mercury in our fish, jet fuel in our lettuce, heavy metals in our air. Toxins have been directly linked with a host of diseases: cancer, lowered immune function, arthritis, autism, fibromyalgia, Alzheimers, neurological and cardiovascular disorders, just to name a few.

People living today carry within their bodies a chemical cocktail made up of industrial chemicals, pesticides, food additives, heavy metals, general anesthetics, and the residues of therapeutic pharmaceuticals, as well as toxins from alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and illegal drugs. It is a problem that is not going away, at least not in our lifetime. We need to detoxify!

Infrared Sauna Detoxification Research & Literature

Ways to Detoxify

Sherry Rogers MD in her groundbreaking book, Detox or Die, says toxicity is a one-way street leading to disease; the key to healing the impossible is to reverse the toxicity. But what is the best way to detoxify? There are several methods being used today: chelation, where enzyme preparations are injected into the bloodstream, binding toxins as they pass through and are excreted; fasting, with or without herbal and mineral preparations and/or colonics to help to remove toxins; and saunas, removing toxins through sweating.

Whereas the first two methods are suitable for persons with a high degree of dedication and/or discipline, the infrared sauna method is one that can be used easily and effectively by almost everyone. And it can be used in conjunction with the other methods of fasting, colonics, and chelation. Raymond Francis, in his fascinating book, Never be Sick Again, emphatically states, “Not only do saunas feel good, they are good! Saunas get your heart beating and your blood circulating, helping the body to detoxify in unique and important ways.”

Detoxifying Through Sweat

Sweating is an ancient tradition and a good method of removing toxins. From the Roman Steam Bath, to the Finnish Savusauna, the Russian Banya, the Native American Sweat Lodge, and the Moroccan Hammam, people have been detoxing and restoring themselves this way throughout history.

Today, there are many types of sauna and steam products available for almost any budget and location, from exotic built-ins to simple portable units. Some use conventional steam, some use heated rocks, and others use efficient infrared heaters. The effectiveness of the detox will depend on the type of heat chosen and the protocol employed.

Steam vs. Sauna

In her book Some Like it Hot, Nicola Rajala describes the major difference between the steam room and the conventional sauna. Although the steam room feels hotter because of the high humidity, the body actually has a harder time sweating because of the relatively low temperature (120°F). The water on the skin is primarily condensation rather than actual sweat. The conventional “box of hot rocks” sauna is still very common today, but it seems to be losing ground due to the many advantages of infrared saunas such as energy efficiency, comfort in use, deeper penetration of heat, and more substantial detox.

Using Infrared Saunas to Detox

In their book Beyond Antibiotics, Drs. Michael A. Schmidt et al. state the following: “Saunas are being used by some doctors to stimulate the release of toxins from the bodies of their patients. They have found that a lower temperature (105-110°F) sauna taken for a longer duration is most beneficial. These low temperatures stimulate a fat sweat, which eliminates toxins stored in fat, as opposed to the high-temperature sauna, which encourages a water sweat.”

There is a growing consensus among healthcare professionals, as well as the general public, that infrared saunas are a safe, effective, and enjoyable way to detoxify the body. Putting an infrared sauna in your home is a great way to prevent disease and promote a healthy, relaxed lifestyle. As with any regimen, always consult with your doctor first. It is important to start out slowly, drink enough water, take a good multi-vitamin and multi-mineral, and to wash off any sweat after the session to prevent toxins from being reabsorbed.

The Effects of Pollution on Human Health, and How to Fix It

It’s an unfortunate truth – pollution is a part of our lives, and it has negative impacts on our health. With such sprawling cities and new developments across the world, pollutants are all around us from the food we eat to the air we breathe. While land, water, and air pollution might all be fully unavoidable, there are still things you can do to help reduce the effects of pollution on human health. Read on to learn how pollution affects your body and ways you can help avoid the effects for a healthier life.

What is Pollution?

Simply put, pollution is the presence of harmful contaminants in the environment. It can be found almost all across the globe, with air, land, and water all having pollutants present. Land pollution includes household garbage (mostly paper, food, lawn clippings, and plastic) and commercial/industrial waste. Water pollution is created when foreign substances are introduced to the water, including chemicals, sewage, pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural runoff, and metals like lead or mercury. Air pollution is the most common form of pollution that we face, with 9 out of 10 people breathing air high in pollutants as of 2018, made up of pollutants like small particles from burning fuel, exhaust, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and chemical vapors.

Much of the pollution today comes from modern-day industry and habits, though there are still lingering pollutants from the past – proving just how long pollution can affect our bodies and environment. For example, persistent organic pollutants, sometimes known as “forever chemicals” or POPs, are resistant to environmental degradation, meaning POPs from World War II are still present. While environmental protections are slowly being put in place to reduce this pollution, it is still a persistent issue.

These harmful pollutants make their way into our daily lives with the things we eat, air we breathe, and water we drink. In turn, our bodies are prone to retaining these toxins, which can lead to health issues with prolonged exposure. The effects of pollution on health can gradually build up over time, so it is important to take the appropriate precautions to lessen the effects.

Health Risks of Pollution

Pollution is an unfortunate aspect of our lives, and the effects of pollution on human health can range from mild to severe depending on exposure. Those in higher-polluted areas such as industrial areas and cities may feel symptoms more than those with less exposure to pollutants. Land and water pollution, while not as prevalent as air pollution, can introduce chemicals, parasites, bacteria, and pesticides to your body, leaving you with ailments such as gastroenteritis, headaches, fatigue, and cardiovascular illness. In the more prevalent air pollution, health risks can range from a number of items, such as:

Cancer
Cardiovascular Disease
Fatigue
Headache
Nausea
Respiratory Illness
Skin Irritation

How to Decrease Effects of Pollution on Health

Reduced Exposure

As mentioned earlier, the more exposure you have to pollutants, the more harm they can do to your health. The first step in decreasing the effects of pollution is by decreasing your exposure. For land and water pollutants, wash your produce thoroughly, cook meat to safe temperatures, and use a water filter. To avoid air pollutants, check your area’s air quality every day. On days with worse ratings, try to minimize your time outdoors. Reducing time spent in traffic, in large cities, and near industrial areas can also help reduce exposure.

Filters & Air Purifiers

While you don’t have much control over the pollution outside of your home, you can certainly take steps to reduce the pollutants inside of your home. Invest in some filters for your water sources and home ventilation and be sure to routinely check them for replacement when they get dirty – especially if you are using the vents more frequently for A/C or heat. On top of filters, air purifiers are great additions to any home to reduce impurities you breathe in, especially in high-use areas like living rooms or bedrooms.

Exercise

Working out has many benefits for your health, and it can be especially beneficial in helping protect your body from the effects of pollution on health. The benefits of exercise include two big things for battling pollutants: detoxification and lung health. Exercising helps your body detoxify through sweat, and breathing through a workout helps keep your lungs strong to help combat any air pollutants. A healthy and strong body overall is also better equipped to fend off the negative side effects of pollution.

Infrared Sauna Use

Since our own fat tissue serves as a storage reservoir for toxins, and since they remain with us for several months and up to decades, mobilizing and eliminating these toxins from our bodies may help support our health. One way that may prove beneficial in helping remove these toxins from the body is through sauna-induced sweating. Numerous clinical studies have shown that infrared sauna use is a helpful tool in removing many toxins through sweat, including heavy metals, pesticides, and more, making it a great tool in helping reduce pollution effects.

Halotherapy

Salt therapy, also known as halotherapy, is a practice that has been used for years to help treat a number of ailments. One of the most popular forms of halotherapy involves inhaling particles of microsalt produced by a halotherapy generator that aerosolizes salt into the air. Studies have shown that this treatment is beneficial in seeing improvements for those facing respiratory conditions – something often caused by air pollution. You can double up on detox and lung health benefits by adding salt therapy into your infrared sauna sessions.

Diet

As long as you’re washing your food and avoiding land pollutants, your diet plays a role in protecting your body from pollution. Having the right vitamins and minerals in your body can help build up your immune system and help protect your body from toxins. Look for foods rich in antioxidants like blueberries, cruciferous veggies like broccoli, and anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric. A healthy diet will set you up to be better prepared to process and eliminate toxins your body may accumulate from pollution exposure.

Hydration

Last but not least, hydration is a key tool in helping protect your body from pollutants. Not only does it keep us refreshed to stay active and healthy, but it’s also one of the main ways to detoxify your body. Without proper hydration, your body would not be able to expel toxins through sweat, urine, or other processes. Be sure to drink plenty of water to assist the liver in detoxifying and to help keep pollutants from sticking around in the body longer than they need to.

Pollution is something we will have to live with the rest of our lives, so it is important to take steps to protect our bodies from the adverse effects of pollutants whenever we can. Living a healthy life with exercise, hydration, and a good diet is always key to help protect yourself from harmful elements, and taking the extra precautions of detoxifying, using halotherapy, and managing your exposure can help take your health to the next level.

The Importance of Staying Hydrated for Your Health

We always highlight the importance of drinking water before and after your sauna sessions to avoid dehydration and help the detoxifying process, but what are some other reasons to stay hydrated? From improved brain performance to weight loss, read on to learn more about why proper hydration is important for your overall health and find tips for staying hydrated every day.

How Much Water Should You Drink?

Before getting started with the benefits of hydration for health, it’s important to know how much water you should aim to drink. You’ve probably heard the general guideline to drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day. However, how much water you need depends on many factors and varies from person to person. The general recommendation for adults is about 11.5 cups (92oz) a day for women and 15.5 cups (124oz) a day for men.

For a more personalized amount, you should aim to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh every day. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, you should aim to drink between 90-180 ounces of water a day. While you should aim to drink at least one ounce of water per pound of body weight, that amount may increase based on a number of factors. Aside from weight, how much water you need also depends on your activity levels, climate/temperature/season, diet, medical conditions, and overall health.

If you are not drinking enough water, you run the risk of dehydration. Common symptoms of dehydration to look out for include little or no urine, urine that is darker than usual, dry mouth, sleepiness or fatigue, extreme thirst, headache, confusion, dizziness, lightheadedness, and muscle cramps.

The Importance of Staying Hydrated

Better Temperature Regulation

When you’re dehydrated, your body stores more heat and lowers your ability to tolerate hot temperatures. Drinking plenty of water helps you produce sweat when you’re overheated during activity, which cools your body down. This cooling mechanism is critical in preventing heat stroke and other potentially deadly heat-related conditions.

Boosted Brain Performance

Even mild dehydration can affect memory, mood, concentration, and reaction time. Staying hydrated can have a positive effect on cognition, help stabilize emotions, and even help lessen feelings of anxiety. If you are feeling a bit foggy-minded or needing a mood boost, sticking to a hydration routine can help.

Decreased Joint Pain

The cartilage in our joints contains approximately 80% water, so being dehydrated can have a direct affect on joint pain. Staying hydrated helps your joints stay well-lubricated, which helps reduce friction by creating more of a padding between the bones. Less friction means smoother-moving joints and fewer aches and pains.

Detoxification

Water intake supports your body’s natural ability to detoxify harmful substances and waste through processes such as perspiration and urination. Without sufficient levels of hydration, your body cannot efficiently remove these toxins, which can affect overall health. Water is important both during a detox and after to replenish fluids.

Enhanced Digestion

Your body needs water in order to digest food properly. Without enough water, you may experience irregular bowel movements, gas, bloating, heartburn, and other discomforts that can affect your quality of life. Upping your fluid intake can help get things moving as it aids in breaking down soluble fiber to keep your digestion process on track.

Kidney Stone Prevention

Kidney stones are clumps of mineral crystals that form in the urinary tract. Consuming adequate amounts of water each day can help dilute this concentration of minerals and reduce the chances of kidney stones. Water also helps flush harmful bacteria from your bladder and can aid in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs).

More Energy

Dehydration can slow down blood circulation and affect the flow of oxygen to your brain. A lack of fluids can also cause your heart to work harder to pump oxygen throughout your body. All of that expended energy can make you feel tired, sluggish, and less motivated. By staying hydrated, your body can perform at peak physical performance.

Reduced Headaches

Even mild fluid loss can cause the brain to contract away from the skull, leading to headaches and migraines in some individuals. Being consistently well-hydrated may help keep head pain in check, and can either help prevent future headaches or aid in reducing current headache pain – including hangover headaches.

Weight Loss & Management

Drinking water can help with both weight loss and management. This is because water can help you feel full and boost your metabolic rate. It is recommended to drink a glass of water 30 minutes before a meal to help you feel more full, which will make you less likely to consume unnecessary calories.

Tips for Staying Hydrated

Hydrate with Your Regular Routine

Drinking water throughout the day can be hard to keep on a schedule, but adding it into your regular routine can help. When you brush your teeth in the morning, include a glass of water. With every meal, have another glass. And finally, add another glass with your nighttime routine. With three meals, that’s already 5 glasses of water done!

Keep a Water Bottle Nearby

Unless you are actively thirsty, water can be one of those things that can be out of sight, out of mind. Get a large, reusable water bottle that you can keep nearby for easy access. Set a timer on your phone every hour to remind you to drink. There are even some water bottles that will do the reminding for you!

Track Your Progress

When drinking nearly 100oz of water a day (or more!), it can be easy to lose track of your progress. Take notes about how much you’re drinking, whether it’s every sip or every time you finish a drink. There are water tracking to help, and just like water bottles that will remind you to drink, there are some that will track the amount as well.

Switch Up the Method

Drinking water may seem like an easy task for some, but for others it can be a chore. If you are struggling to hit your daily recommended amount of water, try different methods! You can add slices of fruit for added flavor, see if still or sparkling is more appealing, or even test out different temperatures to see if that does the trick.

Follow a Produce-Heavy Diet

You don’t just have to drink your water! You can help keep yourself hydrated by eating a produce-heavy diet. Produce such as melons, berries, leafy greens, and squash are about 90% water. Some dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese can also help boost hydration.

Increase Intake with Certain Activities

As mentioned earlier, the amount of water you need varies depending on a number of factors. For example, if you are having a more stationary day, you won’t need as much water as you would on a day you’re working out. Be sure to also rehydrate if you’re spending time in heat, like in an infrared sauna. You need to replenish after sweating!

Water is one of the most important things for our bodies. Almost everywhere you look for health tips, water is almost always on the list! In addition to the benefits listed above, proper hydration can help with skin health, muscle recovery, recovery from sickness, and much more. All great reasons to grab a glass right now!

Summer Sweat: Benefits of Sweating in the Summer

With summer here, many of us will fail in our attempts to avoid a little perspiration. But that summer sweat may not be such a bad thing. Along with sweat serving as our very own built-in air conditioner, sweating it out can have many other surprising health benefits you may have never known about. Not only are there many benefits of sweating for our bodies, but it helps keep our beauty regimens keep on track as well.

Along with sweat promoting our general health and well-being, research has shown that sweating, especially in terms of sweating in a sauna, can reduce the risk of death due to heart problems. This is due to the similarities of a sauna experience with exercise. Sitting in a sauna increases the heart rate makes you sweat. How else can adding sauna sessions help you this summer?

The Top 7 Benefits of Sweating

It Cools You Down

The most direct benefit of sweating, which many of us already recognize as its ultimate purpose, is to maintain our body temperature and keep us from overheating. When our heart rate increases, speeding up our blood flow and warming us up, that is the cue for our bodies to release sweat. When sweat evaporates off the skin, it serves as a cooling mechanism to prevent overheating. Even though we sweat when we feel our hottest, it’s actually our body’s way of helping us cool down.

It Eases Pain

Did you wake up with back pain? Are you sore from yesterday’s workout? The best way to relieve your pain may be to work up a sweat. It might be very tempting to skip this step since pain will make you want to stay sidelined. But trust us, increasing your heart rate and working up a sweat is one of the best things you can do for your pain while sitting around will just make you even more stiff and sore. When you are experiencing pain, you can still sweat it out in a quick 15-minute sauna session. It will help eliminate toxins, relax the body, and ease sore muscles.

It Gets Rid of Toxins

Our bodies are subject to a lot of toxins throughout our everyday lives. They come from the pollution in the air, our food, and are even created naturally inside the body. Sweating is a great way to expel those toxins from the body, which serves to better your immune system. Proper immune system function is very important in that it protects us from little illnesses like the common cold, and even more serious diseases. The benefits of sweating can also help get rid of substances in your system like alcohol, cholesterol, and salt. Hit the treadmill, go for a bike ride, and spend time hanging out in a sauna to work up a summer sweat and detoxify your body to feel better.

It Clears Up Your Skin

You know those pesky blackheads that you just can’t seem to get rid of, no matter how much you scrub? Set down the face masks, because sweat can actually help eliminate blackheads and other blemishes. Sweating doubles as a natural pore cleanser since your pores open up and release the buildup inside of them when you sweat. This is most effective only if you cleanse immediately after you sweat. If you skip washing off for a while after a sweat session, then you are allowing all the grime that has been released from your pores to stay resting on your skin.

It Prevents Illness

Along with keeping our immune systems healthy by ridding our bodies of the toxins, working up a sweat helps prevent us from getting sick. There are many viruses and bacteria that thrive at our regular body temperature, but die off when our bodies heat up to above 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Studies have shown that human sweat serves as a natural germ shield. We can confidently say that no one likes being slowed down by sickness, so sweating it out every now and then is not such a bad idea.

It Makes You Happier

Along with the sense of accomplishment you are probably feeling from working out, working up a sweat releases endorphins, which make you happy. Sweating helps relieve stress and promote relaxation due to our bodies heating up. Next time you’re feeling stressed out or need a break to clear your mind, think about hitting up a hot yoga class or taking a few minutes for yourself in the sauna to ease your mind, feel rejuvenated, and embrace the benefits of sweating.

It Helps You Avoid Kidney Stones

One of the lesser-known benefits of sweating is that doing so lowers the risk of getting kidney stones. Research has shown that sweating helps you get rid of salt and keep calcium in your bones. This helps keep those elements from your kidneys where small stones will form. The more frequently you find yourself sweating the better. Make sure to stay properly hydrated when you do sweat – whether you’re sweating through exercise or in a sauna. Staying hydrated also helps prevent those pesky kidney stones.

Whether you break a sweat this summer in a sauna, hitting the gym, playing outside, or all of the above, sweating is a favor to your body that will definitely be worth the extra shower you may have to take. Embrace the heat this summer and sweat it out!

Are Cleanses Good for You? How to Safely Detox Your Body

These days, detox cleanses are all over the place. But are they effective or safe? Unfortunately, health gimmicks are prevalent with loose claims that may do more harm than good. Though fad detoxes and cleanses might not be what they claim to be, there are still a number of ways you can help support your body’s natural detoxification process so you can have long-term results in a safe and effective way. Learn more about healthy ways to detoxify your body that will leave a lasting impact on your wellbeing!

Woman Drinking Infused Water to Stay Hydrated

What is Detoxification?

Detoxification is the body’s process of cleansing the blood. This is done by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymphatic system, and skin during a body detox. However, when these systems are compromised, impurities aren’t properly filtered and the body is adversely affected.

A body detox can help the body’s natural cleansing process by:

Resting the organs through fasting
Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body
Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys, and skin
Improving circulation of the blood
Refueling the body with healthy nutrients

The Benefits of Detoxing

Directly or indirectly, toxic residues find their way into our air, food, and water supplies. This interference with our natural biological balance results in disease or poor health. Because of this, detoxification is an important function to keep the body safe and healthy. When toxins are properly removed, there are many health benefits such as:

Improved immune system
Healthier internal organs
Weight loss and management
More energy
Improved mental clarity

Are Cleanses Good for You?

Fad detox diets and cleanses are said to eliminate toxins from your body, improve health, and promote weight loss. They often involve the use of laxatives, diuretics, vitamins, minerals, teas, and other foods thought to have detoxing properties. Unfortunately, the glitz and glam of these cleanses often don’t give the long-term results they promise.

Popular detox diets rarely identify the specific toxins they aim to remove or the mechanism by which they supposedly eliminate them. Moreover, no evidence supports the use of these diets for toxin elimination or sustainable weight loss. Some of these cleanses may actually do more harm than good by depriving the body of important nutrients, creating gastrointestinal distress, or even doing long-term damage to metabolism. More often than not, these fad detox diets and cleanses end up being expensive gimmicks with short-term or nonexistent results.

Your body has a sophisticated way of eliminating toxins that involves the liver, kidneys, digestive system, skin, and lungs. Still, only when these organs are healthy, can they effectively eliminate unwanted substances. So, while detox diets and cleanses don’t do anything that your body can’t naturally do on its own, there are other ways you can optimize your body’s natural detoxification system.

Woman in Infrared Sauna for Overall Health

Best Ways to Detox at Home

Use an Infrared Sauna

One of the biggest infrared sauna health benefits is its ability to increase your blood circulation, target fat-stored toxins, and stimulate the sweat glands, all of which help remove built-up toxins in the body. Sweating in a sauna can help your body’s detoxifying process as it rids itself of accumulated toxins. The heat stress of infrared sauna use is an effective method of removing fat-stored toxins from the body.

Move and Exercise

Sweating actually helps you detox by boosting circulation throughout the body, and exercise is a great way to make that happen. While there are several mechanisms behind the health benefits of exercise, reduced inflammation is a key point in terms of detoxification. By reducing inflammation, exercise can help your body’s systems – including its detoxification system – function properly and protect against disease.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Giving yourself a good night’s rest is one of the best ways to detox your body and reset. Quality sleep gives your body the time and space it needs to rid itself of toxins. Sleeping allows your brain to reorganize and recharge itself, as well as remove toxic waste byproducts that have accumulated throughout the day. With sleep deprivation, your body does not have time to perform those functions, allowing toxins to build up and affect several aspects of health.

Stay Hydrated

Hydrating will help your kidneys flush out toxins. Water transports these waste products, efficiently removing them through urination, breathing, or sweating. Feel free to add lemon to your H2O for a hit of electrolytes. The citrus signals the liver produce more enzymes, which keep digestion moving smoothly. Tired of plain water? Switch things up with tea. Green tea has been shown to protect against heart disease and cancer, while milk thistle may boost liver function.

Eat Whole Foods

Whole foods packed with nutrients are your best bet when it comes to keeping your insides clean. Fiber-rich fare like fruit, veggies, and beans, as well as nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean protein, and probiotics can aid gut and liver function so any unwanted buildup gets out of your system quickly. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help your body fight oxidative stress caused by excess free radicals and other toxins that increase your risk of disease.

Reduce Alcohol Intake

When you drink alcohol, your body works hard to process it quickly, meaning your body isn’t functioning at its peak performance. Drinking alcohol directly impacts the organs that naturally detoxify your body and can severely damage your liver function by causing fat buildup, inflammation, and scarring. When this happens, your liver cannot function adequately and perform its necessary tasks – including filtering waste and other toxins from your body.

If you are planning on doing a fad detox diet or cleanse, wait! The safest and best way to detox is by naturally helping your body’s detoxification process that is already in place. Try these detox tips to help your body feel better suited to fend off disease, healthier, more refreshed.

Do Saunas Help Remove Toxins from the Body?

By Dr. James DiNicolantonio www.drjamesdinic.com

We are constantly being exposed to environment toxins such as pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, plastics, flame retardants, phthalates, and more. Many chemicals are sprayed on our food, arsenic can be found in rice, aluminum in deodorants, over the counter and prescription medications and cookware, and heavy metals like mercury and cadmium accumulate in fish and shellfish/bivalves, respectively. The list goes on and on. The very air we breathe is filled with pollution such as automobile exhaust. Thus, we are now living in a toxic environment and these toxins accumulate in our bodies; but is there anything we can do about it?

Evidence suggests that human fat tissue is widely contaminated with numerous man-made chemicals including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which can stay in the body for decades.¹ Examples of POPs include organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins. POPs accumulate in the food chain, particularly in animal fat (fish, meat and milk).

If you were breastfed you would have received a hefty dose of these POPs during your most vulnerable years. Even decades later these POPs can still remain in your fat tissue slowly being released into the bloodstream. In fact, it can take decades to completely eliminate POPs from the body and in the meantime, they can cause numerous negative health consequences. Even low-level exposure to these POPs can adversely affect the endocrine, immune, nervous and reproductive systems. And we need a healthy immune system especially nowadays!

Since our own fat tissue serves as a storage reservoir for these POPs – and since they remain with us for several months but up to decades – strategies that can help mobilize and eliminate these toxins from our bodies may help support our health. One such strategy for helping to remove these toxins from the body is through sauna-induced sweating.

Since the 1980s, the Hubbard protocol, which utilizes sauna as well as exercise, niacin, and supplemental oils, has been tested in numerous studies showing beneficial effects for reducing body stores of POPs and improving clinical symptoms in those with environmental POP exposure.² Typically, these studies find a 25-30% reduction in POP levels in fat and blood thought to be caused by the increase in their elimination in the skin through sweat.²

Clinical benefits with the Hubbard protocol have included improvements in IQ, neurocognitive function, ability to work, pain, fatigue and quality of life. Even respiratory symptoms in first responders at the World Trade Center and Gulf War veterans exposed to oil-well fires have found improvements with this protocol.2 But is the use of a sauna in the Hubbard protocol driving the benefit?

It has been known for a while that enhanced sweat production plays a major role in the benefits of the Hubbard protocol as it coincides with an increased turnover of these toxins in fat tissue. In fact, sweating alone has been used to help improve uremia, which is a build-up of toxins in the blood in patients with kidney disease. Since sweat contains POPs and heavy metals, and sweat volume can reach two liters per hour in those who are acclimated;³ this suggests that sweating in a sauna may be a good way to eliminate these toxins.²

However, don’t just take my word for it. Let’s have a look at the clinical studies testing sauna therapy for its potential to eliminate toxins through sweat.

A research group led by Stephen Genuis from the University of Alberta in Edmonton sought to test this idea. Since 2010, they have published at least half a dozen studies looking at the elimination of toxins from the body through blood, urine, and sweat, referred to by the acronym BUS. However, what we are interested in is their data on the elimination of toxins through sweat.

In their first paper, published in 2010, they collected blood, urine and sweat from 20 individuals, half in good health and half with numerous health issues. The authors noted that many toxic heavy metals were preferentially excreted through sweat. They concluded, “Induced sweating appears to be a potential method for elimination of many toxic elements from the human body.”⁴ In the study, all but three of the twenty participants used sauna (e.g., steam or infrared) as the method to induce sweating; exercise was used for the other three participants. In particular, using a sauna was a very good way to help eliminate the heavy metals cadmium, lead, and aluminum from the body; heavy metals which are now commonly found in the environment.

Since then this group has gone on to show that infrared/steam sauna sessions help to eliminate phthalates⁵, flame retardants⁶, Bisphenol A⁷, pesticides³ and PCBs⁸. Considering that infrared and steam saunas were used in these studies, these results do not necessarily apply to your traditional convection heat saunas. Additionally, the use of a sauna may even help individuals exposed to mold and mycotoxins.⁹

In summary, numerous clinical studies have shown that utilizing an infrared/steam sauna is able to remove many toxins through sweat; these include but are not limited to, heavy metals, phthalates, flame retardants, Bisphenol A, pesticides and PCBs. Furthermore, the use of a sauna may improve clinical symptoms in patients exposed to mold. Thus, sauna bathing may be a potential strategy to help eliminate toxins from the body. Something that all of us could use living in this toxic world.

References

1 Lee YM, Kim KS, Jacobs DR, Jr., et al. Persistent organic pollutants in adipose tissue should be considered in obesity research. Obes Rev 2017;18:129-39.

2 Kerr K, Morse G, Graves D, et al. A Detoxification Intervention for Gulf War Illness: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019;16.

3 Genuis SJ, Lane K, Birkholz D. Human Elimination of Organochlorine Pesticides: Blood, Urine, and Sweat Study. BioMed research international 2016;2016:1624643.

4 Genuis SJ, Birkholz D, Rodushkin I, et al. Blood, urine, and sweat (BUS) study: monitoring and elimination of bioaccumulated toxic elements. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 2011;61:344-57.

5 Genuis SJ, Beesoon S, Lobo RA, et al. Human elimination of phthalate compounds: blood, urine, and sweat (BUS) study. TheScientificWorldJournal 2012;2012:615068.

6 Genuis SK, Birkholz D, Genuis SJ. Human Excretion of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Flame Retardants: Blood, Urine, and Sweat Study. BioMed research international 2017;2017:3676089.

7 Genuis SJ, Beesoon S, Birkholz D, et al. Human excretion of bisphenol A: blood, urine, and sweat (BUS) study. J Environ Public Health 2012;2012:185731.

8 Genuis SJ, Beesoon S, Birkholz D. Biomonitoring and Elimination of Perfluorinated Compounds and Polychlorinated Biphenyls through Perspiration: Blood, Urine, and Sweat Study. ISRN toxicology 2013;2013:483832.

9 Rea WJ. A Large Case-series of Successful Treatment of Patients Exposed to Mold and Mycotoxin. Clin Ther 2018;40:889-93.

Using Saunas for a Natural Substance Abuse Detox Treatment

Detoxification from substances can be an unpleasant experience, but there are many tools, therapies, techniques, and resources available to help make it a little easier. From alcohol to nicotine, the body at times may need help with the detoxification process when ridding the body of substances. Read below to learn what to expect when going through a detox, and how an infrared sauna can help with detoxification both during and after treatment.

Function & Benefits of Detoxification

Directly or indirectly, toxic residues find their way into our air, food and water supplies. The net effect of this ecological overload is to alter the body’s balance, or homeostasis. This interference with our natural biological tendencies to restore internal balance results in disease in one form or another. These illnesses include cancers of virtually every organ system of the body, as well as leukemia, liver disease, pulmonary damage, anemia and blood changes, nervous system disease, immune system damage, psychological damage, reproductive and fertility impairment, and kidney dysfunction.

With that being said, it is obvious that detoxification is an important function to keep the body safe and healthy. When toxins are properly removed, there are many health benefits:

Improved Immune System
Healthier Internal Organs
Weight Loss and Management
More Energy
Improved Mental Clarity

At a basic level, detox is a perfectly natural process. Drugs enter the body, and the body’s systems work to process the chemicals. Cells in the liver purify the blood. Cells in the digestive system process alcohol. Cells in the kidneys move waste out of the body altogether. It’s an efficient and perfectly natural system that the body uses in order to heal. But drugs can wreak havoc on those natural systems, as some drugs are just so powerful that the body can’t handle a typical cleaning protocol.

The body can be capable of performing its own drug detox, but it takes time and the withdrawal symptoms that occur in the meantime are uncomfortable at best. Sometimes, drugs are so powerful that people who attempt natural methods put their lives at risk. That is why experts agree that a medical detox program is the safest choice for people with an addiction history.

Man Using Infrared Sauna for Depression Benefits

Why to Use Natural Therapies for Treatment

When detoxing for substance abuse, no treatment should be done without medical supervision. Depending on the substance and the level of use, the detoxification process may become more or less dangerous. When seeking treatment, you and your doctor will discuss the options best suited for you, which may include a combination of medications and other therapies to help lessen the symptoms of withdrawal.

Though natural therapies will likely not be the only form of treatment, they are a great addition to substance abuse treatment to help bring the body feeling back to normal. Many detox centers offer natural therapies, such as massage and infrared sauna use, to patients both during and post-treatment to provide comfort as the body is transitioning.

Doing a Substance Abuse Detox with a Sauna

Including infrared sauna use in a substance abuse detox can help with three main things: improved circulation, enhanced detoxification, and reduction of negative withdrawal symptoms.

Long-term abuse of drugs and alcohol can cause problems in the heart and areas of the nervous system depending on the drug of choice and the severity of the addiction. The heat in an infrared sauna helps repair circulation, sending blood flow to all the necessary areas. This also moves blood closer to the surface of the skin. A process known as lipolysis begins to break down fat tissues in the body that contain toxins that are then released into the bloodstream.

Though some of these toxins are excreted through the skin, others are sent to the kidneys and liver. Sauna therapy raises the level of toxins through increased sweating, and therefore, pushes toxins out through human waste and urine.

Additionally, individuals may find saunas soothing in the same way that some find massages soothing during the drug detox period. Some drugs cause joint and muscle pain as withdrawal symptoms, and the high heat of a sauna can relieve some of this pain. Infrared sauna therapy can help improve withdrawal symptoms of fatigue, stress, anxiety, muscle cramps, inflammation, pain, rapid heart rate, drug cravings, sleep disturbances, low energy, and reduced cognitive function by increasing blood circulation and decreasing blood pressure, stress, anxiety, and fatigue.

The use of infrared saunas can also become part of a self-care routine post-treatment for those who are undergoing substance abuse recovery. If anything, visiting an infrared sauna can help to relax, soothe the body and mind, and make you feel rejuvenated.

What to Expect with a Substance Detox

On average, the detox process typically lasts for between 7 and 10 days. When the amount of alcohol or drugs in a patient’s system is gradually reduced, they will typically begin to experience withdrawal symptoms. The type of withdrawal symptoms that are experienced, as well as how severe these are, depend on how long a person has been addicted to alcohol or drugs, the type of substance that they are addicted to, how much they have been consuming, and their general mental and physical health.

Withdrawal can result in a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms. Physical symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, shaking, sweating, high temperature and/or chills, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, abdominal cramps, muscle and bone pain, exhaustion, and vivid and unpleasant dreams. Psychological symptoms include, irritability, anxiety, confusion, paranoia, insomnia, depression, inability to concentrate, mood swings.

In the most severe cases, withdrawal during a substance detox may result in hallucinations, delirium, and seizures.

Thankfully, with the help of medical support, medications, and natural treatments available to those in need to properly and safely detox from substance abuse. Medications and infrared sauna therapy both help manage the negative side effects of withdrawal and create a more comfortable recovery and return to normal.

Resources for Substance Abuse

If you or a loved one is facing issues with substance abuse, there are many resources available to help you take the next step toward recovery. Speak to your doctor about potential treatment and recovery options, and use the resources below for hotlines, information, and programs to help you through your journey:

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)
Faces and Voices of Recovery (FAVOR)
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

20 Natural Hangover Cures & Home Remedies

Unfortunately, hangovers aren’t an uncommon occurrence. After a day or night out, the effects of alcohol can set in and leave you feeling dehydrated, achy, nauseated, sluggish, and in pain. Having a hangover is never an enjoyable experience and it often leaves you searching for relief. Luckily, there are many natural remedies you can try to cure a hangover, from sweating it out in an infrared sauna to eating pickles.

5 S’s of Natural Hangover Home Remedies

Sauna

One of the biggest infrared sauna health benefits is its ability to increase your blood circulation and stimulate the sweat glands, releasing built-up toxins in the body. Sweating in a sauna for a hangover can help detoxify your body as it rids itself of accumulated toxins from a night of drinking alcohol, thus helping you recover quickly.

Shower

Take a shower to help you feel refreshed. Some swear by cool showers only to help awaken the senses, while others recommend switching between hot and cold water. Switching temperatures increases circulation and toxin elimination. Hot water may make you sweat, so make sure to stay hydrated before and after.

Sleep

The National Sleep Foundation reports that alcohol consumption interrupts the circadian rhythm and prevents REM sleep, which means you probably didn’t get a great night’s sleep after drinking. If you’re feeling hungover, take a nap to try to catch up on good sleep. Also, sleep helps pass the time to hopefully help you feel better faster.

Sun

Going outside and getting some fresh air can help wake up your body and get some more oxygen. Oxygen increases the rate that alcohol toxins are broken down. Vitamin D from the sun is ideal for boosting the immune system in the body and helps with the absorption of minerals such as magnesium, which are crucial to recover from a hangover.

Sweat

While moving probably doesn’t sound great with a hangover, exercise can help you get back to normal. Don’t necessarily go on a run or hit the gym, just take a nice walk to increase circulation and bring more oxygen to your brain and muscles, which helps with the aches and pains. Just like using a sauna for hangovers, sweating this way will help you detoxify.

Food & Supplements to Cure a Hangover Naturally

Vitamins

Vitamin B and C will help your body recover from the ingested toxins as it speeds up metabolism of alcohol by the liver. Even though drinking depletes these vitamins in body tissues, they can be easily replenished by taking supplements such as Emergen-C or a multivitamin, or by eating fruits and vegetables high in the vitamins.

Water

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning you pass more urine when consumed. This can lead to fluid loss, which is usually the cause for the infamous hangover headache. Drink water to decrease the effects of dehydration and replenish your body of much-needed hydration. Added tip: Water before and during alcohol consumption decreases the risk of hangover.

Tomato Juice

Like a bloody Mary, but without the alcohol! Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin A and C, beta-carotene, and the antioxidant lycopene. They also contain glutathione, which aids the body’s natural production to help counteract hangover-inducing toxins. Studies show that tomato juice can also boost liver function to speed up alcohol digestion.

Spinach

Spinach is a superfood for hangovers, as they are full of folic acid, sulfur, and vitamin C, which are all essential vitamins and minerals for fighting a hangover. Vitamin C accelerates your liver’s ability to detoxify, allowing the alcohol to purge of your system quickly. Easily incorporate this into your meals or blend it into a smoothie to reap all the benefits.

Pickles

As mentioned earlier, too much alcohol leaves the body depleted of vitamins and minerals. Pickled are rich in many nutrients, including vitamin A, iron, potassium, vitamin K, calcium, and manganese. The brine may even help soothe your hangover nausea due to the vinegar content that helps restore stomach acidity to a healthy level.

Ginger

Doctors and nutritionists tend to agree that ginger is one of the best natural hangover cures for soothing nausea, which is often a common symptom of a hangover. Alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach, and chemical compounds in ginger such as gingerol and shogaols are believed to help ease stomach pain and aid digestion by reducing inflammation

Fiber

Studies show that high-fiber foods, like vegetables, help break down alcohol and absorb it, keeping it from reaching the bloodstream as quickly. Additionally, fiber can help with some of the digestive issues that heavy drinking can cause, which also aids in helping remove toxins from the body.

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, and miso soup are known for their hangover relieving or curing qualities due to their ability to help restore your good gut bacteria. These foods also help provide your body with vitamin B, probiotics, and organic acids that get your body feeling back to normal faster.

Eggs

Having breakfast (or, more likely, brunch) with a serving of eggs can help cure your hangover naturally. Eggs contain cysteine, an amino acid, that helps your body produce glutathione. Increased glutathione allows your body to more efficiently break down toxic byproducts of alcohol metabolism such as acetaldehyde.

Electrolytes

Research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that drinking electrolytes after long periods of dehydration can significantly help restore important minerals, like sodium, potassium, and calcium. Look for things like sports drinks and bone broth to help restore lost electrolytes from drinking.

Chamomile

Have you ever experienced “hangxiety”, or the feeling of anxiousness when hungover? Research supports using chamomile to help soothe anxiety. On top of that, chamomile can help you sleep more soundly and relieve an upset stomach, which can be difficult to achieve otherwise when hungover. Brew a mug of tea to help you relax and recover.

Cayenne Pepper

Don’t be fooled by food that could potentially cause your mouth some spicy discomfort – hot cayenne pepper is actually a natural pain reliever, so incorporating some of the spice can help cure your hangover naturally – especially if you’re tending to a headache. Hot foods boost the metabolism, too, which enhances your body’s natural detoxification process.

Bananas

Low levels of potassium caused by drinking can leave you feeling weak, and can cause muscle cramps and soreness. Bananas are packed with potassium, which should help replace the minerals and electrolytes lost from consuming alcohol. Bananas are also part of the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Apples, and Toast) which is recommended for nausea.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Start your morning with 1 or 2 ounces of apple cider vinegar, diluted with 6 to 8 ounces of warm water. The vinegar has a natural diuretic effect that can help combat morning-after fluid retention, which also helps with toxin elimination. It can also help balance stomach acid levels and stabilize blood sugar levels, which can be shaky after a night of drinking.

Antioxidants

Alcohol can cause oxidative stress, leading the body to produce free radicals. Research has linked oxidative stress to many health conditions, including heart disease and cancers. Antioxidants are compounds that help eliminate these free radicals. People may benefit from eating foods high in antioxidants to cure a hangover naturally.

Going out can be great fun, but the morning after may leave you regretting the night before. Try these natural hangover cures and home remedies to help alleviate some of the side effects of alcohol consumption and get back to feeling normal and fully-functioning!

Your Post-Holiday Detox Plan to Cleanse & Reset

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!