The holidays are a time of joy, celebration, and often—a lot of indulgence. Between holiday feasts, sugary treats, and eggnog, healthy habits often take a hiatus over the holidays. All that overindulging—while fun—can take a toll on your body, leaving you sluggish, bloated, and in need of a reset.
That’s where a post-holiday cleanse comes in. A post-holiday detox can improve your digestion, energy, and mood and help you kickstart a healthy new year.
So if you’re in a post-holiday funk and ready to get back on track, keep reading. We’ll walk you through a simple post-holiday cleanse so you start the new year balanced and refreshed.
Why a post-holiday detox is beneficial
You may wonder if an after-holiday cleanse is necessary. After all, doesn’t your body have a natural detoxification system? And yes, it does! Your liver, kidneys, bowels, lungs, skin, and lymphatic system work hard for you every day.
The problem is that sugar, alcohol, and processed foods can overtax these organs, making it hard for them to do their job effectively. Sluggish detoxification can cause toxins to accumulate in the body. And if enough of these toxins build up, your body may send some signals.
Signs you could use a detox:
- Digestive symptoms like bloating, gas, and constipation
- Fatigue or low energy
- Skin rashes or breakouts
- Brain fog
- Headaches
- Poor sleep
- Anxiety or irritability
- Muscle aches or pains
- Food cravings
If this list sounds familiar, your detox organs may be overwhelmed. Fortunately, an after-holiday cleanse can help get your detoxification system back online. This can help your body clear out excess sugar, fat, and toxins from processed food and alcohol, so you can get back to feeling like yourself again.
Benefits of detoxing after the holidays:
- Improved digestion
- Increased energy
- Brighter mood
- Sharper mental clarity
- Better quality sleep
- Strengthened immune system
- Balanced weight
While there are numerous benefits of cleansing, it’s best to not go to extreme measures. Water fasts, juice cleanses, and other intense approaches can send your body into starvation mode and do more harm than good. When it comes to cleansing, a gentle approach is best.
Key components of an effective detox
There are a few key elements to a successful detox. Nourishing foods, hydration, and supporting the detox pathways are all important. Let’s dive a bit deeper into each one.
Foods that support detox
An effective cleanse reduces the workload on your detox organs and supplies them with the nutrients they need to work properly. This means avoiding inflammatory ingredients like sugar, alcohol, processed food, and red meat. It’s best to avoid gluten and dairy too, as many people find them hard to digest.
Instead, a gentle cleanse nourishes your body with simple, nutrient-dense foods. This means loading up on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and other wholesome ingredients.
Natural detox foods to add to the menu:
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Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and chard
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Antioxidant-rich fruits like blueberries, apples, and cherries
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High-fiber foods like beans, lentils, chia seeds, and flaxseed
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Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage
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Anti-inflammatory spices like garlic, ginger, and turmeric
Hydration is crucial
Hydration is important every day, but even more so while cleansing. Water helps remove waste from your blood and helps your kidneys flush out toxins in your urine. Not drinking enough water can cause these toxins to recirculate in your bloodstream.
For a post-holiday cleanse, aim to drink at least two liters of water a day. For a hydration boost, consider adding electrolytes to your water.
Supplements for enhanced detox
Nutrition should be the foundation of any cleanse. However, certain supplements may enhance your results, and make for a gentler, more effective cleanse. Probiotics, digestive enzymes, and herbal microbials can support digestion and help rebalance your gut microbiome.
Your gut microbiome influences everything from nutrient absorption, hormone balance, cognitive function, immune health, and much more. That’s why repairing your gut can transform your health and well-being.
Cleansing gives your liver quite the workout too—so liver support is often helpful. To give your liver the edge, consider taking milk thistle, turmeric, or glutathione. They’re all shown to promote healthy liver function.
Simple post-holiday detox guide plan
An ideal post-holiday detox is simple and sustainable. Otherwise, you won’t be able to stick with it. Wondering what to expect on a post-holiday cleanse? Here’s what a daily detox routine might look like—and what we recommend for our programs Clean 7 and Clean 21:
1. Hydrate
Start your day with a big glass of warm water with lemon. This will hydrate and alkalize your body and enhance detoxification from the start. Be sure to drink plenty of pure water throughout the day too.
3. Reenergize
If you’re a coffee drinker and need an energy boost, consider swapping your morning coffee for green tea or matcha while cleansing. Coffee can increase stress hormones, which can impair detox. Green tea and matcha provide a steadier energy boost, along with potent antioxidants. And unlike coffee, they won’t spike your cortisol.
3. Intermittent fasting
Aim to follow a 12-hour fasting and eating window. For example, if you eat dinner at 7 pm, wait until 7 am for breakfast. This will give your digestive system a break and allow for a deeper detoxification.
4. Detox meals and snacks
Eat simple, nutritious meals made with wholesome ingredients like fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds, and high-quality lean protein. Liquid meals like smoothies and blended soups are ideal detox meals. Since they take less energy to digest, more energy is available to detoxify.
Here are a few ideas for detox meals and snacks:
Breakfast: Green smoothies and clean protein shakes are easy on the gut and flood your body with nutrients. Add a scoop of Daily Shake for a sustained source of energy.
Snacks: Fresh fruit, nuts, energy balls, or veggies and hummus are all cleanse-approved snacks. These nutty protein balls are a Clean favorite.
Lunch or dinner: Salads, Buddha bowls, soups, and stews are all fiber-rich detox meals. Try this lentil beet salad or carrot cauliflower soup. Or pair some wild salmon or organic chicken with a delicious veggie side.
Want more cleanse-friendly meals? Visit our blog for hundreds of healthy recipes perfect for a post-holiday reset. Prefer more guidance? Check out this 3-day detox meal plan.
5. Gentle movement
Exercise increases circulation, improves digestion, and stimulates the lymphatic system, helping your body flush out toxins. Daily movement is crucial when cleansing. That said, it’s best not to overdo it.
Opt for gentle activities like yoga, walking, or pilates over intense workouts. Look for ways to inject more movement into your day too. Take the stairs, park your car farther away, or try some gentle stretches before bed.
6. Prioritize sleep
Some of the most important repair work happens while you sleep. So for optimal detox, get plenty of rest—ideally between 7-9 hours of sleep.
Tips for sustaining wellness beyond the detox
Wellness isn’t just for cleansing. Mindful eating can help you stay balanced during the holiday season and all year long. To eat mindfully, slow down at mealtimes and savor each bite. Eliminate distractions so you can tune into your hunger and fullness cues. This will help you appreciate your food and prevent overindulging.
Stress management is also key to wellness. Chronic stress creates inflammation and can disrupt detoxification. Relaxation techniques like meditation, breathwork, and yoga can help calm the nervous system and melt away stress.
To avoid the “yo-yo effect” after a cleanse, reintroduce indulgent foods gradually. Consume treats and other less healthy foods in moderation. This will help you maintain the gains from your detox and pinpoint any problematic foods.
Post Holiday Readiness
A post-holiday detox is a great way to refresh, reenergize, and get on track for a healthier new year. Taking a break from sugar and processed foods in favor of nutrient-dense foods floods your body with vitamins and minerals. Hydration and gentle movement also help your body detoxify naturally and can enhance your results.
Remember, wellness isn’t just for cleansing—it’s a lifestyle. Eating mindfully and keeping stress at bay will help sustain your cleanse benefits year-round.
Ready to transform your health this year? Try Clean 7 or Clean 21 for a simple, powerful way to reset your body and mind.
Sources:
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Federico A, Dallio M, Loguercio C. Silymarin/Silybin and Chronic Liver Disease: A Marriage of Many Years. Molecules. 2017; 22(2):191. doi.org/10.3390/molecules22020191
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White CM, Lee JY. The impact of turmeric or its curcumin extract on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review of clinical trials. Pharm Pract (Granada). 2019;17(1):1350. doi:10.18549/PharmPract.2019.1.1350
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Honda Y, Kessoku T, Sumida Y, et al. Efficacy of glutathione for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: an open-label, single-arm, multicenter, pilot study. BMC Gastroenterol. 2017;17(1):96. Published 2017 Aug 8. doi:10.1186/s12876-017-0652-3
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Lovallo WR, Farag NH, Vincent AS, Thomas TL, Wilson MF. Cortisol responses to mental stress, exercise, and meals following caffeine intake in men and women. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2006;83(3):441-447. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2006.03.005
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