The One Day a Week you NEED to Detox
This Post may contain affiliate links
I may have misled you a bit with my title The One Day a Week you NEED to Detox.
I believe we NEED to Detox all of the time! The practice of detoxification should be ongoing and cover many areas for optimal mental health.
If we begin our week fresh and energized subsequently we are more likely to stick with healthy patterns throughout the week.
Monday we are back to work, back to reality. Often the weekend exposes us to many new toxins in our food, environment, and mood.
How many times have you said to yourself, “It’s the weekend.” Then You find yourself taking a weekend break from a workout, healthy eating, enough sleep, or other wellness routines?
Sunday night, you’re sleepy, foggy, constipated and moody. Yikes.
When our brain and body become overburdened with toxic actions, foods, and thoughts, we consequently become at risk for oxidative stress and poor digestive health. I have been researching the growing trend of Nutritional Psychiatry. This field of study is bringing attention to the connection between mental health and gut health.
Neurotransmitters like serotonin that of which 95 percent is produced in our gut are at risk of damage if we don’t supply our body with the nutrition it needs.
We risk unhealthy serotonin production as a result of not being intentional about consuming nutrient-dense foods, switching processed foods, hydrating, and eliminating toxins regularly. Serotonin regulates not only mood and emotions but appetite and pain responses as well.
Monday is an optimal day to gently detox your body and thoughts.
Here are four sure ways to DETOX on Monday to begin your week WELL.
Detox Your Thoughts
- Self-sabotage must go first. We often find ourselves in a place of regret after a weekend. Regrets from things we ate, people we shared time with or even lack of sleep. Rehashing what we DID NOT DO must end. Monday is a new day. A new week and a chance to regenerate your mind and body.
- Becoming intentional with thoughts and words is an essential first step to a week of wellness ahead. In other words, let’s Ditch the “ I should have,” “wish I could have” or ”I won’t bother moving forward because I already took a wrong turn’ voice in your head.
- Replace it with I am. I will. I’m doing.
Detox your Liver
- First, your liver is the second largest organ in your body, as a result, it’s also a very overworked organ. Imagine your liver as your car oil filter, your body’s way of filtering toxins. When we give our liver things, it’s not meant to process consequently the liver becomes overworked as a result toxic substances start to build up in your system. This is the beginning of inflammation and the root of the disease.
- Next, although depression is not believed to be an “inflammatory disease’. We know that inflammation does play a role in depression and other mental health conditions. We must keep our body systems well to avoid and risk triggering mental health conditions by overworking our body’s filtering system.
- This is a simple and gentle yet powerful morning detox smoothie that supports not only your liver but also your mind. Grab the recipe here. The powerhouse ingredients including lime, cilantro, and a few other do-gooders. Lime supports cleansing and detoxing your liver. Cilantro binds to heavy metals and helps pull them out of your body and ginger supports digestion. This green energy boost helps supports a BEAUTIFUL MORNING.
Detox Your Diet
- Now is not the time to grab a burger and fries. Monday we need to let our digestive system take a break from foods high in carbohydrates, sugars, artificial ingredients, and processed foods lacking nutrients. Monday is the day we need to refuel our system with a powerhouse of oxygenating, life-giving plant-based foods.
- Lunch needs to be light but nutritious. Try this CITRUS AND AVOCADO SALAD WITH QUICK-PICKLED FENNEL created by Kitchen Confidante. KC’s recipes are A-MA-Zing and her food photography …beautiful. Liren Baker, the artist behind the food and the blog, truly makes me want to turn my old career of capturing weddings into capturing the beauty of food.
- Your evening meal needs to be full of nutrients and fiber to help eliminate the abundance of weekend toxins you may have consumed. Choose one from my 7 day Clean Eating Challenge you can find here. Finish eating no later than 7 pm to give your digestive system a rest. I also recommend taking a high-quality probiotic like Life 9 before going to bed to promote healthy bacteria and optimal gut health.
Hydrate
- You can’t detox without consuming enough liquids to flush the toxins out of your body. Water is my go-to hydro tonic. I work hard at drinking at minimum, half of my body weight. I’m bored quickly with plain water I find adding a drop of Grapefruit Vitality oil ( I get mine here) helps. Sometimes I get fancy schmancy and add fresh frozen fruit to my glass instead of ice cubes.
- On Mondays, I also sip a detox tea mid-afternoon. This tea is filled with Superfoods to support your liver and help aid digestion. I love that it has milk thistle which supports liver health, improves skin, limits the spread of cancer, supports bone health, boosts the immune system, and according to a 2015 study may improve cognition. Yes, please.
I hope this Monday Mental Health Detox Routine helps you! What else do you want to know about detoxing for optimal mental health?
XO,
Steph
Hey, Not sure you clicked the link above? Did you grab my SEVEN DAY CLEAN EATING CHALLENGE? It’s packed with nutritious EASY to prepare foods for a life well lived!
This Post may contain affiliate links
