4 ways to Detox your Post-Holiday Body

With each high one experienced, there bound to be a low of equal intensity. Are you feeling the post-holiday blues now that the decadence and debauchery of the year end celebrations had come to an abrupt end? Instead of missing the indulgences and whining away in exasperation, channel your inner ‘Oprah’ and move forward with positive thoughts. To kick-start the New Year in the right direction, purge the sluggishness out of your system with these simple yet effective detox tips. Maybe last year wasn’t up to your mark nor spectacular, but with a clean slate of 365 days to get it right, the best is yet to be!

Say no to sugar

Simple sugars are the worst dietary saboteurs to your dream summer bod and head-turning flawless skin. “Cookies, cakes and many other innocent-looking festive foods are laden with simple sugars which are molecules that attach to protein fibres in our cells in a damaging process known as glycation.” Says Dr. Low Chai Ling, an avid advocate for Women Health & Well Being and medical director of SW1 Clinic. The end products of glycation are known as Advanced Glycation End products (AGE). Simply put, sugar causes inflammation and reduces the power of collagen to rebuild our skin’s structure and increases the rate at which collagen breaks down naturally. In addition, simple sugars are branded as empty calories with no nutritional value. Calorie for calorie, those imbibed from highly processed carbohydrates like cane sugar and white flour lead to both blood sugar and insulin spikes, causing us to retain fat instead of burning it off.

Detox your body by replacing simple sugars with mixed grains, leafy greens and high quality protein. Because high-temperature cooking also breaks down collagen and exacerbates AGE, go “fresh and raw” when possible or opt for soups and stews prepared with slow cooking methods.

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Water parade

Liquid calories are common culprits working against a trim waistline. A flute of champagne here, a shot of egg nog there and even fresh fruit juices add up all too quickly over the holiday season without you realizing. Natural diuretics, in solid or liquid form, can help flush bloating from all the festive goodies and merry drinking. Consume plenty of water to allow your kidneys to flush out the bad stuff. Supplement this foolproof ‘liquid detox’ plan with a daily serving of Daily Cleanse. This herbal supplement helps to regulate your digestive system, amping up the internal detoxification processes so your body starts on a clean slate each day. For a more intense urban cleanse, try Purification 1-Day cleanse, which can be served either warm or chilled. This sugar-free, low-calorie cleanse concentrate is to be mixed with water, and then drunk throughout the day. It amps up your metabolism to burn fat faster while helping to flush out toxins at the same time. Its designed to cleanse your gut and get you summer ready in double quick time!

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Skin clear

Beautifully applied makeup can be a girl’s best trick and more often than not, a lot of effort and products were used in creating those dazzling looks this Christmas past. As part of your detox plan, foster in one or more days of minimal or no makeup to give your skin much needed rest. If you are looking to be pampered after all the mayhem of the party season, SW1 Spa offers both signature and bespoke facials, with services that will make you feel as snug as a bug in the rug. For gentle yet effective heavy duty cleansing, go for the Deep Deep Clean facial, one of their signature bestsellers. By utilising the power combo of skin polishing Microdermabrasion with pore purging Ultrasonic Deep Cleansing, this is the ultimate detoxifying skin treat to tackle the post-holiday grease, grit and grime.

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Tech-tox

Were you hooked on Twitter and Facebook updates, browsing through the latest celebs’ holiday pics on IG, more so than engaging in real-time conversations with friends and relatives at the annual get-togethers and parties? Were you chatting endlessly with new acquaintances made online but could hardly strike a convo of more than 2 lines with new peeps you meet at social gatherings? In this age of advanced technology and modern communication, instead of drawing people closer together as often depicted, it’s pushing human relationships further apart. This New Year, go on a tech-tox or technology detox, put down your smartphone and stop web surfing for a good hour a day. Of course it’s important to keep up with emails and news, but your health and growth of interpersonal relationships should be a priority important enough for you to cultivate the sabbatical. So instead of lamenting that you have no time to meet up friends and relatives, find time to do so by pulling yourself away from the chains of everyday technology, always be updated but never be enslaved to modern amenities!

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