The Lazy Girl’s Detox: 7 Ways To Stay Healthy

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Between drinking what feels like your weight in cocktails, countless way-past-your-bedtime late nights, and eating (delicious) crap for weeks, you can end up feeling, well, gross, over the holidays. Then, on top of it all, you’ve got to shop for gifts for everyone and their mother and work like mad to make up for days out, so working off the extra calories and stress at the gym is probably not an solution, either. 

But don’t worry: All be-healthy hope is not lost. Here, we’ve rounded up some easy ways to stay (somewhat) on track through all the mayhem. Best of all, these low-impact, minimum-commitment, tips don’t require you to totally overhaul your diet and exercise plan in order to do them. Because between the shopping, the wrapping, and the reveling, who has timefor that?

1

Skip Your Morning Coffee

Yes, you read that correctly. And no, we aren’t out of our minds. While caffeine might seem like your BFF and the only thing keeping you functioning, it could actually be your biggest enemy. “Initially, you get a surge of caffeine which boosts energy and alertness but you’ll get as much of a drop when it leaves your system, too,” says Amanda Chantal Bacon, a chef and founder of Moon Juice in Venice, California.

Instead, have caffeinated green tea. “It gives you less of a jolt and dramatically fewer withdrawal symptoms.” Why this helps: Research shows that caffeine withdrawal can leave you craving more coffee as well as send you down the carb-and-sugar rabbit hole for the entire day. Plus, opting for green tea can help you ditch the cappuccino or soy latte, which can help you cut out an extra 200 to 500 calories.

2

Grab A Green Juice

Because you probably aren’t really into having a big salad after a long night of bubbly: “Green plants will help give a chlorophyll-boost to your digestive tract,” says Candice Kumai, a chef and author of Cook Yourself Sexy. “The chlorophyll in these plant-based foods will rid the body of harmful environmental toxins as well as aid the liver in detoxification.” To get the most nutrients for your buck, get a freshly cold-pressed juice, not one that’s been lingering on the shelf. Our top picks: kale, spinach, parsley, and celery.

3

Turn On The Rice Cooker

Sure, it sounds all Suzy Homemaker, but it’s really the never-eat-at-home girl’s dream come true and can stop you from drunk dialing the deli downstairs for a grilled cheese. Instead of rice, throw some quinoa in there, so it’s always hot and ready to go when starvation strikes: “This complete protein is gluten-free and packed with amino acids essential to cleansing and detoxifying the body,” says Kumai. “Quinoa also contains plenty of fiber and phosphorus to aid in the expelling of toxins.” 

For an extra healthy kick, add some heart-healthy avocado, rich in monounsaturated fat, to it (keep them in the fridge to extend freshness). “This type of fat promotes the release of bile from the gallbladder, assisting in proper elimination of toxins from the body and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, & K,” says Kumai. “Also, avocados contain vitamin E, folate, pantothenic acid, fiber, and potassium, which are all good for keeping your tummy feeling good.”

4

Squeeze In 15 Minutes Of Yoga

Because it’s only 15 minutes — the amount of time you can waste online shopping in the blink of an eye. “That’s all you need to get your heart rate up and do some strengthening, invigorating, and detoxifying moves,” says Tricia Donegan, Lady Gaga’s trainer and the founder of Bikram Yoga Lower East Side in NYC. “You will feel charged, light, and strong.”

Why bother with a series of complicated poses, rather than just rolling into Child’s pose, which is what you really want to do after a late night out? “It’s in the twists —you need to use your core while you ring out; plus, you want to put some pressure on organs like your transverse colon, and by holding the postures like that you get a tourniquet effect where when released, fresh blood with nutrients and oxygen is rushed to the muscles to restore them.” Watch this video to see Tricia do the sequence, so you can follow along at home, PJs and all.

5

Tell Your Hangover To F Off

There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Hangovers suck. And everyone’s got their own make-it-go-away remedy (Ray-Bans, SmartWater, Emergen-C, Excedrin Migraine — you know the drill). But, after hitting the party circuit for what seems like forever, you may need to take a new approach. Jeffrey Morrison, MD, CNS, founder of The Morrison Center in NYC, says to pop three Nux Vomicapills the morning after. “It’s a homeopathic remedy that helps with nausea and an unsettled stomach,” he says. “It is very safe and can be taken by dissolving it on your tongue.”

6

Bring Your Own Mixers

You did it in college, so why can’t you do it now? Fruits that naturally have high water content (think watermelon, cucumber, etc.) help hydrate you as much as — and some experts say even more so than — plain H2O. Which means if you alternate that Prosecco with say, Moon Juice Cucumber, Pineapple, & Jalapeno juice, or try a yummyGingered Lemon juice as the base for your vodka instead of sugar-loaded cranberry juice — with a little seltzer added into the mix, you could be way better off in the a.m.

7

And Then, Party Like A Rockstar All Over Again

It’s almost time to leave the office and curling up with some bad TV sounds way more appealing than running around in 4-inch heels, right? Reach for two energy-boosting Rosavin supplements, suggests Morrison. “The herb rhodiola is great for fighting fatigue and is a stress defense, too. Plus, it can also improve you mood by improving uptake of the amino acid 5HTP into the brain, so it can be converted into serotonin.” And suddenly, you aregame to hit the town after all.

Illustrations by Gabriela Alford

Click HERE to read more from Refinery29.

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