This year forced us to examine and reconsider our realities. The impact of the stress of a shifting world has been potent and no aspect of our lives has gone unaffected. For many of you, this forced pause has allowed time to focus on specific health issues and for others it’s created new imbalances to address (hello stress-eating and hyper-sedentary days!).
This year more than ever, Dr. Galina and I see the need to let go of the habits that don’t serve us and hit the reset. It’s a bit of a construct, this timing of New Year’s, but why not use it as an opportunity to tap into the energy of starting over?
One of the tenets of naturopathic medicine is that the body’s inability to release toxins is the primary driver for chronic illness. So, let’s get rid of this stuff. We’re offering a 14-Day Detox with Dr. Galina, which is easy and super effective. If you want to shed a few of those COVID pounds, it’s a no-brainer.
A physical cleanse is crucial but don’t forget your emotional and mental bodies. Along with the 14-Day Detox, here’s what we’re doing to usher in 2021.
Practices to accompany your 2020 detox:
1. Identify your goals: Let go of the past year by framing and focusing your perspective. What are the things you’d like to focus on most in 2021? Write down your plans and hold onto them with enthusiastic intent. This year we’ve learned the value of releasing expectations that don’t bring value to our lives. Framing these new priorities with intention, and reminding ourselves of them is the best way to leave the past where it is, and move forward gently.
2. Slow down: In a resting state, our body releases stress and heals. When our nervous system is in fight-or-flight, it won’t heal. Build a few minutes of mindfulness into your detox routine to harness the healing power of being unhurried.
3. Be in acceptance: Accepting where we are—the good, the bad and the ugly—is essential for moving forward and healing the body. I always say that my patients who are in acceptance and not attached to their illness are the ones that heal. Accept where your body is and know that given the right guidance, it will return to its healthy state.
4. Breathe: Our bodies detox through fives organ systems: liver, gut, kidneys, skin and lungs. We can’t forget the importance of breathing. Simple, but not easy. Many of us have been literally holding our breath through 2020. So, breathe and do it consciously when you’re aiming to detox.
Use the ‘letting go’ breath as a momentary reset, you can use as often as you like; inhale through your nose to the count of four and then exhale with a big sigh. Do this 3 times.
5. Clean up your diet and gut-friendly foods: You know we’re all about the gut at The Dr. Maura Practice. We know the gut is tied to our immune system, and our skin health, but it is also linked to our emotional state. An unhealthy gut can make you sick as well as feeling bloated and uncomfortable – but it can also leave you feeling moody, anxious, depressed and stressed out.
Join us for the 14-Day Detox or implement these simple tips. Start this year with a 2 week diet of unrefined, unprocessed foods that will improve gut health. Ditch these 100%: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, dairy and gluten. Be sure to include some of the following foods, as well.
-Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens and turnips. These veggies are high in fiber to help with healthy bowel movements and also contain enzymes which help to stimulate the digestive process.
-Fermented foods like sauerkraut, coconut kefir, and kimchi, which provide good bacteria and enzymes which help to feed the microbiome. Small amounts of apple cider vinegar also help to stimulate digestion and keep a healthy gut.
-Psyllium husk is a great form of insoluble fiber which helps rid the body of toxins and move them along. You can mix psyllium husk in water or add it to a smoothie with raw unprocessed fruits and veggies.
Foods containing tryptophan help produce the “happy” hormone serotonin which is made in the gut: banana, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, leafy greens, mushrooms, and peas.
-Superfoods such as spirulina. We love algae like spirulina because it packs multiple punches: in addition to getting rid of unwanted bugs in the gut like candida, it’s super high in protein, vitamins and minerals, and helps clear free radical damage which leads to inflammation and premature aging.
If there was ever a year we needed to release, it’s 2020. Let’s be intentional about it and hold some hope for healthier bodies and minds, and a healthier world, as we move forward.
