YOUR POST-HOLIDAY DETOX PLAN TO CLEANSE & RESET

There’s no denying that the holidays are indulgent… Large meals, delicious treats, decadent drinks, and more time snuggled up by the fire on the couch. It’s almost impossible to turn down homemade pumpkin pie, and a giant turkey dinner is always better enjoyed in leftover form. After a season of indulgence, many of us feel bloated, uncomfortable, and vowing to never eat again. A post-holiday detox is exactly what is needed to reset back to normal.

Start planning your post-holiday detox plan with a proper detox diet, detoxification tips and tricks, and easy lifestyle changes to make sure you’re back on track with your wellness now that the holidays have ended and the New Year’s resolutions have started!

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Post-Holiday Detox Tips

Clear the Fridge

First things first, clear out your fridge! We know that holiday leftovers are amazing, but they can derail you from your post-holiday diet efforts. Give leftovers to family members, freeze them for a later date, or have a mini post-holiday clear-the-fridge party for friends to help you clean out your leftovers and remove any unhealthy temptations.

Write Down Your Goals

One of the first steps in being successful in your post-holiday detox plan is being clear in what you want to accomplish. Whether it’s a 3-day detox or one month long, make a list of all the goals you’d like to achieve. Goals can include: Cut down on sugar, reduce bloat, lessen alcohol consumption, lose 5 pounds, have a more positive body image, etc.

Be Understanding

Know that your after-holiday cleanse may not produce immediate results. Going through the detoxification process is a slow and steady one, but the results are worth the wait! Be realistic and understanding of your goals and what your body can accomplish in a set amount of time. Unrealistic goals will leave you feeling discouraged, and may hinder progress.

Set Up a Support Group

Round up your friends and family to keep you on track! Whether it’s a post-holiday detox buddy who does check-ins with you and is there for moral support, your partner to meal prep with, or a coworker who can help keep those break room snacks at a safe distance, tackling anything with a partner is much easier than going solo.

Control Your Environment

During your post-holiday detox, the first tip was to clean out your fridge. Maintaining a controlled environment at home, work, and while out is just as important, if not more. During this time, learn what things aren’t serving your journey toward health. This way, you’ll keep temptations at bay and learn new healthy habits to continue throughout the year.

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Get Some Sleep

You might think that laying in bed for 8 hours won’t necessarily help with an after-holiday cleanse, but it is an important factor in weight loss. Poor sleep habits have been linked to worse appetite, higher calorie intake, and lower resting metabolic rate. On the other hand, studies show that sleep detoxes the brain and helps improve physical activity.

Start Your Day with Breakfast

By starting your day on a healthy note, you will be more likely to continue making healthy choices throughout the day. Not only will you be primed to make healthier decisions, the benefits of eating breakfast will also help you experience more controlled blood sugar, better heart health, and heightened focus, making the post-holiday detox easier.

Sweat it Out

One of the best ways to detox is by sweating out the toxins. Getting in a good workout is always a great option, as you are burning calories and sweating. You can also do a post-holiday detox by sweating in an infrared sauna – which is especially effective for detoxification when used after working out. You can detox and destress with hot yoga as well.

Stay Hydrated

After sweating out all the toxins in your body, it is imperative to stay hydrated. Be sure to replenish any fluids you may have lost while sweating to ensure you body is functioning properly. Drinking water flushes toxins from your body, which is especially important after holiday eating. It also helps reduce the bloat you may experience from the holidays.

Add Color to Your Diet

A healthy plate includes a range of items, including protein, high-quality fats, fruits, and vegetables. When it comes to your post-holiday diet, studies show that vegetables such as broccoli, radishes, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower help aid in the detoxification process, along with fruits like pomegranate, blueberries, grapes, and black raspberries.

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Post-Holiday Diet Plan

Breakfast

As mentioned previously, starting your day with a well-balanced breakfast is key to starting you off on the right foot for your post-holiday detox diet. It is recommended that your breakfast contains approximately ⅓ of your daily calorie intake. Keep your plate simple and healthy with protein, fruits, and vegetables. You can even help boost your metabolism with some plain, black coffee!

Healthy egg scrambles are a delicious and easy way to get protein and vegetables in your morning routine! If you prefer your breakfasts on the sweeter side, other healthy breakfast options include Greek yogurt with fruit and oatmeal with peanut butter – just be sure to keep the sugar content of the ingredients down.

Lunch

Having soup at lunch for weight loss is an easy way to have a delicious meal while cutting down on calories. A soup for lunch has a high volume with a low calorie count, meaning it has a low energy-density. On top of that, because of the volume of food you are eating, you will feel full quickly, thus suppressing your appetite for the remainder of the day.

When deciding on a soup, stick with broth-based or vegetable-based soups. Avoid fatty or creamy soups, but feel free to add in lean proteins like chicken, fish, or beans. A low-sodium and low-glycemic lentil soup is recommended for a post-holiday detox diet, as it is easy to digest after a season of indulgent eating while maintaining healthy blood sugar.

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Dinner

Dinner during your post-holiday diet is fairly straightforward. Focus on filling your plate with lean proteins and vegetables, while cutting out starchy menu items. Keep the meals simple to reduce the amount of sugar added, but make sure you add spices and seasonings that will keep your meal interesting and leave you wanting more.

If you would like, start off your meal with another bowl or cup of soup to help reduce your appetite and reduce the portions of your meal. You can also add in a cabbage salad to get things moving, as cabbage is high in fiber and can aid in eliminating toxins through waste. Cabbage also contains anti-inflammatory antioxidants and helps lower cholesterol.

Snacks

In between meals, have some carefully-portioned healthy detox snacks on hand that will help whet your appetite without encouraging binging on unhealthy treats. Just like with the full meals, keep your ingredients simple and natural to avoid unhealthy additives in processed foods.

Start off your morning with a holiday cleanse green smoothie filled with leafy greens and fruit to reduce inflammation or Greek yogurt that is packed with antioxidants. If you have mid-day cravings, slice an antioxidant-rich avocado and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, or spice up some popcorn with cayenne pepper to jumpstart your metabolism.

You know what they say: New year, new you! So start off this year right by making some healthy decisions. Not only will a post-holiday detox leave you feeling healthier after a season of indulgence, it’ll set you up for a year of better decisions with a balanced diet, improved sleep, more exercise, and a more positive body image. Treat your body right and it will reward you with the best year yet. Happy New Year!

SHOULD YOU USE A SAUNA OR STEAM ROOM FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

When on a weight loss journey, it’s important to find the practices, tools, and activities that work for your body. For years, people have used the power of heat through sauna and steam room use during their process. While both are similar tools, they each offer unique benefits for losing weight. So when it comes down to it, should you use a sauna or steam room for weight loss?

Below, learn more about how these tools aid in losing weight and find information on the shared weight loss benefits of sauna and steam room use, along with the differences that set them apart when sweating it out:

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Sauna vs Steam Room Weight Loss Basics

What is an Infrared Sauna?

An infrared sauna is a room constructed of wood that warms the body through infrared rays with a dry heat. Infrared heat can penetrate 1.5” into the skin to warm the body efficiently. Because of this heat penetration, infrared saunas only need to operate between 115°F and 130°F as opposed to the 170°F to 200°F temperatures of traditional saunas. Outside of weight loss, there are many sauna health benefits, including boosted metabolism, detoxification, and stress reduction.

What is a Steam Room?

A steam room, also known as a steam bath, is an enclosed space outfitted with a steam generator. Because of the moisture content, steam rooms often have tile floors and either glass or tile walls to avoid the growth of bacteria in porous materials. Temperatures often range between 110°F and 114°F with 100% humidity. Due to the high heat and moisture, steam room benefits include skin hydration, respiratory relief, and lowered blood pressure.

Learn more about the sauna vs steam room debate here.

Are there any Risks of Steam Rooms or Saunas?

As with any big lifestyle change such as a weight loss journey, it is always advised to consult with your doctor to avoid complications, especially if you have any health conditions. Those with heart conditions, pregnant women, those on medication should take extreme precaution when using a sauna or steam room.

If you are incorporating these methods into your weight loss journey, one key factor to keep in mind is hydration. Sweating means your body is losing fluids, so it is extremely important to replenish those fluids to avoid dehydration. Keep sessions in both devices to approximately 15 to 20 minutes. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, stop your session immediately and take a break.

What is Water Weight?

One thing that is very important to consider on the topic of steam room and infrared sauna weight loss is water weight, or the collection of fluids in your tissues. This buildup of fluid causes bloating, and can make the scale fluctuate by 2-4 pounds every day. If you hear about something that will help you “lose weight quickly,” water weight is typically being targeted. While it is a quick weight loss tip, long-term weight loss requires more than simply losing water weight.

There are a number of ways to reduce water weight, including reducing sodium intake, reducing carbohydrate intake, increasing water intake, and sweating it out – something both infrared saunas and steam rooms are great at helping you achieve.

Unfortunately, the weight lost from this process is merely water weight and no fat burn. This means, as a stand-alone activity, the results of using a sauna or steam room for weight loss are very short-term and the weight will return once you drink water again.

Infrared Sauna Weight Loss

Boosted Calorie Burn

There are many claims stating that sitting in a sauna can help you burn a lot of calories fast, but infrared sauna weight loss is more of a gradual burn. The infrared heat increases your heart rate and boosts your metabolic rate to burn approximately 1.5 times your regular calorie burn. For example, if you typically burn 40 calories in 30 minutes, a 30-minute sauna session will burn 60 calories. While it isn’t a large difference, any additional calorie burn helps!

Regulated Lipids

Lipids such as fats and cholesterol can be big deterrents in weight loss. The penetration of infrared heat helps increase blood flow to fat cells, helping detoxify and reduce the appearance of fat cells. Additionally, sauna use has been shown in studies to significantly decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol) and slight increase in HDL (good cholesterol), which is a good sign of weight loss and leads to better health due to improved cardiovascular health.

Muscle & Joint Pain Relief

When your muscles and joints ache, it makes it difficult to pursue your weight loss goals. Infrared sauna use helps reduce this pain by penetrating deep into muscles to release tension. This use of heat, also known as thermotherapy, triggers heat shock proteins that push the body into optimal repair and rebuild mode. Reducing, and even eliminating, aches and pains makes it easier to keep going back to your fitness routines and your weight loss efforts.

Improved Sleep & Relaxation

Have you ever snacked when you’ve been stressed? Or reached for unhealthy treats when your energy has been low? Feeling well-rested and relaxed helps us make better dietary decisions and stay on track for weight loss. Infrared sauna use puts you in a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state that helps you unwind and sleep well, which will leave you feeling motivated to make healthy decisions to reach your weight goals.

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Steam Room Weight Loss

Water Weight Loss

As mentioned earlier, water weight can cause your weight to fluctuate by a couple pounds every day, and sweating it out is one quick way to lose this weight. The humidity in steam rooms create an especially effective environment for sweating, helping you lose weight.

Workout Boost

When used after exercising, the steam room is a great supplementary practice to help you on your journey. Steam rooms can be used after a workout to help sweat out any remaining toxins. The application of steam also helps the recovery of muscles, making it easier for you to get back to your workouts. And like saunas, where calorie burn isn’t much higher than normal, consistent use of a steam room after working out can give you an extra calorie boost to lose weight.

Whether you choose a sauna or steam room for weight loss, both are great additions to your routine. While using as stand-alone treatments may not show quick or drastic results, using saunas and steam rooms can be used to improve your overall health and weight goals when combined with proper diet and exercise.

HEALTHY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: HEALTHY GIFT IDEAS FOR EVERYONE

This year, give the gift of health to your loved ones. Many people are becoming more invested in their wellness, and the holidays are the perfect time to treat them with gifts that will benefit long after the season ends. From healthy subscription boxes to a home sauna, this holiday guide of healthy gift ideas has a gift suggestion for any health guru on your list within a range of budgets.

Focus on wellness for yourself, and avoid the stresses of holiday shopping with these health and wellness gifts for anyone on your list!

1. Travel Walking Tour

Prices Vary

A travel walking tour gives a whole new perspective on seeing a new place. Whether it’s a hike through the mountains or discovering a city by foot, this is a gift that will provide priceless memories in any city you choose.

2. GoPro HERO5 4K HD Waterproof Camera

$215 | Buy Here

Any adventurer will love this gift during the holidays! Having a camera that can brave any condition is the perfect excuse to go outside and start exploring. This sturdy camera will be a trusty companion on any expedition.

3. Allbirds Travel Shoes

$95 | Buy Here

From walking around cities to sitting on long flights, keeping your feet comfortable is necessary for travel. These eco-friendly shoes offer support, comfort, and durability to make sure the exploring doesn’t have to slow down.

4. Aria Travel Kit

$79 | Buy Here

If your loved one is always on the go, a travel kit is a must. This travel kit has everything you need for comfortable and healthy travel, including moisturizer, an eye mask, earbuds, a toothbrush, and much more.

Healthy Gift Ideas for:
The Culinary Wonder

1. Cooking Classes

Prices Vary

Pinterest can only go so far in the kitchen. Give the gift of learning new kitchen skills and finding new healthy recipes! A cooking class is a great activity for a couple, or to give your significant other for a future date night.

2. Vitamix 7500 Blender

$530 | Buy Here

This may be an expensive gift, but people swear by it in the kitchen. Not only is it durable, it’s also versatile and can be used to chop vegetables, puree fruits, grind spices, heat soups, emulsify sauces, and so much more.

3. ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide

$179 | Buy Here

Recently, the sous vide has been taking modern kitchens by storm. This is one of the healthy gift ideas that keeps on giving, as making healthy meals is as easy to start and monitor through an app on your phone.

4. Blue Apron Subscription

$60 | Buy Here

Even if your foodie loved one is a pro in the kitchen, it’s nice to take a break from finding recipes and grocery shopping every now and then. Blue Apron is one of the pioneers in this field, meaning they know how to make great food.

Healthy Gift Ideas for:
The Health Guru

1. Fitness Classes

Prices Vary

Fitness classes are fun healthy gift ideas, because there are so many workouts to choose from. From dance to boxing to yoga, you can find just about anything to fit the fitness levels and interests of those on your gift list.

2. Garmin vívoactive® 3

$270 | Buy Here

Smartwatches are a fitness enthusiast’s best friend, and the vívoactive 3 is the ultimate accessory for an active life. Not only does this watch have built-in GPS, it also has Garmin Pay to go cardless and Bluetooth to stay connected.

3. Muhdo DNA Profiling Kit

$193 | Buy Here

You’ve probably heard of the other DNA profiling kits, but Muhdo does something the others don’t: fitness. This kit offers personalized fitness routines, diet tips, and health reports to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

4. Fitbit Aria 2™ Wi-Fi Smart Scale

$130 | Buy Here

If someone on your gift list is on a fitness journey, a smart scale makes tracking easier with just one step. This scale records your weight, BMI, and body fat percentage through an app, and is compatible with Fitbit trackers.

Healthy Gift Ideas for:
The Homebody

1. Home Infrared Sauna

Inquire for Prices

Giving the gift of an infrared sauna is giving the gift of ultimate health and wellness – and all to enjoy at home! Whether a gift for your family or yourself, treat your loved ones to the many benefits of sauna use this season.

2. Smart Garden 9

$120 | Buy Here

Many people enjoy tending to a garden. It’s a calming activity that truly allows you to enjoy the fruits of your labor. This garden is wonderful for new gardeners or for bad weather when indoor gardening is more convenient.

3. UGG Aira Slippers

$90 | Buy Here

Slippers are unassumingly wonderful wellness gifts for anyone in your life. From cozying up in front of the fireplace to walking around the house in comfort, slippers will keep everyone comfortable this holiday season.

4. Lush Honey Gift Box

$38 | Buy Here

Sometimes, all you need to unwind is a spa day at home. This simple but sweet gift is great for anyone on your holiday gift list with all-natural soap, shower gel, lip balm, and body butter to rejuvenate winter skin and stress.

Healthy Gift Ideas for:
The Tech Enthusiast

1. Sony Noise-Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones

$198 | Buy Here

Workouts, long flights, relaxation… whatever headphones are needed for, these are the right choice. Your friend or family member will love the high-quality sound of these versatile earbuds that can be enjoyed every day.

2. Echo Show

$180 | Buy Here

The Echo Show is the home voice assistant that does it all. This gift features video and voice calling with other Echo devices, can control smart devices in your home, and can be used to pull up recipes, music, and more.

3. Ember Smart Travel Mug

$150 | Buy Here

Is your loved one always on the go? Or notoriously bad for forgetting about their tea until it’s cold? The Ember mug allows you to monitor the temperature of your beverage through an app, keeping the drink perfectly warm.

4. Hue Color Light Bulb Starter Kit

$80 | Buy Here

These are both a cool party trick and ambiance lighting or chromotherapy in your home! The Hue Color bulbs are controlled with an app or voice assistant to light your home in various ways, making for a great Smart Home gift.

When shopping for your friends and family this holiday season, keep these healthy gifts in mind to end the year on a happy and healthy note! These wellness gifts are sure to be enjoyed for many years to come and provide lasting health benefits, whether it’s mentally, physically, or emotionally. Happy shopping, and happy holidays!

WORKPLACE WELLNESS IDEAS FOR WORK, LIFE & PERSONAL BALANCE

Workplace wellness has been a growing trend for businesses as management realizes the benefits of having happy, healthy employees. Additionally, people are increasingly putting a larger emphasis on working with companies who invest in employee development, work-life balance, and personal wellness. Because of this, today it is more important than ever to create a positive, healthy atmosphere in the office to encourage new hires and ensure current employees feel appreciated.

If you are an employer, discover how to keep your workplace feeling refreshed with workplace wellness programs that include meditation sessions, physical activity, standing desks, time outdoors, and more. If you are an employee, find easy office ideas and tips to do your part in promoting wellness in the workplace.

For Employers: Workplace Wellness Programs

Promoting a healthy lifestyle in your company will not only result in healthy employees, it’ll result in happy and more productive employees, as well! Studies show that employees who participate in workplace wellness programs regain an additional 10.3 hours of productivity annually. On top of that, healthy employees means fewer sick days.

Try incorporating these four healthy scenarios to increase wellness in the workplace:

Schedule a Weekly Meditation Session

It is no secret that mental health plays a large role in mood, productivity, and even physical well-being. Supporting your employees’ mental health is especially important in today’s hectic world. Meditation is a powerful tool to find balance and help clear the mind of negative thoughts and instead focus energy on a positive and relaxing outlook.

Scheduling a company-wide meditation once a week will help everyone feel more centered and prepared to take on the remainder of the week. Meditation sessions can include guided and sound meditations – many of which can be found on YouTube. Choose a time when meetings are light and office mood starts to hit a wall in order to revitalize the workplace.

Plan Outdoor Team Outings

Being cooped up in an office all day, staring at a computer screen, and getting little to no physical activity can make it difficult to stay motivated and focused. Getting fresh air and some Vitamin D have been shown to have many health benefits, from boosted mood to increased energy. Help get employees moving by scheduling outdoor team outings.

This can be done by creating calendar invites for short, 5-minute walks around the building every couple of hours. Not only is this an opportunity to get fresh air and a few extra steps in, it is also a natural way to get to know your team a little better. Have a packed schedule but still need fresh air? Get out of the conference room and start doing walking meetings.

Set Up Standing Desks

One of the most popular recent workplace wellness trends is the standing desk. While the initial claims of weight loss may have been blown out of proportion, as standing only burns approximately 8 more calories an hour than sitting, there are still many benefits to standing while you work.

Sitting for prolonged periods of time has been linked with higher risk for health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, and breaking up the day by standing can help decrease risk. While standing all day might not be preferred by all, setting up a standing desk station provides those who want to stand an opportunity.

Invest in a Workplace Wellness Center

If space and money permit, investing in a workplace wellness center for employees is a great step toward investing in their health. An office gym with an infrared sauna to use after a long work day or during the lunch break is great for employees who want to sweat out the stress and tensions of sitting at a desk all day.

If a gym is out of reach for your situation, a quiet area with a massage chair and healthy snacks is also great way to invest in your employees’ wellness. Other cost-effective and space-saving solutions are corporate gym memberships to allow employees to use a gym at a discount and simply hosting activities such as 5-minute abs or yoga in a conference room.

For Employees: Workplace Wellness Tips

Working in an office that promotes a happy and healthy environment with workplace wellness programs is ideal, but what if your company still isn’t there yet? Luckily, there are plenty of things you can personally do on your own to promote wellness in the workplace in the meantime!

Keep up your own personal wellness while in the office with these workplace wellness ideas:

Get Up to Stretch

Let’s face it: You aren’t doing your body any favors by sitting all day and staring at a screen. Most likely, you’re not properly set up with back support for sitting with perfect posture. Extended sitting has been shown to increase your risk for mortality. The simple solution: Get up and move.

Stretching, whether simple 3-minute stretch breaks every hour or longer walks to stretch your legs, has been shown to improve posture, increase blood flow to muscles after being sedentary, prevent back pain, and even decrease tension headaches – all things very important to keep your body in top-shape at the office.