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5 Healthy Ways to Post-Holiday Detox

So the holidays are almost over and you're probably feeling like the rest of Americans right now: bloated, tired and a little heavier than usual. Instead of going on a crash diet or thinking that you have to go to the gym for hours on end to start feeling like your pre-holiday self, follow these five tips to post-holiday detox in a healthy way!

1. Break the sugar and salt habit. If you feel especially bloated, cutting out the extra sugar, refined carbs and salt you've been having at holiday gatherings is the first step to getting back to your usual self. Do this for at least three days to get back on track and give your system time to reset.
2. Load up on veggies. Detoxing is all about getting the bad out and the good back in. So after the holidays challenge yourself to eat seven to 12 servings of fruits and veggies a day -- and make clean food the bulk of your diet. Get a variety of produce to ensure that you're getting all those vitamins and minerals you probably skimped on over holiday break.

Try our "vegetarian for a week" challenge, or give "meatless Monday" a try!

3. Start off easy at the gym. You're probably gung-ho about working out right now and think a killer workout is what it will take to get you back on track, but ease back into the gym. It's better to do a little bit every day then go to the gym, push it too hard, and then be so sore that you can't move for days!

4. Make water your new BFF. Hydration is the name of the game when it comes to post-holiday detoxing. Guzzle that water throughout the day, trying to get at least 64 ounces. Water helps flush out toxins and helps your body eliminate waste! (A good rule of thumb is to divide your total body weight in half, and drink that many ounces. i.e. A 150-pound person should drink 75 ounces of water.)

5. Ignore the scale for a few days. Because of all the extra holiday goodies, which included added sugar, salt and fat, you're probably a few pounds heavier than normal. Instead of stepping on the scale and feeling down about the number, just forgo the scale. Follow these tips and weigh yourself in a week. You'll probably be back to your normal size!

Extreme detoxes aren't necessary to get back on track after the holidays, nor are they any kind of healthy for your body. It's also not healthy to beat yourself up over what you ate and those workouts you may have missed. Today is a new day -- so appreciate the holidays for what they are (or were) and get back on the healthy track!

Learn more about kick-starting a healthy new year:

How to Lose 10 Pounds in 30 Days

Jillian Michaels' Jumpstart Diet Just in Time for New Year's Resolutions

The Biggest Loser New Year's Detox
Related: weight loss, holidays, health, fitness, diets, detox

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