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How 9 Yogis Detox After Serious Holiday Indulgence

Leigh Weingus
Author:
November 30, 2016
Leigh Weingus
By Leigh Weingus
mbg Contributor
Leigh Weingus is a New York City based freelance journalist writing about health, wellness, feminism, entertainment, personal finance, and more. She received her bachelor’s in English and Communication from the University of California, Davis.
Photo by mbgcreative
November 30, 2016

Many of us are still feeling a bit sluggish after Thanksgiving.

As much fun as it is to eat turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie for four days straight while spending hours on the couch bonding with friends and family, it certainly doesn't do our energy levels or gut health any favors.

If you're craving a detox and don't want to go on a juice cleanse, we've got you covered. Here's how nine of our favorite yogis detox after a week of heavy eating.

1. Krissy Jones

"I always start my day with hot lemon water, but especially around the holidays when I’m feeling sluggish," SKY TING co-founder Krissy Jones tells mbg. "It's so simple, and extremely effective in getting the digestive system going. I also bump up my yoga routine post Thanksgiving, and add more heat-building postures, inversions, and twists to clear out the system. Finally, I go to the spa anytime I'm feeling sluggish. I love going from the hot steam room to the cold pool to the sauna and then doing it over and over until I've sweat a lot!"

2. Kathryn Budig

"Start simple (and kindly): Make sure you eat something green (green juice, salad, veggies) every day, and if you're still feeling weighed down, go for long walks," yogi and mbg class instructor Kathryn Budig tells mbg. "Ease your way back into your regular workout routine. It's important to be kind to yourself during the holiday season and remember that it's OK to embrace the celebration."

3. Ava Pendl

"My family is huge on flavor and lots of rich dishes—especially this year, as I had two separate Thanksgiving dinners—so I like to spend the week after a big holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas easing back into yoga and eating healthy," yoga teacher and author Ava Pendl tells mbg. "I drink an activated charcoal lemonade every other day two hours after lunch and do back-to-back yoga classes every other day. This usually looks like a hatha or hot-style class followed by yin or restorative to wake up my muscles and fascia so I don't injure myself after taking a week off. I find this to be the most gentle way to get back into a routine without going too extreme."

4. Caley Alyssa

"Drink tons of water. Make sure to do some movement, every day, even just for 30 minutes," L.A.-based yoga teacher and mbg class instructor Caley Alyssa says. "Take a hot bath with epsom salts. I also incorporate tons of greens into my diet and make sure to get a good night's rest. In general, everything in moderation. Don't be hard on yourself. Take everything as an experiment; if you feel good and healthy, do it. If you don't feel good, don't do it!"

5. Heather Lilleston

"I drink lemon water with apple cider vinegar first thing in the morning," Yoga for Bad People co-founder Heather Lilleston tells mbg. "I also suggest probiotics—specifically, proviotics from Juice press. Also try sweating while relaxing: Go to a spa or take a really hot bath with an entire carton of Epsom salt, and stay there for 10 minutes. Take a cold shower to follow. Drink tons of water."

"Have three days during the workweek of soup, juice, and one salad a day to keep some chewing in motion," she adds. "Chewing activates the digestive enzymes in the body, and eating mostly liquids for a few days can help your digestive system catch up. It's important to include soup so you aren't just eating cold foods like juice, salad, or smoothies during cold months."

"Additionally, do something physical every day—I recommend a nice balance between yoga and The Class. Cardio is so important in the winter, but it must be followed by something yin and restoring. And skin brush before morning shower to help the skin detox. It feels especially amazing during winter when we don't get sunlight on the skin. It is very invigorating."

6. Sara Quiriconi

"There are times when I fall off my regular routine of healthy, structured eating and yoga and exercise, especially during the holidays or because I travel often for work. I get back on track by going back to regular breakfasts and starting slow and small with my exercise routines," Miami-based yoga teacher Sara Quiriconi tells mbg. "I also make sure to have a good start to my day with food as fuel kick-starts a well-being mindset for the rest of the day ahead—have you ever wanted doughnuts for lunch after having tons of fruits, yogurt, and granola for breakfast? I don't think so. And for exercise, just start! It doesn't have to be a full 60-minute yoga practice or half-hour of cardio and weights. Just start, and slowly build. And have plenty of patience and self-love for YOU, because that's the fastest way to get back on track."

7. Shauna Harrison

"Having been on both ends of the cleanse/YOLO spectrum, I have personally focused less on dramatic detoxes in a continual effort to adopt an ongoing state of balance as much as humanly possible," yogi and mbg class instructor Shauna Harrison tells says. "That being said, as we are all human, sometimes I eat something that throws off my sensitive system, and so in these cases I have a few things I do to reboot."

"I move my body, whether that means yoga, walks or hikes, dancing, or jumping around to get my blood flowing," she explains. "If I feel stiff or stressed, I will hold some restorative postures, like child's pose with a rolled up blanket in the belly, or simple twists on my back. I visit my alternative healers year-round for acupuncture and applied kinesiology, which always help me target what I need to do in order to bring my body and mind back into balance. If my digestion or nervous system feels off, I limit whatever I feel might be a culprit, whether it is gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine, technology, late bedtimes, or social events and shindigs."

8. Lauren Imparato

"Given my book, Retox, I don't believe in detoxing," yogi and mbg class instructor Lauren Imparato says. "But I do believe in recalibrating the system, or Retoxing, which is about adding things IN to your life to be healthy opposed to taking them out. Post-Thanksgiving I double my water intake—room temperature and flat—and double the greens, especially lettuce, zucchini, and spinach."

9. Chloe Kernaghan

"I detox with a good scrub. Exfoliate! Whether its from traveling, sitting on a couch all weekend, eating lavish meals, or all of the above, I find it incredibly healing to scrub stagnation off from the surface," SKY TING co-founder Chloe Kernaghan tells mbg. "Lately I've been using Beldi soap from Kahina Giving Beauty and a bath mitt. I also schedule time for something physical: I have added to my calendar when I'm going to do yoga and take a dance class this week. For me, it helps to lay out my plan for the week of when I'll use my body, to stay motivated and have something to look towards."

"I also eat clean, or at least try! This week I'm trying to eat a very clean, vegetarian diet, and I'm making most of my meals at home," she adds. "I'm never one to turn down an afternoon treat, but I'll try and replace refined sugars with fruits if I'm crashing, and cook warming foods that are grounding for the season."

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