I’m was slumped on my sofa, recovering from a hangover, feeling very sorry for myself. How original – a detox blog post from somebody that over indulged the night before. But what actually inspired the detox was a quote I heard repeated on the television (whilst I was clutching my stomach).
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.
Hearing those worlds suddenly put everything in perspective for me. Why am I going around feeling sorry for myself because I’m anxious, sluggish or hungover, when I treat my body like s*%t? It seems like over time bad habits have escalated, and now I’m downright unhealthy.
I’m beginning my 8 week detox next week, because that’s when my recipe book arrives, and it means I can enjoy a cheeky glass of champagne when I go wedding dress shopping at the weekend. Some would probably say what I’m planning to do is ambitious (to try and achieve so much all at once) but I have high hopes.
Give up booze completely
Everybody that knows me will be aware of the fact that I have a chronic anxiety issue. I’ve been fighting it for my entire adult life and it’s only growing worse with age. My stress-levels go through the roof when I’m hungover and it can often feel unbearable. Not to mention, when I drink I rinse heaps of money, only to forget the night anyway.
I’m not one of those people that can drink responsibly, so the best thing for me, is to go cold turkey. Over the past couple of years I’ve gone through stages of giving up alcohol for 3 – 6 months, and I always feel so much better for it (even if I do get FOMO!). That’s why, this is the first thing I’ll be committing to for my detox.
Remember to drink more water
When I quit my job 12 months ago I started to notice that I was drinking far less water. Working in an office meant I always had a glass of water in front of me, but now I’m all over the place I often forget! Over the next 8 weeks I’m going to make more effort than usual to ensure that I drink enough water each day. My theory is that I will create good habits and subsequently continue doing it without thinking when the detox is up.
Cut 100% of sugar from my diet
We’re a national addicted to something that is ridiculously detrimental to our wellbeing – sugar. Don’t believe me? Read this article on 76 ways sugar can pose a significant threat to your health, and you’ll agree with me.
It’s not going to be easy but I plan to remove sugar from my diet completely for 8 weeks on the Sarah Wilson ‘I Quit Sugar’ program. This will also satisfy my goal to learn how to be a better cook and generally become healthier.
I don’t want to say goodbye to my sugary tea, but I know it’s the right thing to do. I’ll break my sugar addiction and then continue to live a healthy lifestyle with minimal sugar (although I will begin re-introducing ingredients, such as fruit that contain natural sugars, back into my diet).
Dedicate time to daily meditation
This is something that I attempt to squeeze into my day but usually it gets pushed aside when I’m busy; having a chaotic schedule is no excuse for neglecting your mental health though. If you haven’t tried meditation, I highly suggest that you give it a go. I feel like I completely reset myself and have a sense of calm, as well as a clear head.
Reduce the amount of meat I eat
Slaughtering animals and significantly increasing global warming, all because we enjoy the way meat tastes, seems so ridiculously selfish. We don’t need meat to survive but most of us eat it every single day. Shamefully, I realised that I have meat in pretty much every meal I eat. I decided this needed to stop for multiple reasons, but going full veggie was a big step, so instead I’m going to begin my change gradually.
I’ll be taking part in ‘Meatless Monday’. Meatless Monday is global movement with a simple message: once a week, cut the meat. I decided to do this after seeing some of their campaigns that promote shocking facts, such as “For every burger skipped, you can save enough energy to charge your iPhone for 4.5 years” and “”If the world ate 15% less meat, it would be like taking 240 million cars off the road each year”. Every little helps, right?
Exercise on a regular basis
Regular exercise is the best thing you can do for your anxiety and energy levels, yet getting fit isn’t one of my main prioritise, despite moaning those are the two things I’m struggling with. It can be difficult to find the time and the motivation, but even a 30 minute run in the morning would be better than nothing. Who knows, maybe I’ll have some extra time on my hands now that I’m not drinking and spending the majority of the day in bed.
Wish me luck, I’m going to really need it 🍀