It's the day after Halloween and our bodies have been invaded by sugar. Our adrenals are shot, we're tired and for sure our immune system has been compromised. As written in one of our previous blog posts, only 1 tsp of sugar can suppress up to 75% of our immune system, so for sure it's not a 100% dayit's the perfect cold/flu storm. But, we have to stay healthy and well and in fact, it's not complicated at all. Here are three simple tips for combatting the Halloween Hangover.
1. Get 7-9 Hours of Sleep Each Night- Sleep affects everything, especially your immune system. If we are getting enough sleep not only do we start each day behind the 8-ball, but our bodies don't have time to recover. We get it! It's takes a real effort to get enough sleep, which might mean saying "no" to some thing, but it's paramount to staying well. See the benefits of sleep and what happens when we don't get enough sleep HERE.
2. Stay Hydrated- Like sleep, if we aren't drinking at least 1/2 our body weight in ounces of water each day (or our cleansing cranberry water- see recipe HERE), our whole body, including our immune system, metabolism, digestive system, energy and skin are all negatively affected. Proper hydration flushes and cleanse our body of toxins, including sugar, and helps us fight infections. Drink, drink and drink water--and it's totally normal to need to go to the restroom more than normal. This is all part of the cleansing/flushing process, which is good. See benefits of proper hydration HERE.
3. Drink a Green Juice, a.k.a Liquid Nourishment- Not that juicing or purchasing a fresh juice is ever a bad idea, but because of the extra refined sugar, changing weather conditions, and bugs being tossed around, chugging a glass of liquid nourishment everyday will certainly boost your immune system and help detox the body.
If you have a juicer, we have a delicious, cleansing and detoxifying juice that could even boost your exercise performance. If you don't have a juicer, we encourage you to stop at your local juice shop everyday, or be sure to eat loads of fruits and veggies. We know a juice habit can be expensive, but is there a better investment than your health? Plus, it beats the heck out of being sick (ugh-that's the worst!) or the inconvenience and added expense of going to the doctor.
Ingredients
4 Large Carrots
1 Large Beet
1 Green Apple
5 Kale Leaves
1 knob of ginger
1 lemon
Put all in juicer and enjoy!
Benefits
Beets and lemon have a reputation for cleansing, but recent studies suggest that nitrate-rich beet juice may also improve cardiovascular health and exercise performance, while also significantly reducing blood pressure. Paired with the beta-carotene and vitamins A, B and E in carrots this naturally sweet juice looks as vibrant as it makes you feel.