Hey Wellness Warriors!

T minus 5 days. Woo hoo!!

Self-care (including cleansing and detoxing) extends beyond the food in our fridges. A crazy sexy life includes reflection, booty shake, natural beauty products, rest, and relaxation. But we knew that, right? And yet it's so easy to over-commit or mismanage our time. Like most multi-tasking gals, we've probably broken many promises to ourselves. Here are a few minimal time commitment routines that we can include during the cleanse that should be pretty easy to keep.

Routines Include:

1) SHAKE THE BOOTY
2) SEXY SKIN & DRY BRUSHING
3) SINUS HAPPINESS
4) BATHING
5) MEDITATION
6) SLEEPING WELL


SHAKE THE BOOTY: The goal is a minimum of 35 min daily for at least 5 days/wk. Each day, I'll post a group challenge for the next day. You can include it as part of your 35 min, or even better, add it to your normal routine of exercise.

SEXY SKIN: Now that we're sweating out the toxins, let's make sure we don't lather them back on. Where we can, let's choose natural products with ingredients directly from mother nature. Shea butter, vitamin E oils, natural deodorants, fragrance free anything are all great places to start.

DRY BRUSHING: Daily dry brushing is a great way to keep our skin clear of debris. Dry brushing loosens dead cells, stimulates acupressure points, tickles our chi,moves the lymph, wakes up our immune system, improves circulation, prevents ingrown hairs, and makes our skin soft and velvety. It also reduces the appearance of cellulite. And we all love that. We dump about a pound of waste from our skin on a daily basis. When the skin is clogged, those toxins reabsorb instead of being eliminated. It's normal to experience breakouts and dry patches during a detox. Our bodies will be using the opp to release built-up toxins. Better out than in. It will pass, especially if we commit to helpful practices like dry skin brushing.

HOW TO DO IT: Look for a natural-bristle brush at any health food store or online. You could also use an inexpensive loofah glove. Start with your feet and work your way up your body, using long upward strokes moving toward your heart. Throw in some circular motions (especially on your upper thighs and bum). Pay special attention to the dimply areas. Do this before a shower or bath in the morning. Remember to be kind, especially around sensitive areas. Don't forget the face! Just be sure to use a separate loofah designed just for the face.

SINUS HAPPINESS: A neti pot, used for thousands of years by yogis and other smartypants, is a simple way to naturally and gently irrigate the sinuses with lukewarm salt water. It's a natural way to minimize environmental allergies and breathing problems while we cleanse. Though it may seem like you're gonna drown the first time you use a neti pot, it's actually very easy. There are a slew of videos on you tube that show you how. Once you use the neti pot on a daily basis (in the mornings right after you brush the teeth), the gentle stream of salt water runs through your nasal passage, washing away environmental chemicals, pollen, mucus, dust, viruses, and bacteria - all the stuff your nose filters though the day. I just bought one off of eBay for 5 bucks. As an asthma and allergy sufferer, I have to admit I already feel a difference after a few days. It's not required, but I definitely would recommend it.

BATHING: Also suggested while on the cleanse is to use saunas and steam baths. They are both excellent forms of detox. The dry heat of a sauna stimulates oil-based organs, such as the liver and gallbladder. Infrared saunas are even better because the heat penetrates the tissues at a much deeper and, therefore, more cleansing level. Steam heat, which is moist, stimulates and strengthens water-based organs such as the kidneys, bladder, and lungs. If you don't have access to either of these, you can also run the shower really hot, take a book in, have a seat on the loo and reap the benefits of glowy dewy skin.

MEDITATION: Mediation is a prerequisite for Crazy Sexy success. When the mind is strong and centered, cravings and emotional discomfort won't have the same sabotaging effect. Therefore it stands to reason that a a positive way to start our day looks something like this: pee, brush the teeth, use ou neti pots, and then sit our butts in a quiet place on a soft something for at least 5 minutes. No coffee, no news, no distractions... Nope. Our minds are the most open first thing in the morning. How we start our day sets us up for success or failure. As it's quoted in the book, "Do not be mystified about why you are depressed by noon when you start your day with the angst and despair in the world, especially if you add caffeine." If you can, start (and end) your day with five minutes, graduate to ten, work up to twenty, and so on. Or if you're a super busy bee, then stick to 5. The goal is to fit it in somewhere. Even better than just meditation, try to fit in a yoga session if you can. Whether a video or a gym class, it's an awesome way to get a bit of mediation while also moving and strengthening the body. Overall, meditation quiets the din and introduces you to yourself. An oft rare opportunity we seize to take.

SLEEPING BEAUTY: Try to get those Zzzz's in. Each individual body has different needs. So give your body what it asks for. Whatever the amount of time, make it a sleeping sanctuary. Remove excess lights and noise. Add a sound machine or a humidifier if you need it. And try to have your last meal at least 3 hours before you hit the sack. Our bodies use sleep time to make repairs. if we feed it too close to bed time, it's distracted from repairing since it needs to work on digestion. Also refrain from stimulants (caffeine, alcohol, and strenous exercise) for a few hours before bedtime.

With these techniques added to our food cleanse, we should be dewy and glowing Wellness Warriors in no time!