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By Olivia Janisch

Tips for the ultimate beach body and mind.

1. Drink one meal a day

Juice cleanses are great, but unless you have a very strict diet in the first place, their benefits are limited as typically we swing back to our old ways of eating once they’re over. As opposed to doing something extreme every few months, I suggest swapping out one meal a day for a juice or smoothie.

Because they’re in liquid form, juices and smoothies are easily digested by the body and nutrients are absorbed quickly and efficiently. They improve your organ functioning, rejuvenate your skin, activate your metabolism, and provide you with energy without leaving anything that would linger as extra weight. It also reduces your consumption of processed sugars and carbohydrates by one meal a day.

Digestion starts in the mouth, so chew your juice or smoothie and swish it around before you swallow. This will activate the digestive enzymes in your stomach and will help you feel more full from it.

2. Detox

Toxins come from everywhere including our water, the air, processed foods, and our environment. They interfere with our body’s ability to work at optimal levels, and actually cause us to put on weight.

As a defense mechanism, when toxins enter our systems the body creates a fat cell around them to protect our organs from the toxin. So, if your system is very toxic and you’ve got some belly fat, it’s actually safer for you because your organs are being protected. Kudos to the intelligence of our bodies, but not so much for the appearance of our waistline.

This is why when looking to cleanse and lose weight, eliminating toxins is one of the smartest things we can do for ourselves. While we can’t always control environmental toxins, we can definitely control what we put in and on our bodies.

This means:

-       Eating organic

-       Eliminating processed and artificial sugars (your body literally sees them as an enemy)

-       Eliminating processed grains and carbohydrates

-       Drinking clean, pure water

-       Using natural skin care and cleaning products

3. Alkalize

An alkaline system is a body free from illness and disease. Inflammation of all sorts is the number one cause of a weak immune system, weight gain, and discomforts like headaches, indigestion, and lack of energy. Inflammation is fueled by acidity, and acidity is the opposite of an alkaline system.

Try these simple ways to get more alkaline:

-       Drink hot water with lemon in the mornings

-       Eat greens like cucumber, celery and kale to improve digestion

-       Eat healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil and avocados

-       Eat slowly, don’t drink lots of liquid with your meals

-       Reduce consumption of red meat

-       Reduce consumption of dairy (goats cheese is a more alkaline option)

-       Practice yoga, deep breathing, and proactive stress management

Photo by Vee-O

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