Every January, everyone’s doing detoxes as in weird teas and spinach smoothies, swearing off entire food groups and acting like celery juice is a personality trait.
New year, new me. Except it’s the exact same as last year and the year before that.
January Panic
December happens. We eat. We celebrate. We drink. We enjoy Christmas. As we should! But then January hits and panic sets in. And so the juice cleanses, 1200 calorie lifestyle plans, workouts that feel like punishment, and of course shame disguised as motivation ensue. All of a sudden, fitness isn’t about health. It’s about guilt.
You don’t need to atone for your sins ok? You don’t need punishment and you didn’t ruin your body because of a few slices of cakes and plate of cookies. Take a deep breath and relax.
You Don’t Need To Detox
Your liver is already detoxing. Your kidneys are detoxing. Your body is literally built for detoxing and does so every single day, without fail. The truth is detoxes aren’t about health at all. They’re about starving yourself and the guilt you feel about having some extra calories at Christmas time. They can also be about undoing months of laziness and inconsistency in seven days.
Detox Is A Diet
Let’s be real. Detox culture is diet culture with a fancier name. Instead of saying “lose weight fast” we say “reset your body”.
Instead of saying “starve yourself skinny” we say “give your digestion a rest”.
Instead of “punish yourself for December” we say “start clean for the new year”
Same energy, different marketing. It still leads to panic, restriction and bingeing. It gives you a fear of food and an obsession with “clean eating”. That’s not wellness, it’s anxiety.
What You Need Is Discipline
You don’t need a cleanse, you need discipline. What you need is: protein, carbs, strength training, food, water , sleep and patience! I know, that sounds boring but boring is where real change happens.
Just Take Care Of Your Body
You don’t need to shrink yourself. You don’t need to punish yourself to make up for anything. You don’t need a January reset. What you need is respect for your body and that looks like giving it food, moving it and resting it. You don’t need to force it into extremes or panic every time the calendar changes.
You Don’t Need Fixing
You aren’t broken and you don’t need fixing. You just need a routine. You don’t need to detox your body but maybe detoxing your mind would help? Focus on detoxing the all or nothing, the panic, the obsession with quick fixes and the belief that you need to suffer to be worthy. Take care of your body because you love it, not because you’re mad at it.
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