Some of you may be confused by the title of this post and you may be thinking: I understand the notion of decluttering my mind but what do you mean by decluttering my physical body?
Sometimes, its hard to stretch our minds to think about or consider our bodies being cluttered, but unfortunately they often are and we may not even be aware of this. Lets discuss a few different ways our bodies can hold on to clutter, and what we can do to get rid of this internal congestion.
Digestive Clutter
Digestively, sometimes things are not moving the way we would like and this can result in our bodies feeling ‘congested.’ Nobody really likes to discuss or think about being constipated but in my travels through life so far, many people do suffer from constipation, whether it be more chronic or just a ‘once and awhile’ problem. If this is something that you can relate to in some way, you may appreciate the notion of freeing the body from this state. How, you may be asking, do we rid the body of digestive clutter? Here are a few tips in this department…
Move your Body! You may be surprised (or not) to hear that simply moving your body can really help alleviate body congestion or constipation. Walking, yoga, or whatever way you like to move can also get other things moving (if you know what I mean).
Fibre Fibre Fibre! This does not mean you need to eat 3 bowls of raisin bran, but adding some fibre into your diet can go a long way to decluttering. Fruits and vegetables hold a lot of fibre, as does ‘bran’ anything! Smoothies are a great way to sneak in a lot of fibre as you can add in fruit, veggies, chia seeds, wheat germ and more into one powerful drink. Some people enjoy the green variety of juices which can also be a great decluttering tool.
Water!! Many of us are walking around in a low key mode of dehydration and we don’t even know it. We need to bring 8-10 glasses of water a day to keep our bodies hydrated, and hydration is key to avoid constipation and keep our bodies regular. Think of drinking water as giving your insides a much needed shower, cleaning you from the inside out. Pro Tip? Have a glass of water first thing in the morning before you even have a coffee, and just think about that glass being a morning shower for the inside of your body instead of the outside.
To bloat or not to bloat
Although somewhat related to digestion, bloating is a whole other problem that many people are afflicted with chronically or from time to time. If bloating is something you deal with, it is important to figure out what causes this bloat in your body and then limiting the foods and drinks that are the culprits. Carbonated drinks can cause bloating in most of us, so its important to limit them especially if you feel the bloat. This also includes drinks like champagne and prosecco - yes I know, I enjoy these too, but have learned that limiting these drinks can really help de-bloat the body. Eating slow is a great way to limit and even prevent bloating as when we eat fast, air often gets trapped in the body which can cause the unpleasant bloating and gas issues, so remember to eat slow and take your time at meals.
The problem of too much!
Last but not least, portion control is super important and remember: not eating until you are about to explode is probably a good practice! Leaving the table feeling so full that you cannot move is a sure fire path to bloating and other issues in the body, so remember to always leave the table a little bit hungry. Smaller meals have become more popular as well, and not feeling like we need to eat a heaping plate of food is a step in the right direction!
Declutter and take care of your body and I promise it will take care of you!!