The Vida Well's 4 Day Reset

The Vida Well's 4 Day Reset

DAY 1: INTERMITTENT FASTING

Terrified of fasting? Don't be! Intermittent fasting is a valuable tool that allows you to give your body a rest, a much-needed one after all the holiday treats.

The concept behind intermittent fasting is a cycle with periods of eating and fasting, and there are countless scientific research studies that prove its powerful benefits. Doing an intermittent fast causes your body to change hormone levels, making stored body fat more accessible instead of burning glucose (sugars).

What is the best way to fast?

To reap all the rewards of this practice, you should allow a minimum of 16 hours between dinner and the next meal- I suggest doing this a couple times a week. Once your body gets adjusted to the routine, you will completely forget about those pesky cravings! I'll admit, I was a skeptic when I first did the research about how fasting could curb cravings, but I swear to you I am a believer now.

When you don't eat for a while, so many good things start to happen in your body:

  • Reduces Insulin resistance
  • Lowers blood sugar levels
  • Increases metabolism
  • Reduces belly fat
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Improves blood pressure, total and LDL cholesterol, and blood triglycerides
  • Increases waste removal from cells
  • Increases cognitive function
  • Reduces brain fog
  • Helps prevent against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's
  • Detoxification

DAY 2: DETOX THE BODY

Most cleanses and detox programs leave you feeling starved, but because this is an authentic reset aimed to rebalance and rejuvenate your body, I am going to share my favorite detoxing tricks that don't involve going hungry for days on end.

What are toxins?

You see the word “detox” everywhere, but what does that really mean? The goal of detoxification is to eliminate all the negative effects on the body from things that cause inflammation. I am talking everything from food, stress, lifestyle, the environment, industrial chemicals, pesticides, additives, secondary smoke, pollutants, and heavy metals. With all the toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis, you need to reset and do some internal detoxing to keep your systems in good condition. Although we wish our body would do this on its own, it doesn't. Hence why it's absolutely vital that you take control of your health by taking action and you committing to this reset is a huge step in the right direction.

Now, let’s help our organs do their jobs by flushing unwanted toxins from our bodies. Your body will thank you!

Signs you need to reset & detox your body:

  • Belly fat
  • Skin Problems
  • Food cravings
  • Low energy
  • Bad breath
  • Mood swings
  • Poor sleep
  • Nausea
  • Constipation
  • Bloating
  • Gas
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Aches and pains

How to get your detox on:

  • Sleep - Try a dark room with no electronics, take 1 TBSP Magnesium Calm powder and cool down your room when you go to sleep.
  • Get properly hydrated - Read Day 3's post to find out more!
  • Poop - Everybody asks me: what is normal?  Just like everyone's body is different, everyone poops different!
  • Eat fat - Don't be scared of healthy fats, you need to consume a lot of the "good guys," like avocado, coconut oil, nuts and grass-fed beef.  This will help you feel satisfied and make the reset so much easier!
  • Get Moving - Exercise will stimulate your adrenal and lymphatic systems, both necessary to get the maximum benefits of detoxification.
  • Infrared Sauna- find an amigo who has one, or  a local gym, google it in your area, its worth it- sweat it out!
  • Activated Charcoal- binds to toxins and draws them out of your body
  • Chlorophyl- green things contain oxygen,  which binds to the bad guys including toxic metals. (great for hangovers too)
  • Get outside- Have you heard of grounding? Google it :)

DAY 3: HELLO HYDRATION

Are you dehydrated? 

Hydration helps with so many of our essential bodily processes such as circulation, absorption of vitamins and minerals, digestion, elimination, regulation of body temperature, creation of saliva and brain communication with the rest of our body! Remember our bodies are made up of 73% water, even if we eat the best foods, exercise and do everything right, if we are not properly hydrated, we cannot expect our health to flourish!

Torie's Tips for Hydration: 

  • Drink water slowly all day instead of chugging it down
  • Avoid plastic water bottles
  • Drink at least half your body weight in ounces
  • Don't drink before a meal, let your body make its digestive juices to help break down your food

DAY 4: SEE YA SUGAR

The truth is that sugar is highly addictive, and many studies show that it might even be as addictive as cocaine and other drugs. Sugar addiction is a biological disorder, driven by hormones and neurotransmitters that fuel sugar and carb cravings. It’s why nearly 70 percent of Americans and 40 percent of kids are overweight.

Signs that your blood sugar may be out of balance:

  • Cravings for sweets, sugar, or bread products. (This is almost a guaranteed sign that your blood sugar is out of balance)
  • Fatigue after eating a meal, or “food-coma”
  • Feelings of being lightheaded if meals are missed
  • Eating sweets does not relieve the cravings for sweets
  • Depend on coffee to keep yourself going or started
  • Difficulty losing weight

Sugar wreaks havoc on your body no matter what you call it!

Here are some of the names for sugar you should keep an eye out for:

  • Agave nectar
  • Black strap molasses
  • Brown rice syrup
  • Brown sugar
  • Cane sugar
  • Caramel
  • Corn syrup
  • Dehydrated cane juice
  • Dextrose
  • Evaportated cane juice
  • Fruit juice concentrate
  • Glucose
  • High-fructose corn syrup
  • Honey
  • Maltodextrin
  • Simple syrup
  • Sucrose
  • Turbinado

Artificial (stay away!)

  • Acesulfame potassium
  • Aspartame (Equal/NutraSweet)
  • Neotame
  • Saccarin (SugarTwin, Sweet’N Low)
  • Sucralose (Splenda)

What you can do to balance your blood sugar:

  • Eat more protein
  • Digest more protein (check stomach acid levels to make sure you are digesting properly)
  • Eliminate simple carbohydrates and sugar
  • Eat more complex carbohydrates
  • Eat more good fats and essential fatty acids
  • Eat more fiber

It only takes 10 days — or less, to detox from sugar, to break the addictive cycle of carb and sugar cravings that robs us of our health. Seeing as though today is Day 4 of the reset, you are well on your way to breaking your sugar addiction -stick with it!

Here is what you can see in your body when you say "see ya" to sugar:

  • Increased energy, fewer slumps and less fatigue
  • Clearer skin
  • Kill candida
  • Fat loss
  • Less bloating
  • Less craving for sugar / specific foods
  • Increased sense of taste (healthy food starts tasting better)
  • More consistent energy
  • Less dry skin and dandruff
  • Less mucus and sinus issues
  • Elevated mood/less depression
  • Lower cholesterol
  • Better sleep

And that's a wrap on The Vida Well's 4-Day Reset! I am so proud of you for taking this time for yourself, your health and your vida. I am confident you're already feeling the benefits from the last 4 days and hope that you take some of these practices into your new nutrition routine for 2017! 

About the author:

Torie Borrelli is an Integrative Holistic Nutritionist (NC), natural chef, and the founder of The Vida Wella wellness brand rooted in holistic nutrition and wholesome living.

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