Swimsuit season is approaching, and it’s the season that we would like to look our best and feel summer ready. Over the winter period we have a tendency to indulge in comfort foods, heavier meals and spend less time outdoors being active. This combination can lead to weight gain and leave us feeling sluggish and heavy.
Now is the perfect time to focus on your health and wellbeing and get into great shape. The best way to shed the extra winter weight is to create good eating and lifestyle practices. Summer is the time to enjoy healthy, light and fresh foods and increase the amount of exercise and outdoor activities. Once you have established a great diet and lifestyle and addressed the underlying cause of your winter weight gain, herbal teas can assist you on your journey to get beach ready. Herbs have been traditionally used to help stimulate the metabolism, reduce fluid retention and detox the body.
Here are my top diuretic and detoxifying herbs that can be enjoyed in tea form or added to your cooking to help detox the body, combat fluid retention and get you summer ready:
Turmeric root:
Turmeric is a bright herb that is popular in Indian cooking and has been widely used in Ayurvedic medicine. It is traditionally used for its anti-inflammatory and liver protective properties. Enjoy turmeric on daily basis to aid the natural detoxification process of the body. Turmeric can be added to your smoothies, breakfast, salad dressing or enjoyed as a hot beverage.
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Nettle leaf:
Nettle is traditionally used as a depurative herb, which is a herb that has cleansing and purifying effects. It may help improve detoxification and elimination from the body, assisting with fluid retention and removing extra waste from the body. It is a very nutritious and astringent herb that can be enjoyed in tea form, as well as eaten.
Dandelion leaf:
Dandelion leaf is one of my go to herbs to reduce fluid retention in the body. Dandelion leaf has been traditionally used as a diuretic and to support the urinary system and kidney health. If you have overindulged over the winter period and are feeling heavy, sip on dandelion tea to flush the body of excess fluid.
Dandelion root:
Dandelion root, (which comes from the same plant as Dandelion leaf) has been traditionally used as a liver and digestive tonic. If you are feeling sluggish and slow, enjoying a daily cup of dandelion root tea, or also known as Dandelion coffee, can help support your detoxification and digestive processes. Dandelion also makes a fantastic coffee alternative due to its rich aroma and dark brew.
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St Mary’s Thistle seed:
Heal and protect the liver with St Mary’s Thistle. St Mary’s Thistle, also commonly referred to as ‘milk thistle’ is a popular herb traditionally used to protect the liver from damage, improve liver function and support digestion. The active constituent in St Mary’s Thistle is silymarin, which has been studied for its antioxidant and liver protective properties. Enjoy St Mary’s Thistle in tea form to promote a healthy liver.
Green Tea:
Green tea is traditionally used for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapeutics. It is also thought to stimulate the metabolism and assist with weight loss through its active constituents polyphenol catechins and caffeine. Enjoy a cup of green tea to add an antioxidant hit to your morning, stimulate the metabolism and boost your energy levels. (Be careful not to drink green tea, late in the day, as its caffeine content may keep you awake at night).
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