Post Labor Day Weekend Detox Remedies:

Dear Margaret,

I hope you had so much fun at Kim's Bachelorette Party in Georgia.. we had a blast at Elena's in San Antonio! With all the Mexican food, drinking, salty drinks and foods in general, lack of exercise (minus dancing:), travel, dehydration, etc. that comes along with Bach parties, I thought I would share with you my weekly kick start plan to get back on track and de-bloat! I look like a swollen little troll after this long weekend:) Here is what I recommend that will have us feeling better by this weekend:

Drink This: 
Annemarie Colbin, a holistic nutritionist mentioned in "Eat, Drink, and Be Gorgeous" by Esther Blum, swears by this "Lemon Sour Power" drink to cleanse the body of toxins and waste and relieve bloating and gas:
-Juice half of an organic lemon, reserving juice in cup. Slice the rind from the juiced half in quarters and simmer in 1 1/4 cups of boiling water covered, for 10 minutes. Strain the water into the cup with the juice. If juice is too tart, add 1/2 teaspoon honey. Drink hot. (I add honey.. so much tastier:)
*also drink green tea and detox tea as often as possible when you aren't able to make the hot lemon water.. to flush out toxins and get antioxidants.

Eat This:
Parsley is a natural diuretic and truly reduces bloat (It also freshens breath). Here's a Mediterranean Tabouli Salad recipe I found in "Hollywood Diet Secrets" by Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman, so you don't have to eat it plain:
-Salad:
6 bunches of parsley
1 cup of chopped cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
-Dressing:
1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
-in food processor, chip the parsley using the S blade. Transfer the parsley into a large mixing bowl, and add the tomatoes, hemp seeds, and onion. Mix the ingredients together thoroughly with a spatula or wooden spoon. Mix dressing ingredients in a bowl or food processor.
*Other bloat-reducing foods you should eat: asparagus, dandelion greens, celery, watermelon, watercress, cucumber, and lemon juice.

Take This:
After much traveling and partying etc., I start to feel very run down. I always keep Emergen-C packs in my purse for a quick pick-me-up, to protect my immune system, and to add back vitamins and antioxidants I probably depleted by boozing:) I highly recommend adding these to your routine after a rough weekend or if you start to feel like you are getting sick.

Do This:
-Exercise!:
 Duh. Sweat out those toxins and get your circulation flowing normally again:).. I'm especially fond of cardio in these circumstances.
-Exfoliate:
Slough off dead skin cells and refresh your skin (face and body).. alcohol is drying/dehydrating, so rejuvenate your skin and start fresh. A quick fix is adding sugar to your face wash!
-Moisturize:
Airplanes, travel in general, alcohol consumption, and excess salt can all dry out your skin. I use Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream (which literally feels like medicinal Vaseline, it's so thick and waxy) at night time to bring my face back to life. Warning-it doesn't smell great and is super thick.. I heard it was made to treat burn victims during Vietnam...with that said, it really hydrates! It's also great for lips, cuticles, etc.

*Bonus- If you have the luxury of having a Whole Foods, a fresh juice store in your town, a juicer in your home, etc.. try to drink at least one fresh pressed green juice a day to replenish lost nutrients and make you feel better all around! I personally love this combo: kale, spinach, parsley, cucumber, celery, romaine, apple, lemon, ginger! 

xoxo,
Kara