This post is sponsored by adidas, however all opinions, comments and enthusiasm remain my own!

Spring Break has come and gone for most of us, sigh. Whether you were celebrating with no responsibilities on a beach somewhere fabulous or partying down with the kiddos at an amusement park, chances are you probably overindulged on food and drink and short-changed yourself on sleep among countless other possible indiscretions (!) Now worries though, life is about balance and it’s easy to get back on track with your health and fitness goals with my holistic “Jump on Summer” Spring Break Detox.

When most people hear the phrase “detox” in a health and fitness connotation, they immediately think strictly a DIET detox, maybe to the extreme like fasting or just drinking juices. But, I’m not really a fan of such food-restrictive detoxing – while my “Jump on Summer” Spring Break Detox incorporates getting back into a clean-eating routine (but not starvation mode), it also attends to the other parts of our lives that may need a gentle (or hard) reset. In addition to eating nourishing foods, focusing on hydration, sleep, meditation, exercise and optimizing free time are all other areas where you can detox and get a fresh start for the remainder of spring and summer.

Loving the selection of shorts and tanks from adidas that take me from workouts to grilling outside this spring!

Diet: Get back on the clean-eating routine by ridding your house of any remaining remnants of salty, sugary, overly processed food and the same for drinks, including saying buh-bye to alcoholic drink.  Instead focus on a balance of healthy whole foods that include lots of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and limited heart-healthy fats, and moderate whole grains. If you are looking to lose weight, then adjust your calorie intake to be less than your energy expenditure – there are many smart watches and apps that can help you track for a calorie deficit.   If you are looking to primarily “de-bloat,” then no need to go into starvation mode (in my opinion), instead avoid foods that are know to cause bloating (like beans, lentils, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, onions, wheat, dairy products, carbonated drinks and the sugar alcohols used as sweeteners in many sugar-free/diet foods) and incorporate more “de-bloating” foods (like cayenne, ginger, fennel, bananas, lemons, watermelon, cucumber, dandelion greens, kiwi, matcha and even oatmeal).  Check out my recipe for Dandelion Greens Detox Smoothie

Hydration: Drinking enough water helps your body flush out waste through sweat and urination and helps with constipation.  Adequate water consumption also helps prevent fatigue, boosts mood, encourages better brain function and primes your body for peak performance. Figure out how much water you need to drink when exercising in warm water by performing a “sweat test.” To do this stand on the scale with a filled water bottle before a run or workout and then stand on the scale again with the same water bottle (minus any water you’ve consumed). Make a note of how much of a weight deficit you are at this weigh-in and adjust your water consumption accordingly (with the goal to be never let yourself lose more than 2% of your body weight in sweat during any workout to avoid dehydration, cramping and digestive issues). Also, drinking enough water helps to curb appetite, filling you up and reducing that urge to over eat at a meal or snack too much between meals. In addition to your 8+ glasses a day, try drinking a tall glass of water BEFORE a meal or snack! Learn more about hydration in my post, 50 Shades of Pee

Check out adidas for great shorts and other gear for spring and summer exercise.

Exercise: If you took the week off exercising for Spring Break, that might be a good thing — often our body’s need some good time off to recuperate and reset. Even mentally, taking time off can help you get back to a happy place you are feeling burned out and discouraged. But, now’s the time to get back into a regular routine that includes both cardio and strength training for the best results. Everyone has different needs, so I am not writing out any plans here – but instead suggesting that it’s time to jump back into the game! If you are starting off after a big break or are getting into fitness for the first time, remember to start slowly and gently and work your way up to prevent injury – power walking and body weight exercises are good for everyone!

So much of the running gear for women at adidas takes me straight into my yoga and mediation too!

Meditation: Meditating is an area that most of us could strengthen, taking a detox from our busy, go-go-go, distracting lives. Meditating daily is beneficial for stress reduction, energy levels, focus and opening up our minds to better creative and critical thinking. Try taking five minutes to meditate upon rising, in the evening, at lunch with the office door closed or any time when you can find some peace and quiet to focus inward. I like to add meditation onto the end of my yoga flow.

Sleep: You are not going to perform your best, if in a sleep deficit. “Detox” this deficit with strategies to improve sleep like cutting off media 2 hours before, taking a warm bath, keeping a cool, dark room, exercising earlier in the day so you have time to wind down. Also, there are many herbal teas and foods that can help with sleep. Check out my past post, Healthy Sweets for Sweet Sleep and get some yummy ideas that will help you nail that goal of getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.

Optimizing Free Time: Another area examine for a potential detox is your free time. Are you using your free time in a way that is positive to you, benefits your well-being and allows you to live your best life? Areas people struggle in are toxic relationships; addictions to food, alcohol, shopping, social media, and others; lack of goals, procrastination and complacency; and fear of trying new things. I urge you to examine your life (and I’m talking to myself, too) and choose a personal area that you’d like to “detox” – for example, I am limiting my social media time, spending more time with my dog (since her boy left for college) and have pledged to try one thing that’s scary to me per month.

 What are your thoughts on a holistic detox – any area you are focusing on more than another? Do you have any big goals or plans for the spring and summer? Please share in the comments, I’d love to hear about it – XOXO, Jennifer