You know when you’ve had one of those weekends of pure indulgence? A late, laaaaate Friday night, followed by a 2 PM brunch mostly made up of bacon and butter, followed by a cocktail happy hour that turns into a, you know, all night thing (3 AM karaoke, anyone?), followed by Chinese takeout and a popcorn Sunday dinner. Familiar, no? Or what about when you’re sitting at a desk on that inevitable Wednesday morning and you realize that the last time you broke a sweat was while eating exceptionally spicy wings two weeks ago?
It’s moments like these that doing something easy and quick that’s nourishing, healthy, or in some way good for you, can help you feel like you’re making positive choices (and stop the associated impending wave of guilt). Herein, the quick fixes we love that make us feel that much better about the past weekend’s sins and/or the lack of green/organic/unprocessed food in our lives.
1.
Get Your Greens
8 Greens is a genius supplement that’s seemingly future food, as in one small tablet (you put it in a glass of water and it dissolves in the same way Alka-Seltzer does) contains more vitamin C, B6, B3 and zinc that you can get out of any average salad. The ingredients are simple (spinach, wheatgrass, kale, blue green algae, barley grass, chlorella, spirulina and aloe vera) and dehydrated so that they maintain all their nutrients. And there isn’t any added sugar, unlike your favorite green juice. Stock up and store in your desk drawer.
2.
Take a Walk
It’s sounds simple (it is, we guess), but we promise it’s the best thing you can do to clear your head and get your blood flowing when you’ve been sitting and staring at a screen for too long. Even just standing up for only a minute or two (ridiculously simple) makes a difference—doctor’s suggest standing every 20 minutes or so if you’re otherwise sitting at a desk all day. ‘Cause we can’t all have treadmill desks.
3.
De-Stress at Your Desk
Take a moment, guys. Just do it.
4.
Hydrate
Water! Drink it! So easy, right? At TC HQ we made a pact to drink 100 ounces a day (yeah, we’re cool like that, making pacts and shit), and we each have 34 ounce glass bottles so that we can keep track (that’s approximately three refills a day). And while the math is complicated, just drinking all that water means goodbye to headaches, caffeine cravings and that 3 PM slump. Cheers, friends.
5.
Stock Your Pantry
Keep apple cider vinegar, oil of oregano, raw garlic (dip a piece in honey and chow down), turmeric, lemon and ginger on hand at all times and you’ll have exactly what you need for when you start to feel a bit run down. Our favorite cure all? A teaspoon of turmeric, lemon and ginger in hot water for swift liquid kick.
6.
Tune Out
We’re as addicted to our phones as you are, and this is a struggle, but leaving your phone outside your bedroom (it sounds impossibly difficult, but just go with us) can settle your mind and help you to fall asleep faster. Computer and phone screens are lit to mimic the sun—which is great during the day, but probably not something you should be staring at at 11 PM on a Tuesday when you’re trying to sleep. If you must Netflix in bed, however (we feel you), download f.lux, which will change your computer screen to reflect the light of the room you’re in (don’t worry, it’s totally unnoticeable after one minute and won’t at all alter that episode of Scandal you're watching) and help you to fall asleep faster.
7.
Sanitize
Has anyone else’s office/apartment/local café erupted into a symphony of coughs, nose-blowing and sniffling as of late? Either way, cold and flu season is upon us. Do something to save yourself (on top of doctor recommended measures) and carry around a hand sanitizer or wipes. Our favorites are Honest’s Hand Sanitizing Sprays and Dr. Bonner Lavender Organic Hand Santizer—the sprays leave none of that sticky residue.