The French Way to Detox

How To Detox The French Way?

 

French women don't so much detox as they live a healthy life where it is all about prevention. As we say in French 'Prévenir vaut mieux que guerir' which roughly translate to prevention is better than cure ( also less invasive and costly in most cases).

So what do French women do for a healthy or healthier lifestyle? Here are some of the things The French Pharmacy team do.

"Prévenir vaut mieux que guérir"

Body Brushing.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage is the no1 slimming massage in France and for good reasons; it stimulates the body lymphatic system which in turn helps eliminate toxins and increases blood circulation. French women will get those massages at least once a week when trying to slim down but they should only be done by a trained professional or you might end up all bruised up (you can find some trained pro here). The next best thing which can be and should be done daily is body brushing or dry skin brushing. Best before showering, you use a large brush to brush your skin from head to toe with upwards movements on dry skin, always towards the heart. it increases the circulation to the skin which could possibly reduce the appearance of cellulite, it helps shed dead skin cells resulting in more glowy skin and improves blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. 

Drink the right kind of fluids.

 The advice you hear all the time is to drink lots and lots of water which of course you must do to stay hydrated and fully functioning. But what you can also do is maximise your hydration by drinking fluids that will help your body staying healthy.

 Supplementing your water intake by drinking tisanes (french for herbal teas) and lots of them will work wonder for your skin and your body. Caudalie does an amazing tisane bio with cinnamon, Red vine and blueberry which helps with water retention and bloating. French women have the habit of drinking a tisane mid-afternoon and before bed. 

 

pic @myrtille_revemont

 

Treat yourself from inside out.

You are what you eat as they say and it is true enough. You don't have to starve yourself or 'eating liquids" forever to get in shape. Consistency is key and will be way less harmful than going for the quick fix. Think small portions and lots of colours. One of the staples of french meal is crudités which are sliced raw vegetables usually served with french vinaigrette and it is a delicious way to get your veggies in. An assiette of crudités is usually made up of grated carrots, sliced beetroots, sliced cucumber, tomatoes, grated celeriac. You can find how to make one here.

pic Esther Schmitt

 

Another good habit is to supplement your vitamin and nutrients intake by taking ones that actually work and always remembering the keyword 'supplement'. No vitamins or supplements will work on its own. You must put in place at least a few good habits then boost those with carefully chosen supplements. So you are basically not just 'detoxing' for a short period of time whenever you feel bad about yourself but making good life choices and then maximising those efforts. 

Oenobiol is the best selling supplements brand in France for everything from tanning to slimming. Their latest innovation is Le Boost Minceur which contains Wakamé, a brown algae scientifically proven to improve blood lipid and decrease insulin resistance thanks to its high content of Fucoxanthin. 

 

 

Buy Le Boost Minceur here

 

 To detox the French way: remember to assist your body lymphatic system with body brushing, don't just drink more, drink efficiently, eat your vitamins with small portions but do eat everything, supplement the right way. Et voilà.