No matter the workout of choice, it’s important to set your body up for success with a proper pre-exercise warm-up. Experts agree a warm-up should heat and loosen the body, and prepare the mind for action. But there’s also some moves to actually avoid.

Although most of your barre class is developed to be performed by focusing on a singular muscle group, your warm-up is different. Think of your warm-up as a dynamic approach of getting your joints moving one at a time, then all together, to take the body through progressive movements that loosen and stretch your muscles.

If you are habitually running late to class, perform a quick set of knee lifts with arm presses by your car or in the lobby, or give yourself a goal of 25 jumping jacks. It’s important to wake up and warm-up the joints before you really get moving.

Next up is immediately warming the midsection. Your core actually contracts first in every exercise you do in class. We like to say you’re working your core for 55 minutes in class, not just the final 10! All the energy you exert starts in your midsection, and is then transferred to your limbs, which is why the first exercises performed in our warm-ups are centered around your core.

Follow this up with dynamic stretching exercises that focus on stability and mobility, like push ups and planks. You want to focus on getting your body ‘practicing’ positions you may perform later at a more intense state. (For barre, translate this into proper posture and alignment in each warm-up exercise, so that you’ll be able to perform the same posture and alignment in other sections of class later.) The added focus on strengthening the core with these specific exercises performed in the warm-up first, allows you to perform the other moves in your workout later with more intensity and better attention to form, to get more out of them.

Dynamic stretching is also focused on continual movement to begin to  loosen the muscles, so you can improve your range of motion during your workout (See, you really can sink another inch lower in thighs!)

Lastly, focus on building up your heart rate throughout your warm-up. Getting your heart pumping warms up your muscles, and switches on your nervous system for peak output during class. Just make sure the warm-up doesn’t fatigue you, so listen to your own body’s cues and remember every day is different.

So what not to do? Reserve your static stretching for the cool down (holding a pose for 10 seconds or longer, without movement). This can actually hinder your performance and increase your risk for injury. Research shows static stretching will likely leave you less able to move quickly and on command come workout time, impairing your strength performance.

What’s your favorite dynamic warm-up move? Let us know here, or comment on our social media posts about this warm-up blog post, through your local Neighborhood Barre’s social media handles. You never know when your requested move may make the cut next warm-up!

Once of the most common questions we get asked is how often to attend class, as well as what else clients should potentially be doing in addition to their barre routine. Our studios offer a variety of moderate to vigorous activity level exercise classes to help you feel your best (we suggest 3 to 5 classes weekly). But what does the rest of your day look like outside of the studio?

12 hours is the amount of time the average person is sitting a day. The more hours you sit each day, the higher your risk of metabolic problems, even if you achieve the recommended amount of daily physical activity.

Low intensity, ‘non-exercise’ activities like standing and walking are much more important than you realize. In fact, low level activities play a crucial metabolic role and account for more of our daily energy expenditure than moderate-to-high intensity activities. From helping you lose weight and de-stress to lowering your blood pressure and reducing your risk of many chronic diseases—going for regular walks is one of the best and easiest things you can do for your health. Here’s the top benefits of why you should be walking to the studio from now on!

1. Improve Your Mood – We know how sometimes it takes a glass of wine or a square (or three) of dark chocolate to decompress from the day. Well, going for a walk is a zero-calorie strategy with the same benefits. Research shows that regularly walking actually modifies your nervous system so much that you’ll experience a decrease in anger and hostility. Walk with a friend (like your barre buddy!) for added interaction to help you feel connected, which boosts your mood. And summertime is the perfect time to start! Walking outdoors exposes you to natural sunlight, which can help stave off Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)—making it a potential antidote for your seasonal blues.

2. Boost Your Creativity – Feeling stuck at work? Troubleshooting a tricky relationship? Get the creative juices flowing by hitting the pavement! According to a 2014 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, Learning, Memory, and Cognition, going for a walk can spark creativity. Researchers administered creative-thinking tests to subjects while seated and while walking and found that the walkers thought more creatively than the sitters.

3. Looser Jeans – Not that you’re wearing them these days anyways (yoga pants are always acceptable for any occasion in our book). But regular walking can help improve your body’s response to insulin, which can help reduce belly fat. Daily walking increases metabolism by burning extra calories and by preventing muscle loss, which is particularly important as we get older.

4. You’ll Keep Your Legs Looking Great – We’re not talking about those curvy gams you’ve been carving out at barre, we’re talking about veins – varicose veins to be exact (eww, we know.) Walking strengthens the secondary circulatory system (a collection of muscles, veins, and valves in our calf and foot) by strengthening and preserving leg muscle, which boosts healthy blood flow.

5. You’ll Slash The Risk Of Chronic Disease –  The statistics are impressive. The American Diabetes Association says walking lowers your blood sugar levels and your overall risk for diabetes. Researchers at the University of Boulder Colorado and the University of Tennessee found that regular walking lowered blood pressureby as much as 11 points and may reduce the risk of stroke by 20% to 40%. One of the most cited studies on walking and health, published in theNew England Journal of Medicine in 2002, found that those who walked enough to meet physical activity guidelines (30 or more minutes of moderate activity on 5 or more days per week) had a 30% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, compared with those who did not walk regularly.

As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of walking every day.  Short on long chunks of time? Even brief bouts of activity offer benefits. For instance, if you can’t fit in one 30-minute walk, try three 10-minute walks instead. Even making simple changes like parking at the back of the parking lot add up throughout the day!

For the apple watch and fitbit fanatics, a common steps goal is a minimum of 10,000 steps daily. Once you hit that goal consistently, try adding on an additional 1,000 steps at a time. Want to turn your walk into even more of a workout? Go for a hike and add uphill elevations, try interval walking (walk for one minute as fast as you can, then at a moderate pace for 2 minutes, and repeat), or add equipment such as a resistance band or ankle or hand weights for more of a challenge.

Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, with pools officially open, and most of us panicking by slathering on self tanner and buying the latest on-trend black bathing suit from Target. It’s disappointing that you can’t lose weight as quickly as it may feel like you may have gained it (I swear that one-week vacation really did me in those last 5 pounds!)

But the rules of weight loss are simple, burn off more than you consume. In addition to regular exercise, here are some simple swaps for you to start incorporating now, to see your efforts add up year-round. Good news, it doesn’t involve salads!

1) Replace one beverage daily with water. Duh right? But seriously, one soft drink can have 140 calories, plus a scary amount of sugar. Even if you’ve given up sodas for years now, think about what other recreational beverages you may be partaking in over the summer? Try to swap out one alcoholic drink for some sparkling water with a little fruit, or even better, a glass of kombucha! Pour it in your favorite wine or cocktail glass, and you may be surprised how much you don’t miss that second (or third) drink.

2) Skip the bun. The warm weather has us firing up the grill weekly. Consider swapping out your bun for a healthier option. A sturdy crisp lettuce like romaine works well for either a hot dog or a hamburger, or try a portbello bun for more nutritional value.

3) Drink more H20. Yes it’s summer time, and you sweat more and should rehydrate. But increasing your intake before you eat has been linked to curbing your appetite and preventing overeating. Aim for about 16 oz of water before you sit down to eat. On average, people eat 88 calories less when they’re hydrated before eating.

4) Try cauliflower. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know this trend. Try it riced to sub out your favorite asian dish or chipotle-themed bowl, or as a pizza crust. If you can’t turn down tortilla chips like us, try using roasted cauliflower florets to make nachos – it still feels as satisfying as a bar food snack, but saves you empty calories.

5) Choose mustard over mayo. Not all condiments are created equal. Mayonnaise is loaded with fat and calories, and sometimes unnecessary sugars (spoiler – aoli is just a fancy word for mayo). Get creative with your mustard – there’s dijon, which works for everything from chicken and salmon to your homemade salad dressings – and even horseradish to add some heat for hamburgers and hot dogs.

6) Chew slower. When you’re hungry, or distracted, it’s easy to shovel your food in and finish in record time. But chewing more slowly – and generally being more mindful of your eating – allows the body to better realize when it’s full. So put the phone down, or step outside to eat your lunch tomorrow, and take your time with your food (plan on 20 – 30 minutes for each meal).

Remember, you don’t need to make every change in one day, or all at once. Choosing to do any one of the above options saves you about 100 calories on average, per day. Aiming for 100 calories/less daily, adds up to an average of 10 pounds of weight loss over the course of a year. Let us know what swap was the easiest for you to incorporate next time you’re at the studio, or tag us if you share any of your swaps on social media!

You’ve been hearing it since you were a little girl, “Sit up! Quit slouching!” But now that our bodies are getting, err more ‘settled’, it’s literally becoming a pain not to have better posture. Your posture can help you look and feel better, inside and outside of the studio, so let’s break down 4 quick tips, with checkpoints, for you to try during class, sitting at home or the office, and even sleeping!

1) Standing Posture Test: Stand up with your back against a door or wall. Your head, shoulders and seat should be touching the wall, but your heels should be roughly two inches in front of the wall. Now place one hand on your belly and press in, drawing your navel in tight towards your spine and feeling your tailbone stretch down. Holding it there, try sliding your other hand behind your back against the wall. It should feel like you can barely slide your hand through, only getting your fingers behind you. This is what we consider proper alignment, and a ‘tucked’ position at Neighborhood Barre. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, and you want to think about a string lifting your upper body higher, while your tailbone (and core) is rooting you back down to the ground, keeping your lower back in line

2) Next you want to find (and maintain) your center by tuning into your head-to-toe alignment. This is particularly important when it comes to exercising, to protect your joints, and in the case of barre, target the proper muscle group.  You want shoulders, hips, and heels stacked when standing.  Think about keeping your chin level with the ground, your shoulders back, and your belly drawn in. It should feel like your body is being stretched apart, in opposite directions. This takes more practice with seat exercises, since you are typically working one side at a time and your body wants to put all your weight in the standing, or stabilizing side.

This principle holds true even when we’re on all 4’s, seated, or on your back in class! Think of your body as right angles, when the legs are bent. Your head, your neck, your back, through the seat, should all be aligned, in any of these positions. Make sure your knees, or feet stay hips-width apart so you keep your posture and your weight evenly distributed throughout your body.

3) Seated Posture test: Sit on the floor and put your hands under your sits bones with palms facing down. Adjust your position until you can feel your weight centered between both palms.  (Again consider a string lifting your head up, chin level, shoulders back, abs tight!) When exercising, if you start to favor one hip over the other, it’s time to take an adjustment to realign your posture, and re-center your body weight. It should feel just like if you were sitting on your hands!

4) Lastly, your body needs sleep to recover, and the last thing you want is to potentially wake up with a sore neck or back, not from exercise, but from poor posture during sleep! If you sleep on your stomach (spoiler alert, the WORST position for posture), use a pillow under your belly, or lose the pillow under your head. If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees. If you’re a side-sleeper, place a pillow between the knees and pull them in towards your chest. All of these options allow you to sleep in essentially a ‘NB tucked’ position, who knew? (Now try not to dream about barre!)

Photo credits: Wikihow.com

Leggings – check, sports bra – check, water bottle – check, but wait – did you pack food? Are you fueling, and recovering with nutrition as part of your exercise routine? We all know the saying ‘abs are made in the kitchen’, and your entire diet should be just as important as which exercise class you choose. But proper nutrition pre-and-post workout can truly maximize all the effort you’re putting into class – and who doesn’t want that, right?

There are the more obvious reasons that you shouldn’t opt-out of your pre-workout snack or meal, like dizziness, lethargy, nausea, and even the potential to be more prone to injury. But even if these things don’t plague you, skipping out on food can reduce your performance, and ultimately reduce your exercise gains. So, where do you start?

Repeat after me. Carbs are OK. Especially before you break a sweat. Carbs break down into glucose, providing you the energy and endurance you need to exercise at your maximum capacity. Opt for simple carbs that break down quickly to give you that energy boost. Great options include: a piece of fruit, oatmeal, greek yogurt, a handful of dried fruit or crackers, or toast. When you perform resistance or strength training, like Neighborhood Barre classes, adding a little bit of protein is important for muscle recovery. Again choose easily digestible protein so you don’t feel weighed down (no pun intended), during your workout. Solid choices are a handful of nuts, again greek yogurt (hint hint), a hard-boiled egg, or protein-rich milk.

So when should you eat before, and after your workout? Shoot for anywhere between 30 minutes to three hours before you exercise. You may have to experiment to see what amount of time works best for your body. For example, if you’re an early-bird exerciser, you may not want to (or have the time to) eat a whole meal before you hit the studio. Try a mini-snack, or shoot for a protein-packed smoothie, where you drink half before class, and half after. If you exercise later in the day, either 1) have a 150 calorie snack pre-workout, or 2) you may be ok to power through if you’ve had a well-balanced meal within 2-3 hours of your workout.

Lastly, hydration is of course key to your workout performance, and recovery. Aim to drink about one cup of water 10-20 minutes pre-workout, to avoid low energy and muscle cramps or spasms. Consider drinking another cup during your workout to stay properly fueled, especially if you’re sweating profusely. And lastly, drink two cups post-workout to replenish the fluids you lost.

So you’re done – now what? You need to eat after your workout. Period. You’re not only inhibiting your body’s ability to repair itself, but if you skip eating after your workout routinely, it will be harder for you to reach your fitness goals. Ideally, refuel within 30 minutes of your workout. Your post-workout food of choice should be high in complex carbohydrates, and more importantly loaded with healthy protein. Here’s the issue – it’s really easy to over-compensate on the calorie count. You don’t want to necessarily eat more calories than you just burned! So skip the energy drinks, bars, or sugary smoothies.   Again think about 150 calories if it’s a snack, or under 500 calories if you’re headed straight to meal time. Snack-wise, think whole-grain crackers or toast with nut butter, 2 hard-boiled eggs and toast, or a cup of chocolate milk.

We’d love for you to share your fave healthy snacks with us! Tag us in your social posts where you’re fueling or hydrating pre/post barre class, or use the hashtag #nbbarrefuel.

There’s a reason why a plank is arguably one of the most difficult exercises to perform. So you’re holding a plank in class, and you’re starting to feel like someone just shut off the AC. You’re building heat throughout your body, and finding it increasingly difficult to hold the position much longer. You think, is blood still reaching my head? Will someone please get up and adjust air already?! And then you drop your knees and find a child’s pose stretch. Aaahhh, relief.

This is considered an isometric exercise. Isometric exercises are strength exercises where you hold a position to keep a muscle contracted without moving the joint. This is the core principle of our barre method – to ultimately hold a position for an extended period of time until your muscles exhaust (and ideally shake).

Isotonic exercises involve movement at the joint, at a full range of motion to contract the muscle. Then, you eccentrically move it back to the starting position. Think about when we perform a full-range move in class, such as a ‘tap lift’ in seat work, or a full-range drop to your heels then lift back up in thigh exercises.

The Neighborhood Barre technique carefully intermixes full range moves with isometric moves. Also the placement, or order in which we perform the moves, is very intentional. The timing of each move performed allows you to build more heat with a full range move, and then use the isometric to carve and shape the muscle. Each move complements the other, while engaging your muscles in a slightly different way. The result is a more targeted and defined toning, and specific shaping, of your muscle, while increasing endurance.

So which is better for you? Both are important! Isotonic exercise is credited with increased muscle endurance and working a broader range of the muscle, while also engaging your major muscle groups.

The benefits of isometric exercise are endless in our book. Weight-bearing resistance training not only builds strength, but improves mobility and flexibility. It also allows you to create a lifetime habit of fitness, meaning you can safely perform these exercises at any season of life. Speaking of seasons of life, did you know your barre class can even lower cholesterol, improve bone density, and reduce arthritis?

At the end of the day, your results will likely depend less on the type of exercise (isometric vs. isotonic) and more on the effort you put in it. After all, we like to say flexing your mind is your greatest tool in class!

“I don’t think I’m flexible enough.” “I’ve never danced before.” “I’m terrified to try HIIT!” “I’m in PT for my sciatica right now.” “I’m pregnant.” “No way, my friend said barre is too hard.”

Guess what? Clients that are age 12 to age 80 take class here. Clients that are injured, pregnant, beginners, or as they sometimes put it ‘out of shape,’ take class here. And some clients have taken 1,000 classes here.

Yes our studio separates itself through through laid-back, friendly, and welcoming staff in an unassuming, judgement-free zone (that is our namesake after all – to make you feel at home!!), but it’s more than that.

Not all barre classes are created equal, but ours are. It’s an even playing field for everyone in the room, for every class that we offer. From beginner to instructor status, here are ways to take your next class with us at your own pace.

1. During warm-up, try doing an entire weights series with no weights. Do you still feel your muscles flex and contract? Can you effectively build heat, and still exhaust your muscles, without your hand weights? You’d be surprised how much we let the weights control the moves, versus the other way around. Once you pass this test, see if you can handle one size up in poundage. Maybe you start with swapping out the heavier weights just for biceps, and slowly pick up the heavier weights earlier, and earlier in class. Don’t shy away from the weights ladies!
2.  In thigh exercises, prioritize posture. Your shoulders should align with your hips, and typically hips are aligned with heels. If you can’t prevent yourself from tipping forward, or keep your seat under your shoulders, try taking yourself 1 – 2 inches higher out of the position to adjust your posture. Once you’ve nailed posture, take it up a notch by lengthening out your body another inch. Focus on growing your head up another inch taller, while simultaneously pushing more weight down into your feet, creating a more intense pull through the target muscle.
3.  In seat exercises, stabilize your weight by staying centered. It’s a common misconception that boxing or seat-belting yourself in during standing exercises, and lowering yourself onto the forearms during hands and knees exercises, is a ‘cop-out’ or a sign of ‘weakness’. It’s actually a check-point to redistribute your body weight, and serves as a fail-proof way to force your body to shift focus on the working side of your body. Want more? Add in a popped heel when standing, to add more dynamics to the exercise, or even better – a balance check. Lifting the opposing arm reinstates stabilization, increases isolation of the target muscle, and also adds more core engagement.
4. For your ab work, soften the neck and shoulders, and constantly focus on the lower back – basically keep your spine long. When we’re seated, we tend to shorten our base – consider the alternate. Pull your rib cage out of your hips, and scoop out underneath the belly button – both of which elongates your spine. Rely less on your hips by keeping the rest of your body engaged – pressing into the tops of your feet and again focus on posture – lift through the head, chin out of your chest. If you cannot maintain this posture, you should not be using hand equipment. When using a ball for support – make sure an air pocket remains between your ball and lower back – if you see your reflection in the mirror and it looks like the ball is going to pop, sit up. Lastly, connect your breathing to increase the contraction. This may also add a slight increase in calorie burn – bonus!

Our instructors are specifically trained to cue you to the highest level of a position, and then give you modifications to take the intensity down, or add just a little more. Listen to the details of the exercise setups, and listen for the cues to modify if something doesn’t feel right. Still unsure? Just ask! There are endless ways we can provide you with how to achieve the best result for your body. We’re here to help you find your strength, and strength looks different on every body.

• When taking our Barre HIIT class, push yourself as hard as you can for 20 seconds to stay in your maximum heart rate zone (80% – 100%). Your personal best may be different from your neighbor’s – ask us for modifications to both increase or decrease the intensity when needed!
• In Barre HIIT, reduce your recovery time in-between exercises by trying to get your body ready to go and in position for the next sprint, as well as running in place or performing jumping jacks during demo times in class.
• During Barre All Levels, focus on endurance. Stay in each exercise as long as you can. Once you can make it throughout the entire exercise without a break, start focusing on deepening the muscle contraction by sinking lower in thighs, extending your leg longer in seat, connecting your breathing in abs, and adding equipment to find the burn.
• Maximize your resistance training by reducing your rest time in-between exercises (Think about how fatigued your muscles are when we do super-sets!) Even when we’re not performing a super-set, focus on getting into the next exercise right away and staying mentally connected throughout class to master your opposing resistance.
• In Barre FLOW, focus on engaging the entire body (i.e. functional movement) to increase your energy output and deepen the muscle burn. The more you can center your weight throughout class, the more dynamic,  and effective each move becomes.

HIIT exercise seems to be the buzz word in the fitness world this year, and for good reason. ‘Burst’ training, is typically a tabata-timed format of exercise, where you perform short bursts of high intensity moves with periods of quick rest.

It’s approach of working out at a very high intensity, through short intervals, promises to deliver more results in less time than other workouts. But there’s one big caveat, you have to nail the intensity.

Although the work-to-rest ratio (i.e. tablet timer) is an important part of the cardio effect, reaching your own personal 80 – 95% range maximum heart rate makes all the difference. Your maximum heart rate can be ‘estimated’ by using the formula below.

Try wearing a heart rate monitor in class to keep track of where you want your heart rate to be, and calculate that range in advance. This way you’re also keeping track of when you may be overexerting yourself and when it may be time for you to slow down.

No heart rate monitor, no problem. You shouldn’t be able to complete an entire sentence after you’ve completed an interval. Check yourself by repeating a sentence after each series (plus, a little extra self-motivation goes a long way!

Everyone’s ‘maximum’ is going to look different, so we’re equipping you with some tips to take it at your own (challenging) pace during your next HIIT class at the barre:

1. Consider the ‘mid-level’ your baseline. This is typically what the instructor will demonstrate as the initial move. You won’t know what your body can do until you try!
2. If you can’t finish a full sentence after your first series, try performing the move without the jump, or reducing your range of motion/slowing your pace down by 1 – 2 seconds to reduce your heart rate by 5 – 10%.
3. If your heart rate isn’t within your high intensity range, try adding a piece of equipment. Typically grabbing your hand weights is a safe bet. If you are at the barre, try popping your heels, or increasing your pace by 1 – 2 seconds. If you’re jumping, try adding a ‘click’ of the heels at the top of your jump for an added challenge.
4. Your instructor will be giving you options within each exercise, so listen to what your body needs in that very moment. And remember the next rep may be different. Just because you needed to lose a jump your second set, doesn’t mean you can’t add it back on your third!
5. Constantly be checking in with your heart rate throughout class, and use the mirrors throughout the room to constantly tune into your form, and your range of motion. Proper form improves your results, and keeps you safe!

I don’t know about you, but my weekend following the 4th of July festivities wasn’t much better in the way of food choices. It’s easy to let one weekend of splurging lead you down the rabbit hole, so what’s better than a good old-fashioned detox?!

I personally rotate all four of these drinks, depending on my mood, and have experienced REAL results and benefits. Many of the ingredients are linked in case you have trouble finding them in your local store!

1. ACV. The all-powerful Apple Cider Vinegar drink comes in many forms, but have you ever tried cutting it with pineapple juice and lime?! Calling it ‘delicious’ might be a stretch, but hey – it doesn’t taste like salad dressing and if you dilute with sparkling water, it’s even better! We mix 1/8 C  ACV, 1/4 C pineapple juice, 1/4 -1/2 squeezed lime, top with water or sparkling water to dilute. Add honey to taste or more pineapple juice if you prefer more sweetness. Benefits: Apple Cider Vinegar has a multitude of health benefits, including its anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. In fact, there is medical research to prove that it can help acid reflux, lower blood pressure, improve diabetes, and support weight loss. The benefits of apple cider vinegar come from its powerful healing compounds, which include acetic acid, potassium, magnesium, probiotics and enzymes. Be sure to choose one with ‘the mother’ vs. a filtered variety (I actually saw one at Aldi the other day for only $2.49).
2. Beyonce-aid. A true Neighborhood Barre classic – this is one of our favorite detox drinks! You can make it in large batches – portion one large lemon per glass. To make, press 1 large lemon and mix with 8 oz. water and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper. If you prefer more of a ‘lemonade’ add pure maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar. Benefits: Lemon has very high levels of Vitamin C (immunity booster) and appetite suppressing capabilities. Mix that with Cayenne Pepper, which not only boots your metabolism, but also aids in digestion and you get a super powerful, yet simple, detox drink!
3. Ginger Tea. How did I not discover this sooner?! If you love hot tea, get some ASAP! It’s shocking at first, but you quickly adjust to the spice and it’s so soothing! I love it anytime I wake up feeling a little off (aka – hungover)! You can add peppermint oil or mint leaves for a more dynamic flavor profile!  Benefits: Ginger zaps any type of nausea, settles your stomach, and de-bloats like a mother. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, has metabolism boosting properties, and is a natural appetite suppressant.
4. Essential Oil Blend: *Disclaimer – make sure you are using oils that are safe to ingest! There are several companies who make ingestible oils, so please do your research before you purchase!* One great reason to use oils for your detox drink is the lack of acidity. The above detox drinks all have something in common – spice, citrus, etc. If you have an aversion to any of the above, then consider this milder option! You can also put one drop of each oil in an empty capsule vs. mixing in water!Benefits: The citrus oils are high in Vitamin C and promote both anti-inflmatory and appetite suppressing qualities. You are basically getting all of the benefits of the above-mentioned detox drinks in a concentrated form. They are easy for on-the-go or if you are in a hurry. Simply drop 1-2 drops of each in your stainless steel or glass water bottle (the citrus can eat through plastic with prolonged use) and voila – you have a perfectly balanced detox drink that also tastes great!