Christmas Detox Time

Everyone seems to be talking about doing a holiday detox... 
Yes, coming out of the holiday season, we could all use a little detoxing from an over indulgence in Christmas cookies, candy, egg nog and chemically altered meets and cheese. Perhaps your symptoms are an extra 5 pounds on the scale, achy muscles and joints, or a lethargic feeling you just can't shake.



I want to lose weight and live an overall, healthier lifestyle. It is my goal to eat less processed foods, fast food, junk food, chemically altered, genetically modified... you get the picture. Don't we all?

A Yummy Holiday Detox Smoothie Recipe! Find it HERE

I have been rather lazy at times to prepare meals ahead of time, make meal plans, etc. Which usually leads to the easy way out = fast food and processed food. I have also struggled to lose the last few pounds of post baby weight. It is a really motivating goal to get back to my optimal weight before children, but apparently not motivating enough because I have failed to really do anything serious to get there.

I have attempted things like eating Vegan for a week, fasting, the Master Cleanse, the South Beach Diet, the Atkins Diet, etc. The problem is, I have such little will power and I love food so much. I know that my body responds best by limiting my carb intake and eating small meals throughout the day. I never last long on strict diets, and today was no exception. I tried again to follow the guidelines of the master cleanse for one day. I made it till about 3:00 in the afternoon, then I caved. Actually, I was shaky and lightheaded, but also really hungry. By the way, My sister-in-law, the dietitian, does not approve of this form of weight loss! I tell her not to worry because I could never actually pull it off :) I don't view my trying and failing as a complete waist though. Having goals, if nothing else, forces me to be more conscious of what I do eat.

I love meat and dairy way too much to give it up for long. But, when I do feel like I need to jump start my weight loss and cleanse my system of junk, eating vegan seems like a good option. I acknowledge the fact that meat and dairy can be the leading culprits of  chemically altered and genetically modified foods in my diet, so cutting them out for a time seems like a good idea. I don't have the money to purchase all organic foods and I don't have the willpower to last long on a fast. So, the idea is to trick myself into believing I am indulging (in unlimited amounts of the things pictured above), as long as what I am putting in my mouth is carefully thought through. Because I know my body responds well to limiting my carbs, I am careful not to over-indulge in the grains and pastas, instead, I go for the fresh veggies, fruit, lentils a nuts.

Here's what a halfhearted vegan day might look like for me:

Breakfast

1 Slice of wholewheat cinnamon raisin bread
Or oatmeal with raisins and light brown sugar
Snack
Handful of almonds 

Lunch

Large salad of mixed greens, walnuts, sliced pears, red onion and a red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil dressing

Snack

Hummus and baby carrots

Dinner

Corn on the cob with olive oil, garden salad, celery with organic peanut butter
Or lentil soup

Throughout the day...

Lots of water! I may sneak a cup of coffee, but I try to totally abstain from my Diet Pepsi  and any other carbonated drinks, specialty coffees, etc.

The idea is to skip calorie counting and indulge in endless amounts of fruits and vegetables. Whenever I get hungry I tell myself  "Self, you can eat as much as you want! As long as it is on this approved list of foods..."

Yummy carrot and ginger salad dressing (you know, the stuff you get at Japanese hibachi restaurants)! I made mine by blending up raw carrots, adding a couple table spoons of powdered ginger, salt and pepper to taste, a tiny bit of soy sauce, pinch of sugar, a table spoon of olive oil, 1/2 a table spoon of vinegar and some ketchup. Perfect! Use fresh ginger and cut out the sugar if you really want to get serious :)

This may seem pathetic, but it actually hits the spot on days I am trying to detox or eat lite. All I do is microwave some water, a beef bullion cube, mushrooms and sometimes a little onion. Bring it to a boil and enjoy. Not much of a recipe, but hey, it works for me :)

Other Helpful Links and Ideas:

• Here's an article I read today about the Skinny Vegan Diet: Skinny Diet
• Our other posts on weight loss can be found: HERE
• I've refered a couple times to Gwenth Paltrow's site, Goop for recipes and ideas on detoxing for weight loss and health. Find it here: Goop: Detox

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