Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Thanksgiving Detox
Oh sadness, the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday has come to a close and now we are left with only memories and muffin tops. The snug fitting jeans and the extra rolls make for an uncomfortable Monday as we get back to our regular weekly routine. It is time for a little detox to cleanse our systems and get ready for another holiday hit coming down the road. Together we can de-puff our bodies, clear our food-fogged minds and reclaim the fit of our denim! Here are ten easy-to-follow tips that make detoxing easy to incorporate into your diet, starting right now!
1) Focus on eating raw, fresh foods. By this I mean mostly fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies have a high water content and are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Most importantly, fruits and veggies do not have chemicals, preservatives (go organic!!) or fat-- all substances our bodies need a break from after such heavy eating.
2) Drink water! Aim to drink room temperature water as it is easier for our bodies to assimilate. Cold ice water can shock the system. Add a slice of lemon to your glass, which has an alkalizing effect in the body. As for the amount of H2O you should be drinking, divide your body weight in half and that number in ounces is the amount you should be consuming.
3) Hit the gym. Not only will this help burn some of the extra calories consumed this holiday, but you will sweat out nasty toxins and speed up digestion for a faster removal of, um, the waste that is sitting inside our bodies. Gross, I know...sorry!
4) Consider a shot of wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is a superfood that is EXTREMELY nutrient dense and cleanse-worthy. Just one shot glass is the equivalent of eating 2-3 lbs of vegetables!! How is that for healthy? Wheatgrass also oxygenates and purifies the blood and by doing so it removes any stagnant toxins sitting around. In addition to cleansing and feeding the body, wheatgrass has an energizing effect and reduces cravings! Check out your local juice bar or health food store and give it a whirl.
5) Avoid extreme foods. By this I mean, foods with a lot of sugar, salt, dairy, fat and caffiene. This is all in the name of giving your body a rest from the heavy eating that took place over the course of Thanksgiving and the leftover days that followed. Focus on incorporating low-fat and natural versions of the foods you normally eat. Aim to get the fiber you need, which is about 26 grams a day for women and 30 grams a day for men.
6) Drink green tea. Green tea is loaded with polyphenols and antioxidants, which will help boost your immunity and neutralize free radicals inside your body. Not to mention green tea is a known metabolism booster.
7) Don't eat foods late at night. Choose a cut-off time that works for you, but it should be 2-3 hours before you hit the hay. This is the amount of time it takes for food to go through the initial digestion process. Also, night time/sleepy time is when our bodies repair and recover after a long day of work, so having an empty stomach allows your body one less chore and makes over-night recovery a lot easier.
8) If you can, go vegetarian for a week. Give your body time to recover from the turkey and tryptophan coma. Meat is a heavy, protein-dense food and it requires more time and energy for your body to digest. Treat your body and digestive tract to a rest.
9) Floss. I hope you floss on a daily basis, but if you don't please, please, please make sure you floss this week. You do not want the food to settle and embed itself into your gums. It is here, through the gums that bacteria can seep into the body. Not to mention, unflossed gums contribute to gum disease and halitosis -- permanent bad breath!
10) Eat garlic! Incorporate garlic into your diet as a seasoning (or if you wish, eat it raw). Garlic helps your liver produce enzymes that detoxify the bacteria in your digestive tract.
So there you have it -- tips and foods for you to consider as you aim to cleanse your body and rid that inescapable feeling of Thanksgiving fullness. Now that one holiday has come to an end there are more just around the corner. So use this week to de-puff and de-fog in prep of the holiday eating that lies ahead. Cheers!
1) Focus on eating raw, fresh foods. By this I mean mostly fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies have a high water content and are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Most importantly, fruits and veggies do not have chemicals, preservatives (go organic!!) or fat-- all substances our bodies need a break from after such heavy eating.
2) Drink water! Aim to drink room temperature water as it is easier for our bodies to assimilate. Cold ice water can shock the system. Add a slice of lemon to your glass, which has an alkalizing effect in the body. As for the amount of H2O you should be drinking, divide your body weight in half and that number in ounces is the amount you should be consuming.
3) Hit the gym. Not only will this help burn some of the extra calories consumed this holiday, but you will sweat out nasty toxins and speed up digestion for a faster removal of, um, the waste that is sitting inside our bodies. Gross, I know...sorry!
4) Consider a shot of wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is a superfood that is EXTREMELY nutrient dense and cleanse-worthy. Just one shot glass is the equivalent of eating 2-3 lbs of vegetables!! How is that for healthy? Wheatgrass also oxygenates and purifies the blood and by doing so it removes any stagnant toxins sitting around. In addition to cleansing and feeding the body, wheatgrass has an energizing effect and reduces cravings! Check out your local juice bar or health food store and give it a whirl.
5) Avoid extreme foods. By this I mean, foods with a lot of sugar, salt, dairy, fat and caffiene. This is all in the name of giving your body a rest from the heavy eating that took place over the course of Thanksgiving and the leftover days that followed. Focus on incorporating low-fat and natural versions of the foods you normally eat. Aim to get the fiber you need, which is about 26 grams a day for women and 30 grams a day for men.
6) Drink green tea. Green tea is loaded with polyphenols and antioxidants, which will help boost your immunity and neutralize free radicals inside your body. Not to mention green tea is a known metabolism booster.
7) Don't eat foods late at night. Choose a cut-off time that works for you, but it should be 2-3 hours before you hit the hay. This is the amount of time it takes for food to go through the initial digestion process. Also, night time/sleepy time is when our bodies repair and recover after a long day of work, so having an empty stomach allows your body one less chore and makes over-night recovery a lot easier.
8) If you can, go vegetarian for a week. Give your body time to recover from the turkey and tryptophan coma. Meat is a heavy, protein-dense food and it requires more time and energy for your body to digest. Treat your body and digestive tract to a rest.
9) Floss. I hope you floss on a daily basis, but if you don't please, please, please make sure you floss this week. You do not want the food to settle and embed itself into your gums. It is here, through the gums that bacteria can seep into the body. Not to mention, unflossed gums contribute to gum disease and halitosis -- permanent bad breath!
10) Eat garlic! Incorporate garlic into your diet as a seasoning (or if you wish, eat it raw). Garlic helps your liver produce enzymes that detoxify the bacteria in your digestive tract.
So there you have it -- tips and foods for you to consider as you aim to cleanse your body and rid that inescapable feeling of Thanksgiving fullness. Now that one holiday has come to an end there are more just around the corner. So use this week to de-puff and de-fog in prep of the holiday eating that lies ahead. Cheers!
A Friendsgiving Feast
Although, Jimmy did buy an organic turkey from Wholefoods. Check!
Depsite some organic herbs and vegetables here and there the rest of the food is completely butter and cream laden. But what would life be like if you didn't let yourself be bad every once in a while?
The turkey is in the oven and it smells heavenly. I would bottle this smell if I could -- fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon, onion...mixed together with olive oil and turkey juice!! Ohhh....how I love Friendsgiving. And the great thing about today is that two weeks from now we get to celebrate the real deal.
Skip ahead to today, Sunday November 15th. I stopped writing mid-post yesterday when the first set of friends arrived. It is better now to be writing and reflecting upon the meal. It was absolutely amazing!
Here is the menu:
-Garlic Mashed Potatoes w/ fresh chives (involved roasting a whole garlic w/ olive oil, which was mashed into the potatoes!)
-Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread (Barefoot Contessa -- Oh, Ina Garten, this cornbread was the best I have ever had!)
-Cranberry pineapple sauce
-Roasted Brussel Sprouts
-Green beans sauteed in garlic and olive oil.
-Parmasan Crisps
And for dessert:
-Apple Crisp (Barefoot Contessa) --sadly no photo :(
-Pecan Pie (Gourmet --the last issue)
-Pumpkin Pie (Gourmet-- the last issue)
-Birthday cupcakes (Magnolia Bakery Cookbook) Golf Inspired--thank you Martha Stewart! Claire baked these as well as the apple crisp...these were delicious!!!
Unfortunately, everyone was a bit too full to enjoy more than the apple crisp, which was fantastic! We enjoyed it a la mode (alamodee as Jimmy's friend Ryan likes to say) with Haagen Daaz FIVE Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. One brave soul, Eric, powered through a piece of pecan pie and another, Ryan, the birthday boy, enjoyed 3 plus of his delicious birthday golf inspired cupcakes.
It was a meal to be proud and now as Jimmy and I sit on the couch with some Sunday coffee and leftover cornbread....I am planning a trip to the gym and a week of healthy detox eating! On my agenda for the week -- baking some Feel Full vegan muffins and 3 visits to NYSC!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Blog Roll
-
Healthy Almond Joy6 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Food Porn: Lincoln16 years ago
-
Drain Cleaning Techniques10 years ago
-
-
-
-
Currently Crushing On.12 hours ago
-
LIL RUNNER IS MOVING!14 years ago
-
-
I hurt myself laughing13 years ago
-
Hello world!4 months ago
-
All Good Things13 years ago
-
-
-
-
Visitors
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
