It can be hard to resist all the holiday foods. Everywhere you see pies, dessert and all the meals look so delicious. It’s so easy to forget healthy eating and portion sizes! It’s so tempting to say “OK, I’ll take
It can be hard to resist all the holiday foods. Everywhere you see pies, dessert and all the meals look so delicious.
It’s so easy to forget healthy eating and portion sizes! It’s so tempting to say “OK, I’ll take a break today and start my diet again tomorrow.”
And of course that’s no problem, you certainly should be free to enjoy your holiday food. The problem is that it normally never stops at just one day. And there’s actually a scientific reason for this: when you eat your delicious meal, your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin to store the excess food you ate and regulate your blood sugar. When your insulin levels are high then you’ll most likely feel hungrier the next day too, so you’ll want to eat more the next day. And the next …
How do you break this cycle and decrease your hunger? One day detox.
Let’s be clear, body detoxification takes much longer than just 1 day. But just to get a jumpstart, and get yourself back on your regular meal plan, it’s going to help. Start your detox day off first thing in the morning by drinking 1 liter water with fresh squeezed lemon and freshly grated ginger.
For breakfast drink any type of green veggie juice, or if you don’t have any then just make a green salad and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Between breakfast and lunch drink one more liter water.
For lunch, try 1 cup plain greek yogurt — I suggest full fat, because low fat products most likely will contain artificial sweeteners and many chemicals, added to improve the taste. Add 1 green (granny smith) apple or 1 cup blueberries.
For an afternoon snack you can have around 2 ounces of macadamia nuts or almonds.
Drink one more liter water in the afternoon.
And then for dinner, 1 cup of cottage cheese with 2 tablespoons flaxseed oil and one cucumber.
Try to limit your caffeine intake during the day – herbal tea is a much better option. Also I suggest you take Vitamin C tablets with breakfast, lunch and your afternoon snack — this has many benefits, one of the most important ones is that it boosts your immune system, this will support detoxification and give you energy. And before lunch and dinner take 2 tablespoons whole fiber psyllium husks (you can find these at natural food stores or online, this is a great source of fiber that is easy to absorb and will help to gently cleanse your colon).
You can do exercise, or you can rest — just be aware and listen to your body, and do what feels right.
Just remember, this is not a solution for overeating! But it is a great way to get back on track and enjoy the holiday season while maintaining your health.
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Ayda Ersoy has worked in health and fitness as a nutrition consultant, personal trainer, and yoga instructor. She can be reached at www.DietDocHawaii.com and Ayda@DietDocHawaii.com
