Prepping for Your Post-Holiday Detox

Prepping for Your Post-Holiday Detox

Tis the season to pack on those extra holiday pounds, unfortunately. The Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's feasts seem to be almost never-ending, and by the time you emerge from the food haze youve become enslaved to, you realize you're feeling bloated, foggy, tired, and like you've gained at least five extra pounds. Obviously, this is not a great way to feel, which means it's time to begin prepping for your post-holiday detox regimen. You do want to be able to break out those spiffy shorts come springtime and feel good in your skin again, right? And that will take a bit of planning in order to set yourself up for success. On to your first order of business.

First Detox Task: Banish All the Junk

Do a sweep of your kitchen and your home, and get rid of all of the holiday leftovers. Be ruthless! Get rid of all the extra desserts, get rid of all of those carb-laden and fattening, unhealthy foods you know will only derail you later. Instead, restock your kitchen with healthy items, such as pre-chopped fruits and veggies that are ready for grabbing, a variety of dips for added flavor, and a choice of healthy staples like Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Trade out the vegetable oil in the pantry for healthier options like olive oil or coconut oil. You can also trade out that cows milk for almond milk or coconut milk if youre feeling really daring.

Second Detox Task: Prep Meals for the Week

Prepping for Your Post-Holiday Detox _ Bobs Red Mill Nothing gets in the way of good intentions like poor planning. You may have all the determination in the world to make a fresh start and eat healthy foods this week, but if you don't plan ahead, you may find yourself too busy to make something suitable. When that happens, you'll wind up hungry and grabbing for anything you can find, even if it's a candy bar and soda. So, set yourself up for success by prepping meals for the week, and portioning out snacks and drinks that you can take on the go. Also, make sure that you include protein and healthy fats in each portion because protein and fats will keep you fuller for longer and will keep your energy sustained much better than carbs will.

Third Detox Task: Shop Smarter

Most of the healthier items in a grocery store will be found when you shop the perimeter and leave the middle aisles to everyone else. Along the perimeter is where you will find your meat and fresh veggies, as well as eggs and dairy. The middle aisles are where you will typically find all of the boxed foods, canned foods, and simple carbs and sugars that are not good for you. So, make your list before hitting the grocery, and make a point to shop the edges of the store before you even attempt to venture down the rest of the aisles. If you do wind up shopping the center aisles, make healthy substitutions like quinoa instead of white rice, and almond flour instead of cornmeal.

Fourth Detox Task: Pay Attention to Your Liquids

During the holidays, we unwittingly tend to consume a lot of our calories in liquid form, whether it's wine at a dinner party, or that chai or pumpkin spice latte before work in the morning. All of these liquid calories can add up and pile on the pounds. Now that you're in detox mode, you'll want to increase your water intake to prevent dehydration, and opt for more low-calorie drinks, like unsweet tea or flavored sparkling water.

Fifth Detox Task: Eat Mindfully

It is so easy just to eat and eat and eat during the holidays, stuffing your face almost mindlessly simply because food is so abundant and readily available. Making a point to eat slowly and be more mindful of what you are putting in your mouth will help your body learn to recognize the signals that it's had enough. These signals can get buried during the Christmas and Thanksgiving seasons, leading to a lot of over-indulgences. So, slow down, and let your body tune itself back to consuming healthier portion sizes. This will help decrease any bloat youre experiencing, and help you shed those unwanted extra winter pounds. Let the post-holiday detoxing commence!
Bob's Red Mill
December 26 2017

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