Surviving the Holidays without Gaining a Pound! (…Even Lose a Few!)

 

 

We all want to enjoy the holidays, and of course, the good food, but most of us don’t necessarily want to sign up for extra pounds of weight gain that is so typical between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Add to that the lowering of our immune defenses with sugar and other unhealthy foods, which allows colds, flus, and other diseases to get a foothold in our bodies. With weight gain and lingering sicknesses, how can we really ‘enjoy’ the Holidays? Is there a way that we can enjoy the company of others and the food without gaining a pound, and actually even lose a few in the process? The answer is, absolutely YES! Here are some tips and guidelines to not only allow you to survive the holidays, but to feel great and move into 2019 with a healthy lifestyle:

(We will unpack each of these in more detail over the next few weeks, so stay tuned)

 

1. Stay Well Hydrated (1/2 BW in oz. of Water)

Quality Spring or Artesian Waters

2. Cleansing Nutrient Dense Breakfast

Eggs & fruit (1 cup or 1 piece)

Fruit Only (1 cup or 1 piece)

Fresh made smoothie

Fresh made vegetable juice

Bone broth

Kombucha

3. Snack on Raw Foods Throughout the Day in Between Meals

Raw veggies

Raw nuts and seeds (walnuts, pecans, almonds, brazil, pumpkin, & sunflower)

Raw Food Bars

4. Start Your Meals with a Large Salad

5. Use Healthier Substitutes:

Proteins: Free range poultry & eggs, grass-fed meats & dairy, & wild caught fish

Sweeteners: Organic, Raw honey, maple syrup, & stevia

Cooking Oils: Organic Avocado oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, grass-fed butter, & Ghee

Flours: Organic Coconut and Almond flours

6. Prepare a Healthy Dish and Let that be the Main Portion
7. Pair Your Food Properly

Veggies, Protein, & Healthy Fats (Raw nuts & nut butter, seeds, olives, & avocado)

Veggies, Protein, & Healthy Carbs (Root Vegetables)

Veggies, Protein, & Dessert or Alcohol

8. Incorporate Intermittent Fasting

  • 5:2: This method allows you to eat normally five days a week. The other two days are your fasting days, although you do still eat. Just keep it between 500 and 600 calories.
  • Eat-Stop-Eat: With this one, you restrict all food for 24 hours, once or twice a week.
  • 16/8: You eat all your daily calories within a shortened period — typically 6 to 8 hours — and fast for the remaining 14 to 16 hours. You can do this every day, or a few times a week.

9. Support Digestion with Targeted Supplementation

Digestive Enzymes- before cooked meals

Betaine HCL with Pepsin-after cooked meal.

10.Exercise Regularly (At least 20 mins 4X a week)

 

SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS WITHOUT GAINING A POUND!

How much water should I drink?

b1I often get this question and 99% of the time, individuals are not drinking enough. I could go into this long rant on the benefits of water and how bad dehydration is for virtually every physiological process of the body, but I want to stick to the question.

 

So, how much water is enough? The recommendation given by Dr. Bob Marshall, PHD in Nutrition is 1/2 of your bodyweight in ounces + 10%.

For example, if you weigh 200lbs, then you would need 120 oz of water per day (that’s just shy of a gallon 128oz).

You may be thinproperty-youking, ‘That’s impossible! I’d be going to the bathroom every 2-3 hours.’ Actually, urinating every 2-3 hours is quite normal if you are getting enough water.

If you are only drinking 60 oz per day, then I would suggest increasing 8oz every 3 days to allow your body to adjust.

Also, try starting your day with the largest intake of water..32 oz or so. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty later on because you are already dehydrated at that point.

 

 

Welcome Summer! Are You Ready?

b2Many of us dread this time of year.  For some it’s the heat of summer, but for others it is swimsuit season! Did you gain a few pounds through the winter? Need to tone up those muscles to be swimsuit ready? The key to achieving a healthier body is having a fitness and nutritional plan. If you have a plan, studies have shown you are more likely to stick with it. Try a few of these tips to help you gain the confidence you may need to be beach bound and ready!

Water, water, WATER! Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces plus 10% every day.  If you are 150 lbs., your goal is to drink 75 ounces plus an extra 15 ounces of water every day. In the morning, try adding fresh lemon juice to get you started. Throughout the day eat a WIDE variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.  It sounds too simple, but it works! Set a goal of 80/20, 80% raw, fresh fruits and vegetables and the remaining 20% of the daily calories from cooked or processed foods. The keys here are “fresh” and “variety”.  When it comes to produce, if you are not familiar with the dirty dozen/clean fifteen list, take a look at the following information. It is a great guide to know which produce should be purchased as organically grown versus conventionally grown.  It does make a difference.

DIRTY DOZEN

Each of these foods contained a number of different pesticide residues and showed high concentrations of pesticides relative to other produce items. It is recommended they always be bought as organic instead of conventionally grown: apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, imported nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and potatoes.

CLEAN FIFTEEN

Relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticides. No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen™ tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides: avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwis, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cauliflower and sweet potatoes.

It is best for the body to eat your fruit servings before lunch and then have a large fresh veggie salad midday. Go easy on the dressing. Start asking for it on the side and only add a little at a time. Avoid the creamy dressings and branch out with a balsamic dressing instead. You will be surprised to find out you do not “need” as much as you typically add.

Lastly, you have to MOVE everyday. This has to be above and beyond your normal routine. Best to focus on strength training and conditioning with 30-60 minutes of intense, not light, exercise.  We have great routines we can personalize for you to improve your health and boost progress.

A simple plan is better than no plan! Try these simple, yet effective tips and let us know how it works for you. You will be amazed at how great you will start to feel and look as you enjoy your summer!