Pre and Post Holiday Detox Diet.

Photo Credit: Kim Bauer; Copyright 2010; All Rights Reserved

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  This video has a little Thankgiving humor for you.

IWillSurviveThanksgiving

I started my day with a prayer of grattitude for the blessings of my life and I had something new to add to my list this year–you!  I want to thank you for remaining a loyal fan of the confabulicious.com blog and let you know how much I appreciate each and everyone of you!  I know how much is competing for your time, and can’t thank you enough!

I am always trying to deliver something fabulous and of value through this blog, so I hope post might be timely and inspiring. 

If you are watching your waistline this holiday season, you may be harboring a lot of stress about big food days and holiday parties.   Of course, you know that moderation is the best strategy.  Don’t deprive yourself.  Try a little bit of everything that you love and savor each bite.  But since we are human beings, not robots, and might not be able to resist that second slice of pie, or extra helping of stuffing, then you’ll want to correct your mistakes as quickly as possible. 

This post contains a Holiday cleansing regime that you can put to work before and after the “big days” to help you reestablish equilibrium quickly.  Holiday eating is tough on your waistline, but it is also hard on your digestive system.  The classic holiday “food coma” is caused by your digestive system working to process and eliminate all the acidic, fatty foods consumed in the wrong combinations, and in excess. 

This “diet” is and awesome way to establish equilibrium before and after a big holiday feast.  You will not feel “deprived” in any way.  You can consume most of these foods in rather large portions so you will feel full and satisfied.  A nice side effect will be the boost in energy that you will experience from all the “clean food.  All these foods are easily digestible, and the combinations are ideal for the chemistry of your digestive system. 

Interestingly, maple syrup is allowed on this cleansing routine.  Sugar, in general is very acidic, but pure maple syrup is the least acidic form of sugar.  Use it very sparingly!  And, you will notice that heavy cream is allowed also.  If you are brave enough to try raw cream, that is better, but a Tablespoon of cream can replace butter.

Check your refrigerator, and put the items on your shopping list so that you are ready to go either the day before, or the day after.  Just knowing that you have a strategy will help you relax on the big day. 

First thing in the morning:  Begin your day with this lemon cleansing drink and continue drink it throughout the day, between meals.    The goal is to stay super hydrated.  You might know the old trick of taking your body weight, dividing it by two and consuming that amount in ounces per day.  So if you weighed 120 pounds, half that is 60lbs, so you would drink 60 oz. of liquid per day.  That is a good rule of thumb.   This lemon drink is a good one to help reverse the effects of the acidic foods you consumed.

Lemon Cleansing Drink:

• Juice of ½ lemon,
• 1-2 tablespoons of pure, organic maple syrup
• ¼ cup boiling or very hot water.
• 12 oz. cold filtered water
• 1-2 dashes of cayenne pepper.

Dissolve the first three ingredients, then add the remaining and stir.  Add ice if you like, or drink at room temperature.

Photo Credit: Kim Bauer, copyright 2010; All rights Reserved

Breakfast:

• 2 Scrambled egg whites (cooked in a non-stick pan, or non-stick cooking spray or a light coating of olive oil)
• Assortment of fresh veggies
• ½ Grapefruit (you can sprinkle with Xylosweet, stevia, or organic maple syrup)

You can also substitute the eggs with tofu.

Photo Credit: Kim Bauer, copyright 2010; All rights Reserved

Lunch:

• Beef steak tomato, sliced
• ½ avocado mixed with lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to taste
• Dark Green Veggie juice (Using a juicer, make a blend of 1/2 cucumber, 2 cups of raw spinach, 1 large carrots, 1 tomato, 2 celery stalks). 

Photo Credit: Kim Bauer, copyright 2010; All rights Reserved

Dinner: 

• All Vegetable salad.  Choose the veggies of your choice.  Drizzle with olive oil or flax oil, salt and pepper.  You can substitute the salt with Braggs Liquid Amino Acids, but use sparingly, it is very salty.  You can add a handful of raw nuts like pine nuts or almonds, and sprinkle wheat germ or whole flax seed, or top it with a scoop of hummus.
• Fruit salad:  Strawberries, bananas, blue berries, gogi berries, raspberries.

OR

• ½ Baked sweet potato or yam drizzled with a touch of cream (instead of butter) and maple syrup.

Photo Credit: Kim Bauer, copyright 2010; All rights Reserved

Snacks:

• Lemon water
• Hot vegetable broth. 
• Handful of raw almonds
• Raw vegetables
• Green Juices (made in your juicer).

That’s it.  It’s easy, beautiful, appetizing and delicious.  Who knows, you may like it so much that you decide to eat this way all the time.

Again.  I hope your Holidays are fabulous.  Let me know how you feel after this cleanse!