Holiday Dinning and how not to over do it!

The Holiday usually evokes memories of sweet potato pie and ice cream at the family dinning table with cocktails. However, although these things can be enjoyed in moderation, if you want to keep your detox going through the holidays or stay on a healthy maintenance plan you need to think on a healthier level. Here are some tips to help you out:

Use Holiday Vegetables

Pumpkin is a great holiday vegetable. Great holiday spices are cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and cloves. Here are two great holiday detox soups. Pumpkin Soup- 6 cups veggie stock, 5 cups of pumpkin, peeled and cubed (can used canned if organic and no added sugar or fats), 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed, 2 carrots largely sliced, 2 garlic cloves; minced, 2 tiny scoops of Stevia, ½ cup parsley, finely chopped Pumpkin Pie spice, 2 tbs. vanilla extract. Pour stock into large pot and add pumpkin and all veggies (organic is the best). Boil until tender (about 45 minutes – an hour). Add pumpkin spice and vanilla and Stevia. Cool slightly and puree, reserving some broth for drinking. Holiday Carrot Soup- 4 qts. Veggie stock (homemade), 1 qt of water, 18 carrots-sliced, 1.5 bags of mixed greens –coarsely chopped. 1.5 head of romaine lettuce – chopped, 2 large sweet potatoes – chopped after peeling, 2 tsp. ginger root – peeled and chopped, 4 tsp. of following mixture: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and Stevia (about three scoops, 1/8-1/4 tsp), 2 tsp vanilla extract.
Bring all ingredients to a strong boil in a large pot. Reduce heat to a slow boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Separate solids and broth. Cool slightly and puree solids with ¼ – ½ cup broth. Add vanilla extract after it is pureed.

Look for healthy substitutes

When you start your favorite recipes use healthy substitutes to replace toxic chemical laden ingredients that are fattening and bad for digestion. You can use Rice Dream or Almond Milk instead of whole milk products in some dishes. Try to use applesauce for thickening, coconut oil instead of margarine. Use No Salt products instead of table salt, use Stevia instead of sugar. You can use Bragg’s amino acid instead of Soy Sauce or gravy. Don’t forget to make your own salad dressing. Avoid colorants, preservatives and chemicals in your food at all cost.

Have Free Soup or free foods

Eat quick and easy snacks to prevent over eating during the holidays. Have broth on the stove or in a crop pot. Free broth will allow you to eat whenever you are hungry and ensures you receive good minerals and hydration. Free broth or free foods are negative calorie foods. You will maintain your weight during the holidays if you drink or eat these foods instead of fattening or sugar foods. A list of free or negative calorie foods are celery, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, spinach, onions, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, apples, cranberries, raspberries, lemons and grapefruits. We have free soup and other great recipes in our New York Times Bestselling book “21 Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha’s Vineyard Diet Detox”.

Try Hunger Quenching Vegetable Juice

Drinking juice made from fresh vegetables is great ways to receive triple the amount of nutrition you would in a meal and quench that holiday thirst. You are also able to fight off the cravings and hunger during the holidays. My favorite holiday juice is Carrots, beet greens, cucumbers, parsley, ginger and garlic. This juice helps with fluid retention and keeps the bloat down.

Drink Green Drinks for extra energy

Green drinks are derived from green vegetables and their ideal for the energy boost you’re looking for during the holidays. Green drinks are ideal for providing the body with more oxygen and nutrients which then results in even more energy. Additionally, these drinks are great cleansers. I love the way I look after 10 days of cleansing with green drinks. It’s like a facelift with out surgery.

Drink Fresh Berry Drinks for health

There’s nothing better than fresh berries. These drinks have a similar action to that of green drinks. These drinks are full of antioxidants that fight off free radicals in the body as well as tasting great. There are a variety of different types of berries that you can enjoy during the holidays including raspberries, blueberries, pomegranates, grapes, blackberries, Gogi berries and cranberries. Juicing these berries give you maximum nutrition and increase your immune functioning.

Eat frequently to keep metabolism up

The metabolism works better if you have five small mini meals or snacks through out the day. An example of mini meals for the holiday may look like this: 9:00 am cup of berries—11:00 am Green juice 1:00 pm holiday veggies 3: pm holiday desert 5:00 pm Holiday carb 7:00 pm protein and veggie 9:00 pm holiday drink—it works for me and many of my clients. You will not gain weight plus you can enjoy the holiday. Make sure you take food enzymes with all your chewing meals.

Food Combine correctly

Protein with vegetables only, Carbohydrates with vegetables only, Fruit by itself (2 hours away from meals) Essential fatty acids absorbs better with protein.

Give yourself a Cleansing enema

Many people are amazed at how much better they feel after an enema, especially if they have never experienced one before and if they have a lot of toxic build up in their colon.