01/14

Get Healthy with Me in 2014

As fun as November and December are with all the holidays and celebration, it’s hard not to feel a little lethargic at the end of it. For many of us, there’s a major increase in how much we eat during this time of year.  On top of that, what we eat changes as well. I think the hardest part about “recovering,” for lack of a better term, from the overeating and indulgence is that we form habits. And since most of the food we’ve been eating is pretty DE-lish, it’s hard for our bodies not to naturally crave what we’ve been feeding it.

That’s why I’m SO, SO, SO excited to announce that I’m going to be sharing my Detox 2014 plan with you! In the coming days, I’ll have tips and tricks from my own nutritionist, some of my fav, fav, fav recipes and meals, and workout plans that you can do at home!

Who’s in?! Tell me everything!!?

The key to successfully getting your body and your diet back on track is to not shock it by drastically lowering your calorie intake. In terms of drastic diets post-holidays, Nicole Groman, a Master’s candidate for Nutrition and Dietetics at NYU explains, “The body adjusts its metabolic rate to how much you’re eating. So if you drastically lower your calorie intake for one or two weeks to cleanse post holiday, your body will actually lower its metabolic rate to burn fewer calories. When you go back to eating normally and increase your calorie intake, you’ve actually reduced your metabolic rate and will be eating more calories, but burning less of them. You may actually put on weight this way.”

To put it simply, don’t starve yourselves, people. It’s important to eat a healthy amount of calories, but change where your calories are coming from. As Nicole explains, “You have to find a healthy way to get back into your normal eating patterns. Strict diets don’t work too well in the long run. Your body will want what it’s missing, and that can be hard to ignore.”

It’s so, so, so important to know that a detox isn’t just about cleansing yourself of the food you’ve been eating, but it’s also about replenishing your body with nutritious, healthy foods. Here is a list of foods that you should eat during a detox.

These foods are good sources of fiber, and will help move things through your system:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Chickpeas
• Brown rice
• Nuts
• Celery
• Grapes
• Carrots

The following foods contain potassium, which help reduce bloat because potassium balances sodium:

• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Bananas

Finally, certain grains fall under the list of foods in the Low Glycemic Index, which are digested slower and will keep you full longer:

• Oatmeal
• Whole grain bread
• Bran

All of these foods should AB-solutely make you feel so, so, so much better after a couple of weeks. Just remember, one cupcake won’t kill you. It’s not about flipping your way of eating upside down and never touching a piece of chocolate again. It’s about swapping your snacks out for healthier ones, and not eating every “bad” thing you’re craving all at once. “Forgive yourself for all the holiday eating. What’s the point in punishing yourself? You can eat the things you love, just don’t eat as much of them,” Nicole says.

It’s true. Don’t beat yourself up! The holidays are a time of family, festivities, and food. Don’t feel like you’re doomed or stuck feeling this way. Anything you do can be undone with some smarter choices and healthy changes, but remember to go at your own pace. It’s your body, and ultimately you have to do what works best for you.

Will you join me in my January Detox? Leave me a comment below so we can create a community of support!!