by Stephanie Margolis, R.D.
Okay so we've basically all been eating since Thanksgiving. Let's toss the leftover Holiday cookies and let's detox these bods!
Here are the 3 BEST WAYS to beat the Holiday Bloat & jump start weight loss.
If you are looking for an ALL IN approach for 3 days, to kick those carvings to the curb, download our 3 Day All Natural Cleanse. It will reset your body and it's hunger cues so you no longer feel prisoner to those holiday sugar cravings.
#1 Push the H20
Not drinking enough water contributes to fatigue, headaches, dry skin, and a whole host of other not-feel-goods.
Drink Water! But just how much? Take your weight and divide it in half. That’s how many ounces of water you should drink in a day. Muscle holds the majority of the water in our bodies—thus muscle cramps are almost always caused by dehydration. When exercising stay well-hydrated by drinking 1 cup of water for every 15-20 minutes of exercise.
I can’t stress enough the importance of drinking enough water everyday. You need water. Beyond keeping you alive, water helps in lots of other ways. Drinking the right amount of water helps satisfy you, which keeps you full, which leads to weight loss. And it helps flush fat and being properly hydrated makes your skin look purty!
Drinking water also reduces water retention. That seems kind of funny doesn’t it? Drinking more water makes your body retain less water? You would think it would do the opposite, but it flushes out water retention.
#2 Eliminate the starchy foods
When I think carbohydrates, I default to bread, rice, pizza, pasta, etc. I don’t always think yogurt, grapes, green beans, dairy, strawberries, etc. So let’s get straight to the point on this one – not all carbs are bad! Carbs are one of the main macronutrients needed by your body, but are also the ones that bring up the most debate.
One of the reasons controversy and confusion surround carbs is because the category is so broad. You will find sugar, starches, and fiber all in one family. Your body needs carbohydrates. Without them your brain, muscles, and body systems would struggle to function.
Focus on the good carbs this next week, and eliminate the "bad carbs" from dinner. A general rule of thumb...if you can't pronounce the ingredients you can assume it's "bad carb".
#3 Snack time = fruit and veggie time
If you find yourself stuck in a sugar craving mode there is a way to cleanse and reset your body. Cravings are complicated; they can be triggered by hunger but also emotions. If you find you are an emotional carb consumer, it is important to find way to deal with your emotions in a way that doesn’t send you to the pantry. However, if you feel that your sweet addiction is fueled by hunger it is most likely that you are stuck in a hunger cycle. This hunger cycle is common and usually centers around sweets and refined grains.
The good news is you can stop this cycle. By eliminating all added sugars from your diet for 3 days you are giving the body time to deplete some glucose stores while also breaking the hunger cycle. The goal is to replace the normal sugary foods you would reach for with fruits, vegetables and low sugar dairy. These foods are metabolized in the body at a much slower rate and have a considerably lower impact on your blood glucose levels.
