Lose Weight DURING the Holiday Season: Part II

Photo by Ambro

Ten days until Christmas!!! Woohoo!!! If you've followed the rules in Part I, you still ate a lot of junk food during the holiday season. You can most certainly do a light detox between the day after Christmas and New Year's Eve. You can pick any three days (or more) within that time period and do the following detox. I also follow this regimen on New Year's day.

Step 1: On Christmas night, I usually drink a detox tea called Ballerina Tea. It's gentle and it will definitely clean you out.

Step 2: The morning after and each day following I drink cold distilled water with a wedge of lemon. I also drink one packet of Emergen-C dissolved in water. Emergen-C is amazing and tastes like soda! This will prevent colds while packing your body full of vitamins and nutrients. It comes in many different flavors and specializations like Bone Health , Heart Health , Immune Defense , ect. My favorite flavors are the Ruby Lemon Honey and Cranberry Pomegranate. Throughout the day I drink pure distilled water to make sure I stay hydrated.

Step 3: Because this is a detox, your intestines need a break from digesting food so I only eat once a day during a short detox like this. I know, society wants you to think you must be eating three square meals or eat every three hours but there really is no need. Whatever I eat, I make sure it's no larger than the size of my hand and it only consists of vegetables or fruits (no potatoes). I make sure to eat no earlier than 1pm and no later than 3pm.

Step 4: You may be hungry at around 6pm. This is when I drink a lot of water with lemon or unsweetened green tea. When you're hungry like this, distraction will help. Watch a funny movie, turn the channel when a commercial about food comes on, clean the bathroom, go shopping, etc.

Step 5: You will experience headaches and little body aches. These are withdrawal symptoms from the toxins and poisons your body loves like junk food packed with high fructose corn syrup. Yes, your body is addicted to junk food but don't give in and intake junk food just to subside the headaches. Push through and you will set the right foundation for starting the New Year with a clean and refreshed body.


This is not a substitute for a regimen already prescribed by your doctor. Always consult a doctor or nutritionist before engaging in any dietary regimen to ensure it is suitable to your needs.

 

Licorice...tea!

I went to my local grocery store a couple years ago looking for herbal tea. I picked up a box of tea that said, "herbal" but didn't keep reading. (Yeah, it's ridiculous) However, I'm so glad I didn't keep reading because if I did I wouldn't have gotten it especially since I don't like licorice candy. I picked up Licorice tea and I LOVE the taste. I never put sugar in my tea except Chai but even if I did, I wouldn't have needed it because Licorice tea has a sweet aftertaste. I did a little research to find out if there are any benefits to drinking Licorice tea and I found quite a few:

• Who needs coffee? This is a great pick-me-up and reduces fatigue
  
• Soothes sore throats and helps with coughs by breaking down mucus.
• Mild laxative
• Improves the efficacy of the digestive system
• Helps to control blood sugar
• Eases menstrual cramps, pms, irritability, and bloating.
• Slows down the process of plaque in the arteries thus helping to prevent heart disease.
• Helps to alleviate headaches
• Quenches thirst
• Healing properties for stomach ulcers
• Helps to lower cholesterol 

 Try it out! You may actually like it despite the name.