Get back on the healthy track!
Did you overdo it during the Christmas holiday season? Are you feeling bloated and tired? Despite our best intentions to stick to a healthy routine during the holidays, most of us end up eating and drinking too much which leaves us feeling sluggish and heavy! We also tend to skip exercising and sleep less, which can contribute to weight gain in addition to those bloated and sluggish feelings.
Here are a few little choices that can help you get back on the healthy track:
Eat clean – Keep your diet clean of all foods that can affect you. That may sound pretty vague, but read on. Obviously, you need to put down the cookie and step away from the pie. But you also need to avoid over-consuming foods that may specifically affect you. For some, dairy is problematic as dairy is capable of clogging our system. For others, eating a high amount of nuts can cause a gain; if you love nuts and think you can eat them all day, think again. Nuts are very calorie dense foods. Different fruits can even cause some people to pop up on the scale. On your clean-eating days, omit the “problem foods” that you are aware of. Also, stay away from all starchy foods, like grains, but also vegetables like corn, potatoes, and beets. Although they are typically considered healthy, they can cause us to hold onto weight – especially after we have gotten a little off-track.
Drink lemon water –Lemon water can help detox our bodies and jump start our metabolism!
Drink detox teas – Triple Leaf and Yogi are reputable brands.
Drink cranberry water – Cranberries help detoxify the body, flush away fat cells, and help fight cellulite! Watch this quick video on drinking cranberry water.
Eat Dark Green Vegetables – Their high fiber content helps the body eliminate toxins, which helps you lose weight. Eat at least 4 cups of dark, green, leafy vegetables. Raw is best, so have a nice big salad with spinach. If you are cooking your vegetables, measure them after cooking. (You may want to increase to 4 cups gradually.)
Increase your protein – Protein takes longer to digest, so you’ll feel full longer and decrease the likelihood of cravings. Have protein at least 4 times during the day. Have a few eggs for breakfast and make sure you get some protein for lunch and dinner. For a snack, have a nice big healthy protein shake, and add in some spinach. Here is a yummy Peppermint Shake recipe.
Increase your fiber – Dietary fiber is probably best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation, but it also keeps us fuller longer which aids in weight loss. Fibrous foods provide bulk and stimulate the release of appetite-suppressing hormones. Some researchers have calculated that if Americans doubled their intake of fiber, they could cut about 100 calories from their daily diet – which could shave off 10 pounds of yearly weight gain. (WebMD.com) Try and load up with fiber in the morning and you may be less hungry throughout the day. Read more on fiber here.
Take a walk – Try to get in 20-30 minutes of movement every day. Start out with light exercise such as walking or yoga. Rebounding and similar exercising such as jumping jacks helps break up stored fat cells so they can be released!
Get good sleep – Researchers say that the amount of sleep we get – and quite possibly the quality of our sleep – may affect our hormonal activity, which ties directly to our appetite. If we don’t get proper sleep, our body struggles to keep up, and this can prevent weight loss.
What’s your favorite way to get back on track?