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 to feel sluggish and heavy! We also skip exercising and sleep less which can contribute to a weight gain as well as 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. Obviously, you need to put down the cookie and step away from the pie. But you also need to watch foods that can cause gains is over consumed. For some it’s dairy as dairy is very clogging to our system. For others eating a high amount of nuts can cause a gain, so if you love nuts and think you can eat them all day, think again. I can be effected if I eat too much fruit, so on my clean days, I omit fruit. Also, stay away from all starchy foods, including vegetables.

Drink lemon water – lemon water can help detox our bodies and jump start our metabolism! Here is a great quick video on this powerful beverage.

Consume Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) which has been used as a home remedy for years for numerous reasons including including increased energy, weight loss and aiding in digestion. Here is my favorite way to get in some ACV.

Spicy Apple Cider
8-10 oz hot water
2 tsp. of Apple Cider Vinegar
8-10 drops if liquid stevia

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon and optional spices such as cloves, nutmeg, allspice or apple pie spice.

Drink detox teas  – My favorites are Triple Leaf and Yogi.

Drink cranberry water  – Cranberries help detox the body, flush away fat cells and helps fight cellulite! Watch this quick video on drinking cranberry water.

Eat Dark Green Vegetables – Their high fiber content helps the body eliminate toxins and helps you loose weight. Eat at least 4 cups of dark green leafy vegetables. Raw is best, so have a nice big salad and have some spinach,  If you are cooking your vegetables, count it cooked.

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 in some protein for lunch and dinner. For a snack have a nice big healthy protein shake, and add in some spinach. Here is my 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 as it helps you stay full throughout the day. Read more on fiber here.

Take a walk – Try and get in 20-30 minutes ever day. We recommend light exercise to start such as walking or yoga. Rebounding and similar exercising such as jumping jacks, etc. help break up stored fat cells so they can be released!

Get good sleep – Researchers say that how much you sleep and quite possibility the quality of your sleep may have an effect on our hormonal activity tied to the appetite. If you don’t get good quality sleep, your body struggles to keep up and can effect weight loss.