Holiday Thanksgiving “Day After” Detox Plan

“Day After” Thanksgiving Detox Plan

Holiday Thanksgiving “Day After” Detox Plan

The Holidays are a challenging time of year for those of us who are committed to living and eating healthier. The temptations of sweets, desserts, carbs, and ultra rich/nutritionally void foods are everywhere and it can seem like we are being bombarded with them. It can seem like the Holidays demand incredible will power just to survive and maintain a healthy weight.

This last Thanksgiving, I decided to take action and created my Healthy Holidays Program.  My strong desire to navigate the holidays with grace, good health, and without gaining weight led me to the techniques I share here.  These strategies and tools worked for me to help me maintain my weight and “Survive” the holidays.

One of the strategies in my Healthy Holidays program is the “Day After” Detox plan. So I’m including a few ways you can do a “Day After” Detox of your very own.

Do a Juice Cleanse

Juicing up some raw vegetables the day after a heavy holiday meal is a great way to do a “Day After” Detox plan.  I usually recommend juicing vegetables over fruits when doing a juice cleanse particularly if you are prone to blood sugar issues. For most healthy adults though, including a moderate amount of lower glycemic fruits like berries or apples is beneficial.

My favorite vegetables for juice cleansing are:  Kale, cucumber, tomato, radish, bell pepper, and carrot although you can use pretty much any vegetables you like.  I often add a peeled lemon, clove of garlic, and extra greens like dandelion (Healthy for the liver) or cilantro (good for detoxing heavy metals from the body).

Have a Salad Day

After Thanksgiving and all the rich food and sweets I decided to do what I call a Salad Day.  I would eat lots of raw, colorful vegetables, raw nuts, and extra virgin olive oil and lemon dressing for every meal.  Drinking plenty of water between meals is important to remember when doing a Salad Day.  When having a Salad Day, it is okay to add 3 ounces of turkey or tuna if you feel like your body wants more protein.  The vitamins, fiber, and phytonutrients found in the greens help fortify your body and can help flush toxins from your heavy holiday meal the day before.

Favorite raw salad vegetables and ingredients:

Detox Foods

Organic salad greens/spring mix

Spinach

Bell pepper

Zucchini

Tomatoes

Carrots

Avocado

Berries

Nuts (almonds, walnuts etc.)

Drink Lemon Water

Lemon juice is one of the most alkalizing and essential elements of any good detox plan.   I use lemon juice in everything from my favorite recipes and salad dressings to drinking lemon water specifically to detox and cleanse. Lemon juice contains loads of vitamin C and is a potent detoxifier and immune booster.  Drinking water with lemon first thing every morning helps to stimulate bile and cleanse the liver and kidneys while water helps flush toxins and rehydrate the body after sleep.

Take Detox Herbs and Supplements

Many detox herbs actively cleanse the liver, kidneys, and colon.  It is important to drink plenty of water when working with detox herbs as part of your detox plan and seek guidance from a health professional if you have any health concerns or questions about detoxification.  Many of these herbs are available in over the counter capsules, drops, or teas.

Some helpful detox herbs:

Licorice

Milk thistle

Slippery Elm Bark

Dandelion

Ginger – Aids digestion

Turmeric

Black Walnut Hulls and extract

Bentonite clay

Zeolite

Do a Fiber Cleanse

Taking fiber 2 times a day during a “Day After” detox plan can help keep your bowels moving and prevent constipation.  Preventing constipation with a fiber cleanse is important around holiday meals particularly if you are eating a lot of  gluten, bread, cheese, and rich holiday foods that are already low in fiber and constipating.

To do a fiber cleanse, add 1 tablespoon of an all natural fiber blend (avoid the sugary and artificially sweetened fiber blends) to water, stir well , and drink it down immediately to avoid thickening.  Make sure to drink plenty of water before and after you take your fiber drink.  Good ingredients to look for in a fiber supplement are psyllium fiber, chia seeds, and flax seeds.  Some other blends may contain slippery elm bark, black walnut extract (an anti-parasitic) and cinnamon which can help regulate blood sugar.  I like to add some flavored stevia to my fiber cleanse before I take it.

Starting a “Day After” Detox plan the day after a big holiday meal can help you feel lighter and healthier, and help you maintain your weight through the holidays.  If you know that you’ve had a lot of less than optimal foods like those containing sugar and gluten, a light detox of clean, healthy food can help you get back on track.