All it takes is one day of overindulging to start beating ourselves up for how “bad” we are being this holiday season. I won’t go into details about the cheesy gluten filled pasta shells I overindulged in last night BUT I will tell you my favorite tricks for QUICKLY reversing the damage and reminding your body that you are on top of your game!
1- Apple Cider Vinegar
Everyone says they know that this is supposed to be good for them but a.) they don’t believe it, b.) they don’t know what to do, and c.) they don’t do it even when they know what to do.
Here’s why ACV is so healing. Your gut likes to have an alkalized “temperature” of 7.4. The enzymes and good bacteria that live inside the apple cider vinegar can help this happen for you, quickly and efficiently. Do you see that cloudy substance at the bottom of the apple cider vinegar bottle? That is called The Mother and with a gentle shake of the bottle, all of the probiotics and enzymes distribute themselves and aid your body in healing and nourishment.
I like this blog post here for very detailed info about the alkalizing effects of ACV .
How to ingest? This is easy. Line up a bunch of your own water bottles, fill with filtered water, and add a teaspoon of ACV. Throughout the week, grab an alkalized bottle of water with you everytime you leave the house. You can also add a tsp of ACV to one of your daily glasses of water but I find it easiest to have the bottles prepped and ready to go in my fridge.
Once you have an alkalized gut, it is so much easier to ward off sicknesses, and make healthy food choices (I find that ACV actually stops my sugar cravings)!
2- 2 GIANT glasses of Water Upon Wakening (for the rest of your life)
It’s plain old crazy if you haven’t adopted this habit yet! During a night’s sleep, our bodies completely dehydrate themselves. With every exhale, we lose water. Water is what makes our cells function at their peak performance. You can positively and dramatically alter your health JUST by adding in two large room temperature glasses of water upon rising. Take note of how quickly you have a BM after doing this, and take note of how you crave water throughout the day by adding in this one simple, EASY step. I’d like to see you drink water from a filtered tap (NO PLASTIC please!!!) but I will save that rant for another post 🙂
3-Lemons, Greens and Oil
Recipes to come soon, but in the meantime, keep these 3 healthy foodie tips at the forefront on your decisions. A squeeze of lemon on everything you eat, adds awesome flavor and no calories AND alkalizes your gut.
Greens like cooked or raw kale, spinach, collard greens, mesclun and even romaine at EVERY meal you eat (I sautee salads and eggs for breakfast or add half a bag of spinach into every smoothie). You will get addicted to greens quickly and you will be amazed by how good your gut feels when fibrous, hearty greens dominate your food choices. As for oil, choose from ORGANIC coconut, olive oil, sunflower or grapeseed oil and add on top of salads, veggies, into a smoothie or soup, or even take as a tablespoon of medicine. This lubricates your system, adding healthy fats, which then reduces sugar cravings and keeps your insides smooth!
4-Bone Broth
All the rage, bone broth is really just your grandma’s chicken soup! The carcass has been left on the stove to cook for 8 hours or more (for chicken bones) and 24 hours or more for red meat bones. When the bones cook for this long, they break down and the cartilage and red blood cells are released into the broth, making a very healing broth.
Here at Krush, we drink bone broth daily, and to make it taste and feel super healthy, we add in fresh herbs, turmeric, apple cider vinegar and even grass fed meat and organic vegetables and leafy greens to make it a nourishing meal. Try replacing one of your meals with a similar bone broth concoction and notice how light and satisfied you feel.
5-Enzymes
Enzymes are one of those supplements that make a body feel good. (unlike those ridiculous milk claims this is actually a true statement). Enzymes help finish your gut’s task of digestion. Digestion is hard work and when it is not done to completion, it can make your body feel sluggish, gassy, bloated, and full of cravings. Enzymes likes the ones from Garden Of Life make digestion easier and more complete. These are organic (GMO-free) enzymes that I rely on after a meal, especially during the randomness of holiday eating, to help settle my stomach, aid in nutrient absorption and negate the effects of heavier foods.
6-Plan out your 3 meals
Make a plan for your week. If your ideal week of eating is in writing it is SO much more likely that you will follow it. Here’s how simple it can be:
MONDAY thru FRIDAY:
BREAKFAST:
Vegan Protein SMoothie for breakfast (vegan protein powder, frozen fruit, half a bag of spinach, hemp seeds, and unsweetened almond milk or coconut water)
LUNCH:
Kale Detox Salad: shredded kale, chickpeas, slivered almonds, a few dried cranberries or raisins, grapefruit slices, top with olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt. Add hormone free grilled chicken or another protein if more protein is needed.
DINNER:
Fish, steak, or chicken over stir fried vegetables. Try sauteeing in grapeseed oil or coconut oil, a container of spinach, broccoli, zucchini, and sweet potatoes. Top with a light olive oil dressing. So easy, so good, so light, so satisfying.
DESSERT:
an apple before bed
Eat like this for 5 days. You will be hooked. Please share with me how you feel!!! Then on the weekend if you indulge, ok, no big deal, just get right back to this simple goodness as soon as possible.
7-Tongue Scraper
Prepare yourself for grossness.
A tongue scraper is an inexpensive device that scrapes toxins off your tongue. During the night, every time we exhale, the toxins from our bloodstream land on our tongue. That filmy white stuff on your tongue needs to be scraped off, otherwise you are re-swallowing the toxins.
Tongue scrapers can be found at most health food stores or on amazon. For $10 you are giving yourself a priceless gift. You will be grossed out BUT you will feel the biggest sense of relief that you are no longer ingesting those toxins.
8-Read Something Positive Everyday
Sounds trite, right? The reason I have filled our store (and my nightstand) with positive health related books is that it makes a world of difference to inundate your brain with positive health messages. I think most of us spend our days filled with stress, anxiety, and to-do lists that overwhelm our lives. It’s amazing when you take a moment to read something positive how it can re-frame your thinking and remind you to take care of yourself. Whenever I need an encouraging statement, a new recipe, a health tip or inspiration, I flip to a random page and take the message seriously. My recent, most favorite words of encouragement come from The Blue Zones study. Amazing advice as to how to stay healthy to 100. I’m obsessed and you might be too!
Some of my favorites books are in the store (bottom shelf of the bookcase) and you are so welcome to borrow at any time (please return when you finish feeling inspired)
Stay calm, stay healthy, stay inspired!
Michelle