Post Thanksgiving "Clean Up"

I hope all of you in the U.S. had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Now that the day is over, we slide right into the Christmas holiday full force. How will you handle this next month?

You are going to be stressed, busy and if you're not sleeping, the carb monster will rear its ugly head and take total control of you.

The average person has the ability to gain a solid 10lbs. between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Wouldn't it feel great to be a loser during this next month? Hey, being a loser in this sense of the word is a great thing!

Now is the time to make some choices for your post Thanksgiving "clean up". You can finish your left overs this weekend and plan to start fresh on your healthy eating plan first thing on Monday. This is going to require some planning and diligence on your part. Pull from the very core for strength and resolve. If you've just begun your healthy diet plan, this will be especially difficult for you.

If you're an experienced champ, you have probably already jumped right back into action with breakfast today. Congratulations!

It's a good feeling to be in the "hop back on with the very next meal" club. You are setting yourself up for lifetime success!

If you've got leftovers, here is some advice for you. Take note of how you feel at this very moment. Are you feeling lean and energized or do you feel tired and bloated? If it is the latter, let this be your very first sign that a carb heavy meal is not the optimal choice for day to day eating. If you're new to this site or any plan, you've experienced that elation of the dehydrating effect of carbohydrate restriction. After that large carb heavy meal, it takes you back to those old days of carelessly stuffing ourselves with highly insulinogenic disease causing foods. As Jeff Foxworthy might say "Here's your sign". Your sign is the bloat and lethargy and not only is it a sign, but a valuable lesson in foods that heal and foods that kill. I'm sure that's a book but haven't the author's name at the tip of my tongue.

If the left overs are abundant, you might freeze them for other family members who are not following the same plan. Donate them to a neighbor who might not have enjoyed the pleasure of Thanksgiving dinner, let the family eat them up while you get back on your plan taking advantage of focusing on yourself for a few days. (This is the time to treat yourself to a nice filet or your favorite food that others don't particularly care for)

If there is a small amount left that you find yourself returning to the refrigerator for time and again, just throw it out. I say this of course with great compassion for those who might be suffering monetarily.

L-Glutamine, an amino acid can work wonders if you're experiencing cravings. 1000-1500 mg. 3x a day can keep the craving monster at bay. If you're really suffering, open a capsule under the tongue for and in about 3 minutes, your craving will disappear.

Get that turkey carcass into a pot and get your soup going! Remember, there is a fabulous bone broth recipe on the website for you to refer to. Grab your celery, onions and carrots as well as your favorite spices and start simmering!

You can jump right back on plan with the very next meal and my goal is to help you achieve that sometimes difficult task.

Never in history have we had access to such an abundance of food as we do today. I'm not even sure there's a pause between Halloween and Christmas and the junk food diving we do is perfectly acceptable.

We act like hummingbirds in need of that constant draw of sugar water to maintain our energy levels from an over stressed, under nourished world we live in today. Don't be that carbohydrate dependent person because it only guarantees "dis-ease".

No matter your "clean up" choice, don't allow it to manifest through the Christmas Holiday or you begin again in 2012 with that same old resolution we've all faced year after year and a mountain of guilt that can be paralyzing and self destructive.

The perfect diet to gain control of those cravings would be the Restricted Phase I plan.

Our Real Love, Chocolate!

Chocolate comes from the cacao tree (genus name theobroma cacao, meaning 'food of the gods') which grows up to 12 feet tall in the rainforests of Ivory Coast, Belize, and other equatorial countries. 

The tree produces large pods that look like footballs, which contain seeds known as cacao beans. The beans are harvested, fermented, roasted and ground into a powder that is the basis of chocolate. Why does this matter? Because cacoa pods are berries. That's right. Chocolate is a fruit. In its unprocessed form, it is one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. It is full of flavanols, potent antioxidants that neutralize free radicals in the body. 

In fact, Cornell University food scientists discovered that cocoa powder has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine, and three times more than that of green tea.

Chocolate is also high in minerals including magnesium, calcium, and zinc and it contains the substances tryptophan, PEA and anandamide, which trigger the release of numerous feel-good brain chemicals. 

No wonder our love for chocolate is almost euphoric! 

Try a few squares of high quality dark chocolate for some of the less healthy treats you already eat. It's important to choose dark chocolate, since the addition of milk appears to inhibit the beneficial antioxidant effects. So yes, your favorite hershey's milk chocolate is out!

The healthiest ways to indulge your chocolate cravings is by eating raw organic unprocessed cacao beans, also known as cacao nibs which can be purchased at your local health food store. 

They can be eaten by the handful, or added to trail mix. I make a nice trail mix with walnuts, fresh organic coconut shavings, dehydrated blueberries and cacao nibs. 

The next best option is organic unroasted cocoa powder (non-alkalized.) Mix it with heavy whipping cream for a delicious chocolaty drink or use it in baking.

Another great way to get your healthy chocolate fix is by eating organic dark chocolate with the highest percentage of cocoa and lowest amount of refined sugar (bitter or semi-sweet dark chocolate.) Since the good news about dark chocolate is out, it is widely available, even at your supermarket! 

My favorites are Endangered Species 88% (pretty hardcore) and Green & Black's organic 85%.  The photo above is my special "Mock Almond Joy" utilizing coconut butter and almond butter.