The Holiday Detox

What does it mean to you? I think all of us get through the holidays eating, drinking, then eating some more of whatever we want and tell ourselves it only is Christmas time once a year, pushing any worries about the affects on our body into the New Year. This is when the New Year's resolutions happen and we make big plans for changes in the coming year. I have never been one to make resolutions, but I do plan on spending the month of January detoxing my body, cleaning up my diet and getting back into my regular exercise routine as I gear up to start my new business as a Health Coach. My body is so ready to go back to the healthy foods again, large amounts of fresh vegetable and fruit, less cheese, sugar and processed wheat products. It is amazing how my body has been affected particularly by all the sugar (alcohol & baked goods) leaving me sluggish, tired and grumpy. I have found a 3 day Holiday Detox online that I really like as a good jumping off point for something easy to follow in getting the body back into its healthy habits. I plan to start with this detox the first week of January and move into high whole food diet, no alcohol for the month of January and very limited sugar (a small piece of dark chocolate in the evenings). I believe this plan will help me get back in tune with my body, increase my energy level and drop of few of the extra pounds added in the past few months. Here is a link to the holiday detox:
 http://health.yahoo.net/experts/joybauernutrition/holiday-detox
Stay tuned for updates on how the detox is going!
Coming soon: workshops starting in January including Sugar Blues and Green Smoothie 101 food demos.

Winter Green Smoothie

My love for green smoothies has continued into the winter months. I love the energy and vibrancy it gives me in the morning and makes me feel ready to face the day. I found a really great recipe that focuses on more ingredients that you can find in the winter and I really enjoy it, especially the tartness of the cranberries with the collards and green cabbage. I tweeked the recipe a bit (of course) because I thought it was too thick. This makes 64 ozs, which carries me through 2 mornings. Be sure to add some fresh lemon juice to help preserve it for the next day. I like to store mine in a mason jar with a tight lid.

Winter Green Smoothie

2 granny smith apples, cored and cut into large chunks

2 pears, cored and cut into large chunks

handful of fresh or frozen cranberries

handful fresh pomegranate seeds (optional)

1 T raw cacao nibs (optional)

2-inch piece of fresh ginger

2 cups of water

1 cup ice

6 to 7 large kale leaves

4 to 5 large collard greens

large chunk of green cabbage (about 1 to 2 cups chopped)

handful of fresh parsley

Place apples, pears, cranberries, ginger, and water into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Stuff in the greens and blend again until smooth. Add more water for a thinner smoothie.