December is upon us and while this time of year brings a sled full of family, friends, food, fun and festivities, we tend to put our health on the back burner and wait until its resolution time to start thinking about cleaning up our diets again. Next comes the inevitable mad rush on News Years day… (ok, maybe the 2nd cause, well, brunch) …to google the “top 5-day detoxes” or “how to lose 10 pounds in 3 days!” Sound familiar?

If you’re sick of the usual post-holiday blues…try something different this year! Rather than waiting until the holidays are over to think about detoxifying or undoing the damage you’ve done all month…head into the holidays armed with a game plan to help minimize the damage before its done!

By taking a few simple steps to support your body’s natural detoxification system, you can “clean as you go” and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the new year on January 1^st, rather than feeling slow and sluggish from your post-holiday hangover.

Here are my top 10 healthy detox tips to help you make this holiday season a little healthier…

• Drink plenty of filtered water to help your liver and kidneys flush toxins from your body…a good goal is to drink ½ your body weight in water every day.
• Save the spirits and sweets for party time and between events try to eat a whole foods diet with a focus on organic fresh fruit and veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, legumes, nuts, seeds and sustainable lean protein sources.
• Eat foods high in fiber. Fiber binds to toxins and helps remove them from our bodies. As the saying goes, “better out than in!” Some high fiber foods include: apples and pears with the skin on, beans, oats, berries, and dark colored veggies such as beets, carrots, collard greens, artichokes, and sweet potatoes.
• Eat plenty of foods in the Brassicas family such as broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, and spinach. These veggies are high in fiber, folate and full of powerful phytochemicals!
• Get plenty of B vitamins by eating whole grains, leafy greens, legumes, and choosing grass-fed animal products whenever possible.
• Include some sulfur containing foods in your diet such as garlic, onions, leeks, shallots and pasture raised eggs. Sulfur containing foods help fight chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.
• Eat the rainbow! Colorful fruits and veggies are packed with antioxidants which help to protect against ROS, reduce our toxic burden and support glutathione production. (Glutathione is one of our bodies most powerful antioxidants and a detoxification superhero)!
• Add spices and herbs to your meals! Cilantro, cinnamon, turmeric and ginger, among many other herbs and spices, help promote your body’s natural detoxification pathways.
• Find ways to eat more fermented foods to promote a health gut microbiome. Did you know that close to 70% of our immune system is in our gut? That’s why it’s important to feed those good bacteria with plenty of fiber and fermented foods! Some of my favorite fermented foods include grass-fed Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar and kimchi.
• Eat and drink your greens! Leafy greens and green tea are loaded with antioxidants and detoxifying phytochemicals. Try skipping that second coffee and switch to green tea instead!

Lastly, get plenty of sleep and keep up with your exercise since sweating is another way our body removes toxins!

I came across this salad online a few years ago, added a few ingredients to boost the health benefits and now it’s a detoxifiers delight! Perfect for lunch and topped with a piece of seared wild salmon or free-range chicken for an awesome and healthy detoxifying dinner!

Seriously Delicious Detox Salad adapted from a recipe found on Gimmie some Oven.com

Detox Salad Ingredients:

• 3 cups finely-chopped kale leaves
• 2 cups finely-chopped broccoli florets (I lightly steam mine first)
• 2 cups finely-chopped red cabbage
• 1 cup matchstick (shredded) carrots
• 1 cup roughly-chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds or sunflower seeds
• 1 ½ cups garbanzo beans
• 1/3 cup thinly-sliced green onions
• 1 avocado, peeled pitted and diced
• 1 batch Carrot Ginger Dressing (see below)

Carrot-Ginger Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly-chopped
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil (or any mild-flavored cooking oil)
• 1 tablespoon finely-chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon white (shiro) miso (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

To Make the salad:

1. Add all ingredients together in a large bowl, and toss to combine.  Serve immediately.

 To Make the Carrot-Ginger Dressing:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, and pulse until completely smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

I hope this gives you some simple and easy ideas on how to stay a little healthier this holiday season!

Wishing you all a very happy & healthy holidays!

Liz