There’s a saying - “New Year, New You” - that I don’t really like that saying very much…what I prefer is “New Year, Improved You!” Although it doesn’t have the same ring to it, I think it’s much better for morale.

This time of year most people are ready to re-invigorate themselves with a mind/body detox in an effort to set a path for a successful year. January and February are perfect for this type of thing – it’s cold and people are broke, which caters perfectly to staying in and refocusing on goals. A primary goal of many is to boost energy and renew a sense of self that will hopefully carry through the whole year.

With that said, many stumble out of the gates and struggle, because, yes, it’s hard; but it also requires a plan.

• Set Goals - Challenge yourself to write down what this detox means you and what you hope to achieve. It helps to have a reference to keep you on track when enthusiasm flags.
• Prepare the People Around You - Family, friends, roommates and coworkers that you normally associate with must know how important this cleanse is to you, so they can properly support you!
• Partner Up – Even the most motivated among us can get derailed without positive reinforcement; doing a cleanse with a partner means that you have a partner in crime. It also helps to have someone who you are accountable to.
• Drink Plenty of Water – The importance of water cannot be overstated – it helps keep us full and satisfied, and helps us flush out our systems, helping us stay hydrated. Aim for at least eight 8 oz glasses of water a day.
• Space Out Meals - Eating every 3 to 5 hours rather than nonstop nibbling helps with not only stabilizing our metabolism, but also helps to identify hunger (meaning you’ll learn when you’re hungry, thirsty or just bored).
• Keep a Journal -Recording what, when and where we eat, as well as how you feel before, during and after each meal, helps to raise awareness and transform relationships with food. A good tip is to start your journal one week before you actually begin your cleanse, that way you have a clearer understanding of your eating habits from the start.
• Stick To Your Guns - Regardless of whether you do it with a partner or solo, when you fall off the wagon – get back on! The key is to stick to your guns. If you have a plan to detoxify, then pull through- you can do it! Even the best of us fall off the wagon sometimes. But the biggest failure we can make is to abandon our plans.

I was always a very inquisitive child. Whenever my mother would say “Don’t!” I would say “Why?” It was my default answer. Looking back to the beginning of my latest series in which I outlined all the things you should not to eat during a cleanse, I realized I didn’t tell you why.

The point of cleansing is to get back to basics with meals made with purifying fruits and vegetables that serve to power our bodies and minds, giving our systems a rest from processed foods and common allergens. That allows us to be more in touch with our bodies and gets our liver, the detoxifying organ, a chance to recoup.

Processed foods and beverages

This seems to go without saying, but while cleansing, and in everyday life, we should endeavor to stay away from processed anything. These ingredients and additives make our bodies work harder to do the same job.

Added sugar

Sugar contributes to weight gain, hormone disruption and dental issues – no matter how you slice, it sugar is bad. It’s processed and has zero nutrients, yet manages to contribute to weight gain. Doctors have even concluded that it may be as addictive as drugs. Between excess weight, inflammation and a hoard of other issues, the case is strong to stay away from sugar.

Dairy

Even if you don’t have an intolerance, you can benefit from giving it up. To combat issues of sluggishness, digestion and inflammation, try almond or brown rice milk.

Gluten

Celiac disease is quickly becoming a very common ailment, but for those of us that just feel bloated, fatigued or moody, it may be due to a small intolerance. This protein found in wheat, barley and rye could be to blame for those kinds of upsets. If this sounds like you, give gluten a break and see how you feel.

Caffeine

This one will be a challenge for most to give up – however, caffeine is false energy that can lead to a masking of a lack of sleep, poor food choices or a highly acidic intake. Caffeine can also manifest negatively as a digestive issue, which can impede the cleansing process.

Alcohol

I mean, we all know that alcohol isn’t good for us, right? Yes, there are key antioxidants found in red wine, but the amount we drink often exceeds the amount that we need. Booze messes with metabolism and is completely devoid when it comes to calories. So if you find you’re lacking sleep or feeling sluggish, stop making your liver work overtime and take a break from the sauce.

Dinner. If you’re detoxing or cleansing, and doing it improperly, dinner time will prove to be the most ravenous time of your day. If cleansing properly, by dinner you should feel energetic and ready to have yet another nutrient-rich meal. Like lunch, dinner should consists of a soup, a salad and/or a smoothie. The difference between lunch and dinner is the protein quotient.

All protein doesn’t need to come from an animal source – there are other ways to get protein into our diet without having to resort to animal-based proteins, which can impede the detoxing process. Protein can be found in abundance in chia seeds, hemp seeds, vegan protein powder, nuts, seeds and many legumes, including the glorious chickpea.

Currently, I’m having a love affair with chickpeas. Whether I’m on a detox or not, these fiber and protein dynamos are a great addition to any diet because they keep us full, and help the body eliminate waste – the whole purpose of a cleanse. Chickpeas make for an excellent detox-style supper because they’re high in nutrients, loaded with fiber, and for those of us who are meat lovers, they act as a fitting meat substitute. Believe me when I say chickpeas won’t leave you wanting more.

This recipe combines some of my favorite ingredients: cauliflower, chickpeas, Curry and coconut milk, and is beyond easy to prepare and 100% satisfying. Because of the ingredients, this meal not only leave you feeling fuller longer, but it will help to regulate your blood sugar, essential to reducing cravings. Because of the coconut milk, this dish will help speed metabolism, too – oh yes, coconut has that power!

Curried Coconut and Chickpeas

• two 398 ml can (three cups) cooked and drained chickpeas
• one head of cauliflower
• four cloves or garlic, minced
• one shallot, minced
• one tbsp coconut oil
• one tsp sea salt
• one tsp Curry
• one tsp turmeric
• one tsp red chili flakes
• 160 ml (1/3 cup) coconut milk
• one tbsp cilantro leaves

In a pot of boiling salted water, blanch the cauliflower by cooking them in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and set aside. Heat the coconut oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat and add the shallots, garlic, curry, turmeric, chili flakes and one-half of the salt. Cook until everything is translucent and fragrant, about 4 minutes or so. Add the cauliflower and cook for 3 minutes, allowing some color to develop, then add the chickpeas and season with the remaining salt. Stir and cook for 3 minutes and then de-glaze with coconut milk. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro leaves and serve!

The other day, I covered the details of what to eat for breakfast while cleansing, so today I want to cover lunch. Lunch is a crucial time – usually we’re at work or out and about, or otherwise needing the use of our brains.

So it is essential that we give ourselves the fuel required to perform our daily duties, while still being able to cleanse our bodies – we’ve all had ‘diet brain’, and it’s no fun.

One of the reasons that most cleansers fail out of the gate is because by the time lunch rolls around our resolve is weakened. We’re flat out hungry by at that point. But there are ways to cleanse our bodies without the feeling hungry or weak.

Fiber is so important during a cleanse because it allows us to feel full while still staying within our boundaries. There are a variety of fibers that are good for a cleanse, including bulgur, quinoa, millet and barley. Taking care to make sure that we have enough fiber in our diets while cleansing will ensure that we don’t get hungry, thus we reduce the cravings!

Another reason why cleansers fail out of the gate is a lack of planning. On Sundays, I like to prepare meals and little fixins’ for the whole week ahead so that there’s never a time where I find myself wondering what to cook for lunch or dinner. I like to have a variety of soup when I’m cleansing because they’re easy to prepare in large batches and they’re super healthy and filling!

One of my favorite go to cleanse soup recipes is made with carrots. I simply juice a pound of carrots, then heat the pulp, the juice and quinoa altogether. I refrigerate it and have it as a go-to lunch – it’s filling and surprisingly delicious, and keeps me going throughout the whole day.

A new product on the market that is rather that is excellent for cleansing is kombucha. This fermented tea contains more probiotics than Greek yogurt and has the natural sweetness and effervescent that makes it feel like a treat. It also helps incredibly with helping our digestion do what it needs to do (be prepared for a lot of bathroom trips during a cleanse!)

Kombucha is a nice addition, and helps get us going without the need for dairy.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention water. Water is important every single day of our lives, especially while cleansing. Our bodies are composed of over 50% water and we need it to carry out even the most basic of tasks. Sometimes thirst manifest itself as hunger, so be sure to drink at least 2 liters of water a day while attempting any type of cleanse or detox.

Fiber. As the commercials go, chances are you aren’t getting enough…but that’s because honestly, most people just don’t. Dietary fiber is found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and it’s best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation. But fiber can provide other health benefits as well, such as lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease. But people are still asking themselves, “What is fiber”?

2 distinct types of fibers: insoluble and soluble

Insoluble fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular, ahem, stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are excellent sources of insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It helps to lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. It can be found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.

Eating a diet rich in soluble and insoluble fiber helps the body in lots of ways!

• Normalizing bowel movements. Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and then softens it. A bulky stool is therefore easier to pass, decreasing the chance of constipation. If you have loose, watery bowel movements, fiber may also help to solidify them because it absorbs water and adds bulk. For some, fiber may provide relief from irritable bowel syndrome.
• Maintain bowel health. A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids or diverticulitis (small pouches in your colon) by helping to remove waste and toxins lingering in the intestines.
• Lowers blood cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol levels. Epidemiologists studies have shown that increased fiber intake can reduce blood pressure and inflammation, which is essential to heart health.
• Promotes weight loss. High-fiber foods typically requires more chewing time, which allows your body time to register when you’re no longer hungry, so you’re less likely to overeat. Also, a high-fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and linger longer, so you stay full for a greater amount of time. And high-fiber diets also tend to be less “energy-dense,” which means fewer calories for the same volume of food.

Smoothies are naturally power-packed with fiber, as everything is blended up and consumed. But what about all the pulp that is simply thrown in the garbage after juicing?

Fiber pulp – useless? No way!

Before tossing out what I consider to be fiber gold, I try to think of how it can be applied elsewhere. I’ve used my wheat grass pulp to make bread and when I juice tomatoes, I save the pulp to add body to spaghetti sauce. It’s really about getting creative. Soups, breads, sauces – you name it – can all be supercharged with the leftover pulp from juicing.

Berry Better Bling

• 2 organic sweet apple such as Fuji, Pink Lady, or other sweet variety
• 1 cup cranberries

The fresh tartness of ruby red cranberries is balanced by the sweet purity of the apples. Juice them together and enjoy this juice as a fantastic pick-me-up and for health. And with only 23 calories per ½ cup, this recipe is a great addition for dieters.

Nutritional and Health Benefits of Apples

The benefits of the apple are well-documented. Click here to get in depth information on why an apple a day is indeed good medicine.

Vitamin C, Manganese and Vitamin K are the key players in Cranberry health bennies. But more important are its array of phytonutrients that ‘bring it’ nutritionally.

Cranberries offer 5 major types of phytonutrients:

• Phenolic Acids
• Proanthocyanidins
• Anthocyanins
• Flavonoids
• Triterpenoids

These phytonutrients are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. In fact, it is the special combination of phytonutrients in the cranberry that make this small red fruit such a nutritional powerhouse.

Urinary Tract Health: Cranberries have a well-earned reputation for the prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs). This particular superpower of the cranberry is its content of the phytonutrient combination of proanthocyanidins. This phytonutrient simply stops the adhesion of bacteria to the urinary tract lining and thereby stops or inhibits the infection.

Anti-Inflammatory: Cranberries help reduce inflammation in both the cardiovascular system and in parts of the digestive tract. It is in the role of anti-inflammatory that the cranberry truly embraces all of its phytonutrient content.

• Digestive Tract: One of the digestive tract benefits is anti-inflammation to our gums. The consumption of cranberries reduces the incidents of gum disease. Also, the intake of cranberries reduces inflammation of the stomach and colon. And perhaps reducing the risk of stomach ulcer and cancer in these sensitive areas.

• Cardiovascular Health: The special combination of phytonutrients strikes again in promoting cardiovascular health. Cranberries help reduce the inflammation in our blood vessels, reducing the incidence of plaque formation and wall thickening. With this reduction of oxidative stress, cranberries assist in lowering high blood pressure.

Cranberry Lore

The cranberries that we know and love today are native to the Americas. Native peoples enjoyed this fruit cooked and sweetened with maple syrup or honey. Cranberry sauce is indeed a traditional recipe.

Native peoples also used the cranberry as a source for red dye and for decoration. This fruit was also used in healing as a poultice for wounds. The cranberry was known to be astringent, help contain bleeding, and also have antibiotic properties.

The fruit was so popular that these deep red berries began to be exported to England by the 18^th century.  Even though there are other forms of cranberries in Europe and Asia, the American version is the most cultivated worldwide.

Cranberries are cultivated throughout the U.S., Scandanavia, and in Great Britain. The most interesting cultivation took root (literally) in Holland, when a shipwreck with a cargo of cranberries washed ashore the island of Terschelling.

Selection and Storage of Cranberries

Cranberries have a short season, with a harvest time between September 1 and October 31. Available only from October through December, choosing a quality cranberry is an absolute necessity. Choose fruit that is deep red in color and that are firm to the touch. They should appear plump and full of juice. The darker the red of the cranberry, the more anthrocyanin compounds the fruit contains.

Organic berries may be available in the traditional 12 oz plastic bags or in smaller pint containers. If you’re lucky enough to find bulk berries, choose the firmest, plumpest, and reddest.

Store fresh cranberries in the refrigerator for up to 20 days. Before placing the bag in the fridge, open it and remove any discolored, soft, or shriveled berries. Like most fruits, the decaying fruit can hasten the decay in the remaining fruit.

Cranberries can be frozen for several years. To preserve them properly, place the berries on a cookie sheet and let them freeze through. Then place them in plastic bags and return to the freezer.  Use thawed berries immediately.

Sources:

http://www.whole-food-supplements-guide.com/health-benefits-of-cranberries.html

http://www.cranberryinstitute.org/healthresearch.htm

The holidays have arrived, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier! This is the time of year for cheer, but it’s also the time of year when our liver – the organ tasked with detoxifying our entire body – gets kicked into overdrive.

Eggnog, toddys, chocolates, and indulgent meals all force the liver to work harder to process everything going in, under the conditions of very little sleep and too much stress no less.

This contributes to a feeling of sluggishness which is characterized as the Christmas blah’s. But this is the time of cheer after all – so do yourself a favor, and help bring back the cheer to your liver with these purifying strategies!

Morning Glory

Starting every morning in December with a simple tonic of hot water and fresh squeezed lemon juice helps deliver antioxidants, such as vitamin C, to our livers, which help boost its ability to work properly.

Power Packed Protein

By boosting a smoothie with the addition of nuts or chia seeds, you’re supplementing the liver with amino acids that are crucial for it to be able to remove toxins immediately. Aiming for high-quality protein, about 60 g per day is important, so stay away from saturated animal fats, as they will only serve to stress the liver more.

Fiber Is Your Friend

Getting a steady supply of cruciferous vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, broccoli and dark leafy greens, and eliminating wheat and swapping it for healthier alternatives like millet or brown rice, helps to reduce allergic reactions, thereby allowing the liver to work more effectively. Having a steady supply of fiber keeps the gut strong, and the gut is the core of immunity in the body.

Taking in enough fiber through smoothies ensures regular bowel movements, which remove toxins collected in the liver.

B Vitamins

Nuts, like almonds and pecans, and legumes like lentils, are brimming with B vitamins. Finish off smoothies, brown rice and cereal with a tablespoon of wheat germ to boost B vitamin and fiber intake. Thiamine, an essential B vitamin, may also improve the body’s ability to withstand holiday induced stress, which takes a toll on the system.

Extreme Green

A daily green juice or smoothie will help detoxify the liver and supercharge your system with antioxidants that repair cell damage. Vegetables like kale and Swiss chard turn the liver on, so it can begin flushing toxins out of the body.

The holidays are one of the best times of the year; full of parties, togetherness and a carefree approach to health. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Stave off holiday sluggishness by boosting your liver function with these easy to adapt holiday health tips!

Oranges are like having instant access to the sun. Not only is their bright orange color and ball-shape reminiscent of our life-giving star, but they also burst onto the taste bud scene with light, crisp brightness – much like the sun does in the morning!

As the seasons turn and our bodies adjust, keeping ourselves healthy is the number one priority. No one likes a cold and no one wants the change-of-season-sniffles to keep them from enjoying autumn and winter beauty.

Luckily, we have oranges. Prime season for this sunny fruit is from winter to spring. Obviously, oranges are Mother Nature’s way to bring us sunshine all year round. Conveniently packaged for portability, an orange is a bright way to liven up your day in the colder months.

Nutritional and health benefits of oranges

Check out the Immune Boosting and Cancer Preventing Benefits of one of the most popular fruits in the world:

Oranges deliver the sunshine as Vitamin C. One orange contains over 116% of the daily value required for our bodies. Of course, large doses of Vitamin C are known to be beneficial over the short and long-term. If you’re feeling peaked, power-packing some Vitamin C can give you a grand pick-me-up and even help prevent seasonal colds. Vitamin C may also be helpful in preventing ear infections, especially if you’re prone to them.

Vitamin C’s antioxidant power is well documented. Eating an orange or fresh juicing one is the first stop in cell protection against free radicals. An orange a day will keep damage to DNA (and the resulting cancer) away. For cells that turn rapidly, such as our digestive tract, it is thought that regular consumption of Vitamin C is especially helpful in the prevention of cancer.

Citrus seems to offer the most protection against digestive tract cancers, including those of the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, and colon. Orange juice (and other citrus like grapefruit juice) has been shown to reduce the risk of kidney stones. And citrus, especially orange juice, may reduce the risk of stomach ulcers.

Drinking orange juice is good for you – all the way through.

History of this delightful little sun fruit

Oranges are Asian in origin – from an area in South China and Indonesia, in fact. They spread to the Middle East in the 9^th century and onto Europe in the 15^th century through trade routes.

Oranges came to the Americas via Columbus in the 15^th century. First, he brought them to the Caribbean, and then Spanish explorers were responsible for bringing oranges to The Sunshine State of Florida in the 16^th century.

Oranges weren’t commonplace prior to the 20^th century due to the expense of production and transportation. As a result, they weren’t widely consumed by the masses. A person might be given an orange once a year during the holidays, for example. It was a staple of my childhood to have an orange in the toe of my stocking each year.

Tidbits about oranges

Oranges come in two varieties (more like tastes): sweet and bitter. Most common for eating are the sweet orange including Valencia, Navel, and Jaffa, and the lovely blood orange. Bitter oranges are typically used for jams and jellies. The zest of bitter oranges are used as liqueur flavorings like those found in Gran Marnier.

Selection of oranges

Choose organic, as non-organic oranges may have been injected with a Citrus Red Number 2 dye. Organic oranges, as a result, typically aren’t as “orange-y” in color. Oranges that are partially green or have a brown russeting are fine to choose.

Steer clear of oranges that have soft spots or any mold. Their appearance should be smooth textured skin that is firm. The orange should feel heavy for its size, which means they’ll be juicier.

Another reason to choose organic is that oranges are in the list of top 20 foods where pesticide residues lurk.

Bodacious Booster Shot

• 2 oranges, peeled
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1″ or 2” piece of ginger

Juice everything together and supply your immune system with a jet pack. The immune booster will keep you healthy and strong when you’re feeling a bit run down or that scratchy throat.  And remember to relax and take it easy too!

I love cranberries, and frankly, I have every reason to. Aside from their diverse culinary implementations, cranberries are, in my humble opinion, a super food. Charged with antioxidants and nutrients, cranberries aren’t only for the holiday table.

Some nutritional benefits of cranberries

This deep crimson and tart autumn fruit is packed with healthy phenolic acid, an antioxidant that keeps bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract, helping to prevent the dreaded UTI. These protective effects also serve to benefit men, as it helps protect the prostate as well.

And studies have shown that cranberries may help prevent colon cancer by calming inflammation. Being well endowed with dietary fiber and vitamin C also makes cranberries even more festive than the season would suggest. All this vitamin C contributes to the health of the heart, our lifeline, as one study found that young adults with higher plasma vitamin C also had lower blood pressure.

Cranberries also lend themselves to many culinary combinations, which make them easy to get  into your body!

Compare and contrast fresh vs. frozen cranberries

Fresh Cranberries: They’re available from September to November are perfect for baking and sauce-making, but I prefer to blend them into a juice. The process of making fresh cranberry juice is little involved, but completely worth it.

Here’s a quick recipe: add 4 cups of fresh cranberries to a lemon juice and water mixture. Blend on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until a thick liquid is achieved, and all the solid chunks have disappeared.

Place the lidded blender container in the refrigerator and allow it to seep together overnight. Remove the container in the morning to find the liquids separated, and strain the cranberry juice through a fine mesh strainer into a medium saucepan. Discard any solid material, and you’ll have a fresh tart cranberry juice!

Frozen Cranberries: These will be available year round. So when the fresh variety is out of season, frozen cranberries are a perfect and equally nutritious option. They’re perfect in a holiday smoothie!

Here’s a quick recipe: blend 1 ½ cup frozen berries, ¾ cup vanilla almond milk, 1 cup water, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp honey and 1 tbsp Greek  yogurt until smooth. Enjoy your very festive and heart-healthy winter smoothie!

There are plenty of ways to utilize this wonderful autumn berry – whether frozen or fresh – so you can enjoy the benefits of cranberries year round!

photo: ScienceDaily

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t see some anti-aging claim splashed across my television screen. These days people are on a quest to douse themselves in the Fountain of Youth, chasing promises of serums and potions claiming to have captured that magical formula that can turn back the hands of time.

And although I do believe that creams and potions can help the cause, I think the “glow” associated with youthful looking skin comes from within – and what we put within!

It’s about putting the right stuff in your body – like wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is one of the best things that anyone can put into their body; not only for healthier, more youthful skin, but for a vivacious feeling of energy. So what is it in wheatgrass that makes it such a powerful anti-aging combatant?

The answer is simply that wheatgrass contains chlorophyll (not bora-phyll, as Billy Madison has insisted), amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes that all aid in the body’s processes.

Chlorophyll is very similar in structure to hemoglobin, the substance in human blood that makes it red and facilitates the delivery of oxygen to human cells. People who swear by wheatgrass juice as a daily tonic insist that the high concentration of chlorophyll provides the greatest anti-aging benefit.

Further, wheatgrass drinkers also report increased energy, better digestion, better sleep, and improved circulation.

Recent studies on probiotic bacteria, which play a major role in healthy digestion and the prevention of disease and cellular aging, have shown that colon health is much more important to whole body health and youthful cells than was previously thought. You can read a whole article I wrote on probiotics by clicking here!

Wheatgrass juice is rich in vitamin B12 because those very same probiotic microorganisms live on the wheatgrass too! It’s a scientific blow to the magical cream distributors, and 1-point for the argument that enzymes and minerals found in the foods we put in our bodies have a bigger impact on our overall health, and therefore the aging process we all inevitably undergo.

OK. How do I get wheatgrass in my body? Does it come in cream-form that I spread on my face?

Sadly, no. But there are a variety of ways to include wheatgrass into your diet. Of course you can take your wheatgrass straight with or without a chaser in its most popular consumption method as a shot.

Pickup our most popular wheatgrass juicer, the Lexen Healthy Juicer, by clicking here. It’s electric and it rocks! It also comes with a 100% money-back guarantee and it qualifies for free shipping!

You’ll also need a wheatgrass grow kit – snatch up an easy and affordable grow kit by clicking here. It’s simple, easy to use, and best of all, in just a few days, you’ll be taking shots of wheatgrass and turning back those hands of time yourself!