We know that you have wishes and plans for the new year. Yet after the lunches and dinners of the holidays it is difficult to resume the normal daily rhythm. Moreover, soon you have to go back to work, the children go back to school and maybe you prefer to have a few more days off.
The reason is that during the holidays we relax and between lunches and dinners, desserts and drinks, even our body has become accustomed to relaxation and has entered a non-work mode!
Even for the more athletic, finding time to do some physical activity is difficult, since you have to think about gifts and visit relatives …
Here we find ourselves at the beginning of the new year a little lazy and out of shape, from the physical and mental point of view.
Traditional dishes are often rich in carbohydrates, fats, sodium and sugars, nutrients that, in excessive amounts compared to requirements, contribute to the increase of fat mass, swelling and the accumulation of harmful substances. At the same time, alcohol causes an overload of liver work.
Consequently it is useful to resume regular physical activity as soon as possible and to accompany the sport to a diet that can satisfy the nutritional needs of our body, using seasonal foods.
Now it’s time to get back in shape to counteract weight gain. In fact, one or two pounds taken during the holidays are not a big problem, it is a temporary accumulation that is easy to eliminate if you act quickly.
In this way we will be quick and active, ready to start work with determination and energy. Finally, let’s not forget health, as the stomach and liver, if subjected to severe stress, can give rise to annoying disorders.
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It is likely that in recent weeks our home has been filled with foods rich in fat and sugar. Among those bought by us to prepare Christmas and New Year’s lunches and dinners we have to add the many presents of neighbors and relatives, such as boxes of chocolates, homemade cakes, wines and spirits. Here are some tips to avoid continuing to overeat even after the holidays.
- Store long-term foods. If there are packages of food or bottles still intact, let’s put them aside. Check the expiring date and keep these delicacies in the pantry. You can use them at next birthdays, parties or dinners with friends. If they are typically Christmas sweets that it seems strange to eat in March, you can always reuse them and modify them to create new recipes.
- Store leftovers. If you have opened boxes of chocolates or cookies, put them in an airtight container. This will preserve them for many weeks and you will be able to eat them much later, use them to make other sweets on Sunday or serve them with tea or coffee.
- Freeze. Baked products and leavened products such as cakes or pastries cannot be stored for a long time, especially if they are homemade. They can be eaten at breakfast instead of other foods, or as children’s snacks. If you have so many, let’s freeze without thinking twice!
- Spirits and drinks last a long time even if the bottle has been opened, so you have no excuse, put them away!
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Any detox diet bases its effectiveness on proper hydration, therefore on adequate water consumption (at least 2 liters per day) and the choice of fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables and foods that facilitate digestion.
We all know the feeling of bloating and too full belly, but we don’t all know how to remedy it without using medicine. In a diet, for example, we can choose whole sources of complex carbohydrates (bread, pasta, crackers, rusks, etc.) because they bring more fiber and more micronutrients (mineral salts and vitamins) than the refined product, and also increase the sense of satiety, facilitate intestinal transit and reduce the glycemic index of the meal.
Fatigued by the consumption of sweets, the liver is, together with the kidneys, the main responsible for the elimination of toxins in our body: it must therefore be supported with a healthy and correct diet in its purifying function. Beneficial effects include a reduction in cholesterol production. In particular, foods rich in vitamins A, E and C and iron and zinc are valuable.
To follow an even more balanced diet, specialists recommend that you take mainly seasonal foods. From this point of view, winter offers us a choice between different varieties of fruit and vegetables typical of the coldest months of the year.
- Orange and lemon. In any variety, oranges and lemons are precious because they are true concentrates of vitamin C, useful for purifying the body and for strengthening the immune system.
- Grapefruit. Among citrus fruits, grapefruit differs because it contains provitamin A, C, D, B1, P. Due to its purifying function, it accompanies the anti-tumor and anti-cholesterol function.
- Kiwi. Not everyone knows that kiwi is one of the richest fruits of vitamin C: eaten alone or inside a fruit salad, it will allow the body to regain its balance.
- Cauliflower. In this vegetable both vitamins (A and C) and minerals (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron) are most important for our purifying organs. The other components of the cruciferae family (broccoli, cabbage, cabbage, Roman cabbage …) rich in vitamins, mineral salts, fibers and anticancer substances are also indicated.
- Artichoke. Known for its digestive capacity, the artichoke promotes diuresis and lowers cholesterol levels, increased by typical Christmas dishes.
- Fennel. With fennel-based dishes, it is possible to act on abdominal swelling, as well as on digestion facilitation. In fact, many digestive teas are made from fennel.
The expert’s advice is to consume 2 portions of fresh fruit a day and at least 2 portions of seasonal vegetables, to be inserted both at lunch and dinner, varying the type and color in order to provide all the micronutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the body.
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Without having to start a liquid diet, it is important to consider carefully what to drink. The advice from nutritionists and doctors is the same: avoid alcoholic beverages, from beer to wine, for at least 15 days. The so-called “dry days” help to deflate and eliminate a few hundred superfluous calories from the daily count. Liquids are however important: between water and herbal teas, it is necessary to remember to consume at least 8 glasses per day.
Tea and herbal teas, during the winter, are not only useful for heating up, but have important purifying and detoxifying properties. It is important to remember that sugar is not added to herbal teas, it is possible to sweeten it with a little honey or stevia. We recommend in particular:
- Mint tea. Rich in vitamins C, A and D, mint contributes to the purification of the organism, facilitating digestion and acting to eliminate excess toxins.
- Green tea. This drink has a dual function: on the one hand, it is a concentrate of antioxidants, on the other it stimulates the metabolism.
- Dandelion based herbal tea, precious for purifying the body.
- Fennel or artichoke based herbal tea: very useful to stimulate and facilitate digestion.
- Ginger herbal tea. The root that is widely used in Christmas cake recipes can also support us during the detox diet: in fact, ginger-based herbal tea has many all-round beneficial properties for the body.
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Herbal teas are very useful for rebalancing the body, but of course we must continue to feed ourselves adequately. We can resume our normal eating habits, eating meat, fish, eggs, pasta, rice, vegetables and fruit, paying attention to cooking methods and limiting seasonings.
For example, fruits and vegetables tend to lose their properties if stored for a long time, or if prepared using aggressive cooking methods, such as frying. The ideal is to consume them fresh and raw or by adopting appropriate cooking methods, such as steam cooking in order to preserve the nutritional characteristics of the food as much as possible. Cut into small pieces, used as condiments or even juices, thanks to a centrifuge or an extractor they will be useful, but also tasty.
Butter and oil. There is no reason to eliminate them, but it is appropriate to use them sparingly. Similarly, condiments such as mayonnaise or mustard add many superfluous calories and overload the digestive system. To season the dishes, we can use vegetables to create tasty and light sauces, such as rocket or spinach. They are obtained by chopping a small bunch of vegetables with some almonds, a little oil, a pinch of salt and water. In the same way we can use cooked vegetables like zucchini, broccoli and pumpkin.
One of the lightest sauces to dress salad and fish is the yogurt sauce. It is prepared with low-fat yogurt, a little oil and seasoned with garlic, turmeric, paprika or parsley to taste. If instead we want a sweet sauce we can add a little honey.
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Herbal teas are very useful for rebalancing the body, but of course we must continue to feed ourselves adequately. We can resume our normal eating habits, eating meat, fish, eggs, pasta, rice, vegetables and fruit, paying attention to cooking methods and limiting seasonings.
For example, fruits and vegetables tend to lose their properties if stored for a long time, or if prepared using aggressive cooking methods, such as frying. The ideal is to consume them fresh and raw or by adopting appropriate cooking methods, such as steam cooking in order to preserve the nutritional characteristics of the food as much as possible. Cut into small pieces, used as condiments or even juices, thanks to a centrifuge or an extractor they will be useful, but also tasty.
Butter and oil. There is no reason to eliminate them, but it is appropriate to use them sparingly. Similarly, condiments such as mayonnaise or mustard add many superfluous calories and overload the digestive system. To season the dishes, we can use vegetables to create tasty and light sauces, such as rocket or spinach. They are obtained by chopping a small bunch of vegetables with some almonds, a little oil, a pinch of salt and water. In the same way we can use cooked vegetables like zucchini, broccoli and pumpkin.
One of the lightest sauces to dress salad and fish is the yogurt sauce. It is prepared with low-fat yogurt, a little oil and seasoned with garlic, turmeric, paprika or parsley to taste. If instead we want a sweet sauce we can add a little honey.
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