How to reset your body in 5 simple steps. Whether you're coming back from vacation or trying to kickstart weight loss, these tips are easy and effective.
The holidays are over and you're probably a little like, “well now what!?”. We spend so much time racing round to get everything ready for the holiday season that once it's over and you have a moment to breathe, you realize you haven't been taking the time you need for yourself.
For a lot of us, the last few weeks of the year are kind of like “throw up your hands and go with it” weeks. We inevitably know there are going to be parties, family gatherings, more food, more sweets, more alcohol. And that can lead to us feeling not so great.
So we set a goal to get back on track in the New Year.
Sound familiar? I want to challenge that and share why I think waiting another whole week to “get back on track” isn't worth it. Because I believe there are a few very simple things you can do to reset after the holidays and get back to your healthy habits in no time.
How to Reset After the Holidays
These tips will look different for everyone and will depend on what your goals are. We will be talking later this week about weight loss, so this post isn't specifically going to be geared to that. This is geared towards breaking any unhealthy habits that you might have made over the holidays and getting back to your baseline.
People say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so what I want you to do is take these tips and implement them into your life for the next 21 days. At the end of this post, you'll find more info about how you can join our 21-day reset program which takes all these practices and puts them into an easy-to-follow 21-day plan. It's definitely how you take it to the next level!
1. Eat MORE Plants
I've talked about the power of plant-based foods many times before, but I truly believe that all the vitamins and nutrients we need exist in the plant kingdom. During the holidays you might not have quite as much control in terms of the food that's being served and since veggies still aren't “cool” in most places, I'm guessing there wasn't much variety for you.
That's why my first tip for resetting after the holidays is to add more plants back into your diet. I can be as simple as starting your day with smoothies instead of oatmeal, or roasting up veggies to have for lunch all week. Or serving a side salad at dinner. It doesn't mean you have to be vegan, it's that I want you to try to get a fruit and/or vegetable at every meal.
Your Takeaway: eat at least one FULLY plant-based meal every single day
2. Support your gut
By now it's been shown through countless studies that what's going on inside our gut manifests on the outside. Feeling tired and lethargic? Not sleeping well? Feel like you're in a bad mood all the time? Struggling with gas, bloat and/or constipation? These could all be signs that the microbiome in your gut is off. Because our gut pretty much controls everything that happens inside our body.
So what I want you to do over the next three weeks is to focus on supporting the bacteria in your gut. That means reducing inflammatory foods like gluten and dairy and adding in more anti-inflammatory foods like plants. I also want you to add digestive bitters into your diet like lemon and ginger to help your system digest more easily.
Your Takeaway: limit gluten, dairy, soy, and other inflammatory foods and add in more plants!
3. Drink a TON of water
Did you know that 74% of us walk around dehydrated? That stat blows my mind because proper hydration is key to feeling your best. When we're chronically dehydrated, we suffer from things like fatigue, bloating, weight gain, constipation, dull/dry skin and so much more. When you're properly hydrated you feel like a million bucks!
So pick up that water bottle. Make that extra cup of tea (or two!). And make sure to check the color of your pee – we're looking for a very light yellow color. That's a sign that you're properly hydrating yourself.
Your Takeaway: drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day (150 lbs = 75 oz of water PER day minimum)
4. Say no to sweets and alcohol
Chances are over the holidays you were surrounded by sugar and alcohol. I know I was! From all the cookies I was making for the blog, friends, and family, to the parties, gatherings, and dinners out with friends I went to, post-holidays my body always needs a break.
Sugar and alcohol are both really hard on your system, especially when you overdo it. Too much sugar can lead to more unhealthy cravings and poor eating habits, as well as weight gain, water retention, disrupted sleep, acne/breakouts and more. Too much alcohol can do similar things but is also quite a burden on your liver which can hinder things like fat loss and proper detoxification.
Your Takeaway: skip sugary foods and alcohol for the next 21 days (yes it's hard, but it's also 100% worth it)
5. Embrace the fat
Fat is one of those things that has been completely vilified by the diet industry for years. We've been conditioned to think that fat is bad. That fat makes us fat. When in reality fat is SUPER important for our health and a key component to weight loss.
Nowadays, with the rise of diets like paleo and keto, I think fat has become more popular, but there is definitely still a large bunch of people who are scared to add fat into their diet. So let me share why fat rocks and why you need to be eating it.
Fat is…
- energizing: you'll have more long-term energy when you eat fat
- satiating: fat is more satisfying to your body so you'll stay fuller for longer (meaning less snacking over the long run)
- protecting: fat is one of our body's best protection mechanisms – it insulates us from heat loss and protects us from trauma
So it's time that we start adding fat into our diets. I like to tell my students to make sure they're having a healthy fat at every single meal. That way you know you're balancing things out and not skimping on this essential nutrient. If you need some ideas, here's an article I wrote about how to get more healthy fats into your diet.
Your Takeaway: make sure you're having a healthy fat with every single meal (including snacks!)
What's Next? Join our 21-Day Reset Program!
If you're the type of person who can take these tips and run with it, amazing. But if you're more like me and you do better with an exact plan to follow, then our 21-day reset is perfect for you!
We've designed this program to be a way for you to get back to eating healthy, nourishing your body from the inside out and learning how to make delicious food in your own kitchen. In just 3 weeks, you'll not only feel great, but you'll also be sleeping better, your skin will be glowing and you'll have kickstarted weight loss.
In general, people who follow this program lose between 5 and 10 pounds. And the best part? It doesn't feel like a diet! The food tastes amazing, it's satisfying and filling and you can adjust it based on your activity level.
I'd love for you to join our next round of the program. I know it will help you reach your goals and help you feel like a total rockstar! ♡
