Slow it Down......

It's finally over.
Thank god.  
The holidays are over. 

Our last family Christmas party was yesterday and I could not be happier .  I LOVE the holidays but I am also so happy when the first Monday after New Years comes.  It's the first day of back to "normal".  Back to our schedules, work, clean cooking, and water in the morning not a mimosa, triple chocolate mocha or leftover cookies.  I am very thankful for this as is my wicked dry skin and dehydrated body!

This resolution is all you need in 2015.  Just be more awesome at everything you do.





So here it is, the first Monday.  Time to start eating healthier and ridding your body of all the processed foods and sugar from the holidays.  Sounds easy right?  Fat chance.  Well, for me anyway. I find it hard the first week cutting out the sugars, yummy treats and rich foods.   Sugar acts like a drug in your body, it can even cause withdrawl symptoms when you cut it out completely. Sugar activates the same brain regions as cocaine!!!!!  If you think you are in a bad mood going back to work after your holiday vacation, try cutting out all sugar!  Some studies have shown will be cranky, get headaches, cause fatigue and flu like symptoms.  With that being said and saving my family from me being a even bigger bitch, I cut out sugar slowly. 

My breakfast this morning.  8 ounces of vegetable juice and 1 piece of whole wheat bread with coconut oil.  This still has natural sugar in the fresh juice as well as sugar in the bread but for me it was better than the breakfast casseroles and left over desserts of weeks past. 

For lunch I will make a smoothie with fresh coconut water and frozen bananas and maybe some raw almonds or egg white salad.  Again, not cutting out sugar, just choosing natural sugar.  If I am on the road, I will grab a chia bar and almonds to snack on and skip the smoothie.  

Here is an amazing chopped salad recipe I am making tonight for my lunches the rest of the week....

• 2 broccoli crowns
• 1 head cauliflower
• 2-3 carrots
• 1 small bunch kale (stems removed)
• 1 cup parsley
• 1/2  cup sunflower seeds
• 3/4cup almonds, chopped
• 1 cup dried berries (cherries, cranberries, blueberries)
• 1 cup raisins
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or other mild flavored vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Salt & pepper (to taste)
• Top it with unsweetened organic coconut ( see next blog for recipe)

1. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into florets.
2. Cut the carrots into large chunks.
3. Roughly chop the kale.
4. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process the broccoli, cauliflower, kale and parsley until fine and add them to a large mixing bowl. (It will probably take more than one batch)
5. Process the carrots and add to the bowl.
6. Stir to combine.
7. Add the sunflower seeds, almonds, and dried fruit.
8. Stir to combine.
9. Add lemon juice, vinegar and syrup.
10. Toss to coat.
11. Taste, and add salt and/or pepper as needed.
12. Top each serving with unsweetened organic coconut ( see next blog for recipe)   
    
       
    
      This makes a huge amount of salad so share with your friends:)

Dinner will be easy.  We cook lean protein dinners with veggies all the time, so getting back on track will be easy.  I am actually looking forward to a big plate of roasted veggies, they are my favorite!

It's all about smarter choices.  Check out this list of sugar names that are on labels.  Take a picture with your smart phone and reference it in the store or on labels.

1. Barley malt                                        
2. Beet sugar
3. Brown sugar
4. Buttered syrup
5. Cane juice crystals
6. Cane sugar
7. Caramel
8. Corn syrup
9. Corn syrup solids
10. Confectioner’s sugar
11. Carob syrup
12. Castor sugar
13. Date sugar
14. Demerara sugar
15. Dextran
16. Dextrose
17. Diastatic malt
18. Diatase
19. Ethyl maltol
20. Fructose
21. Fruit juice
22. Fruit juice concentrate
23. Galactose
24. Glucose
25. Glucose solids
26. Golden sugar
27. Golden syrup
28. Grape sugar
29. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
30. Honey
31. Icing sugar
32. Invert sugar
33. Lactose
34. Maltodextrin
35. Maltose
36. Malt syrup
37. Maple syrup
38. Molasses
39. Muscovado sugar
40. Panocha
41. Raw sugar
42. Refiner’s syrup
43. Rice syrup
44. Sorbitol
45. Sorghum syrup
46. Sucrose
47. Sugar
48. Treacle
49. Turbinado sugar
50. Yellow sugar

I'm not going to run into my kitchen and check every label this moment, but I will slowly check them as I buy them.  Take is slow.  If you do anything in moderation it works.  

Don't forget to drink your water.  If you do anything right today, drink a ton of water!!!

Warm water with fresh lemon juice first thing in the morning, then water all day and night.  If you like tea and love those cinnamon hearts they sell at CVS around valentines day then buy this tea:  Harney and Sons   Hot Cinnamon Sunset ( I get mine at Foodies in town)   My go to tea at night since I am not going to eat a large bowl of mint chip ice cream:(

Just remember, no matter what you are trying to change or quit, slow it down.  Slowly eliminate sugar, bad fats, bad carbs or smoking for that matter.  I say this from my personal experiences.  Every time I do something 100% from the starting block, I fail,quit or it never lasts.  If I do it slowly it works.   I find cooking healthy and making new recipes fun and even better when serving it to friends and family:)

I hope everyone is having a good first day back to a full regular week!   Don't forget to take 20-30 minutes today or tonight for you.  Just you.  Alone.  And yes, you do have time. Make time, it's very important  :)   xoxoxo




On the blog this week:  $1.50 Organic Coconut Oil and Un-Sweetened Shredded Coconut!!!!!  DIY!!

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Thanks!
xoxoxoxo  erica