The Ultimate Juice Cleanse to Kick Off a Healthy Holiday Season
The holiday season presents a wonderful opportunity to catch up with old friends, spend quality time with family, and of course, over-indulge in delicious comfort foods. While we love spending time over the holidays with the ones we love, this can also be a highly stressful time of year, especially for those of us trying to follow a healthy holiday diet. With seemingly endless social engagements, hours of travelling, and parties to plan, it can be overwhelming to say the least. Not surprisingly, many of us find comfort in unhealthy foods and sugary or alcoholic drinks, all of which can wreak havoc on otherwise healthy diet and exercise plans. The good news is, we’ve found a way to kick off a healthy holiday season with a cold pressed juice cleanse, so you can breeze through November and December feeling (and looking) your absolute best, no matter what obstacles are thrown your way. If you’re feeling crazed already with the holidays lurking closeby, take a look at our tips below to have your healthiest holiday yet. They’re easy to follow and remember, and we promise you won’t regret putting your health first, especially when you look in the mirror on January first. Before we dive in with the ultimate holiday juice cleanse and other great tips for a healthy holiday, let’s talk about unhealthy triggers and what to keep an eye out for this season.
Unhealthy Triggers to Watch Out For
Yes, holiday parties can be a blast, but they can also be riddled with opportunities to overindulge. Plus, many “healthy” holiday snacks are not as healthy as they may seem. No, we are not saying you should avoid dessert altogether, or that you’ll ruin your diet if you have one cocktail, but below are a few things to keep an eye out for at your upcoming holiday parties to help you stay on track:
Rich Sauces and Dressings
Your grandmother’s famous Swedish meatballs may seem like they’re a high protein, low carb option that could fit right into your diet, but foods like this, with rich, decadent sauces, can pack a ton of calories into a small package. Swedish meatballs, in particular, are packed with heavy cream, butter and white bread, all of which could sneakily derail a night of otherwise healthy eating.
Heavy Holiday Cocktails
We’re not saying you can’t enjoy a holiday cocktail at your company’s party. However, not all cocktails are equal, especially when it comes to fat and sugar content. Watch out for egg nog, in particular, as this popular holiday drink is packed with sugar and cream, adding hundreds of calories to your drink. Opt, instead, for a champagne-based cocktail or wine spritzer and you’ll save at least half the calories, and avoid a sugar hangover in the morning.
Creamed Anything
Yes, spinach is packed with healthy vitamins and minerals, but enjoy it creamed and you’re in for a ton of extra calories and fat. Same goes for loaded potatoes. While these foods may seem like healthy options since they are vegetable-based, don’t be fooled. It’s always best to choose foods that are prepared simply.
Fruitcake
But it’s filled with healthy fruit, you say. Sure, that’s true, but what you don’t see is the sugar content, maple syrup, and butter loaded into that small slice of fruitcake. Opt for fresh fruit over this popular dessert every time.
Candied Yams
Yams are a great option as a side, but candied yams present a whole slew of unhealthy issues, one being they’re high sugar content. We agree that they’re delicious, but candied yams are simply not worth it. Instead, choose roasted yams with a bit of salt and pepper, so you can enjoy this healthy veggie in its natural state.
Hors D’oeuvres
We’re not saying that you need to run fast and far when the hors d’oeuvres are passed, but do be mindful of what you’re consuming during cocktail hour. It can be easy to pop a small bite into your mouth, and then another, and another, and...well, you get the idea. Eat mindfully, and pay attention to how much you’re consuming. Even small bites can add up.
Veggies with Dip
That crudite plate may look like the ultimate healthy choice, but beware of what you’re dipping your veggies into. Creamy dips like spinach and artichoke pack a huge number of calories and a ton of fat. Plus, it’s difficult to moderate how much dip you consume, especially when you’re consuming it with veggies. Snack on veggies alone, or opt for less creamy dips whenever they’re available.
Start the Holiday Season with a Mini Juice Cleanse
There is no better time than now to try out a mini cold pressed juice cleanse from Pure Green, the fastest-growing juice bar franchise. Not only does a cold pressed juice cleanse rid your body of unhealthy toxins, it also clears up your skin, provides a ton of extra energy, and acts as a reset button on cravings for unhealthy fats and sugars. With holiday parties galore coming up, wouldn’t you love to be looking and feeling amazing? You may be thinking to yourself that right before the holiday season is the worst time to cleanse, but hear us out. This cleanse should be mild, short in duration, and relatively easy in terms of detox symptoms. Below is an overview of what this cleanse can include, along with expected detox symptoms and results:
Pure Green’s Healthy Holiday Juice Cleanse
Duration: 3 days
Juices per day: 4
Plan Details
This pre-holiday cleanse is perfect for a beginner, or a seasoned cleansing pro looking for a milder pre-holiday option. It involves drinking four cold pressed juices throughout the day, and eating a simple, healthy dinner in the evening consisting of mostly raw or lightly cooked produce with a small serving of lean protein. Plenty of water should be consumed throughout the day. Our cleanse pros can tailor a plan to fit your goals, but some cold pressed juices we’d recommend for this cleanse include the Rockin’ Beet, Pure Greens Apple, Coconut Hydrate, and Soul Kick. When consumed throughout the day with plenty of water, these cold pressed juices flush toxins from your system while allowing your digestive system to rest. The energy normally required for digestion is then used to help flush the liver and kidneys, clearing out excess toxin buildup.
Results
We recommend following this plan for up to three full days before the holiday season kicks into high gear. During your cleanse, you may experience headaches, tiredness, breakouts and mild irritability, but because this is a gentle cleanse that allows one meal in the evenings, your symptoms will be mild. Once your cleanse is complete, you’ll likely see clearer, glowing skin, shiny hair, increased energy, renewed digestion, improved memory function and a general lightness. You may even shed a few pounds along the way, which definitely doesn’t hurt before the holidays. Right now is the perfect time to cleanse because not only are you improving your body from the inside out, but you’re also virtually squashing cravings in their tracks by resetting your system. Those who are prone to nighttime or sugar cravings may find that they no longer have a taste for unhealthy foods, since this cleanse resets the system and reduces cravings.
The best part about our healthy holiday juice cleanse is that it can be repeated anytime during the holiday season. A pre-holiday cleanse is an excellent way to prep the body for the upcoming chaos, but a quick reset can also be amazing in the midst of the excitement. You may even opt to cleanse for one day during the season, and you’ll find that you still see great results in the form of less bloating, better skin, less stress and reduced cravings.
Give the Gift of Health
There’s no better gift than the gift of health, so consider gifting yourself with a holiday cleanse this season and take on the holidays your best self. We also love giving cold pressed juice as a holiday gift to loved ones, as a gift like this shows that you care not about material things, but about helping those around you live their best lives.
Have healthy tips to share for the upcoming holidays? Reach out to us with your favorite ways to stay healthy and we’ll share them on our next post! Want to cleanse but not closeby? No problem! You can order a cleanse online from Pure Green and it will be at your door in no time. Remember, we’re always here to help you through the holidays and we love hearing from you. Wishing you all a healthy and happy holiday season, filled with good food, friends and healthy habits!