Did things get a little crazy this Thanksgiving ? Were you double fisting turkey legs while polishing off a whole bottle of wine... by yourself ?Did you stuff your face with stuffing or snack on leftover Pumpkin Pie for breakfast? If so, it's not too late to start fresh and get your body back into shape before the holidays.

While it's always fun to throw your inhibitions to the wind and indulge your every desire, you might find yourself feeling sick and sluggish this winter. After Thanksgiving, many tend to continue the celebration by feasting on poor food choices for the next month, waiting till New Years to kick their bodies back into shape. Well, why wait when you can start now!

Firstly, I am not a big fan of intense cleanses. I don't believe in starving your body after a night of shameful indulgence. This type of lifestyle can be very harsh on the body because you are continually changing from two extremes. First, you stuff yourself with an abundance of junk food, salt, sugar and alcohol and then deprive your body of nourishment. When you undergo intense cleanses such as " The Lemonade Diet" or "The Master Cleanse," (a liquid mono diet where you live off of water, lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 to 40 days) your body goes into shock and believes there is a famine. Since your body's main goal is to survive, it sets up a defense mechanism called " The Starvation Response." According to Joshua Rosenthal, founder and director of Integrative Nutrition, "your body will suck up every calorie from the small amount of nutrients you give it and when you finally break the fast your body will rapidly put on weight." Also, many become so ravenous after these cleanses that they binge eat. As you can see, this entirely defeats the whole point of cleansing.

In contrast, I believe cleansing should an ongoing process by incorporating more raw living foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. Instead of fasting, begin cleansing by going back to basics. Trade in massed produced, genetically modified foods for light, fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Now instead of starving , you'll be giving your body what it truly needs, while removing toxins and heavy metals. Bellow are a list of foods created by Jordan Rubin who is one of the most recognized and respected natural health experts.

1. Avocados : high in fiber, potassium and vitamin E

2. Flax Seeds and Chia Seeds: rich in fiber, fatty acids, promote healthy cellular structure

3. Raw Coconut Cream: medium chain fatty acid that promotes positive intestinal environment

4. Raw Vegetable Juice: provides vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants

5. Blueberries: low in sugar and high in fiber superfood, rich in antioxidants

6.Cucumbers: high in fiber and minerals and are perfect for hydrating

7. Tomatoes: a gentle form of fiber and rich in vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene

8. Raw Cultured Veggies: sauerkraut in particular has billions of live probiotics and active sulfur compounds that help detoxify the liver (our major fat burning organ)

These foods are ideal for getting your body hydrated and nourished. A few things to eliminate during this natural cleansing process are:

1. Processed Foods

2. Refined Sugar: (white table sugar) stick to natural sugar like honey or stevia (which has 0 calories ... your welcome !)

3. Refined Grains: ( white bread, bagels ) If its white ... it aren't right ! stick to whole grains like whole wheat bread, brown rice, oats, quinoa

4. No Caffeine !

5. No Alcohol

Try eating these foods for a week. Many such as myself, feel so good eating this way that living

foods become primary in my daily diet. Your body will have more energy, you'll be hydrated and you'll be getting plenty of fiber, minerals, vitamins and nourishment.

" to eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art"

... La Rochefoucauld

Peace, Love & Rock'n Roll

Happy Healthy Hippie