‘Tis the Season

I love Christmas as much as the next person.  But what I don’t love is the 8-10 pounds I typically put on through the holidays as well as the general lousy feeling I work to achieve.  And I’m pretty certain I’m not the only one who experiences this – all over the rationale, “But it’s Christmas.”  The fudge, the cookies, the breads and pastries – all because it’s Christmas.  When I think of this, the real magic of Santa is not the flying reindeer or millions of homes he invades all in one night; Santa’s miracle is that he’s not yet a diabetic with heart disease and inflammatory bowel disorder!

Unfortunately, I don’t believe the indulgent traditions of Christmas feasting are soon to change.  Admittedly, broccoli florets and artichoke hearts in the stockings don’t quite spark the holiday cheer.  So here is what I propose: enjoy the holiday season as guilt-free as possible and start new in January.  Of course many people do this every year with a gym membership or an exercise DVD.  But one new resolution that most people have not tried is a detoxification program to cleanse out all the toxins we’ve accumulated in our system.  I’ve always advocated that everyone should do a cleanse once a year and right after the holiday season is the best time.  Several of us in our office have done the ten-day program designed by Metagenics nutritional company and the results are great.  After the first few days, you can expect to experience more energy, better sleep, less pain and muscle soreness, clearer thinking, and the list goes on.  Over time, the buildup of toxins from the environment and lifestyle choices can compromise the way our bodies work and even lead to disease processes.  I heard an expert on the subject put it this way: “It’s not a question of whether or not people are toxic.  It’s a question of how toxic are we?”

This detox by Metagenics works to cleanse the liver, kidneys, and bowel.  I’ve done several different programs in the past, but what I like about this one is that it is only ten days and you should not be hungry on the program.  As long as you stick to the permissible foods in the book that accompanies the package, you’re allowed to eat as much as you choose.  The Metagenics program has also been proven to help rid the body of heavy metals such as aluminum and mercury that have been implicated with neurological disorders such as M.S., Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.  Whether you choose this same program or not, please consider an annual detoxification as part of your health and wellness plan for 2018.  In the meantime have a very Merry Christmas and I hope you are able to reconnect with family and friends and focus on all that we have to be grateful.