Big Cookbook Announcement…and a Detox Confession

I did something some might call crazy last week. I did a detox. Now on the surface that doesn’t seem so crazy for me–I like to do a detox a few times a year. But last week in particular was a bad week? to do it. First of all, I started it the day after Thanksgiving. Detoxing during the holidays seems crazy, right? I mean what’s point of detoxing after one feast when there are still two holidays with heavy foods and sweets to go? Well, believe it or not, it’s not a bad idea.

Here are 3 reasons why it’s good idea to detox during the holidays.

1. It’s a great way to cut cravings. I may be a health coach but I’m still human–meaning I still get cravings. Sweet cravings, in particular, especially this time of year. There are many reasons people get certain types of food cravings, but a big one is that the body remembers what it’s had most recently, and it often craves more of that. This time of year, between Halloween candy and pecan or pumpkin pie, there’s often a lot of extra sugar in our systems. So once the December holidays roll around, it’s the sight, smell, and mere thought of candy canes, cookies and more pies, and chocolate santas that make our mouths water. Plus, the holidays can be emotional and stressful, which is likely to make people crave larger quantities of these foods. So a strategically timed detox is a great way to get excess sugar out of the system and also ensure smarter food choices during the next holiday.

2. Get glowing holiday skin. Sugar is part of the Skin Trigger Trifecta (find out the other two culprits in my book, Love Your Skin, Love Yourself), which is a main cause of skin conditions like acne, and flare-ups of rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis. Cleansing the body of excess sugars and built up yeasts is a great way to make sure the skin looks its best for the holidays.

3.? Set yourself up for successful socialization. When you do a detox, your body doesn’t only release physical toxins–it also releases built-up mental and emotional toxins like stress and negative thinking patterns. Think about it. As you prepare to visit with family, attend holiday work functions, and potentially meet new people, would you want to go as a ball of stress and negative energy? Wouldn’t it be better to approach from a more balanced, peaceful, level-headed, and positive mental and emotional perspective?

See now holiday detox doesn’t seem so crazy, right?

But that’s not what makes my detoxing last week crazy. Here goes. A big part of this particular cleanse is 5 days of liquid fasting. Which I planned for during the week last week.

I already told you that my husband, Chef Joe, and I are writing a new cookbook, right? Well Saturday was the photo shoot for all the sauces and dishes that will be featured in the book (and the pictures are AMAZING–can’t wait for you to see!). So I spent every day last week preparing different sauces and planning the foods that each sauce will be featured with on the plate. Since I was fasting I had to rely on Chef Joe and the kids to taste each sauce.? When you detox, it’s common for your senses to become heightened…particularly your sense of smell. Let me tell you, the amazing aromas that wafted throughout my entire house the entire week were absolute torture! Plus I had to make a few extra trips to the grocery store for extra ingredients–being around food while fasting is never fun.

The good news is that I was able to break my fast on Saturday, so after the shoot, we all got to eat the food. And it was all delicious.

On the topic of the cookbook…

It has a title! My email subscribers were the very first to know, and this is the first official public announcement. Our cookbook will be called…drumroll please…

The Sauce Code: 7 Combinations to Unlock Exciting New Flavors in Your Favorite Foods.

We got the idea to do a book about sauces, because in our household, adding different sauces to our favorite staple foods is the key to getting ourselves out of food ruts. You know…the food rut is what happens when you learn a few good basic recipes that you end up preparing over and over again each week until the kids start saying “didn’t we have that last night?” By adding a colorful and flavorful sauce, you can make your favorite foods taste exciting and new again–something the whole family will appreciate!

Each sauce in the book is also super-versatile, and can be used on many different types of foods in many different ways: as a salad dressing, a dip, a marinade, a spread, on meats, in side dishes–so one sauce can get you a good variety of meals and healthy snacks. Oh yeah…and they’re all good for you! Each sauce in the book is gluten-free and vegan–though we do show some of them on meats and fish. Are you as excited as I am? Stay tuned for more saucy updates (subscribe for exclusive updates), and get a preview in Chef Joe’s post on Dad Men Walking.

Does a holiday detox sound like a good idea for you?

Like I said, detoxing during the holidays has a lot of benefits. But detoxing…especially when fasting is involved…should not be done lightly and is BEST done under professional guidance. It’s one of my specialties, and the way I do it is different from how other coaches do it. If you think it sounds like it might be a good idea for you, check out my 90 Day Reset & Recharge program. If you have specific questions or aren’t sure if a 90 day program is right for you, I can put together a program that will fit your needs, lifestyle, and budget. If this sounds good, let’s Hash it Out together.

*Image 1 from trazomfreak