Your Post-Holidays Food Coma Recovery Plan
After indulging in the pleasures of the holiday season (as we all should!), make sure to reset your body with clean, detoxifying, whole foods. Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet is one of the best things that you can do to feel your best self, especially after a few naughty but nice treats!
At Thistle, we believe in the power of plants, and in eating (and drinking!) the rainbow. Our meals are primarily plant-based, and the fruits and vegetables we serve are packed with nutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants sourced seasonally from local farms to ensure only the freshest, most nutrient-dense ingredients make it to your plate.
Here are our 6 steps to get you back on the health wagon.
1. Start with a protein + fat packed breakfast.
At Thistle, we pack our breakfasts with plant-derived proteins and fats to promote sustained energy throughout the day. We shoot for at least 10 grams of protein and up to 25 grams of healthy fats, and stay away from any processed sugars. Going low-sugar, especially in the morning, helps to balance your hormones, which plays a huge role in your energy levels and mood throughout the day.
Consuming a protein-packed breakfast can reduce overall body fat mass as well as reduce daily intake of calories, due to feelings of fullness. In addition, this kind of satiating breakfast stops the brain from sending out signals related to food motivation and reward-driven behavior.
Image Credit: @loveandloathingla
2. Eat the rainbow.
Did you know that fruits and vegetables get their vibrant colors from the phytochemicals and antioxidants that they contain? After eating unhealthy for a short period of time, it’s important to get these 5 color categories back into your daily diet immediately.
- Red fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, beets, watermelon, and kidney beans are high in the antioxidants lycopene and antocyanins. Lycopenes prevent heart disease by hardening arteries.
- Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables like carrots and oranges contain high amounts of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene improves night vision, skin health, and bone health.
- Green vegetables are rich in vitamin K, which prevents the risk of getting chronic illnesses.
- Blue and purple fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids, which are compounds that help destroy cancer cells.
- White vegetables like apples, cauliflower, and cucumber, contain high amounts of dietary fiber which protect against high cholesterol and strokes.
At Thistle, we incorporate all five of these color categories into our meals and juices to provide you with the largest array of nutrients possible. So, be safe in the knowledge that you are getting a well-balanced, nutritionally designed meal with every Thistle delivery!
3. Up your water and tea intake.
Most Americans do not drink enough water. Want to check if you are drinking enough? Take your body weight, divide it by 2, and you should be drinking that amount in ounces. If you are dehydrated, you actually have the possibility of mistaking thirst for hunger and therefore overeating. On the opposite end, you can never drink too much water. Drinking water hydrates your skin so that it looks full and youthful, plus it replenishes your cells, flushes out your liver, and can even lift your energy levels.
In addition, add herbal teas to your daily routine! We recommend drinking a variety of teas throughout the day — about 4 cups total during a reset period. Tea curbs appetite, improves digestion, fights illness, and induces a restful sleep.
Image Credit: @loveandloathingla
4. Go for more raw.
Getting more raw veggies into your diet is often quite hard. Fresh vegetables go bad quickly and unfortunately, they require LOTS of planning (sigh). But with Thistle, that’s all done for you. We provide a nice mix of delicious salads, juices, and snacks all comprised of raw, healthy ingredients to ensure that you get the optimal levels of nutrients into your diet (don’t worry, we have cooked components too!).
Raw vegetables boast high levels of heat-sensitive nutrients. Many nutrients are destroyed when vegetables are cooked at high temperatures. Nutrients like vitamins A and C cannot stand up to high temperature levels. In addition, nutrients like folate and vitamin C that are water-soluble leach out into cooking water. For example, raw broccoli has three times more of the enzyme myrosinase than cooked broccoli. Myrosinase helps your body fight off carcinogens and other cancer-causing substances.
In addition, Thistle’s juices are cold-pressed. Cold-pressed juicing machines also do not expose the juices to heat. Heat can damage vital nutrients in the juices. Therefore, our raw cold-pressed juices contain as many nutrients as the original fruits and vegetables. Our juicing machines don’t shred up the vegetables and fruits, which exposes them to air, causing oxidation. So, basically it’s a win-win!
5. Focus on portion control.
Portion control is all about filling your stomach with fibrous foods that contain high amounts of water. These high volume foods will fill your stomach, while simultaneously suppressing your appetite. We love healthy fats (from sources like avocados, nuts and seeds) and small portions of protein-rich, nutrient-dense grains (like quinoa and amaranth) to help keep you satiated, energized, and glowing throughout the day.
On a Thistle meal plan, it’s easy for you to control how much food you put into your body. We portion each of our meals perfectly to ensure you get all the nutrients you need — whatever your lifestyle. We recommend incorporating more raw or steamed veggies into your diet to help you fill up on the good stuff. If you feel strong hunger pangs in between meals, reach for a piece of fruit. Fruit is full of water and fiber, which will give you immediate satisfaction.
—
Ready to embark on a new eating regimen? Check out the Thistle menu. We’ll make your transition easy by delivering plant-based meals to your door each week. Enter the code NOMOREFOODCOMA for 30% off your first delivery.
Sharing is caring. Have a friend trying out a diet? Send them this article and get them started on the right foot by gifting them two free meals with the Thistle referral program.
