The Top 3 Most Unhealthy Christmas Foods and Why They’ll Make Your Metabolism Cry

Gaining a few pounds over the holidays is as traditional as placing presents under the tree. But this doesn’t have to be the end.  Are you willing to put the work into making your holidays happy AND healthy? If you want to learn how to lose weight fast during the holidays, just take a look at the worst of the worst and a simple resolution to avoid them.

#1: Fruitcake and  other stollen (rich, Germanic breads)
While exact recipes have some considerable variation, there are general common themes that tend to spell bad things for one’s fat tissue levels. These breads are incredibly dense by default, but they’re also crammed full of additives that have had all the nutrition cooked right out of them. Marzipan, sugar, and other fattening products are added on top. Even the ‘traditional’ recipes aren’t safe, as they often add to the sheer density of the food by soaking it in liquids like brandy.

#2: The cheese log
Your standard cheese is far from healthy, of course. But the cheese log you’ll find in most stores is one of the least natural and most fattening. Empty carbs like olives and diced peppers further pad out a log that is mostly, by and large, made of heavily processed cheese and cream cheese. But most of the flavoring and coloring is entirely artificial! You can create a marginally healthier cheese log at home, but the bulk of the ingredients will still be fat, and you’ll still be eating that log with sausage and crackers – more carbs you probably don’t need.

#3: Eggnog (Mmmmmmm…. one of my personal favorites)
Such a fixture of the winter season that you may overlook this beverage altogether, it’s actually probably the worst thing you can drink! With eggs, cream, sugar, and liquors, the body of the drink consists of just about everything that’s bad for you that it’s possible to convert to liquid form. Chocolate shavings or whipped cream for a topping won’t help, either. Commercial varieties in particular often contain more sugar than you’d even think necessary. Stick with homemade versions over store bought if you choose to indulge!

On a final more general note, always pay close attention to the sugar and butter used in traditional holiday dishes and beverages. You can get away with reducing the amounts significantly if you make your own, but the products you’ll find on the shelves won’t bother with even the usual pretense of health. After all, no one expects holiday food to be healthy… but it’s still up to you to try, if you care about your body!

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Perfect Holiday Turkey Recipe

This recipes is perfect for any holiday feast. Light, healthy, and very tasty! Herbs are always a great thing to add to your diet.
They have great health properties as well as lots of flavor!

Perfect Holiday Roasted Turkey

This recipe serves:  8

Ingredients
1 whole fresh turkey, 10 to 14 pounds
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 bay leaves, crushed
2 medium onions, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 carrots, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 stalks celery, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 shallots, peeled and halved

Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Remove the giblets from the turkey and save them for another use or discard. Rinse the turkey, inside and out, with cold water and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out.
3. If you are using fresh herbs, chop them. Combine the herbs, bay leaves, onions, carrots, celery and shallots together and stuff the mixture into the cavity of the bird.
4. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Rub the olive oil under the skin of the turkey. Tuck the wings back, under the bird and truss it. ( Google trussing if you don’t know what it is )
5. Place the turkey in the oven and roast until the skin is golden brown and crisp, the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a sharp knife, and a meat thermometer reads 170°F, about 3 hours. While it cooks, occasionally baste the turkey with the juices that collect in the roasting pan.
Note: Allow the turkey to rest for 20 minutes and check that the temperature has come up to 180°F. (The bird will continue to cook after removing it from the oven).
6. Transfer the turkey to a serving platter. Remove the vegetables from the cavity and discard. Let the turkey rest for about 20 minutes before carving, and then serve.
A serving of turkey is around 6-7 ounces…. about the size of the palm of your hand.

Nutritional Information
Number of Servings: 8
Per Serving:
Calories: 290
Carbohydrate: 0 g
Fiber: 0 g
Fat: 8 g
Protein: 49 g

To get started with an easy to use, healthy meal plan check out the fat loss factor program.

Healthy Holiday Green Beans

I can’t take credit for this recipe, It is courtesy of Whole foods,one of my favorite places to shop.
I do love Green Beans and this is a perfectly delicious and healthy recipe!

Green Beans With Shallots And Almonds

Serves 6 to 8
Serve these green beans on a large platter with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the top.
They make a great side dish for holiday meals as well as roasted fish or grilled shrimp.
Ingredients:
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound fresh or frozen green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
2/3 cup blanched almond slivers, toasted

How To Cook:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and light golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add shallots to hot, drained green beans. Add parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and toss gently. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with almonds and serve.
Nutrition
Per serving :3oz ( hand sized portion)
Calories: 110
Carbohydrates: 7g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 9g

The fat in these green beans comes from healthy olive oil and almonds. This side dish is a very nutritious extra to serve at your holiday feast. To get started with your own healthy meal plan, check out the Fat Loss Factor program. Enjoy!

Protein Packed Holiday Smoothies That Burn Fat All Day Long!

These recipes are sure to brighten anyone's Holiday. If you are looking for a delicious holiday treat but do not want to destroy the progress that you worked so hard for, try one of these recipes. They are packed full of holiday goodness and healthy ingredients that are guaranteed to give your metabolism a boost and slim down your waist line.

Delicious Candy Cane Coffee

1 cup vanilla almond milk  (or, 1 cup brewed coffee)
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1- 6oz. cup Greek yogurt -vanilla
1/2 tablespoon instant coffee (more or less to taste) (you don’t need this if you are using coffee in place of milk)
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or a spring of fresh mint if you have it
1 candy cane (if desired-can be omitted)
Blend using Magic Bullet or Blender.
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition Info:
Calories:  274
Protein:  40 grams
Carbs:  16 grams
Fat:  4 grams

Gingerbread Cookie Shake

1 cup vanilla almond milk  (or, 1 cup brewed coffee)
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1- 6oz. cup Greek yogurt -vanilla
1/2 tablespoon instant coffee (more or less to taste) (you don’t need this if you are using coffee in place of milk)
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or a spring of fresh mint if you have it
1 candy cane (if desired-can be omitted)
Blend using Magic Bullet or Blender.
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition Info:
Calories:  274
Protein:  40 grams
Carbs:  16 grams
Fat:  4 grams

Protein Pumpkin Pie Mousse

1 scoop Prograde Vanilla Protein Powder
1 6-oz. Plain or Vanilla Greek yogurt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tablespoon 100% Pumpkin (not pie filling)
Blend in food processor, put in a fancy dessert cup, and enjoy!

Nutrition Info:
Calories:  225
Protein:  42 grams
Carbs:  10 grams
Fat:  1 gram
Smoothies take little to no time to make and can really bring your metabolism back up to it’s fat burning capability. I bet you didn’t realize that eating healthy could be so good! Give it a try today.

If you haven’t gotten you copy of our ever popular Fat Loss Factor Program or if you’d like to learn a simple tip on how to lose weight fast to boost your metabolism, you can click the link and watch a short video.

Happy Holidays!

5 Easy Ways To Find Foods That Will Detox Your Liver Naturally

Five Great Foods That Will Keep Your Liver from Conking Out

Ask anyone how healthy the typical Western diet is, and they’re likely to say ‘Not very!’ One of the first organs to fall victim to bad eating is the liver, due to its many functions and variety of stresses placed upon it. If you want your liver to still be healthy and to work with your metabolism, you’ll have to add a little something special to your diet.

However, these additions don’t need to be huge alterations to your lifestyle. Most of the things that will keep your liver going for the long haul are perfectly ordinary foods that cost less than what you’re already eating!

Fruits known for being high in antioxidants are one of the key things your liver needs.

This can be fresh fruit or fresh fruit juice, but shouldn’t generally be processed fruit products. This is because processed food tends to process out all the useful nutrients while adding in sugars and other unhealthy additives that are little better than junk food.

Prunes, raisins, apples, and various kinds of berries such as strawberries are highly preferable and can be eaten as regular snacks or turned into beverages in juice form.

If fruits aren’t something you fancy, then there are other plant-based options for a meal that makes your liver happy. Like salads? Then you might want to try adding in some chicory, dandelion greens, or endive.

These are versatile ingredients that can be added in small, non-obtrusive amounts to most kinds of salads. Therefore they’re one of the least demanding of pro-liver foods you can add into your life.
Onions and garlic are two flavorful favorites that can add a lot to a meal, and unlike most strongly-flavored ingredients don’t have a negative impact on the liver. However, you don’t get the same benefits from just using a powder or flavor supplement based on these vegetables. Use the real thing, or don’t bother.

You might notice that all of these suggested foods are plant-based. It’s true that there are very few meat-based foods that your liver needs.

However, if you stick to lean varieties of meat and eat it only moderately, you’ll find that your liver can handle pretty much anything reasonable that you throw at it. Make sure that you also consume healthy calves liver also. So don’t feel the need to become a vegetarian!

As a final cautionary note, don’t forget to avoid excessive alcohol, which is a definite bane of your poor long-suffering liver. You can remove the liver-harming elements by using it as a cooking agent instead of drinking it directly.

So you see, there are plenty of ways to include all the things you normally enjoy in a liver-healthy life… without really needing to give up the flavors that make life worth living!

If you want the REAL truth on eating the correct foods for permanent fat loss, watch this video on  losing weight fast the smart and effective way. Enjoy, and good luck with your nutrition endeavors!