In the previous ‘Know My Cooking’ post of Paleo spaghetti and marinara, I left out what I truly believe to be the highlight of the dish.

“Ze meatuh ballsuh“

These meatballs can be made with turkey, beef, ground chicken or any combination of those together.  I personally love turkey meat so I have always used it when making mine.  I also personally don’t like my hands to be all up in some raw mushy turkey so the entire recipe is written as such.  I use spoons to mix and mold the meat into ball shape.

INGREDIENTS
1-1.25 lb of meat
dried oregano
minced onions (seasoning or fresh)
garlic powder
crushed red pepper
chile pepper
basil leaves (dried seasoning or fresh)

1. Open the meat and add one layer of each of the spices.

2. Use two spoons to fold the spices into the meat.  Add another layer of each spice and fold again

3. Use the two spoons again to shape the meat into ball form.

At this point you have a few options of how you can cook the meatballs.  If you are making both the Paleo spaghetti and marinara as well, I would add these meatballs into your crockpot during the last hour of cooking the sauce.  As you shape each ball, you can then use both spoons to press them right into the sauce so they are completely submerged and can cook thoroughly.  Even if you decide to use Paleo-friendly (no added sugars, corn syrup, etc.) tomato sauce, you can still add the balls into the pot/pan of sauce and allow the heat to cook them.  Another option is to cook them completely in a sautee pan or just brown the outside so they retain their shape and bake them in the oven.  It all depends on how much time you have to ‘food-sit’ (babysit the food).

Congratulations on preparing your very first Paleo Italian meal!!

The post Know My Cooking: Easy Italian Meatballs appeared first on Know My Body.

One of the most common things I hear when discussing the Paleo way of eating with others is how I’m ‘missing out’ on so many great foods.

Cereal lovers can’t fathom a breakfast that doesn’t consist of sugar covered ‘gluten grahams’ and bloat-inducing ‘cow water’. A bun-less burger seems sacrilegious and what about pasta?! Surely there is nothing that can compare with slurping various shapes of noodles covered in tomato slop and melted cheese.

Oh but trust me. I am in no way missing out!

Being raised in an Italian family means I grew up on lasagna, pasta, stuffed peppers, stuffed shells (Italians love to ‘stuff’ things) so I get it. You think that’s the only way that you can eat those kinds of foods but I promise you that it’s not.  Even if you sub out the noodles for a spinach base (or the much more exciting spaghetti squash) most canned and bottled sauces contain sugar, high fructose corn syrup and a variety of other artificial flavorings. Since going Paleo I tried to make an Italian dish with a bottle of Prego and was shocked by how sweet and honestly, disgusting it tasted. I was so excited when my Papa shared his totally Caveman-friendly recipe for his ‘famous’ marinara sauce and I know after tasting it you will all be singing his praises as well.

INGREDIENTS:

*This yields enough sauce to put it on everything you eat for a week – and trust me you will want to*

3 Cans of tomatoes (whole peeled is the way to go)
2 Sweet Onions
3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Generous tablespoons of minced garlic
Salt & Peppa to taste

UTENSILS:

Large pot (or Crockpot for optimal flavor)
Mixing bowl
Spatula
Cutting board and knife

1. Cut the ends off of the onions in order to peel off the outer layer

2. Cut the onions down the middle and lay the cut side flat on the board in order to cut half-moon shapes. Set the onions aside for the moment.

3. Open your 3 cans of tomatoes, dump them into a bowl and roll up your sleeves! You’re going to want to squeeze every last bit of juice that you can out of them.

4. Place your pot on the stove and add your olive oil; turn the heat on high.

5. Add your garlic to the pot and saute (stir) it with your spatula until it browns. (this takes about a minute) Lower to medium heat.

6. Add your onions to the pot of garlic and olive oil in order to ‘carmelize’ it. Saute them until soft and light brown in color.

7. Add your mixing bowl of tomatoes and juice to the pot, folding everything together with your spatula.

8. Add your salt and pepper – a pretty decent amount but gauge it to your taste buds; you can always add more later. (I’ve mentioned before that I love me some spice – so I added some crushed red pepper to the pot as well!)

9. At this point you can either reduce the heat to low and allow it to cook in the pot for at least an hour OR you can transfer everything to a Crockpot and cook it on high heat for 4 hours, low heat for 6 hours.

And those noodles you think you will miss so much? Cut a spaghetti squash in half, place it in a shallow dish with about an inch full of water and cook on 350 degrees for an hour.

No really – that’s all there is to it

Paleo spaghetti & Mack Daddy marinara sauce

You will notice there are some scrumptious looking turkey meatballs on top – that recipe will be posted next!

What are some Italian recipes that you’d like to see Paleo-ized? Feel free to leave your comments below!

The post Know My Cooking: Mack Daddy Marinara Sauce & Paleo Spaghetti appeared first on Know My Body.

The gift card giveaways continue to produce a great deal of excitement at Know My Body.  We are going to continue to go back to the well for one more round of Whole Foods gift cards.

As always before we jump into the giveaway, let’s do a bit of housekeeping.

1. Subscribe!: Make sure to sign up for the Know My Body Newsletter.  This bad boy allows you to get all of the updates to KMB through your email.  One of the best benefits is that you are notified of all giveaways as they happen. You might call it “real-time” notifications.  It simplifies everything for you and keeps you on the ball for all the KMB goodies.  So just do it.

2. Latest Winner!: Christina S. was our latest winner on the GNC Gift Card Giveaway.  Excellent showing Christina. She was pretty stoked about it.

So who will be the next excited winner of the KMB giveaway…?!?!

Whole Foods Gift Cards Giveaway: Part 2

Our previous Whole Foods Giveaway was our highest participated giveaway in Know My Body Giveaway history.  Obviously a lot of people were interested in grabbing some grub from Whole Foods.  We thought that since it was so well received, we wanted to give you all a second shot at it.  Yeah baby!

So this time around we are offering (hold your breath) another $100 Whole Foods gift card to all of you wonder folks. BAM!!!  Not much to explain here about Whole Foods gift cards.  Here is the Whole Foods site in case you want to peruse your options for what you could spend with that money.

Alright, it’s your time to shine.  Sign up for a bajillion options below and increase your chances of being the winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post $100 Whole Foods Gift Cards Giveaway February 2012 appeared first on Know My Body.

Okay. The very first Know My Body recipe post is here.

I have been indecisive this last week about which recipe I wanted to post first.  I have so many that I’ve been holding onto but none of them seemed quite right for the first one.  My marinara sauce seemed too fancy and my pumpkin dip took me back to crisp, Fall weather.  Seeing as how we are quickly approaching Spring, I wanted this first recipe to be ‘season-less’ and something that could be made anytime. (Anytime you wanted to eat something delicious, of course)

Well inspiration came to me as my tummy was growling and my attention was completely focused on finishing a project.  I knew that I was making chicken but I did not have the time (nor the patience) to babysit a sautee pan.  I didn’t really want to sift through seasonings either so my options were limited – or so I thought.  This is how the recipe for ‘Ridic (ridiculously) Quick Chicken Curry‘ came to be:

• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1-2 chicken breasts (preferably grass-fed!)
• 2 forks
• baking dish
• curry paste
• foil

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (Setting the temperature is almost always the first step in a recipe – boring I know, but the preheating process is important)
2. Open up your can of coconut milk and dump it into the dish (You may need to use a fork to break up any clumps for the best consistency)
3. Scoop out desired amount of curry paste and mix it into the coconut milk (Ah, curry paste – this stuff is potent.  I recommend at LEAST a tablespoon but if you like spicy, feel free to be liberal.  This kind was purchased from an Asian market but the grocery store should have Paleo-approved brands like ‘A Taste of Thai’ – just be sure to read the ingredients listed!!)
4. Lay your chicken in the dish and here’s the fun part – stab the heck out of it with your forks and flip them over a few times to make sure they are covered in coconut-curry goodness (Puncturing the chicken allows the milk and spices to seep and cook within the meat – makes for some tender, juicy, flavorful protein!)
5. Cover your dish with foil and place it in the oven (lower rack recommended) for 30 minutes
6. This chicken and sauce is delicious over a bed of greens like spinach (or purple kale) and virtually any kind of side dish (sauteed veggies and garlic was my choice)

And a little avocado to top it all off! Drooling yet?

I even mixed some of the sauce into my breakfast of hard boiled eggs the next morning – delish!

So how are you feeling about all of that? I told you the focus would be on quick, simple and tasty recipes and this is just the beginning! Nothing to be scared of. Feel free to leave comments/suggestions or send pictures if you attempt this or any of the recipes on the site.  Cheers to healthy Paleo eating!!

The post Know My Cooking: Ridic Quick Chicken Curry appeared first on Know My Body.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a workshop held by Everyday Paleo’s Sarah Fragoso and Jason Seib.

Not only was I lucky enough to stumble upon the information for the workshop, it was also taking place on the exact weekend that I would be in California. I was staying in Anaheim and the workshop was being held in Lake Elsinore, about 45 minutes away. There was no way I was going to miss it! It was like the Paleo stars aligned and it was meant to be for me to find and attend the seminar.

The workshop was held at CrossFit Uncensored on an extremely wet, cold and rainy day in California. (It figures, doesn’t it!) As soon as I entered the Box though, I was warmly welcomed by Sarah and her husband who were checking people in at the door. We were each given informational packets that matched her slideshow presentation and included LOTS of space to take notes.

And OH did I take notes..

A little background on Sarah: She actually went to high school with Paleo-pioneer Robb Wolf’s wife, Nicki.  They reconnected later in life and Sarah was exposed to this whole ‘Paleo’ thing that they were doing. She recounted having breakfast with them one morning and finding it so strange that they drank their coffee black and refused the butter and gluten-laden biscuits. She began training in their gym but still felt like she wasn’t seeing the kind of results that she wanted. Despite her initial resistance, she decided to give Paleo a try.  She was very honest in describing those first few weeks as anything but pleasant.  There was a chuckle in the audience when she spoke of ‘literally crying into an empty cereal bowl’ because that’s all she wanted to eat at night.  She stuck with it and after 2-3 weeks said she had one of those ‘a-ha!’ moments. She realized that she did feel better – she had more energy, she didn’t feel bloated and she wasn’t experiencing the tears from cereal cravings.  Take a look at her before and after pictures here – girl put in some serious work and looks even better now than she did during her initial Paleo transformation.

Sarah started out the seminar with a demonstration of how easy it can be to prepare a Paleo meal.  She broke out a crockpot and guided us through adding the pre-cut veggies, chicken breast and seasonings.  She was preparing her ‘Slow Chicken Curry’ which can be found in her cookbook. After setting the timer and promising us we could try it in 6 hours time, we were ready to dive into the ‘meat and potatoes’ of the workshop. Between her and her professional partner, Jason, we went over everything from the nutrition basics  to high fructose corn syrup. They provided a guide for getting started which helped even this seasoned Paleo participant as it took me back to basics.  Here are some highlights/favorite quotes from the day:

• Agriculture and processed foods were “the worst mistake in history”
• Natural selection makes some people able to digest certain foods while others can’t
• White rice is actually better than brown (though it should be eaten sparingly) because it is more processed – the bleaching process kills off the lectins
• “I still eat cheese from time to time because..well..cheese is RAD!” -Jason Seib
• “Food shouldn’t have ingredients. Recipes have ingredients” – Jason Seib
• There will never be an acceptable artificial replacement for sugar and over-consumption is inevitable because your body has been tricked into thinking it’s not something it really is
• After dining out and being exposed to high levels of Omega-6 in vegetable oil, counteract with a dose of fish oil (Omega-3)
• Soy wasn’t actually a food until the 1920′s and is the 3rd largest cash crop in the U.S – they are trying to put it in everything
• “A+B doesn’t equal C. We should be asking what ‘A’ is and get to the source of the problem instead of fixing the symptoms” – Jason Seib
• Don’t go nuts for nuts; they are pro-inflammatory
• You can’t out-train bad nutrition
• Don’t measure your worth by the number on the scale – muscle weighs more than fat and measurements are best way to track progress

Jason & Sarah also provided a ton of information on how to introduce the new lifestyle into the family unit and how to get kids on board.  Sarah’s specialty with her books and blog are meals for the family that are easy to follow and functional.  She offers a lot of advice on how to make the transition easier on yourself and your family. Jason gave all of the science behind why eating this way makes sense for our bio-chemistry and delivered the information in an entertaining and understandable way.  Jason is also the author of a highly-anticipated new book called ‘The Paleo Coach’ which offers advice on how to get and maintain the body and health that you want by eating the Paleo way.

The delicious crockpot chicken curry we sampled at the end

Yours truly even won her book! Told you these Paleo paths were meant to cross

Sarah gave a recap herself of the day’s events here and there’s even a picture of the attendees with the duo. I highly recommended that you keep an eye out for any workshops that will be hosted in your area.  Whether you’re a certified Caveman or just getting into it, there is a ton of useful information provided to help you in your journey.

The post Back To Basics: A Review Of The Everyday Paleo Workshop appeared first on Know My Body.

So it’s reaching the point where you are probably ready to give this Paleo stuff a shot if you haven’t already.

You’ve read the articles, you’ve reviewed the positive feedback, you’ve seen some sweet before and after pictures and maybe even some drool-worthy Paleo food porn. (The food possibilities are endless and pretty dang tasty) and now you’re wondering where to start. Well, whether you’re a kitchen connoisseur or can barely find your way out of a frozen dinner container, we are here to help.

That’s right! We will now be posting Paleo recipes with idiot-proof directions and awesome step-by-step pictures.

I have spent years experimenting in the kitchen in order to find ways to health-ify popular recipes. Since discovering Paleo, I’ve been re-working those same recipes so that everything I make is caveman-approved (and tastes good too).

I know what you’re thinking – how are the recipes that we will be posting any different than the hundreds of other sites doing the same thing? Easy! That can be described with my personal cooking mantra: Fun, functional and fast

I’m 25, single and live by myself.  I’m not cooking for any kind of family unit (usually) and most of the people who eat my food aren’t even Paleo followers.  Every meal I make focuses on taste and creativity first and it’s just a bonus that they all happen to be Paleo too. For the most part, the dishes you will see here aren’t typical recipes that people are searching for – My ‘Mack Daddy Marinara Sauce‘ didn’t return a ton of searchable keywords if you can imagine. But they are delicious, nutritious and totally unique. (Like ‘Cold Cucumber & Avocado Soup‘ – Say whaa?!)

Even my salads are a party on a plate!

Before we can get into the yummy stuff, it’s important to make sure that your kitchen is equipped with the basics. Though every specific recipe will ‘show-and-tell’ what that you will need, here is a list of things that I don’t know how our ancestors lived without:

• 1 small and 1 medium/large sautee pan
• 1 large pot
• Baking sheet
• Food processor/blender
• Knives (sharp enough for chopping, dicing, etc.)
• Spatula (more than one if you have a tendency to break them like I do)
• Aluminum Foil
• Olive oil/Coconut oil/Bacon grease (I promise I won’t judge)

In addition to the basic equipment, there are some spices that deserve a permanent spot in your cabinet. I don’t have a fancy-pants spice rack but I make sure that I always have these:

• Sea Salt
• Peppercorn grinder
• Garlic bulbs
• Crushed red pepper
• Chile powder
• Cayenne (If you do have kids – this is also doubles as the Caveman’s version of ‘soap-in-the-mouth’ punishment)
• Paprika
• Italian seasoning
• Oregano
• Garlic powder
• Garlic pepper seasoning (Do you think I like garlic?)
• Curry powder
• Tumeric
• Chinese 5 Spices (It’s just one spice and that’s what it’s called)
• Ground Sage
• Ground Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Hot sauce (okay, kind of joking. But I do love hot sauce and always have it on-hand)
• Sugar, and lots of it (DEFINITELY kidding!!!)

And keep in mind, you don’t have to buy all the spices from the same brand or buy the most expensive. No one is coming to check your cabinets and make sure all of the labels match so do the best you can!

I’m so excited and ready to share all of these recipes and pictures with all of you – my ‘Paleo Food Blog’ folder overfloweth.  Keep in mind too – I’m essentially your guinea pig.  If there’s a recipe you want to challenge me to Paleo-fy – Bring it on! I’m always up for a challenge and my CrossFit regimen leaves me with a pretty hefty appetite – perfect for trying new foods.

The post Caveman Cooking 101: Everything You Need for Paleo Cooking appeared first on Know My Body.

Kale is like the hip, new broccoli of the produce section.

For me, eating kale was like cheating on my life partner with the hotter, younger model. I didn’t want to be a sell-out and virtually every modern recipe was including this ‘European lettuce’. I saw kale chips, kale juice, kale shakes; kale in stir fry and in curry; kale baked, blanched, steamed, sauteed, wrapped – you name it, they found a way to kale-ify it.

Kale has saved salads everywhere, turning them from bland to bomb with it’s unique texture and deceivingly sharp taste. It even plays to our sensual side, with the belief that ‘massaging’ the kale unlocks access to even more hidden nutritious treasures. But with all this talk of the ‘Almighty and Powerful Superfood’, is there really evidence to back up the beneficial beliefs? Is there really ‘gold’ in this green that could help detox our bodies, fight heart disease and protect against cancer? Let’s see what this little ‘Queen Green’ is all about:

What is Kale?

Kale is a form of cabbage in the same family as broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens and brussel sprouts. (Kind of ironic that it is related to foods that most people find repulsive). It can be green or purple in color and tends to grow better in colder weather.  Apparently, exposing it to a light frost will help sweeten the flavor and keeping it at a warmer temperature intensifies the bitter flavor.  When baked, it shrivels up into a crispy texture and can best be compared to a potato chip – nature’s potato chip, if you will – minus the high fructose corn syrup and grains. It can be used as the outside of a wrap, the lettuce of a salad, or the superstar of the soup bowl.  When purchasing kale, you want to pick firm, dark leaves with stiff stems.  Keeping it warm will cause it to wilt faster so it is recommended to keep it in a zip lock bag in the darkest, coolest section of your fridge. High maintenance little veggie, isn’t it?

What are the Benefits of Kale?

The obsession with kale could be due to the fact that it is a food that is low in calories, contains no sugar or fat and is packed with more nutrients than the average person can say and/or pronounce.  it is high in fiber which we all know helps us to feel fully satisfied and can help with digestion too.  It is also substantially high in calcium even though it won’t leave a little mustache on your lip.  Unlike dairy products, the calcium found in kale is optimal for absorption and we all know that extra calcium will hep prevent us from looking like the hunchback later in life. When it comes to putting the super into ‘Superfood’ the focus is on the antioxidants. Flavanoids and carotenoids are two types that can be found in this leafy legacy and help in cleansing the liver, boosting your metabolism, improving your skin, hair and eyesight and even help to protect against cancer. The winner however is ‘Vitamin K’ which can also be found in sister spinach. Vitamin K helps facilitate the antioxidant activity, strong bone health and normal blood clotting. (You won’t bleed-out from a paper-cut – that’s a bonus!)

How to Cook Kale

Kale is quite the versatile little veggie with an almost unlimited number of ways that it can be prepared.

SALADS: It can be eaten raw and used as the base lettuce in salads though it is recommended to shred the leaves off of the stem as the stem in raw form is difficult to chew.  Adding roasted beets, raw walnuts and red onion creates a delicious combination of flavors, especially when adding a drizzle of olive oil.  Chopped butternut squash, sliced apple and chopped bacon is also another creation that compliments the unique flavor that kale offers.

SAUTEED: Adding a drizzle of olive oil to a pan over medium heat will cook the kale quickly but evenly.  Adding some garlic and light seasoning will help flavor it to be eaten as a side dish, or once softened, it can be added to compliment other dishes.

STEAMED: Filling a pot with water and a steam basket over high heat allows the steam and heat to cook and soften the kale.  It does create an interesting smell within the kitchen and doesn’t need to be steamed for very long to get the full benefits.

BAKED: Spread the kale out on aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil and bake for 7-10 minutes in the oven.  Adding garlic and additional seasonings help to enhance the flavor of the kale while it cooks.

JUICE: Blending fruits and vegetables into liquid form makes them easier to digest within the body.  Kale is easy to juice and can be added to any juice combination to get an extra boost of all of the vitamins this veggies has to offer.  A great combination is: carrots, apple, kale and ginger.

The average cost for a kale bunch is $2 so scrape together some pennies and give this superfood fad a try!

The post The Benefits of Kale: Superfood or Superfad? appeared first on Know My Body.

Wow that Whole Foods Giveaway…are you kidding me?  That got a lot of attention, almost 5x of what we have ever gotten before.  It was pretty obvious that you people like food options more than DVDs and fitness equipment (doesn’t mean we won’t go away those permanently). Which means it is a perfect opportunity to look at a $100 GNC Gift Card Giveaway!

As always before we jump into the giveaway, let’s do a bit of housekeeping.

1. Subscribe!: Make sure to sign up for the Know My Body Newsletter, which allows you to get all of the updates to KMB through your email.  Also it is nice because you are notified of all giveaways as they happen. Let’s just go ahead and call it “real-time” notifications.  It makes your life easier…so just do it.

2. Latest Winner!: Susan from Olathe, Kansas was our latest winner on the Whole Foods Giveaway.  Don’t get mad about it.  Susan was pretty dang excited and hopefully she can put that gift card to good use.

Now on to the giveaway…

GNC Gift Card Giveaway

As I mentioned the food gift card was a hit with a lot of response.  That makes me happy when you folks are happy.  So let’s follow up the Whole Foods giveaway with a GNC $100 Giveaway.  (I can feel people literally chomping at the bit.)

The lucky winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to the Nutritional Mecca known as – GNC. GNC is one of those large corporations that I think a lot of you go to and probably have one close by.  The worse case scenario it might be a nice New Year’s gift to a close friend or family member.  Nothing wrong with giving.

Enough talking, let’s get this GNC Gift Card show on the road!  Enter using the widget below and let’s see if magic happens.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Win a $100 GNC Gift Card appeared first on Know My Body.

When it comes to figuring out how to lose the holiday weight, sometimes there are no amount of inspiring quotes you can read or pep talks that you can give yourself when it comes to sticking to your food plan.

When it comes to the holidays in particular, you practically have to fight an uphill battle with your emotions, your non-Paleo eating friends and family and the little elf devil dancing on your shoulder with temptation.  Every party is laden with grains, sugar and dairy in the form of cute little colorful shapes and there is usually no shortage of alcohol.  It’s enough over-stimulation to make anyone’s nervous system go a little haywire.

The pressure of other people indulging makes us want to indulge, then we start thinking back to how ‘good’ we’ve been lately. That thought is then trampled by ‘Well I’ll eat this and not that’ or ‘Just one won’t make a huge difference’. At this point, you’re probably in foodie blackout mode and won’t even realize how much you’ve shoveled into your mouth until your stomach catches up.  If you’ve been drinking, it’s very likely you won’t feel the full impact until the next morning. A food AND booze hangover is a recipe for bloating, weight gain and overall feelings of anything but awesome.

So what are you supposed to do when reality hits? How do you get past the self-defeating thoughts when you feel too big for your skinny jeans and you’ve primed your body to continue to crave more and more of all of that bad food? Well, I’ve compiled a list of some tried-and-true tricks to help jump start your post-holiday weight loss and get you back on track.  Follow these steps and they will help you figure out how to lose the holiday weight.

Tips & Tricks for How to Lose the Holiday Weight

• Water Fasting: Cade gave a thorough analysis on the subject in his post but the gist is – Water is the easiest and fastest way to get rid of that bloated feeling that you will inevitably experience after eating bad food. 2/3 of our body is made up of water and during the holidays it’s quite possible that 2/3 of us end up concentrated with champagne instead. Starting off the morning-after with lots of water is the best way to begin apologizing to your body.

• Probiotics: Eating grains, dairy, sugar – anything that veers off of the Paleo path – does some serious damage to our gut health.  Our system goes into shock and has a lot of problems trying to breakdown all of the invader ingredients found in these foods. They strip the good bacteria that exists in our intestines and it’s imperative to build this natural defense system back up.  In addition to drinking water during your first day back on track, you can really benefit from drinking a kombucha.  They are literally swimming with tons of healthy probiotics that will help regulate your system.

• Colon Cleanse Supplements: There are many natural supplements and vitamins that assist in purging your system of the toxins you may have ingested.  These supplements contain herbs like peppermint leave, fennel seed and psyllium husk that literally help push the bad bacteria and any sugar cookies that may be hanging onto the lining of your intestines.  Taking the supplement for the first 7-10 days is also a good way to keep yourself on track and help you resist any lingering temptation.

• Veggies: Our system requires a lot of energy when attempting to naturally cleanse itself. For the first 5-7 days it’s extremely important to not put your body into overdrive by giving it foods that require a lot of work in order to breakdown.  Animal protein is the best source of protein, true, but it requires a lot of enzymes and a healthy gut in order to be most beneficial. Becoming a temporary veg-head by eating lots of vegetables and herbs that aid in cleansing can help your body recover more quickly.  Spinach, garlic, ginger & kale are a few of Nature’s gold stars when it comes to restoring our system.

• Juice Cleanse: To expand a little more on the previous tip, it is also easiest for our body to assimilate nutrients in the liquid form.  If your gut is feeling totally wrecked, you could really benefit from incorporating fresh juice as a replacement for 1 or 2 meals a day. I don’t mean store bought juice, I mean using an actual juicer to deliver all of the nutrients from fruits and vegetables into a nice tall glass of health.  A top-notch juice for cleansing is: 1 beet, 3 kale leaves, 1 inch of ginger root, 2 oranges, an apple and half of a lemon.  It’s not only delicious, it has a proven instant ‘feel better’ effect when consumed. Trust me.

• Skip Day: This point can be argued by many but the bottom line is – exercising encourages the release of toxins into your system.  Under normal circumstances, exercise is great because it gets our blood flowing, our metabolism running and our serotonin churning out happiness.  However, if you are extremely dehydrated, hitting the gym hard could do more damage than good.  You could risk passing out or worse – your indiscretions from the night before could make a reappearance on the gym floor. If you really want to get your workout on, consider doing something low-impact like a long walk or some restorative yoga. Your body deserves a break to heal so be gentle.

• SLEEP: This is probably the easiest and most effective tip that I can give you. The body does it’s best healing work while we are asleep and I mean good, sober, deep sleep.  Alcohol ‘turns off’ our bodies growth hormone, which aids in cell regeneration and healing.  A lack of good quality sleep is one of the reasons we wake up feeling so awful after a night of drinking and putting in a solid 8-12 hours of rest can make a world of difference.  Sip on some hot tea, avoid electronics for at least an hour before bed and hit the pillow at a Grandma hour.  You will wake up feeling like a new Cave-person.

Remember, once you’ve ‘dropped the ball’ on your food plan, your body is going to be primed to crave more.  It may seem like Bloody Mary’s and pancakes are going to make you feel better (I personally LOVE a good spicy Bloody Mary) but you will only be delaying the inevitable.  Don’t fall into the pattern of negative thinking just because you ‘messed up’. Dust off the crumbs and give your body lots of healthy and nutritious love and support. It’s the New Year – there’s no better time to start than now!

The post Dropping Pounds After the Ball Drops: How to Lose the Holiday Weight appeared first on Know My Body.

Good to talk with many of you.  It has been a while and we are excited to bring you this Whole Foods gift certificate giveaway from Know My Body!

As always before we jump into the giveaway, let’s do a bit of housekeeping.

1. Limited Posts: As some of you have noticed and commented there haven’t been as many posts in the last couple weeks.  Yes part of it is because of a needed break.  Part of it is also because I am doing a lot of work behind the scenes to help improve the quality of the site.  2012 was a year of content and 2013 will hopefully move beyond that more into media.  It is exciting, scary, and will honestly require a lot of work.  Realize that this is the next step to where I think the KMB needs to go.  It will be of great benefit to all of you that follow and subscribe to Know My Body.  Please be patient and know that you will be seeing more exciting content in the future.

2. Subscribe!: Make sure to sign up for the Know My Body Newsletter, which allows you to get all of the updates to KMB through your email.  Also it is nice because you are notified of all giveaways as they happen.

3. Latest Winner!: Dani from Wisconsin was our latest winner on the Jillian Michaels giveaway.  I am excited to see how it helps Dani’s health.

Ok now down the meaty stuff…our next giveaway: $100 Whole Foods Gift Certificate Giveaway.  This giveaway is unlike any we have done before.

We have given away a lot of equipment and fitness programs.  This one is centered around nutrition.

The lucky winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to everyone’s favorite one-stop shop for healthy eating – Whole Foods Market. Many of you have Whole Foods in your area so I figured this would be applicable.  The worse case scenario it might be a nice New Year’s gift to a close friend or family member.

Don’t waste time!  Enter using the widget below and let’s see if magic happens.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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