It is said that detoxing doesn’t work. Possibly? However, after the excesses of the Festive Period during which we hoover up the remains of various roast meats, pork pies, chestnut stuffing, pickled onions, cranberrys and, of course, Toblerone – all washed down with copious glasses of wine – with the arrival of January a more sensible wave of consumption is absolutely needed.
Over the years the mistake has been made of pushing the Festive Period earlier into December meaning that by about 26th December our bodies are waving the white flag. By juicing – keeping the sugary fruits like oranges to a minimum – and eating much more strongly coloured fruit, simple changes can be brought about to help you digest better and shed those holiday kilos.
I find an early New Year’s hack is to up my usual intake of Porridge. Alone it has a huge number of health benefits and ranks high on the “comfort food” scale with the addition of the best honey you can find. The iconic packaging of Scott’s Porridge Oats has been part of my family’s table since childhood – my Mother is half Scots – and whilst her counsel to make the porridge with water and salt is, I am certain authentic, it’s just not my taste.
Fill your Detox shopping basket by clicking the following AMAZON link: Scotts Porage Oats 1000g
In the passed certain members of my family have complained about the consistency of my porridge. This can be alleviated by the use of a special stirring stick called a “Spurtle”
Add a Spurtle to your kitchen by clicking the following link: Scottish Gift’s – Spurtle – turned Beechwood Porridge Spurtle uk gift’s
An alternative to bread – which we consume in great quantities as sandwiches including turkey and bacon – I really like rice or corn crackers they are light and make an excellent base for cheeses or dips.
Start experimenting with avocados. Guacamole is simplicity itself and this iconic Mexican dish can be scooped as a nutritious dip with a chip or added to a chicken tortilla wrap with crunchy red peppers to be an excellent low calorie/low fat alternative to mayonnaise. Our simple guacamole recipe – and it doesn’t matter if the fruits are over-ripe – is to take four mid-size avocados peel and stone – you know the trick for getting the stone out I am sure – just don’t cut yourself!
Into a Hamilton Beach blender – the iconic American model as used in many US bars and diners – add the flesh of the avocados, two peeled garlic bulbs, some salt to taste, the juice of one and a half lemons, either two fresh tomatoes or half a tin of tinned tomatoes and blitz in the blender. The lemon will add flavour and ensure that the avocado pulp stays green.
Add a Hamilton Beach blender to your kitchen: Hamilton Beach HBB908-UK Commercial 2-Speed Bar Blender, 1.25 Litre, 400 Watt, Black
If you’d like your guacamole a little spicy add some Chipotle tabasco – see previous post here – Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
My Achilles Heel in the colder winter months is booze. Red wine, beer and Whisky – though not all at once! Through some research towards the end of the year I found one low alcohol beer that even with its lack of booze credentials is in fact a great glass of ale – Brewdog’s “Nanny State”. An excellent Ale flavour with compelling and no doubt future classic packaging.
Please see our earlier post about Brewdog here: Aestheticons’ Guide to Iconic European Beers – Part 2
Lighten your alcohol intake with Nanny State by clicking the following link: BrewDog Nanny State (Alcohol Free), 12 x 330 ml
A Virgin Mary is a great alternative. You may have already seen my favourite Bloody Mary recipe – see it here Lea & Perrins – the vital ingredient in a Bloody Mary and Holiday Breakfast. Well, if you can bear to hide the Stoli for another few weeks this is wonderful hit of fresh goodness. A delicious hit of vitamins and flavour great for a weekend brunch.
I am a nibbler, put a plate of Japanese rice crackers or kettle chips in front of me and there’s a severe risk they wont be there upon your return. As an antidote, I have chosen Almonds as my nut of choice. Not only do they contain a unique and God-given constituent that apparently enhances beauty – well I’ll take anything I can get – unroasted they are simply delicious.
Get Wholefood Earth’s Organic Almonds by clicking the following link: Wholefood Earth: Organic Whole Almonds 500g | Raw | GMO Free | Suitable for Vegans & Vegetarians
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Image Credits with thanks: Scott’s Porridge, Hamilton Beach, Tobasco and Brewdog.
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