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Dawna Stone

I Did a Five-Day Detox and Here’s What Happened…

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I consider myself relatively healthy so when a five-day detox had such a profound effect on me, I was surprised to say the least. Before the detox, I was having frequent headaches, which I blamed on too much time in front of the computer, and I was having some minor skin breakouts. I was also feeling like I was in a haze or fog—this is what concerned me most.

The day-to-day account of what happened over the five-day detox is below. If you're interested in doing the detox challenge with me you can learn more HERE.

Day one:
I was excited to get started. I followed the plan to a tee and was surprised that I wasn't hungry at all. Instead, I simply felt proud of myself for taking the challenge.

Day two:
I woke up excited to take on day two of the detox. Today was a little more difficult as I was craving my normal late night (not-so-healthy) snack. Instead I had a cup of herbal tea and went to bed.

Day three:
I slept better last night that I have in months! I do however have a slight headache this morning. This is most likely due to cutting back on processed foods and more specifically sugar. I know from experience, this will pass quickly.

Day four:
Not only did I sleep soundly again last night, but also my skin has cleared up and I seem to have a glow that I haven't noticed in a very long time!

Day five:
I can't say enough good things about how I feel on the five-day detox. I jumped into it hoping it would help me feel better and not only are my headaches gone and the fog lifted but my skin is bright and clear and I have more energy than I've had in a long while. To top it off, I lost a few pounds without even trying!

I've shared the five-day detox plan with many of my friends and they have had similar results. So I thought I would share it with all of you too. I put together a simple-to-follow five-day detox challenge and included everything you need to get started—daily meal plans, shopping list, a short-on-time option, etc. You can learn more HERE. Please share your feedback and results if you decide to take the challenge. I can’t wait to hear about your success!

How to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

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The holidays are often a time of stepping away from our normal routine. From office parties to family gatherings, the holidays can wreak havoc on our normally healthy eating habits. Add in the stress of holiday shopping, relatives in town and school being out, and you have a recipe for overindulging.

Did you know the average person gains 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas! Seriously, in that short window of time we can gain a pant size or more. And although we have great intentions to lose the weight in the New Year (many of us even make weight loss our main resolution) very few of us reach our goals without support.

Looking to keep your weight steady this holiday season or even lose a few pounds. It is possible! Join me for a 5-Day Detox.

Pick a day between Thanksgiving and Christmas and commit to 5 days of clean and healthy eating. The 5-Day Detox can not only help you lose weight during the holidays, but it can also eliminate cravings for unhealthy food, boost your mood and improve your sleep—all things that are much needed during this festive season. Find out how to get started HERE.

Not ready for a detox, these 10 simple tips can help you avoid holiday weight gain and still enjoy the festivities.

  • Control your portions. If you’re looking to maintain your weight over the holidays, you need to pay close attention to not just what you eat but how much you eat. When given the choice of a small or large plate, I always choose the small one as studies show people eat less when they use a smaller plate. And don’t feel compelled to clean your dish—leaving a few bites at each meal can add up to a lot of saved calories.

 

  • Keep healthy snacks on hand. The holidays are often a time when a barrage of candy and other sweet treats show up in the office and at friend’s houses. I always try and keep healthy snacks on hand. Not letting yourself get too hungry can make it easier to say “No, thank you” when offered a holiday treat.

 

  • Offer to bring a dish. Whether you’re going to a party or a holiday dinner, offer to bring a healthy side dish, appetizer or dessert. Contributing a healthy dish like shrimp cocktail, vegetables and dip or fruit salad will provide you with at least one healthy option to keep you on track. When I attend a party, I almost always bring a vegetable platter with hummus. The host is usually thrilled that I made the effort to bring something and I’m thrilled I have a healthy alternative among mostly unhealthy and high calorie choices.

 

  • Start the day out right. It used to be that the holidays would wreak havoc on my weight loss goals. By January, I often found myself 4 to 5 pounds heavier than in November. These days, I actually get through the holidays without having gained an ounce. By eating a light breakfast and a healthy lunch, I can still indulge at office holiday parties or festive family dinners without gaining any weight. However, if I indulge at every meal, I begin to pack on the holiday pounds. Focus on eating a light breakfast like a veggie omelet or strawberry banana smoothie and a healthy lunch like a garden salad with grilled chicken or fish. Small changes can help you enjoy the holidays without fear of tipping the scales in the New Year.

 

  • Choose your alcohol carefully. Did you know a 10-ounce Long Island Ice Tea contains about the same number of calories as a McDonald’s Big Mac? Not only do some drinks pack a huge calorie punch, but research also shows that people often eat more when alcohol is consumed. You can control the number of calories you drink by choosing light beer, wine or mixed drinks with non-caloric mixers rather than fancy mixed drinks. For example, a typical vodka tonic can have more than 160 calories while a vodka and club soda can have as little as 100. Also, I find that if I drink a glass of water between each alcoholic drink, I tend to consume less calories during an event.

 

  • Make healthy choices first. When I go to a holiday party, I always try to choose healthy options before indulging in the not-so-healthy treats. I find this helps keep me from overindulging. When I finally give myself the green light to dig into some high calorie holiday favorites, I’m no longer famished and I find I’m more easily satisfied with a small portion.

 

  • Choose only your favorites. Just like making healthy choices first, choosing to indulge only on your favorite foods is a great way to keep from overeating. People often feel like they need to try a little of everything—I used to be one of those people—but by only selecting foods that you know you love, you can cut down on your calorie consumption and still be entirely satisfied.

 

  • Exercise first thing in the morning. Busy, busy, busy. That’s how I feel during the holidays. I never seem to have enough time to accomplish everything I need to get done in the day. Therefore, I find that the only way I’m likely to exercise is if I do it first thing in the morning before the chaos of the holiday season begins. Working out first thing in the morning will ensure you’ll burn off those extra calories so you can indulge at the company holiday party without guilt. Still worried you’ll pack on a few unwanted holiday pounds? Adding just 10 minutes to your current exercise routine can give you just the extra calorie burn you need to ward off those extra pounds.

 

  • Drink plenty of water. One can often confuse thirst for hunger—making us more likely to overeat if we’re not getting enough water. During the winter months, it’s easy to become dehydrated without even realizing it. Factors such as cold air, wind and inadequate fluid intake can all contribute to dehydration. Staying hydrated can help encourage good choices. Not to mention, drinking water is important to your overall health and weight loss.

 

  • Don’t “go” hungry. Before going to a holiday party, have a healthy snack or meal so you won’t feel compelled to overindulge or make poor choices. The worst thing you can do is show up to a party ravenous and find only options like “pigs in a blanket,” sliders and fried Mozzarella.

 

The holidays should be a festive time to enjoy family and friends, not a time to feel guilty or be consumed with thoughts of gaining weight. Following all, or even just a few, of the holiday survival tips can make your holidays guilt-free. Don’t let holiday weight gain sneak up on you this year—let this new found knowledge help you enjoy the holidays leaner and happier!

And don’t forget, to join me for a 5-Day Detox. The program provides everything you need to succeed, including easy-to-follow, day-by-day meal plans, delicious recipes, shopping lists, detox guide and even a short-on-time version for the busy person. I hope you’ll join me! Learn more HERE!

 

Wheat and Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Muffins

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When you want something with a hint of sweetness in the morning, try one of these

wheat-free muffins. Make a batch, wrap them well, and freeze them, so you can pull one

out as needed.

Also perfect for the holidays. Your guests will love them!

I realize it's often difficult to eat healthy over the holidays. Did you know the average person gains 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas?  If you're trying to eat healthy or you want to lose a few pounds before the New Year, join me for a quick and simple 5-day detox! I like doing this detox between the two holidays as it helps keep me on track.

TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES

  • 13⁄4 cups almond flour
  • 3⁄4 cup flax meal
  • 2⁄3 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1⁄2 cup golden raisins
  • 11⁄2 cups shredded sweet potato
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1⁄4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1⁄4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1⁄4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, flax meal, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin

pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the raisins.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sweet potato, eggs, oil, and orange juice. Add to the flour

mixture, stirring well to combine. Do not over-mix.

 

Divide the batter evenly among the paper liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Sprinkle

the pumpkin seeds on the tops of the muffins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick

inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the pan set on a rack for 5 minutes.

Remove the muffins from the pan and let them cool completely on the rack.

Makes 12 muffins

Recipe from my Healthy You Diet cookbook.

Chicken Noodle Soup – Wheat and Dairy Free!

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As the weather begins to cool down a few degrees, I'm pulling out my best soup recipes. This wheat and dairy-free chicken noodle soup is one of my favorites. It's one of the recipes in my Healthy You Cookbook but I'm sharing it with you below. Enjoy!

Chicken  Noodle Soup (A Twist on a Classic)

With ground chicken meatballs

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

8 oz. rice pasta (shape of your choice)

1 lb. ground chicken

1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced thin

½ cup mushrooms, sliced

1 yellow onion, chopped

½ cup celery, sliced thin

2 leafs of kale, cut in thin strips (stems discarded)

6 cups chicken broth, low sodium and organic

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon white pepper

salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the onion and cook until translucent or approximately 4-5 minutes.  Add carrots and cook for 1 min. Add chicken broth, mushrooms, celery, kale, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

In a medium to large bowl, combine chicken, salt and white pepper. Form approximately 12 meatballs. Add meatballs to broth mixture. Add rice pasta and continue to simmer until chicken is cooked thoroughly and pasta is al dente about 10 – 12 minutes.

Season with additional salt and pepper, serve and enjoy!

Recipe from my Healthy You Diet cookbook.

The Perfect Green Juice

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I can’t think of a better way to start the day than with a glass of fresh green juice. Not only is it nutrient-packed—full of vitamins, minerals and loaded with antioxidants—but it’s also great for your skin and can help you get your recommended dose of fruits and vegetables. This simple green juice has become my “go-to” morning juice. Give it a try!

SPECIAL BONUS! Get all 10 of my favorite juice and smoothie recipes HERE!

Super Green Juice:

Ingredients:

4 large kale leaves or 1 cup spinach

1 green apple, quartered and cored

1 rib celery

½ cucumber

½ lemon

Fresh ginger (optional)

Directions:

In a juicer, juice all ingredients and serve in a tall glass. If you enjoy your juice cold, can pour it over ice.

Makes 1 serving

5 Extreme Calorie-Burning Exercises That Also Tone and Tighten

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Not all exercises are created equal! Some exercises may be great for toning and tightening but may not burn a lot of calories. If you’re looking to tone and tighten your body and burn a ton of calories in the process, these 5 extreme calorie-burning exercises are for you!

Exercise 1: Squat Jumps (Perform to Failure or max 50 reps)

How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and arms behind your head. Squat down with knees parallel to the floor. Don’t bend below parallel. Jump up as high as you can while keeping your core tight. Lower back down to your squat position as you land.

BONUS: Disease-Fighting Anti-Inflammatory Recipes – My Gift to You!

Exercise 2: Burpees (Perform to failure or max 15 reps)

How to do it: Squat with your hands on the ground in front of you. Jump your feet back to plank (or push up) position. Jump your feet back under you to the squat position. Immediately jump up as high as you can with your hands straight over your head. Repeat. Note: if you want to make the move even more difficult, you can perform a push up when you are in the plank position.

Exercise 3: Clap Jacks (Perform to failure or max 100 quick reps)

How to do it: Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart. Place your arms out to your side and parallel to the ground. Jump your feet out wide while clapping your hands in front of you. Jump feet back to shoulder and return arms out to the side. Repeat.

BONUS: Disease-Fighting Anti-Inflammatory Recipes – My Gift to You!

Exercise 4: Split Jump Squats (Perform to failure or max 20 reps each side)

How to do it: Stand with your right foot out in front of you with thigh parallel to the ground. Your back leg should be bent and your knee should be a few inches off the ground. Jump up and quickly switch legs in mid air so that your left leg is now in front and your right leg is now in back. Bend your legs as you land so that your back knee nearly touches the ground. Continue to quickly alternate legs. Note: keep your back straight throughout the exercise.

Exercise 5: Mountain Climbers (Perform to failure or max 30 reps each leg)

How to do it: Start in plank position—Lie on your stomach. Place your palms flat on the floor slightly wider than shoulder width. Push up off the ground so your arms are fully extended and you’re on your toes. Keep your back flat and engage your core. Pull your right knee forward and under your body while your left leg remains extended. Then quickly switch legs bringing our left leg under your body while your right leg extends back to the floor behind you. Quickly alternate legs. The faster you switch legs, the more intense the exercise becomes.

Start with just one round of these 5 calorie-burning exercises and slowly build up to doing 3-5 rounds for an intense tone and tightening workout.

**Please note: Before adopting any new exercise routine, you should consult your physician.