Help! Margarita Emergency!
On the Fast Metabolism Diet, we want everything that goes into your mouth to serve the best nutritional purpose. Alcohol doesn’t do you any favors nutritionally, which is why it’s not part of the 28-day plan. Alcohol is also a time-waster for your liver. We want your liver processing fat, not wasting it’s time on alcohol. But hey, life happens, and of course after the diet you may certainly want to be able to enjoy the occasional drink. Here’s what you can do to minimize the damage to your metabolism before, during and after grabbing that margarita.
Before
Prep yourself for a night that includes alcohol in advance. Protein will help balance the sugars in alcohol.
-
Eat every three hours throughout the whole day.
-
Focus on protein. Go for 2 to 4 ounces with each snack or meal.
-
Add a protein snack 30 minutes before you drink. If you’re at dinner, for example, have a shrimp cocktail before your vodka cocktail. Or go for guacamole and chips instead of salsa and chips. The healthy fats in the avocados will help slow the sugar delivery from the chips and that margarita.
During
Always keep water on hand. For each alcoholic drink, be sure to drink at least 8 ounces of water in addition to your usual daily water intake.
Add lots of lime to your water — not just a lime garnish, but juice of a whole lime. Lime juice has calcium, and has 2.5 times more vitamin A than lemon. Vitamin A helps the liver process alcohol more quickly.
When choosing your beverage, think about going for:
-
Organic, sulfite-free red wine. This seems to have the least effect on liver function. Frey is one brand that’s widely available nationwide.
-
Go for top-shelf liquors. They are cleaner, with fewer added chemicals and fake ingredients. Clear liquors like gin, rum and vodka are generally better.
-
Watch the mixers too. Choose good quality mixers as well. Soda water is fine. Keep in mind that tonic water is full of sugar. Juices should be fresh, not full of colors or fake flavorings. Avoid sodas and energy drinks as mixers.
After
Drink lots of water and make yourself some Bieler Broth. Henry Bieler was a pioneer in the “food as medicine” movement. He believed that most of our troubles were due to toxins in the body, and he devised many food-based ways to help rid the body of them. This broth contains lots of adrenal-healing veggies, especially parsley. It’s actually great anytime, but is particularly helpful after you’ve been drinking to help the liver process toxins (the booze you drank) efficiently. Drink 1 to 3 cups three times during the next day.
Bieler Broth
4 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 big bunches parsley, stems removed and roughly chopped
1 sprig each of thyme, rosemary and tarragon, tied together with string (optional)
1 quart spring water
Sea salt (to taste)
Place water, vegetables, and optional herbs in pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove herbs. Eat as is or puree in a blender.
On the Fast Metabolism Diet, we want everything that goes into your mouth to serve the best nutritional purpose. Alcohol doesn’t do you any favors nutritionally, which is why it’s not part of the 28-day plan. Alcohol is also a time-waster for your liver. We want your liver processing fat, not wasting it’s time on alcohol. But hey, life happens, and of course after the diet you may certainly want to be able to enjoy the occasional drink. Here’s what you can do to minimize the damage to your metabolism before, during and after grabbing that margarita.
Before
Prep yourself for a night that includes alcohol in advance. Protein will help balance the sugars in alcohol.
- Eat every three hours throughout the whole day.
- Focus on protein. Go for 2 to 4 ounces with each snack or meal.
- Add a protein snack 30 minutes before you drink. If you’re at dinner, for example, have a shrimp cocktail before your vodka cocktail. Or go for guacamole and chips instead of salsa and chips. The healthy fats in the avocados will help slow the sugar delivery from the chips and that margarita.
During
Always keep water on hand. For each alcoholic drink, be sure to drink at least 8 ounces of water in addition to your usual daily water intake.
Add lots of lime to your water — not just a lime garnish, but juice of a whole lime. Lime juice has calcium, and has 2.5 times more vitamin A than lemon. Vitamin A helps the liver process alcohol more quickly.
When choosing your beverage, think about going for:
- Organic, sulfite-free red wine. This seems to have the least effect on liver function. Frey is one brand that’s widely available nationwide.
- Go for top-shelf liquors. They are cleaner, with fewer added chemicals and fake ingredients. Clear liquors like gin, rum and vodka are generally better.
- Watch the mixers too. Choose good quality mixers as well. Soda water is fine. Keep in mind that tonic water is full of sugar. Juices should be fresh, not full of colors or fake flavorings. Avoid sodas and energy drinks as mixers.
After
Drink lots of water and make yourself some Bieler Broth. Henry Bieler was a pioneer in the “food as medicine” movement. He believed that most of our troubles were due to toxins in the body, and he devised many food-based ways to help rid the body of them. This broth contains lots of adrenal-healing veggies, especially parsley. It’s actually great anytime, but is particularly helpful after you’ve been drinking to help the liver process toxins (the booze you drank) efficiently. Drink 1 to 3 cups three times during the next day.
4 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 big bunches parsley, stems removed and roughly chopped
1 sprig each of thyme, rosemary and tarragon, tied together with string (optional)
Place water, vegetables, and optional herbs in pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove herbs. Eat as is or puree in a blender.
