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Read Dr. Elena Krasnov's Weekly Column in the Health & Fitness section of the 24 Hours Magazine. Look for new articles every week!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Those last 5 Pounds

Q: Dear Elena: I want to lose 5 lbs before the holidays what is the fastest and healthiest way to do this in a short period of time?

A: Losing a lot of weight fast is never good, however you can safely loose 5 lbs in only a few weeks.

Excess weight can be the result of water logged, congested tissues and is not fat. This can be lost quite fast by doing some lymphatic cleansing, some exercise to move the lymph around and by cutting out some foods that commonly lead to congestion problems. I have successfully worked with many patients to reduce their desired weight. I first recommend a 14-day toxin flash.

The toxin flash includes eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and eating at least 8 oz of protein per day split between lunch and dinner. Eliminate all grains and dairy products for the 2-week period. Some grains can cause sensitivities and thus water retention, dairy can cause mucous congestion and that will also cause water retention. Eliminating wheat is essential. Also avoid alcohol of any kind and no sweets or other processed foods. Not all fruits are made the same either. Some such as grapes, melons and citrus are high in sugar and low in fiber and must be avoided. Apples, pears and other hard flesh fruits are excellent as are all kinds of berries. Your portions should be able to fit on an 8-inch plate, to control portion size. Make sure you never go hungry. Eat 3 meals and two snacks but pay close attention to the quantity and quality of everything that goes into your mouth.

Drink up to 8 cups of water mixed with unsweetened cranberry juice each day. The cranberry mix works as a diuretic and will flash the toxins right out. I recommend drinking 1 to 2 cups 20 min before each meal so that when it comes time to eat your stomach is not empty. It is an acidic drink, so it will also promote gastric digestion.

Do some exercise daily, yoga or cardio or anything else you can think of will do, as long you stay active.

This is not difficult and very effective. I had patients lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks of this, so 5 lbs should be a walk in the park.

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Dr. Elena Krasnov is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and Clinic Director of the Toronto Naturopathic Clinic. Submit your questions online at 24hrs.ca

Co-written by Miranda Tallon-Malisani Holistic Nutritionist