Before you Freak Out during the Holidays.

Nutrition is a huge component of fitness. Folks who ignore nutrition are either genetically superior or not getting what they want out of their training. That being said, the holidays are a particularly challenging time for even those who are eating "clean" or just watching what they eat. 

I'm here to tell you to not freak out. 

I'm not here to tell you to put the egg nog down 
I'm not here to tell you how weak you are for not controlling cravings during this time of year. 
I'm here to tell you it's okay.

We have advocated a lot of things at CFNFC.
We started with the Zone and found that it pushed the wrong buttons with respect to those folks suffering from diagnosed, undiagnosed, underlying or unrecognized eating disorders. For a certain part of the population e.g. bariatric patients, aesthetic fitness competitors and folks trying to wow at their reunions, the Zone is going to be alright.
We then went to unweighed and unmeasured Paleo to clean up people's overall nutrition.
We then changed to the OPENutrition model co-developed by Heather Kelly and myself which applied some measurements to the clean Paleo model with dairy addenda for weight gain. That's had the most consistent body composition and athletic success over time.
Finally we've come to the CFNFC model which ends up being a common-sense approach to nutrition. 
Eat meat, vegetables and fat. Know why we recommend that you steer clear of grains, nuts, legumes and some dairy. Eat fruits if you're lean, limit intake if you're not. Booze and caffeine on a dose-response curve, and don't sweat social events, family meals or holidays. Those folks who cannot have the items on the list for auto-immune or allergy reasons already know what they shouldn't have. If you have any concerns that you might have a problem, removing that item from your diet for a period of 21-30 days can help identify if you're reactive. 
The main point though is to do what you want over the holidays. This is the time of year to enjoy each other's company and Grandma Pearl's cheesecake. Don't be that guy or gal who is whipping up "cookies and cream" flavored protein shakes instead of enjoying something seasonal. If you spend your time restricting too much, you can have a massive blowout and eat way more crap than if you had a piece of candy or a cupcake every once in a while during the holidays. 

Do not freak out. 

After the holidays we'll help you get back on track. Until then, enjoy friends, family and the occasional gingerbread man. 
P.S. Don't $$buy$$ into a detox or cleanse juice or drink lemon and cayenne. They just don't work.