This year I spent my very first Christmas away from home. Without wishing to turn this into a sob story, it was hard. Home for me equals love, understanding, and tons of cuddles with my nearest and dearest.

And as much as I’m grateful to now have two places to call home, whereas some people don’t even have one, this year’s experience gave me (oh-so-metaphorical) food for thought, since I experienced my first hungry Christmas. Growing up, I was always given a special veggie option for Christmas dinner, as did anyone else who chose to eat differently. (And these days it just so happens that the veggie lifestyle is tipping the balance in my family. *Squeal*)

But in deepest, darkest France, the traditional Christmas meal is 95% dead creatures from land, sea, and sky, and even the veggies are dripping with goose fat. It’s not that I expect to be catered for (I always bring a dish in these situations), but it did make me feel very far from home.

I suppose if I look at it another way, it was actually quite a novel experience to celebrate the essence of Christmas minus a massive feast.

But still.

This is one of the reasons why Ann and I do what we do. There are so many received ideas about food and health here in France that need blowing out of the water. We’re doing our bit to chip away at them, and we really appreciate your help and support in sharing the information we post here.

Next year, I’m heading home, where a veggious feast will await, and kinder ways of thinking and eating are embraced. And I hope that with our help, and the help of all the other wonderful blogs out there, France will catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to health and a consideration for other sentient beings.

Now that’s off my chest, time for the video of the week!

Even though I don’t necessarily need to be detoxing this year, since Christmas was one long fast, I do know that post-Christmas heavy feeling very well from other years. So I wanted to share my six easy ways to create a clean slate the morning after.

You can get through this practice in 30 minutes, or make it last two hours. In any case this is a practical protocol to follow when you’re feeling sluggish and groggy.

These six steps are guaranteed to reinstate the spring in your step ready for 2018. Here’s to ringing in the new year in tip top health!

I hope you enjoy this video. Please let us know which steps you’ll be implementing in the comments below. And also let us know if your home was jiving with the joy of a veggie Christmas this year! We’re all ears when it comes to positive change. 🙂

Love and lentil loaf,