Detox Day 2: What We Ate

 Day 2. That means we made it through day one! Yippie!!

Actually, being that we aren't strictly just doing fruits and veggies but are allowing for some whole wheat stuff and yogurt, it's been much easier than I thought. I've been feeling full and have a decent amount of energy.

Here's what I ate:

Breakfast (not pictured): 1 cup of greek yogurt with a sprinkle of flax seed and dried cranberries, one banana, and a cup of green tea (p.s. I didn't drink one of my smoothies this AM because I was feeling a little yucky when I woke up. But I read that's normal with a detox. Feeling much better now!:))

Here's lunch: Half a whole wheat pita, a cup of spinach and 6 slices of cucumber with a hummus spread

You could add tomato, onion, or bell pepper if you wish :)

You'll need some protein to get you until dinner (or you can take this as a snack for in between!) I ate some dried fruit and mixed nuts

Dinner: Now, I didn't get home tonight until 6:30, so Shawn was on his own for dinner. I'll admit, I had a little bit of fear that he might cave without my support, but he did pretty good! He even was thoughtful enough to take pictures for my blog. What a guy. :)

You'll need: 2 stalks of celery, 2 cans of tomato (one not pictured), 1 onion, 2 Zucchinis, 1 cup diced carrot, 1 can of northern beans (or other white bean), 2 garlic cloves (not pictured), 1/4 cup of uncooked pasta (whole wheat), 1 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1/8 tsp ground pepper, 3 cups organic vegetable stock

Chop up everything

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat, Add chopped onion and sauté for 4 min

Add water, zucchini, carrots, canellini beans, celery, basil, oregano salt, pepper, tomatoes and garlic. 
 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally

Add macaroni, cover and cook additional 10 min

Super hearty, awesome flavor! I'm proud of my little chef! :) Here's the original recipe, plus/minus a few changes.

Snack time! You know you can just eat dinner and be okay until tomorrow morning. Maybe you can, but I can't. I opted for some plain, air popped, popcorn. I used our jiffy popper, but you could do this on the stove too. Just be sure to buy a plain bag of kernels, none of that bagged and buttered stuff. 

Instead of salt, add another spice. I added a tablespoon of olive oil (to add some stickiness for the spice),  and cayenne pepper because I like it hot!

Doesn't that look nice? I ended the night with some calming herbal tea.

Not bad, huh? If we can do it, anyone can. Seriously. We will see what tomorrow brings..... 

Detox- Ziplock Smoothies

 Smoothies.

Smoothies can be another great way to get in the daily recommended amount of veggies and fruits. Plus, you can hide things that you may not be such a fan of, but are super health foods.

Fresh fruits and vegetables can be very expensive (especially if they aren't in season) and don't last long after they are ripe. Here's some tips for buying healthy stuff that's affordable, but not lacking on the nutrients you need:

-Buy frozen: frozen produce is typically frozen at the pick of ripeness. That means, you are getting the most out of the vitamins/minerals

-Get what's on sale or what's in season: I bought cranberries because they are super cheap after Christmas.

I got this huge bag of mixed fruit. It's a great 'base' fruit for my smoothies.

Cranberries!

Here's another secret. Adding spinach to your smoothie is an excellent way to boost the vitamins/antioxidants in your smoothie, but it won't affect the flavor of your smoothie. But keep in mind, it camouflages in taste, but it will turn your smoothie green! :)

Kale. Kale is super healthy, but I wouldn't recommend for the beginning-health-smoothie-drinker. It adds a particular texture that some may not be fans of.

Greek yogurt. Provides smooth texture, sweetness, and vitamin D.

I started with 1 cup of the frozen fruit, 1/4 cup of cranberries, 1 orange, 1/2 cup of frozen spinach, and one kale leaf.

Start with your frozen stuff first. This will take a bit longer to puree than the rest. 

Then add cranberry, kale, spinach, and orange. Pulse together well. Then add1-2 tablespoons of yogurt and a splash of OJ.  

Here's my smoothie! I love the cranberry and OJ combo, it tastes like a healthy Christmas!

So smoothies are great for breakfast, but most people don't feel like going through the process of cutting everything up prior to going to work. So I decided to make individual smoothie bags. I measured out 1 cup of frozen 'base' fruit, 1/2 cup of frozen spinach, and 1/4 a cup of cranberries.

I made enough for a week. In the morning, all I have to do is pop these in my food processor (or blender) and add yogurt. I also have fresh fruit that I can incorporate that will keep it from getting boring. Wheat germ and flax seed are also great things that I will add.

Ridiculously easy and healthy! Get in a full serving (plus) of fruits and vegetables before your day even begins. 

After Christmas Detox-Part 1

 Happy New Year!!!

I haven't posted in quite a while, partially due to the busyness that is the holidays. I don't know about you, but I ate my fill.

I truly do enjoy baking and cooking during the Christmas season. I also enjoy eating. A LOT.

Totally normal. Don't deny that you didn't do it too. Do I regret indulging over the past few weeks. Nope. Am I prepared to make some changes for a healthier January? Definitely.

The next few weeks (or so) I'll be sharing healthier recipes that will make it easier to keep up with those new years resolutions.

Shawn and I have decided to do a detox to start the year off right. A few years back, we did a 3 day fruits and veggies (only) detox. By the end of day 3, we wanted to kill each other. It was rough. This year I'm being more realistic by allowing whole wheat pasta and pita into the mix.

Can I brag on one of my Christmas gifts for a minute? Shawn bought me the 13 cup KictchenAid exact slice food processor. This is like the Cadillac of food processors. 

It can do pretty much anything in the world. Yep. Here's a little video if you don't believe me.

Today I started with something easy. A veggie marinara sauce. For two servings, all you need is a can of tomatoes (doesn't really matter if it's diced, stewed, etc.), 1 bell pepper, 3 mushrooms, handful of baby spinach, handful of kale (not pictured 2 cloves of garlic).

I used the mini bowl since it's a smaller serving, and the mini multipurpose blade. 

I added the tomatoes, gave it a couple pulses.

While on low, I added the bell pepper...

....kale....

and baby spinach.

Made sure it was all combined 

It may not look super pretty!

I spooned out my marinara sauce into a medium saucepan over medium heat, and then boiled my whole wheat pasta 

Drained pasta, added sauce...

Looks pretty hearty, right?

This pasta is FULL of flavor. Not to mention, super healthy greens.

This is a great way to hide some of those less attractive greens (i.e. kale) while still getting the veggies you need. You could add onions, carrots, squash, artichoke hearts...the list is endless!!

This will also keep you full. Which is especially important when you are starting a healthy eating plan. The more you stay full and enjoy what you are eating, the more likely you will stick with it!