Why I HATE the word detox...
Hey there Diva friends!
Detox is such a buzz word isn't it? Let me share why I HATE that word...it implies that you do something healthy for a short period of time, to support your body in a way that allows it to be strong enough to then handle the crap we bring back in once the detox is over....Basically we do something that makes us feel GOOD so we can continue poor habits that make us feel BAD...
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There are occasions however where that extra little oomph to bring in more vegetables, provide more nutrients, go easy on your digestion and provide gentle and nourishing foods can be good right? Right. And that's where I found myself last week. I'm always looking for new foods to try, new meals to keep it interesting and new ways to strengthen my gut, boost my energy, and get as many nutrients in my system as I can feasibly handle.
So I decided to make a concerted effort to do just that and I actually planned my meals.... My goal was to dust off my juicer, include a green juice every morning for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and even go vegetarian for dinner (although that only sort of happened).
So I planned my breakfast and green smoothie ingredients to be the same every morning. The combination was truly delicious so I knew I wouldn't mind. I planned a salad ( see last week's blog post) and I googled vegetarian dinners that would work for me....Here is what my week ended up looking like:
Breakfast:
- Green juice: 2 stalks celery + greens ( kale, swiss chard, bok choy or collard greens depending on the day) + 1 organic lemon + 1 organic green apple + 1/2 organic honey crisp apple + ginger root ( optional) *
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup chocolate chia seed pudding
- 1/2 grapefruit, or sometimes a piece of Eban bread toast
*Notes on the green juice ingredients:
- Celery provides: excellent source of antioxidants and beneficial enzymes, in addition to vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin B6
- Leafy greens are high in dietary fiber, and rich in folic acid, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium, as well as containing a host of phytochemicals, such as lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene.
- Lemons contain vitamin C, citric acid, flavonoids, B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and fiber. Lemons contain more potassium than apples or grapes
- Apples are extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavanoids, and dietary fiber. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Green apples in particular have proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are well known for their benefits, fighting digestive disorders, their low levels of good cholesterol, regulating glucose levels, and improving your appetite
- Ginger has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and has been used to treat various stomach problems.
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Lunch:
For lunch I stuck with my kale salad! It was delicious and filling. Sometimes I would add something to it like leftovers from the night before. It was easy to prep every day because I made the dressing in advance and shredded some kale leaves up at the beginning of the week.
Dinners:
Vegetarian West African Peanut Soup (we added grass-fed hot dogs)
I realize my pictures aren't that pretty - that's another skill for another time... but the recipes are DELICIOUS and I would definitely recommend you try them all. Keegan and Patrick both loved them too! Technically this next recipe was from this week, but it fits the theme and is one of our favorites, so I wanted to include it for you as well!
Moroccan Lentil Stew with Raisins ( seriously - gotta try this!)
I loved my "experiment" so much that I have continued my daily green juices!!! I even think it's better than coffee *gasp*!. I would challenge YOU to try it every day for one week....it doesn't take much time and cost per juice is so low when you make it at home, PLUS you are getting fresh nutrients delivered in an extremely efficient and bioavailable way!
Have you ever tried juicing? I'd love to hear your thoughts/recipes below!
