Day 13
Cleanse Day 4
Today we take a look at the importance of consuming salads as part of our healthy diet along with some GREAT recipes.
Today’s Topic: Salads
A salad a day REALLY keeps the doctor away!!! Allowing yourself to become “addicted” to salad is one of the best steps you can take for a healthy diet and especially when cleansing.
Aside from their natural good taste and great crunchy texture alongside wonderful colors and fragrances, eating a large serving of fresh, raw vegetables each day can have significant health benefits. They’re easy to make at home, and to order in a restaurant when dining out. And, with their multiple health benefits, consuming a serving of leafy greens each day can be one of the best habits to get into, summer or winter.
It’s important to eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet, in as many different colors as possible. Combining them in a salad is both easy and delicious! Loaded with vitamins and minerals, eating a salad a day will also increase the level of powerful antioxidants in your blood.
Again, it is recommended that at least 50% of our diet comes from a variety of raw foods not only for their nutrients and cleansing action, but also for the enzymes that they contain that help us to digest and metabolize the cooked foods that we eat.
You can always throw in some eggs, shrimp, chicken, or beans, and some brown rice, quinoa, or starchy vegetable and you’ve got a complete meal. This is especially great when you’re in a hurry or need to take a meal with you on the go. I often make up a batch of my “Favorite Salad Combo” (recipe below) and it lasts for a few days. I keep it interesting by changing up the veggies (depending on the season) and sometimes by adding fresh raw fruit like an apple or a pear. (By the way, I am kind of “known” for my salads!)
During colder weather, you might find it’s a good idea to plan to eat your salad during the day when the sun is up rather than waiting until the evening when we naturally tend to want something warmer. Using heavier greens like spinach and kale and making your dressing fresh so it’s not refrigerated are also helpful in colder months.
Also try to vary the kinds of salads that you have so you don’t get bored AND also for greater nutrition - variety is key!
Recipes
(Click on the photos below to view recipes.)
Check-in: How are you doing?
Remember that each meal should include a small portion of protein, a small portion of starch, a larger portion of vegetables and fruit, and 1-2 servings of good fat. If the recipes you choose don’t already provide all of those components, you need to adjust your meal accordingly.
Usually folks are starting to feel really good now but, if you are still feeling poorly, know that this WILL pass – just be sure to keep up eating well, drinking LOTS of water or herbal teas, and get plenty of rest!
Here's a sample of a daily food "plan":
Breakfast: Healthy Smoothie
Lunch: Super Energy Kale Soup with 2 hardboiled eggs
Snack: Apple with almond butter
Dinner: Leftovers - Chickpea-Brown Rice Veggie Burgers (protein & starch), Favorite Salad Combo with Creamy Cashew Dressing, and fresh raspberries
YUM! Easy, delicious, and nutritious!
Now that the weekend is over, you may want/need to venture out into the world a bit more. While it IS possible to eat in a restaurant and still eat healthy, it can DEFINITELY be a challenge.
HERE’S A LINK TO AN ARTICLE I WROTE ABOUT IT:
TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING AWAY FROM HOME
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: MY BODY IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND I’M COMMITTED TO TAKING CARE OF IT!
Tomorrow we’ll take a look at the role that soups and stews can play in our healthy diet along with some GREAT recipes.
Feel free to email me or post a comment below to ask questions or share your thoughts and experiences ~ I’d love to hear from you!
Blessings, JoAnn