Food Cleanse

Pictured: Roasted Salmon with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce

It's 2013, meaning it's officially the year that I'm getting married! I have less than five months to go and the pressure of looking bride ready is really heating up. I'm not one to diet, but after discovering Bon Appetit's yearly Food Lover's Cleanse, a two week food plan that focuses on resetting your body by eating nutritious meals, I felt inspired to try my own version. Here are some tips I picked up that are helping to shape my food cleanse and hopefully will be incorporated into healthy eating well beyond January.


Healthy Eating tips from Nutritionist Marissa Lippert (see full article here):

• Drinks: Less booze and more water! Try to limit alcohol to 2-4 drinks per week and drink 2 liters of water per day. Try limiting coffee to one cup per day.
• Dairy and Refined Sugar & Carbs: Try to drop these altogether, although a small amount of yogurt or feta cheese is alright. Replace refined sugar and flours with more complex whole grains, honey, etc. that will help take your body a longer time to break down.
• Meat & Fish: Try and limit your meat intake and only eat lean proteins like fish, boneless skinless chicken breasts, and, occasionally, lean beef. Limit portions to the size of your fist (4-6 oz.).
• Fruit & Veggies: Make sure that over half of your plate is filled with healthy fruit and vegetables. Raw contains more nutrients than cooked.
• Meal time: Keep meals small and eat often. Having a healthy snack in the afternoon is a great way to keep your energy high and make sure you don't eat a huge meal for dinner.
• Don't Be Too Strict: Don't stress out about cheating a little every once and awhile. Food should still taste good!

P.S. I've added a new tag to my recipes called "healthy". These recipes are vegetable, lean protein, and whole grain focused. The full list can be found here.