New Year, New Cleanse?

Try these tips to help your body cleanse itself in an enjoyable, maintainable way. 

The beginning of the year often brings heavy marketing for new diets, fasting, cleanses, and detoxes. These may all sound like good things to get you back to fueling your body better after the holiday junk, but restrictive diets and traditional cleanses (you know the ones with fancy waters, pricey juices, and other [not so tasty] liquids) can leave you deficient in calories, protein, fiber, and an array of other nutrients. Instead, try these tips to help your body cleanse itself in a more enjoyable, maintainable way. 

• Load up on fruits on veggies: Try a smoothie for breakfast, a large salad full of your favorite veggies for lunch, roast some in-season veggies for dinner (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and beets are in season now), and pair a fruit or veggie with nuts, nut butter, guacamole, or hummus for snacks.

• Experiment with herbs: We tend to forget about the antioxidant properties of herbs, but they are loaded with health benefits, just like our fruits and veggies. Add mint to your smoothie, throw fresh parsley and cilantro into a salad, mix basil into a tomato and cucumber side dish, or blend your favorite herbs with olive oil and garlic to serve as a marinade for meat. 

• Use starchy vegetables in place of grains: There are certainly a lot of beneficial properties in grains, but starchy veggies have the added bonus of antioxidants and different micronutrients. Occasionally swap your pasta for spaghetti squash, roast butternut or acorn squash as a carby side dish, and bake thinly sliced parsnip and taro for a crunchy chip-like snack. 

• Drink up: Our body processes food and nutrients best when we are well hydrated. Water doesn’t have to be the only thing you drink, but it should be the majority of what you consume. Make it more interesting with fruit and mint leaves or sip on hot water with a squeeze of lemon juice and dash of ginger.