Hey hey HEYYYYY who else still feels like they’re in post-Memorial day weekend thicco mode? Just me? Still suffering, multiple days later?
Summer is so FRUSTRATING, GOD. Four days a week I’m faced with the decision to either have no fun or be fat and, historically, I’ve inadvertently chosen the latter. Ya know the deal: salad for dinner, go out, “I’ll have a tito’s soda with extra lime :),” suddenly you’re in the Uber home, blinking 300 times a minute in a desperate attempt to get enough of your vision back to order Tasty Burger.
My biggest struggle is getting back on track after a day (or 3) of unhealthy habits. In my past life (liiiiiiiike, last summer) I would do a “detox” in the form of some juice cleanse that would leave me starving, craving carbs, and ya know, fuckin’ miserable.
I’ve never felt better after a juice cleanse. At least no better than I would have in due time with enough hydration/cardio. I finally did some research into why it wasn’t working for me and *as it turns out* juice cleanses don’t really ”detox” anyone. The body, as I now know, is fully capable of detoxing on its own. No amount of charcoal and lemon juice is going to do for your body what your liver, GI, kidneys, skin, etc. won‘t.
So with that being the case, why starve ourselves and put our bodies in the position to binge? Literally no reason. No reason to be doing the lemon/cayenne pepper/maple syrup cleanse UNLESS it gets you in the mental state of being back on track - that’s what we‘re actually trying to do, right? Just get back on track! Not starve ourselves to the point of telling our boyfriends to “shut the fuck up” when they breathe.
When I find myself needing to reintroduce my body to vegetables, I love finding nutrient dense recipes that have some substance to them. Not only do I feel better (less swollen/bloated) the next day, eating yummy healthy food makes long term health commitments much less daunting.
Here are two of my favorite recipes to make when I need to get back on the health grind. All about resetting the mental game, not detoxing!
Turmeric Oats
I LOVEEE turmeric. Usually I get my daily dose of collagen and turmeric in with a latte, but if I have the time/will, I’ll make my tumeric oats. Turmeric/Curcumin have a ton of health benefits and the berries and chia seeds make this extra anti-inflammatory.
1/2 cup of Oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut)
Lil bit of salt to taste
1 cup of water
Oat Milk to alter consistency
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
Pepper (without pepper your body can’t absorb turmeric as well)
Toppings (I used craisins, blueberries, strawberries, chia seeds, and 1 tsp agave)
Bring water and salt to a boil
Add oats and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes or until desired consistency (add oat milk for it to be creamier. I hate that word).
Add in turmeric and stir until it’s thoroughly incorporated.
Top with whatever you want and ya all set! Super easy.
Broccoli Arugula Soup x Goop
Goop Soup. Love a Goop Soup.
I tried this recipe because I wanted a lighter version of my favorite green soup, Shorbat Jarjir, and if it’s good enough for Gwyneth it’s good enough for me. I really really like it and after eating it I *personally* feel like a La Jolla mom that just came home from 2 weeks at Canyon Ranch.
I tweaked this a little bit from Goop’s original & I’d encourage you to mix it up with some of your favorite veggies/flavors! I think I’m trying a pea or asparagus version next.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic (or 7, do you) thinly sliced
1/2 yellow onion, roughly diced
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (about 2/3 pound)
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
3/4 cup arugula
To your preferred consistency -Unsweetened/unflavored non dairy milk of your choosing
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup of sprouts (I used radish and clover)
Heat the olive oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and onion, and sauté for just a minute or until fragrant.
Add the broccoli, and cook for 4 minutes or until bright green.
Add the water, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil; lower the heat; and cover.
Cook for 8 minutes or until the broccoli is just tender.
Pour the soup into a blender, and puree with the arugula until quite smooth. Be very careful when blending hot liquids; start slowly, and work in batches if necessary (you don’t want the steam to blow the blender lid off).
Add milk to desired consistency.
Serve the soup with sprouts and a bit of fresh lemon. (Tastes great cold too when it’s hot out!)
This makes two servings of about 150 calories each, so just eat the whole pot and call it a night. Or don’t call it a night because you still have room for healthy snacks. Again, do you.
If you have any good recipes for resetting after a few bad days, please share! I hope these recipes make your post-cookout beach trips easier this summer!