Hello! My name is Michelle and I'm a former magazine junkie ( you name it Vogue, World of Interiors, Us Magazine, Cookie - I left no page unturned)...I finally kicked the habit 3 years ago (mainly because the arrival of L severely limited any free time) but yesterday at Whole Foods I was completely seduced by this Whole Living cover and into my cart it went...something about it and January just made smoothies, kale, and broiled Salmon sound delightful - right? maybe?...and now that I've made a short list of beauty goals it's time to dive into diet territory...however by diet, I am in no way referring to limiting myself, going sugar free or any crazy ideas like that - just that I have a couple of aspirations for the new year...(and only a couple)
1) Eat More Vegetables & Fruit - why is this so hard? Come csa and garden time I'm all set but something about a salad in the dead of winter just seems unappealing...smoothies and juicing seem like a great alternative...Elizabeth posted some yummy sounding detox fruit and almond shakes, Heather has a great immune boosting juice idea, Gwyneth has entire cleanse plan and Whole Living has 25 recipes to try...a different one a day? or you can "cheat" like me and drink a glass of Dynamic Greens mix
everyday (I have for the past month and it does make me feel a bit greener)
everyday (I have for the past month and it does make me feel a bit greener)2) Finally start menu planning for the week instead of rushing to the grocery store with a cranky 3 yr old and a half baked (literally) idea of what's for dinner - Estelle inspired me and it sounds like she's off to a delicious start...so meal planners - any tips? I know you're out there - hmmm....maybe we should do a detox/meal planning recipe exchange this month..any joiners?
Hope everyone is having a happy, healthy Monday!
xoxo, M
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ooh great post, thanks! january mags are so hard to resist... all that detox, declutter stuff gets me every time!
ReplyDeleteMeal planning! Is awesome!
ReplyDelete(Says the person who dropped the ball on that sometime in December.)
Oh well. It helps, I promise. I also find that once the food I plan to make is in my house, I actually make it. (Not so much the case when I have an empty fridge.)
Another big yes to the smoothies. Even though it's not MN cold in California, the heater in our tiny house is not robust. Smoothies in the morning (paired with a nice hot cup of coffee) somehow work.
When I am feeling particularly meal-uninspired, I bust out the slow cooker. Something about its ease of use sort of gets me through the blahs.
I am on a similar find easy ways to be a little healthier bend!
ReplyDeleteI just picked up Terry Walters' book Clean Food which has been delicious and inspiring. The book is divided by season and every recipe is just a page long and quick to make. She calls for a few random ingredients but once you get them, you can use for all of the recipes.
Another fun idea is this, make your own granola bars! Great way to cut down on sugar & stay away from bad snacks. They are easier than Rice Krispie treats to make would be a really fun project to do with Lila since it is mostly about mixing and mashing. Recipe from Mark Bittman:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/dining/22minirex.html
Good luck! Can't wait to hear about what you make! xoxo
Yes, juicing and smoothies are awesome!!! We (including my almost two and four year old) drink a blended fruit smoothie every morning (mango, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, plain yogurt, and banana. In the afternoons (about 3-4 x a week) I juice kale, carrots, beets, and apple for taste. Always feels so great to know that the kiddies are getting the nutrients that they wouldn't otherwise eat on their own. And they love it!
ReplyDeleteI am in the same state of mind as you. Today I was reading about the Greem Monster smoothie started by Oh She Glows and I cannot wait to try it. Check out her blog. I love your idea about the detox foods exchange. Let's do it. I just made tonight some super healthy scones from the Clean book, which is the detox diet Gwyneth Paltrow recommends. I am trying to detox and clean my body this month. Focus is on green delicious smoothies and warm healthy soups.
ReplyDeleteHere is to a new healthy body in 2011!
That cover would have grabbed me also! Menu planning is a beast I need to take on as well, it's amazing how much better you can eat when you think ahead. Seriously I would live on smoothies if I could - love them!
ReplyDeletei've been trying to eat more vegetables and fruit too and have managed mostly thanks to soups which i love in winter. the meal planning, though, i'm still light years away from. i seem to remember we need to eat something 30 minutes before lunch/dinnertime and then it's a mad scramble to put something together.
ReplyDeletehi doll..i promise i am not copying you..but i devoured this mag this weekend and i am posting about the same thing too..DETOX time!
ReplyDeleteGreat goals, Michelle. I know you can do it. For me, a big difference was committing to only 5 consecutive days in a row, writing a list for the week with each meal assigned to a specific day and then one big grocery list. (A big change will be only going to the grocery store once a week - I can't even imagine!). Then I compared notes with my best friend over the phone. So I know what she's making this week and she knows what I'm making. Accountability is key. =) Hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Always love your recipe exchanges. They help keep me motivated to try new recipes.
I wrote a post on meal planning a while back and although (as I shared in the post) that at times, meal planning is set aside, overall- when I do it, I feel 10x's better about my week, what we're eating, how much I am spending, and ALL of the thought each day about what to eat is eliminated- entirely. The kids like knowing what's for dinner too (not why I do it, but it is interesting how much they like being aware... it's like it gives them something to look forward to, or dread- depending on what's for dinner:).
ReplyDeleteI'm sharing the post because 1)I love this fun notepad (gives me lots of space to add extra's, like what recipes I want to try, what I need to use up in the fridge, etc. and 2)I received lots of good comments on this post!
http://torriesessions.blogspot.com/2010/11/eternal-question.html
Good luck!!
I have been so sick lately that I am lucky {rather Ross is lucky} if I make one meal a week.... when I am a little less barfy I want to meal plan with you.... those smoothies look amazing... oh great... now I need a smoothie... One more trip out to find food ;).
ReplyDeleteHah, I totally grabbed this issue, too.The cover layout is sooo delish.
ReplyDeletemeal planning:
I find themes and rhythyms helpful in developing habits. I try to stick to:
monday= pasta (usually just me and the little one for dinner)
tuesday= soup (salad in the sumer)
wednesday= leftovers(my night off/out)
thursday= fish
friday= family dinner out
saturday= date night or "try something new" night
sunday= slowcooked. Could be a roast, stew, lasagne, etc.
I don't stick to this 100% but it helps to have a starting point....
that cover would have wooed me in too! I agree on the meal planning, it's hard, for sure... some weeks I get it, others not so much. I'm always up for a recipe exchange!
ReplyDeleteI was feeling this way last year, bought the book "Clean" featured on Goop (Im such a sucker). I would have a juice or smoothie for breakfast and dinner but a clean sensible meal for lunch like salmon + brown rice,avocado,black beans...My favorite smoothie had kale,avocado,almond milk,coconut water, and a little mango. I loved it!
ReplyDeleteI like this informative information and Its so useful for me and all the other persons. Yes, juicing and smoothies are awesome! and my favorite smoothies are apple, milk and water. Thanks ..
ReplyDelete