I am not a detox kind of girl.
Given my age, I’m actually not a girl at all anymore, although I findit preferential tobeing calledlady or god forbid,ma’am. That last one might get you a back hand across the face or at minimum, a pointed and disapproving stare. Alright fine,when you factor inmy predominantly non-violent nature, unless of course you steal my cheese,chances are you’llsimply get‘The Look,’ although I’ll be sure tomake it super intimidating.
It’s no secretI have issues when it comes to aging.Another and lesser known thingwhich gets under my skin though, not in a good way either, isdiets, detoxes, cleanses and all things of that nature.Granted Iget they’re popular right now, especially when you factor in the new yearand the post holiday splurge; it’s all anyone can talk about these days, which is causing me to roll my eyes more times than my optometrist would like.
Here’s the thing, detoxes arenothing more than a quick fix for something the body can handle all on its own.Our lovely little livers,with alltheir infinite wisdom, work wonders when left to their own devices. What doesn’t help though is shocking our system by going from feast to famine in matter of minutes or eliminating entire food groups, which come witha bountiful bevy of minerals and nutrients. Yeah see,we need those things if ouroverall end game is health and wellness, and that’s certainly my plan. It has been all along.
More importantly,detoxes are as destructive as the reason you feel like you need one.
Let me explain. The premise of a detoxmeansno matter what youthought at the time, you really weren’t okay with those extra cookies,that third glass of wine, or skipping Thursday’s workout in favor of extra family time; notif you feel like you now need to purge them from your system. A detox gives validationtofeelings of self-contempt and reproach, and Iflat out refuseto give thoseshrewd cronespower.
While I certainly don’t encourage eating to excess or throwing anything and everything down your gullet,I recognize it’s possible toget a little carried away in the heat of the moment. It happens to everybody,with more ways than just food, which is why it’sentirely okay to acknowledge and accept going overboard, without needing topunish yourself in the form a detox.In fact, it’s moresustainable to rebound in a healthy manner, one which doesn’t involveshocking your systemand putting your body on a roller coaster ride.
Even thoughI’d like to ban the word detox from our vocabularies, unless you’re truly drying out in an addiction clinic, I’m not against bouncing back from theholidays or whatever event caused you togo a little crazy,in a healthy and manageable way, that is. Thesolution is simple:
- Drink lots of water,
- Getenough sleep,
- Move your body some, and
- Eat lots of nutrient dense, whole foods in the right quantities.
Like this Pomegranate Citrus Salad, for example.
This lovely little numberjust sohappens to taste as sexy as it looks. The Hubby and his family can vouch for me here, although I’m not sure if my in-laws realized I was going to use the word sexy to describe it. His dad did get to see me in action though, withmyblackposter board set up in our driveway, all while I crawled around on my hands and knees in order tocaptureapicture of this bad boy. I think he was surprised the lengths I go to, although I, for one, appreciatehis interest.
With only a handful of ingredients, this Pomegranate Citrus Salad issuper easy to make. Since it’s packed full of vitamins and nutrients, it pretty muchscreams healthy. The best part though, is it delivers a refreshing and revitalizing burst of flavor. Seriously, it’s music in your mouth.
The pomegranate seeds andpistachio nuts lend a super satisfying textural crunch, whilethe tangy goat cheese andripe orangeslicescombine intothe happiest of noteson your tongue.Also, an added benefit: thepomegranate seedsserve to helpslow aging and makeyour skin more youthful, which isstraight up icing on the cake for me.
Ditch the detox; ingest this salad instead. Your body will thank you.
Pomegranate Citrus Salad
2015-01-04 19:29:51
This Pomegranate Citrus Salad is super easy to make, chock full of vitamins and nutrients, and a refreshing burst of flavor. It's music in your mouth.
Ingredients
- 1 Bunch of Lettuce (I used red leaf lettuce)
- 1 Pomegranate, seeds only.
- 2 Clementines or Cuties, peeled and sectioned into slices.
- 1 1/2 - 2 ounces Goat Cheese, crumbled
- 2 Green Onions, white and green parts, chopped
- 1/4 cup unsalted Pistachios nuts, roughly chopped
- Dressing
- 1/4 cup Blood Orange Olive Oil or other citrus oil. You could also use regular olive oil and mix in some no pulp OJ.
- 2 Tbsps. Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar
Instructions
- Wash and dry lettuce and place in the bottom of your salad bowl.
- Add salad toppings, either in an artful staged fashion (as shown) or casually tossed about. If you go with the former, I started with the pomegranate seeds on the outer edge, followed by the orange slices, and then I added the goat cheese, the green onions and pistachio pieces all in the center. I tossed a few pomegranate seeds in there too for a final burst of color.
By Meghan McCarthy
Clean Eats, Fast Feets http://cleaneatsfastfeets.com/
This post is being brought to the table at the followingfabulous parties:Hun… What’s for Dinner’s Simply Supper Tuesday’s,and TheNovice Gardener’s Fiesta Friday.
What is your take on a detox? Would you ever reconsider your stance?
