What to do when you blow your diet!
It’s the day after Easter and I don’t know about you, but I’m recovering from overindulgence. I didn’t blow my diet with candy from my kids’ Easter baskets – PHEW! But I did overdo it eating too much of the yummy food that my friends and I prepared for Easter dinner. Lamb kebabs, kale salad, deviled eggs with crab meat, twice baked potatoes (yes I did!) and coconut lime buttermilk pie. Fattening? Yes, a little. But because everything I ate was fresh and prepared with simple ingredients, the damage wasn’t as bad as it could have been. And I have far less guilt.
So, what’s a girl to do after a day like yesterday? START FRESH! Yup, even the Fresh Start Gal needs a fresh start sometimes. One of the best pieces of advice that I received from a professor who taught a speaking course I took at The New School in NYC was “Learn to live in day tight spaces.” What that means is that, you can’t erase what you did yesterday, but you can start anew today and do something positive and good for yourself. With that said, here are my tips towards making a FRESH START today, tomorrow, or as soon as you are ready.
#1: Start your day with a green smoothie.
I’ll admit it, I’ve gone crazy for green smoothies over the past year. Why? Because they make me feel terrific, they make my skin glow, and they are such an easy way to get a healthy dose of the nutrients that you need to fuel your day in one powerful punch. Smoothies are easy to make and contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a fancy Vitamix to make them. You can use a basic kitchen blender! The key to smoothie success is adding your base first (water, almond milk, coconut water, etc), then add your greens and fruit. Thanks to my nutrition nut of a friend, Melissa Neher, for the smoothie inspiration.
Melissa’s Green Juice
Ingredients
4 T. peanut butter powder
1 t almond extract
1 scoop protein powder (optional)
3 T silken tofu (optional)
1/2 frozen banana
2 c spinach or kale
1.5 cups almond milk
#2: Move Your Body
If you overdo it, you need to burn offsome of those excess calories the next day. No time to hit the gym? No problem! Take a walk, jump rope, do 15 minutes of push ups or sit ups. One of my favorite quick workouts is this towering set of stairs near our home in Seattle. A few sets of these and I feel like a new woman!
#3: Cleanse Your System
After a day of overindulging, it’s important to hit the reset button on your system. Cleanse your internal system with a shower of fresh greens and fiber-filled foods that will fuel your tank, flush out the bad things that you consumed, and help you feel lighter tomorrow. Every shower needs water, so make sure you are starting your morning with a glass and drinking water throughout the day.
#4: And finally, remember, that you are WORTH taking these extra steps towards your good health.
Two of the best reasons why I am committed to great health, Aidan and Killian.
