Getting Back on Track and Get Thee to Stanley's....

This past weekend was not what it could have been nutritionally. In fact, it was completely off the wagon. Sometimes weddings, bachelorette getaways, funerals and family holidays do that to us. While I'm getting myself back on track, I thought I would take this opportunity to write a post about getting back on track when you meander through the valley of the shadow of brioche french toast and tequila. This leaves me feeling tired, blotchy and depressed. Since I know what having clean cells feels like, I want to get back to there as quickly as possible without pulling the rug from under myself.

The key to getting back on track is to return to the simplest, most satisfying food on your chosen plan and making it tasty. For me, that is lots of water, herbal tea, green juices (Green Lemonade is my favorite), salads and steamed or baked vegetables. In order to temper the cleanse, I keep dark chocolate, butter and raw goat cheese in the repertoire. This keeps detoxing tasty and pleasurable and ensures that aforementioned brioche french toast is not missed at all. One could even include a daily glass of wine in a get back on track cleanse. This time, I am also cutting out the wine. I feel especially toxic this week and want to avoid adding in any straight up intoxicants like alcohol.

Physical activity is also key. Rebounding, jogging, brisk walks, yoga or pilates are awesome work outs. It will pump sweat, lymph and toxins out of the system. Exercise also improves the quality of your sleep, which is a powerful detoxification tool in and of itself.

For someone just beginning their whole foods journey, getting back on track could be as simple as a daily walk or run and cutting out the white stuff. Someone macro or ayurvedic might return to the simple, clean grain/bean/veg combo.

Stanley's: I just want to recommend that any Chicago readers head over to Stanley's Fruits and Vegetables immediately. It's the opposite of a regular market in that fruits and veggies dominate, and the fresh food is reasonably priced. They also have spices for less than three dollars, which is totally unheard of at Whole Foods and the like. Get thee to Stanley's immediately!