DETOX

Feeling guilty about overindulging over the weekend? Drank too much alcohol? Or too many cupcakes? I'm often asked, how can I get back on track? How can I get rid of this sluggish feeling? Try to detox in a natural, healthy way.

-Stay away from processed food, cut back on sugar, stick to fresh whole foods (lots of fruits and veggies), and exercise

-Most importantly, drink plenty of water and green tea which is full of antioxidants and washes toxins out of the system.

-Rich detox foods: broccoli, red and green veggies, cauliflower, artichokes, beets, onions, garlic, beans

-Choose dark leafy greens which boost chlorophyll levels and gets rid of toxins.

-To help with bloating, choose whole grains

-Choose high fiber foods to eliminate bile and other toxins

-Lemons, oranges, and limes jump start the digestive tract with enzymatic processes

Besides eating a healthy balanced diet of clean foods, another component of detoxifying your body is eliminating stress. A beneficial way to manage this and to get your exercise is to practice yoga.

Alex's Fav-Corepower yoga,

2Hot yoga, Bikram yoga

Hot yoga is a way to detoxify your body; think of it as yoga in a sauna. It is cleansing because your skin is being used as a waste disposal system through sweating out toxins. Circulation and metabolism are boosted through deep breathing and yoga postures. Also, meditation and relaxing your mind deals with stress toxins.

Protein and How I lasted 1 week being a Vegetarian

PROTEIN

It is a widely known myth that protein only comes from meat, fish, poultry, milk and eggs. However, there are so many other delicious protein sources. I tested out a vegetarian diet (for 1 full week), so I had to find these sources and make sure I was getting enough. Protein is one of the three macronutrients required in humans (carbohydrates and fats being the other two). Proteins support and maintains blood, organs, muscles, hair, skin and nails.

-Plant proteins include: soy (edamame, tofu), legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds

(I also received protein from dairy and eggs)

Alex's Fav

Breakfast: 1 cup of oatmeal (6 grams), 1 cup of soymilk (7 grams), 1 bagel (9 grams)

Lunch: 2 whole wheat tortillas (5 grams), 1 cup beans (12 grams), salsa and cheese

Dinner: 5 oz tofu (11 grams), 1 cup of brown rice (5 grams) 1 cup broccoli (4 grams) 2 tbsp almonds (4 grams)

Snack: 2 tbsp peanut butter (8 grams) 8 crackers (4 grams)

Total: 75 grams of protein

MANAfoodbar is a great vegetarian restaurant in Chicago

Try the cucumber sake cocktail, mana slider (brown rice and mushroom burger with spicy mayo), and the watermelon feta salad.

So what now?

It was an interesting week living the life of a vegetarian. What I learned is that it is doable and quite delicious. But I was eager to add turkey sausage to my omelette and chicken to my fajitas. I will continue to be meatless on Mondays and at least 1 meal per day. Stay tuned!