For the last five weeks, I have cut out alcohol, sugar (except for fruit), dairy, refined/"white" carbs (including white rice) and gluten out of my diet to detox and adopt a healthier baseline going forward. I'm not cutting these things out forever, but so far, it hasn't even been hard - I think that's because for the first time, I'm not cutting things out for a diet or to lose weight. I genuinely WANT to be eating healthier and avoid some of the unhealthier patterns I had fallen into for the past few years while I was in "study" mode. I didn't think I could go a day without cheese, but honestly, I barely miss it. It's really kind of crazy...
The last alcohol I had was a special bottle of wine we picked up on our trip to Napa to celebrate having taken my exam. We drank it after finding out that I passed, and it was SO delicious, that avoiding wine hasn't been too difficult, thinking about how not many of my go-to weekday wines would hold a candle to that yummy Silver Oak! Going forward, I'd much rather drink less frequently and splurge on tastier wines when I do :-)
In cutting out refined carbohydrates, I have been eating a lot more grains like quinoa, which is featured in this recipe for Moroccan Steamed Salmon with Quinoa and Carrots - the addition of chopped up carrots to the quinoa is absolutely delicious! It pairs so well with the salmon (which I baked in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes rather than steaming it). I am a huge fan of cilantro (are you? or do you hate it?), so this easy-to-make sauce is just amazing to me too. Recipes like this prove that eating healthy doesn't mean you have to sacrifice eating delicious food!!! Enjoy!!
