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Pictured Recipe:Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce
Here are 10 healthy ways to detox your diet this spring.
1. Cut Back on These Foods
Pictured Recipe:Pineapple Nice Cream
Alcohol
Booze takes a toll on your liver, the main organ that “detoxes” your system. It also acts as a diuretic, so it’s harder to stay hydrated. Stick to the recommended limits of one drink a day for women, two for men. Try club soda with a splash of juice for a refreshing mocktail.
Added sugars
Sodas and packaged foods are often loaded with hidden added sugars, upping your risk for obesity and heart problems. The American Heart Association recommends keeping added sugars under 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons for men. One 12-ounce regular soda has about 8 teaspoons of sugar, so it’s easy to overdo things fast. When you want a sweet treat, reach for fruit instead.
Salt
Refined grains
White flour, white rice and the like are stripped of healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals. Check food labels carefully and look for foods that list whole grains as the first or second ingredient.
Processed foods
Prepared foods with long lists of ingredients load you up with sugars, salts and unhealthy trans fat. Pass them up and make room for more healthy, whole foods instead.
3-Day Meal Plan to Kick-Start Clean Eating
2. Eat More of These Foods
Pictured Recipe:Traditional Greek Salad
Fruits and veggies
They’re colorful, low in calories, rich in nutrients and antioxidants, and can help prevent heart disease-what’s not to love? Make vegetables the star at dinnertime: start with veggies you have on hand or what looks good at the market, add a protein and starch, and you’re set.
Whole grains
Healthy fats
Eaten in moderation, some high-fat foods-think avocados, nuts, eggs, fatty fish, olive oil, dark chocolate and cheese-are super good for you. Experts at the Harvard School of Public Health say eating more of them can help curb cravings for processed carbs. Whip up a batch of guacamole, or add a little cream to your coffee now and then.
Probiotics
Take Our Eat More Vegetables Challenge
3. Eat Breakfast Every Day
Pictured Recipe:Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs
Mom was right: a good breakfast fuels your day. Studies show that eating breakfast can help prevent weight gain. And according to a 2017 study in Spain, people who skipped breakfast had more fatty buildup in their arteries, an early sign of heart disease.
4. Pull Back on Portions
It’s easy to let serving sizes creep up during the winter months-everyone indulges over the holidays, right? Make spring a time to cut back to healthier portions.Tip:Use smaller plates and serve dinner from the stove rather than on the table.
Healthy Portion-Controlled Recipes
5. Eat More Mindfully
Pictured Recipe:Tea-Leaf Salad
Recent research suggests that mindful eating-taking the time to chew and notice the different tastes and textures of every bite-can help with weight loss. You’ll eat less to feel fullandenjoy your meal more. Always in a hurry? Set the oven timer for 20 minutes, then sit down for a more leisurely lunch.
6. Hydrate
Pictured Recipe:Green Jasmine-Mint Iced Tea with Lemon
Water is vital for the function of every organ system, helping to circulate oxygen and whisk away toxins. If you don’t like drinking plain water, jazz it up with a spritz of lemon or lime. Green tea works too, and has a bevy of healthy benefits-from boosting immunity to fighting cavities. Try swapping a cup of coffee for green tea instead.
How Much Water Should You Drink?
7. Clean Out Your Pantry and Fridge
Go through your cabinets and look for foods that come in boxes. Swap crackers or chips for crunchy veggies. If you rely on prepared meals like mac and cheese or canned soup, find an easy recipe to make your favorites from scratch.
8. Cook More at Home
Pictured Recipe:Lemony Linguine with Spring Vegetables
Skip dining out and save on calories, sodium and money. Use fresh ingredients and boost flavor with herbs and spices rather than salt. Bonus: You’ll serve up smaller portions, too.
9. Plan More Meatless Mondays
Pictured Recipe:Easy Saag Paneer
Forgoing meat even just once a week is an easy way to lower your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Studies show that people who eat a plant-based diet also tend to weigh less than meat-eaters.
Healthy Vegetarian Recipes You Must Try
10. Plant a Food Garden
Not only will you get good, nutritious (and inexpensive!) herbs and vegetables, but you’ll also get plenty of exercise. Plus, research shows tending your own patch of earth is a great way to de-stress, and can even help ward off depression and anxiety. No yard? Plant a window box or a container garden. Or try growing some herbs in pots on your windowsill.
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