I am not a detox kind of girl.
Given my age, I’m actually not a girl at all anymore, although I find it preferential to being called lady or god forbid, ma’am. That last one might get you a back hand across the face or at minimum, a pointed and disapproving stare. Alright fine, when you factor in my predominantly non-violent nature, unless of course you steal my cheese, chances are you’ll simply get ‘The Look,’ although I’ll be sure to make it super intimidating.
It’s no secret I have issues when it comes to aging. Another and lesser known thing which gets under my skin though, not in a good way either, is diets, detoxes, cleanses and all things of that nature. Granted I get they’re popular right now, especially when you factor in the new year and the post holiday splurge; it’s all anyone can talk about these days, which is causing me to roll my eyes more times than my optometrist would like.
Here’s the thing, detoxes are nothing more than a quick fix for something the body can handle all on its own. Our lovely little livers, with all their infinite wisdom, work wonders when left to their own devices. What doesn’t help though is shocking our system by going from feast to famine in matter of minutes or eliminating entire food groups, which come with a bountiful bevy of minerals and nutrients. Yeah see, we need those things if our overall end game is health and wellness, and that’s certainly my plan. It has been all along.
More importantly, detoxes are as destructive as the reason you feel like you need one.
Let me explain. The premise of a detox means no matter what you thought at the time, you really weren’t okay with those extra cookies, that third glass of wine, or skipping Thursday’s workout in favor of extra family time; not if you feel like you now need to purge them from your system. A detox gives validation to feelings of self-contempt and reproach, and I flat out refuse to give those shrewd crones power.
While I certainly don’t encourage eating to excess or throwing anything and everything down your gullet, I recognize it’s possible to get a little carried away in the heat of the moment. It happens to everybody, with more ways than just food, which is why it’s entirely okay to acknowledge and accept going overboard, without needing to punish yourself in the form a detox. In fact, it’s more sustainable to rebound in a healthy manner, one which doesn’t involve shocking your system and putting your body on a roller coaster ride.
Even though I’d like to ban the word detox from our vocabularies, unless you’re truly drying out in an addiction clinic, I’m not against bouncing back from the holidays or whatever event caused you to go a little crazy, in a healthy and manageable way, that is. The solution is simple:
- Drink lots of water,
- Get enough sleep,
- Move your body some, and
- Eat lots of nutrient dense, whole foods in the right quantities.
Like this Pomegranate Citrus Salad, for example.
This lovely little number just so happens to taste as sexy as it looks. The Hubby and his family can vouch for me here, although I’m not sure if my in-laws realized I was going to use the word sexy to describe it. His dad did get to see me in action though, with my black poster board set up in our driveway, all while I crawled around on my hands and knees in order to capture a picture of this bad boy. I think he was surprised the lengths I go to, although I, for one, appreciate his interest.
With only a handful of ingredients, this Pomegranate Citrus Salad is super easy to make. Since it’s packed full of vitamins and nutrients, it pretty much screams healthy. The best part though, is it delivers a refreshing and revitalizing burst of flavor. Seriously, it’s music in your mouth.
The pomegranate seeds and pistachio nuts lend a super satisfying textural crunch, while the tangy goat cheese and ripe orange slices combine into the happiest of notes on your tongue. Also, an added benefit: the pomegranate seeds serve to help slow aging and make your skin more youthful, which is straight up icing on the cake for me.
Ditch the detox; ingest this salad instead. Your body will thank you.
- 1 Bunch of Lettuce (I used red leaf lettuce)
- 1 Pomegranate, seeds only.
- 2 Clementines or Cuties, peeled and sectioned into slices.
- 1 1/2 - 2 ounces Goat Cheese, crumbled
- 2 Green Onions, white and green parts, chopped
- 1/4 cup unsalted Pistachios nuts, roughly chopped
- Dressing
- 1/4 cup Blood Orange Olive Oil or other citrus oil. You could also use regular olive oil and mix in some no pulp OJ.
- 2 Tbsps. Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar
- Wash and dry lettuce and place in the bottom of your salad bowl.
- Add salad toppings, either in an artful staged fashion (as shown) or casually tossed about. If you go with the former, I started with the pomegranate seeds on the outer edge, followed by the orange slices, and then I added the goat cheese, the green onions and pistachio pieces all in the center. I tossed a few pomegranate seeds in there too for a final burst of color.
What is your take on a detox? Would you ever reconsider your stance?
When I say detox, I usually mean just getting back to more nutritional eating. That’s definitely something I like to do after much eating, drinking and cavorting over the holiday season. I tried one of those stupid 3-day diets in college and made it about 8 hours before both me and my roommate found ourselves at a Chinese buffet. So I’d like to think I’m a little more realistic now.
Meanwhile, I’m mentally going through the kitchen ingredients I currently have and the only thing I’m missing for this beautiful salad are poms! Gotta get on this soon (before my boyfriend eats all of the clementines and I have to buy more of those, too.)
Yes, you must get the pomegranate. This is by far my new favorite salad. So much interesting and delightful flavors and textures.
Meghan recently posted…Pomegranate Citrus Salad Recipe
I love your perspective on detoxes and diets and the like. So, so true for so many people! Our culture is so disordered that it really is considered normal at this point to experiment with different diets, and the message you send yourself is often that you can’t trust yourself to just eat, without the guidelines. For some that might be okay, for others a recipe for problems. I’m really glad I did Whole30 when I did, because health wise I was struggling and it shed light on the causes, but I would not do it again because I have all the info I needed, at least at this point!
This is a great looking and I’m sure great tasting salad! I’m craving the oranges looking at it 🙂
Michele @ paleorunningmomma recently posted…Why Life isn’t Fair and What to Do About It
I’m glad you were able to use the whole 30 to work out your health stuff. It sounds like you’re in a much better place now, and I’m thrilled about that/
Meghan recently posted…Pomegranate Citrus Salad Recipe
Just gorgeous, Meghan! And I less than number sign you for putting into words my thoughts on detoxes!
Kirsten recently posted…Winter Squash & Banana Muffins {Monday Muffins}
I puffy heart you.
Meghan recently posted…Pomegranate Citrus Salad Recipe
As always, a girl after my own heart. And please, don’t ever call me lady or ma’am! I am sooo with you on this one. I still think I am a girl and that’s the way I like it. Agreed on the cleansing, totally agree. I wish more people could figure out how to simply incorporate more nutrient dense foods into their diets on a regular basis.
meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles recently posted…More To Me Than Running
Yep, exactly right. If we do it on a regular basis, there’s no need to feel like going overboard or restricting.
Meghan recently posted…Pomegranate Citrus Salad Recipe
you are totally right, that salad does look sexy!!! forget detoxes, just give me more of that stuff – the good stuff! citrus olive oil, mmmmmmm.
after any night/week/month of debauchery, my body naturally craves citrus and lighter fare. i go with it, it’s all good.
it’s a bit irritating to see how many posts on the interwebs are about detoxes and things of that nature… it makes me want to detox from social media for a while!!! hahahah yeah… i want a detox from ignorant people, but then i’m sure life would be a bit boring so meh. i’ll take your salad and be happy in the meantime 🙂
I always crave lighter fare after bouts of debauchery too. I figure that’s balance right there.
I’m with you. I think a social media detox is a fabulous idea. I should try this sometime.
Meghan recently posted…Pomegranate Citrus Salad Recipe
BOOM, clap..yes. It’s all about eating balanced ALL THE DAMN time..not just for a few days. I see cleanses and shit and I think to myself, I am cleansed all the live long day with the amount of produce I eat (shhhh don’t look at the muffins I made yesterday, ACTUALLY DO look at them. NO sugar, coconut flour, and a generous amount of coconut milk…FULL FAT. other things too of course.Total super muffin!!) no cleanse!
This salad…is so gorgeous I might need to take my clothes off and roll in it. A display version only of course.
Brittany recently posted…Unplugged
I feel the same way!! I am cleansed all the time through the consumption of mass quantities of veggies on the regular. For real, my body is a well oiled machine! I know you’re the same.
I can’t wait to check out these muffins.
Meghan recently posted…Pomegranate Citrus Salad Recipe
To be honest, I think the best detox is the one we have just all been on, the holidays!! A chance to break away from life’s stresses and pressure – relax, chill, enjoy some time with friends and family – giving our body a chance to recouperate and do what it has been craving for the past few months -REST!
Jen @ Chase the Red Grape recently posted…2015 – For You, For Me!
What a fantastic way to look it. I love this concept; the holidays were absolutely a nice reprieve from the norm, and it was fantastic to spend so much time with family.
Meghan recently posted…Pomegranate Citrus Salad Recipe
“A detox gives validation to feelings of self-contempt and reproach” <— such an interesting point! I've never really thought of it before, but you're completely right. I've seen so many posts from people who are constantly on a new detox (sometimes just juice, which scares this hungry girl), but I've never really thought into the psychology behind it. I'm sure it has a time and a place for people, but I don't think I could ever go to extreme measure to "purify" my body in the way that most detoxes claim to do. I can, however, munch on this salad all day long 😉
Christine@ Apple of My Eye recently posted…Japan in Photos Round #2!
I’m a hungry girl too, so detoxes especially of the juice only variety, will never work for me.
Meghan recently posted…Pomegranate Citrus Salad Recipe
That is SUCH a good way of putting it! It just sums up the whole binge/purge cycle but it’s ‘okay’ because it was the holiday season… Whilst I’m taking the time to focus on the foods that make my body feel good at the moment, the idea of doing a detox or cleanse or… I just can’t. Ha.
This salad however. You may have just persuaded me to buy a pomegranate. Or maybe I’ll just buy it de-seeded…
Now tell me, why do Americans call clementines cuties?!
Pip {Cherries & Chisme} recently posted…New Year, New Ideas
Yes, yes get a pomegranate and make the salad stat. You won’t regret it, I promise.
I’m not sure where the name Cuties came from; maybe it’s the actual brand. For years, I’ve always known them as clementines and suddenly they’re cuties now.
Meghan recently posted…Pomegranate Citrus Salad Recipe
Hear, hear! Detoxes and cleanses rub me the wrong way too — very much like the typical fad diet, with all the typical poor body image and low self-esteem that goes with it. No one has time for that. But salad? Salad is great. This sounds like such a crunchy treat in the dead of winter!
Eileen recently posted…New Year’s cucumber pickles
It’s fantastic. I hope you try it and love it as much I did. In fact, I can’t wait to make it again.
Meghan recently posted…Pomegranate Citrus Salad Recipe
Hell yes to all the cleanse cures. I mean, I definitely felt guilty by some of my indulgences (seriously, one night I drank so much I couldn’t remember parts of the night the next day. Yeah.) and I try to get back on a healthier wagon and I guess my body also doesn’t need all the sugar I stuffed it with.
So YES to this oh so pretty salad!! And I think the combo of Cuties and Goat Cheese is simply genius.
Lucie@FitSwissChick recently posted…Cold Turkey – WIAW#85
I think the combo of goat cheese and anything is genius. 🙂
Fabulous!!! The salad, the post, the whole nine yards! I love your attitude and how you bring a little common sense to the “purge away the holidays” party, plus you brought this salad which looks to die for 🙂 (minus the actual dying because y’know).
Yeah I think I’ll skip the dying bit. 😉
Meghan recently posted…WIAW: The I’m Not Detoxing Edition
You know I heart this. I can’t help but cringe whenever I hear someone say that they’re planning to go on some sort of detox or just cleanse. Like… no. Why would you do that to yourself? Our bodies don’t like those kind of extremes, and those cleanses cause nothing but problems in the long run. And then there’s the whole mental side of it, which I LOVE that you mentioned. I don’t believe in depravation or excess — I’m a fan of the middle way which don’t result in so much emphasis and emotional attachment to “forbidden” foods. You rock, ma’am 😉
Amanda @ .running with spoons. recently posted…. a few thoughts on turning 30 .
It’s the mental bit which gets me the most. It’s basically saying I need to purge my system from a brief moment of excess. Plus, it carries with it so much guilt and shame, and who needs that in their life. It doesn’t help anybody. In fact, it generally makes the situation worse.
Meghan recently posted…WIAW: The I’m Not Detoxing Edition
I love this salad.
FYI, it’s got lots of fiber and water in it….which is really a good way for your body to do what it does all on its own, damnit!
Cat @ Breakfast to Bed recently posted…Best Standalone Novels of 2014…Better Late than Never.
This salad is magic.
Meghan recently posted…WIAW: The I’m Not Detoxing Edition
YES. Yes to the centre of this salad but moreso your thoughts on a detox. Ain’t got no time for that, unless detox equates to bread, potatoes, butter and cheese. Preferably together.
Arman @ thebigmansworld recently posted…What I Ate Wednesday- Brownies for breakfast
Bread, potatoes, butter and cheese is my kind of detox! Bring on the carbs.
Meghan recently posted…WIAW: The I’m Not Detoxing Edition
wow this salad looks so fresh and colorful…. amazing..
Chitra Jagadish recently posted…Baked Tomato rings
Thank you. I’ve got a thing for eating pretty colors. As a bonus, it usually makes tasty meals.
Meghan recently posted…Currently: January 2015
After all the careless holiday eating, this fresh and gorgeously healthy looking salad is just what I need
skd recently posted…Celebrating Fiesta Friday 50
It also just so happens to taste like magic in your mouth too. 🙂
Meghan recently posted…Currently: January 2015
Wow! I like the ‘last posted ‘at the end of each comment.
skd recently posted…Celebrating Fiesta Friday 50
Thanks. It’s a plugin called CommentLuv. It’s a great way to share the love with your commenters and get their content out there too.
Meghan recently posted…Currently: January 2015
Wow, does this salad ever look enticing! I agree with you on the futility of detox. Healthy recipes like this make eating well easy!
Julia recently posted…Cocoa Nut Breakfast Cookies {GF}
I think many people who are resistant to healthy eating have no idea just how tasty it can be. My goal is to show that a little. I’m glad you picked up on it.
Hi Meghan! I love, love, love your philosophy on January eating and on food in general. This salad looks sensational and I can imagine how fab it all tastes together too. Thanks for bringing this to the party – it’s bound to be very popular – Happy Fiesta Friday!
Selma @ Selma’s Table recently posted…Crunchy Pickled Radish Slices
Thanks Selma. I’m a big fan of eating nutrient dense whole foods, with a side of chocolate. 🙂
Meghan recently posted…Currently: January 2015
I say no to detox and no to diets. Moderation, exercise and good food is enough. Going into starvation mode doesn’t do anything good for the body or metabolism.
Julie @ HostessAtHeart recently posted…Quick Cocoa-Almond Oatmeal
Amen! Can you tell I agree? 🙂
Meghan recently posted…Currently: January 2015
The salad looks zingy and great, I love the colours.
Petra recently posted…Spicy tomato soup
Zingy….what a great description. I love it.
Meghan recently posted…Pearls of Wisdom
Gorgeous and full of all I love and have on hand. Except for blood orange OO. Going to find some of that!
I suspect you could mix a little OJ and olive oil and be just fine.
Meghan recently posted…Pearls of Wisdom
I have never ever tried detoxing, if that’s even the right word. Although it was recently suggested to me. Hmm…I’ll have to think twice now.
Btw, found pomegranates finally! At Sam’s club. I had to get all 6 of them! What do I do now?
Angie recently posted…Crockpot Beef Curry and Roasted Tomatoes with Sonal’s Special Spices
Hooray. Now you have to open them. Here’s a great tutorial: http://www.marthastewart.com/909553/easy-way-open-pomegranate#909553
Then toss everything into your salad bowl and enjoy!!
Meghan recently posted…Simple Mills Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I have a better way than Martha. Slice the pomegranate like you would a grapefruit (around the equator). Hold one half cut side down in your palm over a mixing bowl. Using a heavy wooden spoon, start taking your aggressions out on the pomegranate. It may take a few whacks but the seeds will eventually all fall out. Any pith falls out in chunks and is super easy to remove as well.:)
Look at you one upping Martha. I like it, and I’ll try it next time I cut into a pomegranate. Thanks!!
This is simply gorgeous
Why thank you. As a bonus, it tasted fantastic. Very refreshing.
Meghan recently posted…Candied Roasted Almond Recipe
Li like your
‘ Website! Jb.
Thanks!! I appreciate that.