Spring Cleaning Means Clean Eating
As you may know, our diet should rotate with the season. Summer is the the time for light, refreshing food, while Autumn is the time for nourishing root vegetables. Winter becomes the best time for hearty stews, meats and breads. We are now in full swing of Spring, the best time for cleaning and clean eating. How can we clean up our diet? What are some foods we should be consuming more often during these warming months? I will discuss in detail a few important changes that are necessary for this time of year.
- Hydration: We should always be drinking enough water, but hydration in the warm months become even more important! Adding refreshing flavours from different citrus fruits is a great way to feel inspired after a rainy winter. Mixing a couple slices of lemons, limes, oranges or strawberries in a glass of water will keep you coming back for more! Cucumber water is also a refreshing choice. I keep cucumber water in the fridge all the time. It feels like a spa treatment at home!
- Fruit: Although I eat the majority of fruits in the summer, fruits rotate perfectly in the Spring time. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, green apples or grapes are my favourite fruits this time of year. So quenching, these fruits help hydrate the body further while adding the required vitamins and antioxidants in our diet!
- Leafy Greens: This is a big one. Dark leafy greens give us the minerals we so badly need in our diet. Something like Kale contains Vitamin A, B, C, K and minerals like Manganese, Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium. What a superfood! The other dark leafy greens don’t fall far behind, either. Include a variety of dark leafy greens in your diet such as Spinach, Swiss Chard, Collards, Mustard Greens, Romaine or Arugula. Keep these minerals high so a high active lifestyle can be achieved all summer!
- Vegetables: This includes all the other vegetables we can think of. Carrots, Celery, Onions, Garlic, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Tomatoes, and Avocados (I still will always think of it as a vegetable) are great ideas. Eating a variety of these choices with some hummus dip is a great spring time snack! Something like Cauliflower contains Vitamin B, C, K, Folate, Manganese and Potassium! I’ve been finding many creative ways to use cauliflower as a potato substitute. It tastes delicious whether it is a Cauliflower mash or a Cauliflower bite! This is a great option when looking to use more vegetables with kids. Other ideas include adding beets, zucchini or broccoli into hummus. They’ll never know!
- Protein: I’m not a vegetarian. I used to be, but now I do love meat. I have to agree, however, that Spring time is a great time for vegetable proteins. I’m not saying you have to cut out meat – god no! But adding beans, nuts and seeds into the diet is what this season calls for. These proteins are easier for the body to digest and absorb – allowing the body to cleanse itself naturally, otherwise called clean eating. Hummus, mixed bean salad, nut pâtés or just sprinkling nuts on a salad are a few options that come to mind. Adding vegetable protein in the diet is a sure way to benefit the body this time of year!
Spring clean up your diet! It doesn’t have to be hard. Focus less on what to avoid, and more of what to include. Include refreshing fruit water with fruits, dark leafy greens, vegetables and vegetable proteins in your diet this season to cleanse your body from the inside out. Happy spring and clean eating!
