Elimination Diet Green Smoothie - Kale, Apple, Ginger, Lime, and Basil

After feeling pretty rundown for a few weeks, I decided it was time to detox and begin a cleanse, and this time my husband has decided to join me.  I have to admit that I never thought I'd see the day where he'd be drinking tea and green smoothies, but I'm happy to have the support.

It's been about a year and a half since my last cleanse, so I was overdue.  After a stressful first half of the year and a couple vacations with plenty of indulgence, it seemed like the perfect time to reboot.  

We're following an elimination diet and cutting out coffee, alcohol, dairy, corn, and gluten, as well as a few other foods that tend to cause sensitivities or are harder on the digestive system.

I'm excited to work on more elimination diet recipes during our journey and am sharing one of our favorite green smoothies to start.  We are using some great kale and apples from the farmer's market for this smoothie and blending them up with some ginger and lime for flavor and cleansing properties.

When you can't have your morning cup of coffee, give this smoothie a try.

Gluten- and Dairy-Free Living - Baked Chicken and Millet with Sweet Potatoes and Walnuts

A friend of mine recently shared that she will be cutting both dairy and gluten out of her diet for the next year.  She is the third friend of mine to make the decision to cut gluten out of her diet, a decision that I'm sure is a difficult one to make, but that has become increasingly common.  I grew up with a dairy intolerance myself and rarely eat dairy these days, so I understood the challenges of that limitation firsthand.

As I thought about foods that she might want to introduce to her diet and recipes that could help ease the transition, I thought of the great Autumn Millet Bake recipe by Mark Bittman.  I love this recipe, but  it's not quite filling enough to make it a full meal (other than enjoying the leftovers for breakfast).  I wanted to create a recipe that would be a perfect one-pot dinner for a busy mom with diet restrictions.

I think this is it - healthy, delicious, gluten-free, dairy-free, and super affordable.  Millet is as cheap as rice (less than $2 per pound in the bulk section), and the chicken pieces can be swapped out for whatever is on sale (I got this great pair of bone-in, skinless chicken breasts on sale, but you may find chicken thighs or drumsticks to be cheaper).  You don't even need to use broth for the liquid because the chicken will infuse the millet with all its juices as it cooks.

The end result tastes remarkably similar to a Thanksgiving meal.  The millet takes on the flavors of the meat and aromatics like a great batch of stuffing (my favorite part of every Thanksgiving dinner).  The sweet potatoes lend a sweet richness to the dish, and the chicken breasts are perfectly cooked through and tender.

Give it a try, whether you're gluten-free, dairy-free, or just plain hungry.

My New Favorite Workouts with Tracy Anderson

While I usually write about healthy cooking, I want to shift my focus to fitness for this post and share a few fun workouts that I've found really beneficial.  

How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

Ever wonder how to enjoy the holidays and keep your health goals?  Here are a few of tips that I have learned along the way to make it a little bit easier to stay healthy during the holidays.

All I Want for Christmas: Holiday Gift Guide for Foodies, Cooks, and Gourmets

The holiday season is upon us.  Lots of excuses to cook, bake, and eat, plenty of parties to host or attend, and, if you're lucky, a present or two under the tree.

If you're a foodie, or you have a special foodie in your life, here are some ideas to inspire your holiday wish list or gift giving.