Is it just me or is summer synonymous with over-indulging? This summer was filled with fun, food, travel, and more food. For me, it is really hard to stick to a healthy diet and consistent workout routine when we are traveling every other week. Now that fall is (almost) here, I am ready to detox and get back into a healthy routine. So Blake and I decided to do a mini-detox this month and see if we could get back some good habits and lose some of the bad ones we picked up this summer. And by “Blake and I decided” I mean I am dragging Blake, kicking and screaming, to the healthy food section of the grocery store. He is legally obligated to do this with me, right? Our challenge is three fold, (1) diet, (2) exercise, and (3) wellness. I will be sharing steps 2 and 3 over the next couple weeks! I hate calling step 1 a diet, because we are not trying to lose weight or limit our calorie intake, as would be associated with a traditional diet. We are really just trying to be healthier and conscious of the things we throw into our grocery cart.

Our “diet” is pretty simple, but we have still found it really challenging. Here are our “food rules”:

One cheat meal a week: might as well start with the best rule. I think the secret to staying healthy is doing everything in moderation.  If I didn’t know there was at least one delicious and greasy meal coming my way each week, I would fall off the wagon pretty quickly.

No hormones/grass fed meat only: we used to live exclusively by this rule in our house, but like I said, we have picked up some bad habits. We are really trying to get back into this habit. This might be the hardest “rule” for us. We ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS buy and cook grass fed exclusively when we are cooking at home. But, we go to family dinners once a week with my extended family and we LOVE to eat out. So it can be really hard to turn down delicious and hormone filled meals. But, we are giving it another shot.

Nothing processed: simply put, we are eating only out of the produce and meat sections at the grocery store. No junk, no soda (including Lacroix, gasp) no pre-made meals, etc.

Limit caffeine: Blake and I can both overdo it on the caffeine front. When we drink too much caffeine, we both can be prone to headaches. And it seems like the more caffeine we drink, the less water we drink. So, one cup of coffee a day. I already broke this rule once, but Blake had been out of town for a week and I was about to fall asleep at the playground. Sometimes, rules are meant to be broken.

Extra water: we are trying to do about a gallon of water a day. Find a large water bottle and figure out how many refills a day add up to 128 oz. Water helps everything, headaches, bloating, aches and pain. Water is the cure-all. If you have kids, remembering to drink water can be really low down on the priority list. But when I make an effort to drink more water, life gets noticeably better in all regards.

“Approved” meals out: we eat out a lot and we don’t want to change that. Eating out can quickly ruin any plans for staying healthy. So, we have an “approved” restaurants list that we try to live by, excluding our one cheat meal a week. Some of our approved restaurants are Sushi Dokku, True Food Kitchen, Chipotle, Sweetgreen, Lyfe Kitchen, Aloha Poke Co., and Tanta. You can see the theme, fresh fish, no hormone meats, etc.

Reduce sugars: Blake has a SERIOUS sweet tooth and unfortunately, it has rubbed off onto me. Sugar is seriously an addiction. As soon as I finish my last bite of dinner, I am ready for something sweet. Like I said, everything in moderation. I know that if I simply said, “we are never eating sweets again” Blake and I would make it a hot minute before we were in line at the nearest donut shop. So, we are trying to at least choose healthier sweet options. Here are three “healthier” options for those of you with a sweet tooth as powerful as ours. And they are all REALLY easy recipes.

CANDIED PECANS

This is a family recipe of mine, and usually saved for the holidays, but I am bringing it out earlier this year. A few pieces of this after dinner can satisfy my sweet craving and it isn’t THAT bad for you.

Ingredients:

2 cups pecans

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 tablespoons raw or brown sugar

Instructions:

1. combine all ingredients except pecans and stir until mixed
2. stir in pecans
3. spread onto shallow cookie sheet
4. bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Stir and bake an additional 5 minutes
5. cool for 30 minutes

FRUIT DIPPED IN DARK CHOCOLATE

Judge me if you want, but dark chocolate falls in my healthy food category. If you don’t trust me, read HERE. Fruit goes in that category too. If it comes from nature and isn’t processed, I don’t limit my intake at all. So fruit is open season at the Geoffrion house.

Ingredients:

Diced fruit of your choice

1/4 cup dark chocolate

Instructions:

1. melt dark chocolate over the stove or in the microwave
2. dip and indulge

HOMEMADE SORBET

I love ice cream, and it is really hard for me to go without it. This is the BEST homemade sorbet recipe that cures my craving. HERE is the original recipe.

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh fruit of your choice, ex. strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, mango, kiwi (my favorite combo is raspberry and mango)

1/4 cup honey

Instructions:

1. puree fruit in a food processor
2. blend in honey
3. pour into freezer safe container and chill overnight or until frozen

scoop and enjoy
Photos by: Cassandra Eldridge