We had so much fun last October 2015 doing this all together, that we're doing it again!
October is "Salad A Day" month! Challenge starts on Mon, Oct 3rd and runs through Monday, October 31st!
Ok, I pretty much made that title up. The truth is that I think every month should be "salad a day" month, and October is coming up, and what better way to start? Fall is the perfect time to begin a new habit and invest in some much-needed self care! Summer tends to be all over the place with parties, vacations, places to go, people to see...Fall offers us the opportunity to fall into a new and possibly life-changing routine! And a salad a day will be one of the easiest habits to implement with some of the greatest rewards.
Greens are at the top of the nutritional food pyramid, and sadly most of us don't get enough ~ kale, collards, romaine, arugula, spinach, even herbs like parsley, cilantro. The darker the green, the better for us and more cancer-fighting phytonutrients. In fact, the more chlorophyl, phytonutrients, fiber and veggie-based vitamins we can get, we can expect better elimination, improved skin, more natural energy, calmer nervous systems, and by default, a slimming waistline. You may even experience a better attitude, better body odor {yes! chlorophyl acts like an internal deodorant}, better sleep, and just overall rockstar status! So who's in?
But we all know that salads can be just, meh. It really takes a fun add-ins, dressings, textures, colors, and a variety of healthy veggies to doctor them up. If you're interested in new recipes, please consider purchasing our latest Salad Ebook, volume 1! It's 14 recipes to ignite your love for salads (and it's on sale here)!
So what are the guidelines of this challenge?
1. Make a salad every day and shout for joy when you're eating it. Well, internally. Your cells are doing just that. If you'd like some extra credit, include a green smoothie {greens and fruit} or even a blended soup {take those veggies and greens and blend them up with spices, garlic and a little avocado ~ yum!}.
2. Visit & LIKE our Little Bites of Joy FB Page which will act as a platform for sharing tips, salads, dressings, photos, post questions, and start a dialogue with those working in this challenge together!
3. Take inventory: collect data on weight, attitude, skin, sleep, overall mood, relationships, etc. At the end of the month, mark down how things have improved {since they will!}, and find ways on what has worked in case you'd like to continue.
4. Inspire those around you to take on this healthy habit too {after they see how fabulous you look!}
And here are some tips for rocking this challenge:
1. As many colors as possible: a green salad is great, but add in some orange carrots, red or yellow peppers, green broccoli, even blueberries or white cabbage. Go crazy. It's ok, nobody's watching.
2. Alternate your greens: you're not getting AS much nutrition as you could be getting if you're having romaine day after day after day. Switch it up ~ spinach, kale, collards, arugula, red leaf, green leaf, baby lettuces, micro-greens & sprouts, escarole, the sky is the limit! Maybe buy three types, eat those throughout the week, then buy another three types and rotate.
3. Include a good fat, but not too much: you can easily add on olive oil, olives, avocado, nuts and seeds, and dressing...but basically you've got a "fat-fest". Many of our vitamins are fat soluble, which means we should be eating our greens with some kind of fat to fully absorb the nutrients, but try to stick to no more than two fats per salad. Love olives and avocado? Then make a no-oil dressing {there are many!} That sort of thing.
4. Chew, chew, chew. Digestion starts in the mouth, so if you have some digestive issues, perhaps eat in a quiet space {without your laptop or phone} and take time to chew each bite really well. And when you don't feel like chewing or don't have the time, you can even dump your salad into a vitamix and make a blended soup. It's actually ridiculously out of this world delicious and so much more fun when you don't have as much time to sit down to a salad. I've done it and sometimes you can too.
5. Be prepared: You may want to think about creating your own mini-salad bar. One half hour on a sunday will set you up for the whole week if you just take a long lasagna-shaped pyrex pan and create little sections of cut up peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, etc. And serve yourself when the time comes and create a hassle-free habit to help yourself out when it comes time to eat.
That's it! You ready to dig in? Here are some pics to feast your eyes on and enjoy the journey! We officially start Monday, October 3rd, 2015, after we all buy some weekend groceries. So keep the pictures coming on social media and reach out with any questions!
