No measurements are needed in this simple chip recipe. In fact, you can do it in six lightening-fast steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Wash and dry one bunch of kale.
3. Chop or rip the kale into bite-size pieces, removing the tough stems as you go.
4. In a large bowl, toss the kale pieces with a few drizzles of olive oil and a few shakes of your favorite sea salt.
5. Spread the kale pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10-20 minutes until kale is crisp but not browned. (Keep an eye on your chips—they taste best when they’re still dark green. Burnt kale has a pretty unpleasant flavor, believe it or not!)

Olive oil and sea salt not doing it for you? You can flavor these chips any way you want, just like regular potato chips. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Salt-n-pepper chips: toss a half-teaspoon of pepper in with the raw kale pieces.
2. Spicy chips: throw a few shakes of red pepper flakes into the bowl before baking.
3. Garlic Parmesan chips: toss a half-teaspoon of garlic in with the raw kale pieces, then sprinkle a generous helping of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese over the chips after they’ve baked.
4. Asian-inspired chips: replace the olive oil with a splash of soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil.
5. Bright lemon chips: Squeeze half a lemon over the raw kale pieces after you’ve mixed in the olive oil and sea salt.

How did your kale chips turn out?

Tell us about it in the comments below!

In order to keep myself on my healthiest dietary track, I simply filled half my plate with fruits and vegetables. Imagine my surprise and delight when the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) got rid of the ol’ pyramid, and replaced it with an easy to understand food plate that followed my same tried and true guideline!

The point of the USDA plate diagram is to give us a better visualization of what meal portion sizes are to look like in healthy living. The plate is broken up into 4 sections, with a cup of dairy off to the side. Each half of the plate has a split of about 60/40. On one side, the 60/40 split is between your protein (40%) and your grains (60%). The other side is your fruit (40%) and your veggies (60%).

Why are fruits and veggies so important?

There are many brilliant aspects to fruits and vegetables. Our bodies require a daily supply of vitamins and minerals, and these plants are the perfect source. Plus, fruits and veggies contain disease-fighting phytochemicals, which is something that you typically can’t replace by simply popping a daily multi-vitamin pill.

Thanks to all these special ingredients, a diet of fruits and veggies can reduce your risk of heart disease, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.

Keeping all this in mind though, I have to admit that my own personal favorite thing about vegetables and fruit is that they are low in calories, but high in fiber. So you can eat a ton without blowing your diet, and the fiber keeps you feeling fuller, longer (plus, fiber is necessary to clean your insides out).

What does my half a plate look like?

Don’t deprive yourself, and keep it simple. My family still indulges in pizza night! But we juice up our daughters favorite strawberry smoothie, and we start our meal with a salad. By the time we get to the pizza, we only want a slice or two, and my family of four can easily share a large pizza.

At breakfast time, you can mix all kinds of fabulous veggies, like tomatoes, spinach, bell peppers, green onions, into egg whites for a fabulous omelet. You can also try stirring sliced fruit, like banana, berries or peaches into your yogurt.

Sliced fruit is also a favorite dessert of mine, topped with a dollop of lite or fat free whipped topping. Make lunch fun by mixing a fruit, veggie and protein all together, like ants on a log (celery, smeared with peanut butter, topped with raisins). Or for a fun and allergy free alternative, try Nutella!

How do you incorporate fruits and veggies into your everyday meals?

Tell us in the comments below!

Well, this marks the end of the Anatomy of a Detox series, and, in my humble opinion, I believe that having an arsenal of healthy go-to recipes is essential for a detox success. When it comes to the food, it’s imperative to eat clean. So if you find yourself in the center aisles of the grocery store, you are lost – turn around and head back to the perimeter!

You’ll notice that when you undertake a cleanse or simply embark on a clean eating lifestyle, you will find that your grocery store trips will be quick, because you get to skip the interior of the grocery store altogether. However, you will also notice that you will be in the grocery store far more frequently than before, because the emphasis is on freshness – fresh fruit, vegetables and proteins. But trust me when I say that you’ll get used to it!

I will end this series by sharing a few of my favorite clean recipes, and bid you good luck in your detoxification efforts!

Beet, Apple, Mint Juice

Serves 1
Press 1 small beet, 5 chopped carrots, 1 cored apple and ¼ cup fresh mint through a juice extractor and serve immediately. Alternately, in a blender, blend all ingredients and strain through a fine mesh sieve; serve immediately.

Green Machine Smoothie

Serves 2
Combine 6 chopped romaine leaves, 4 chopped kale leaves, ½ cup fresh parsley sprigs, ½ cup frozen pineapple, ½ cup frozen mango, 1 inch fresh ginger and ½ cup cold water. Blend ingredients until smooth.

Grape Fruit, Carrot and Ginger Juice

Serves 1
Press 2 chopped grapefruit (peel and pith removed), 5 chopped carrots, 1 inch fresh ginger (peeled and chopped) and feed through a juice extractor; serve immediately. Alternately, in a blender, blend all ingredients and strain through a fine mesh sieve; serve immediately.

Toasted Coconut Muesli

Serves 1
In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, 2 tbsp cooked gluten free rolled oats, ½ sliced apple, ¼ cup thawed frozen berries, ½ cup almond milk.

Quinoa, Poached Egg and Cucumber

Serves 2
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 sliced garlic clove and cook for 1 minute. Add 5oz rinsed spinach and steam, covered, until wilted, about 1 minute; season with coarse salt.

Rinse pan and add 2 inches of water and bring to boil. Add 1 peeled and thinly sliced carrot and cook until tender; about 1 minute. Remove from water and combine with spinach. Reduce heat to simmer and poach 2 large eggs for 3-4 minutes. Divide 1 ½ cups of cooked quinoa between 2 bowls. Top with egg, spinach, carrots and thinly sliced cucumber. In a bowl whisk 1tsp white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp coarse salt and drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle with red chili flakes and 1 tsp fresh chives.

Good luck on your detox, and share with me any questions, concerns, or comments, as always!

Sweet and Spicy Ginger Tea

To ward off a cold and warm yourself from the inside out, brew a pot of ginger laced, lemon honey tea. Lemon juice is packed with immune-boosting Vitamin C; ginger is anti-inflammatory and works miracles on upset stomachs; honey is antibiotic, anti-viral, and soothes sore throats. Oh—and they’re also delicious together.

Instructions: Peel and grate a one-inch piece of fresh ginger root. Toss the ginger into a teapot, along with the juice of one lemon and honey to taste. Add about six cups of water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Strain, pour, and enjoy, preferably in front of a crackling fire.

Saltwater and Turmeric Gargle

Soothe a scratchy winter throat by gargling with a mixture of warm water, salt, and turmeric. The saline in saltwater draws out excess fluid from the inflammed walls of the throat (gross!) Pair with powerful, anti-inflammatory turmeric for quick, effective relief.

Instructions: Mix a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of turmeric into a cup of warm water. Mix well, and gargle with the mixture until the glass is empty. Swish some plain water around in your mouth so that the turmeric doesn’t stain your teeth. Now take a nap.

Coconut Oil for Sore Noses

Coconut oil is a solid, white oil that you can buy for less than $10 at the grocery store. When warmed, the oil liquifies and becomes clear. It’s antimicrobial and incredibly moisturizing, which is everything you need for winter skin that’s been mercilessly battered by the elements.

Is your nose chapped from too many tissues? Smooth coconut oil around your nostrils and over your upper lip. Knuckles cracking because you forgot to wear gloves? Coat your hands in coconut oil before bed, and sleep with socks (or gloves) over them. They’ll feel a lot better in the morning.

Chow Down

Glowing skin is healthy skin. Healthy skin starts with a healthy diet. Gobble up nuts, seeds, salmon, sardines, and healthy oils like sesame, walnut, and flax to get your daily dose of super-moisturizing Omega-3s. Increase your intake of vitamin A, vital for healthy skin cells, with yogurt, sweet potatoes, carrots, and kale. If you can find any good berries in the dead of winter, they’re a great source of antioxidants, destroyers of free radicals that prey on your skin.

Pump it Up

By increasing your heart rate, exercise gets blood flowing all around your body and gives you that distinctive workout flush. Take a hot yoga class for a gorgeous afterglow. Don’t want to step outside? Try yoga on your living room carpet, or do a simple routine (jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, squats) in front of the TV to get your blood pumping and your face glowing.

Slough it Off

Exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the top layer of your skin, revealing fresh, glowing skin beneath. Mix equal parts sugar and olive oil and gently massage into your skin, avoiding your eyes, then rinse. The sugar helps to flake off dry, dead skin cells, while the oil gives your skin some much-needed moisture.

Pile It On

Even if you’re not a fan of moisturizing, you might change your mind when those minus four degree winter winds start ravaging your face. Your before-bed moisturizing routine is your chance to go all out, since no one is there to see you if your face turns into an oil slick (and if they see you then, they probably love you anyway!)

Wash your face with a gentle, creamy cleanser, then massage a super-moisturizing oil like jojoba, sweet almond, or olive, all over your face, neck, and chest. These oils won’t clog pores, but will provide your skin with extreme hydration. You’ll wake up glowing.

BMI, or Body Mass Index, is an established measure utilized by physicians and health experts to determine weight status (i.e. underweight, overweight, obese or within a healthy weight range). Using this tool, the CDC created a trending chart of obesity rates by states. In 2010, only 15 states were considered in the healthy weight range.
Further, 23 states were overweight, and an alarming 12 states are now obese.  To put things in perspective for you, just 10 years prior, there wasn’t a single state recorded as being overweight or obese. In fact, more than half of the United States was in the underweight range.

Find your BMI!

Do you know what weight range your body falls into?

To figure out what your healthy weight range is (for adults), you need to know your BMI, and to do that, start by weighing yourself. Then, take your weight and multiply it by 703.

Hang on to this number for a minute. Now measure yourself in inches, and square that number (multiply the number of inches by the same number). Divide your weight number that you just figured out by the inches number squared. The answer is your BMI.

For example, let’s say someone is 150lbs, and is 5 feet 7 inches.

• You’d take 150 and multiply it by 703, which equals 105,450.
• The height in inches would be 67, multiplied by itself, to get 4,489.
• Divide the 105,450 by 4489, and you’d get a BMI of 23.49.

Experts generally consider a BMI of 20 – 24.9 to be in the healthy weight range. Below 20 is generally considered underweight. BMI’s from 25-29.9 is generally considered overweight, while a BMI over 30 is generally considered obese.

I say “generally considered” because there are some variables in the equation. For example, athletes, or muscular people might end up weighing more than their flabbier counterpart because muscle is denser and takes up less space. More muscle equals more weight, which in turn will produce a higher BMI. Keeping these variables in mind though, your BMI range is considered a healthy and accurate guide.

The goal is healthy, not skinny!

This is my mantra. For me personally, I’ve been on the brink of the maximum and minimum end of my BMI spectrum at some point in my life. For my body shape and comfort zone, I didn’t like either side of the guide. I like carbs, and I like curves, so I don’t want to be skinny. But I want to make sure I’m healthy.

A couple keys to being successfully healthy are moderation, and reality. Find a weight within the healthy range that you’re comfortable with, and maintain it. You might find that you have more strength and energy at a BMI of 20.5, or that you prefer the way your clothes fit you at a BMI of 24.

Take some time to enjoy your weight at the different intervals within the healthy range, and pick which BMI works best for you!

Even if you have partnered up for your detoxification cleanse, finding inspiration will prove to be very important for staying the course. 21 days is a long time, and, especially within the first week, motivation tends to wane.

I have found that having a few tips and nuggets of wisdom has helped me to meet my goals and feel empowered to complete the challenge (yes, cleanses are a challenge, even for the most seasoned cleanser!)

Stay Rested

Stay rested. When we skimp on sleep, our bodies resolve to get energy any way they can, which means we will crave quick energy, like chocolate, chips and the like. By logging at least seven and a half hours of sleep a night, we fortify our commitment.

Stay Active

Find ways to stay invigorated. Television and the internet are temptation islands with food commercials dominating almost 65% of the ad space. Get outside, take a walk, and go for more workouts – whatever you do, get moving! There is nothing like a boost of feel-good endorphins to keep us on track.

Reward Yourself

Find ways to reward yourself in non-food ways. There are ways to be decadent and pamper ourselves without letting anything too decadent pass our lips. Book a massage or a facial and reward your efforts!

Snack Smart

The kiss of death for resolve during a cleanse is hunger. By always having smart snacks like nuts, fruits or vegetables, we keep our energy boosted and battle the three o’clock slump at the same time.

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration has a funny way of disguising itself as hunger. When the pangs start to gnaw at you, drink a glass of water and wait twenty minutes before eating, and more often than not, you’ll find you were just thirsty. This also helps forge the habit of understanding whether you are hungry, thirsty or flat out bored.

Cook Healthier

Adopt clean ways of cooking. To help sustain your healthy living efforts beyond any length of cleanse, familiarize yourself with steaming, cooking en papillote (in parchment paper) and poaching. All of these methods preserve flavor and nutrients, while producing a minimal amount of fat.

There’s a saying - “New Year, New You” - that I don’t really like that saying very much…what I prefer is “New Year, Improved You!” Although it doesn’t have the same ring to it, I think it’s much better for morale.

This time of year most people are ready to re-invigorate themselves with a mind/body detox in an effort to set a path for a successful year. January and February are perfect for this type of thing – it’s cold and people are broke, which caters perfectly to staying in and refocusing on goals. A primary goal of many is to boost energy and renew a sense of self that will hopefully carry through the whole year.

With that said, many stumble out of the gates and struggle, because, yes, it’s hard; but it also requires a plan.

• Set Goals - Challenge yourself to write down what this detox means you and what you hope to achieve. It helps to have a reference to keep you on track when enthusiasm flags.
• Prepare the People Around You - Family, friends, roommates and coworkers that you normally associate with must know how important this cleanse is to you, so they can properly support you!
• Partner Up – Even the most motivated among us can get derailed without positive reinforcement; doing a cleanse with a partner means that you have a partner in crime. It also helps to have someone who you are accountable to.
• Drink Plenty of Water – The importance of water cannot be overstated – it helps keep us full and satisfied, and helps us flush out our systems, helping us stay hydrated. Aim for at least eight 8 oz glasses of water a day.
• Space Out Meals - Eating every 3 to 5 hours rather than nonstop nibbling helps with not only stabilizing our metabolism, but also helps to identify hunger (meaning you’ll learn when you’re hungry, thirsty or just bored).
• Keep a Journal -Recording what, when and where we eat, as well as how you feel before, during and after each meal, helps to raise awareness and transform relationships with food. A good tip is to start your journal one week before you actually begin your cleanse, that way you have a clearer understanding of your eating habits from the start.
• Stick To Your Guns - Regardless of whether you do it with a partner or solo, when you fall off the wagon – get back on! The key is to stick to your guns. If you have a plan to detoxify, then pull through- you can do it! Even the best of us fall off the wagon sometimes. But the biggest failure we can make is to abandon our plans.

I was always a very inquisitive child. Whenever my mother would say “Don’t!” I would say “Why?” It was my default answer. Looking back to the beginning of my latest series in which I outlined all the things you should not to eat during a cleanse, I realized I didn’t tell you why.

The point of cleansing is to get back to basics with meals made with purifying fruits and vegetables that serve to power our bodies and minds, giving our systems a rest from processed foods and common allergens. That allows us to be more in touch with our bodies and gets our liver, the detoxifying organ, a chance to recoup.

Processed foods and beverages

This seems to go without saying, but while cleansing, and in everyday life, we should endeavor to stay away from processed anything. These ingredients and additives make our bodies work harder to do the same job.

Added sugar

Sugar contributes to weight gain, hormone disruption and dental issues – no matter how you slice, it sugar is bad. It’s processed and has zero nutrients, yet manages to contribute to weight gain. Doctors have even concluded that it may be as addictive as drugs. Between excess weight, inflammation and a hoard of other issues, the case is strong to stay away from sugar.

Dairy

Even if you don’t have an intolerance, you can benefit from giving it up. To combat issues of sluggishness, digestion and inflammation, try almond or brown rice milk.

Gluten

Celiac disease is quickly becoming a very common ailment, but for those of us that just feel bloated, fatigued or moody, it may be due to a small intolerance. This protein found in wheat, barley and rye could be to blame for those kinds of upsets. If this sounds like you, give gluten a break and see how you feel.

Caffeine

This one will be a challenge for most to give up – however, caffeine is false energy that can lead to a masking of a lack of sleep, poor food choices or a highly acidic intake. Caffeine can also manifest negatively as a digestive issue, which can impede the cleansing process.

Alcohol

I mean, we all know that alcohol isn’t good for us, right? Yes, there are key antioxidants found in red wine, but the amount we drink often exceeds the amount that we need. Booze messes with metabolism and is completely devoid when it comes to calories. So if you find you’re lacking sleep or feeling sluggish, stop making your liver work overtime and take a break from the sauce.

This powerful vitamin improves the appearance of skin by stimulating collagen production and protecting the skin from harmful free radicals, while at the same time decreasing moisture loss and sun pigmentation. Use the powdered form as the active ingredient in your own skinmixology.

Snag your ingredients

You’ll need three ingredients to whip up your own serum:

• Powdered vitamin C (otherwise known as L-ascorbic acid – find it at most drug or health stores)
• Pure vegetable glycerin (also available at health stores or online)
• A dark glass bottle (blue or brown) for storage

Make the serum

Dissolve ¼ tsp powdered vitamin C in 1 tsp distilled water, and whisk it around with a spoon (or blender) until it’s no longer clumpy. Gently stir in 1 tsp of the glycerin.

Play around with the recipe. If your skin is sensitive, cut the vitamin C in half. For drier skin, add a few extra drops of glycerin. If you’re looking for an all-natural fragrance, try swapping a tsp of rosewater for the distilled water.

Now, you’ll want to pour the serum into your dark glass bottle. The shaded glass keeps the vitamin C from oxidizing; once it oxidizes, it’s ineffective. To further prevent oxidization, store your serum in the refrigerator, and only whip up a few days worth at a time.

Using the serum

After you’ve washed your face and hands, smooth a few drops of the serum all over your face and neck. You might experience a little tingling, which is normal. If the tingling increases, use less serum next time.

Please note: Vitamin C leaves your skin sensitive to light, so either apply it at night or follow with a healthy application of sunscreen.