9 New Year’s Detoxes You Might Actually Enjoy
By the time January 2 comes around (please give us a day to attack our New Year’s Eve hangover, thank you very much), most of us are ready to take on our resolutions and start the year off on the right foot. After almost two months of being surrounded by sweets, stuffing and holiday goodies, we’re ready to take our diet in a happier and healthier direction.
1. The Food52 New Year’s Detox: Not only are the photos gorgeous, this plan is full of recipes you’ll reach for all year long. The simple and rustic-style recipes are also easily adaptable, which means you can put your own flavorful spin on everything to keep things fresh and interesting.
2. The Serious Eats Staff’s Detox Foods: This plan is more like general guidelines to eating when you feel bloated, stuffed or sluggish. Some of the tips may work for you and some may not, but it’s a good springboard to try out ingredients that just might make you feel better.
3. Greatist’s Detox Recipes: Here, we have 49 satisfying and hearty recipes, categorized into breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, sides and drinks. Pick and choose the most interesting ideas to develop a two-week menu plan. It’s like a DIY for your detox!
4. Today’s Detox Naturally: Of course, you could avoid a plan altogether and just build up some healthy habits. Things like drinking more water, avoiding processed sugars, getting plenty of sleep and eating lots of fiber are all strategies you can use to improve your diet without overly restricting yourself.
5. Blueprints’s Juice Cleanse: Okay, we know this one is a little controversial, and we’re not saying you should forgo food for weeks to make up for “bad behavior.” Instead, do just one day of juice to kickstart your healthy eating plan; we like Blueprint for the variety and because the cashew milk actually has some protein.
6. The Self Drop 10 Detox: Eat a solid amount of calories each day in the form of delicious meals packed with nutrients and flavor. Add in a healthy dose of low-impact exercise, and don’t forget to eat your treats while you healthily drop the holiday poundage.
7. The Bon Appetit Food Lover’s Cleanse: This may be one of our favorite detox plans ever. Gather all your ingredients for an epic day of cooking on Sunday, and your efforts will pay off in restaurant-quality meals all week. That includes dessert.
8. Buzzfeed’s Clean Eating Challenge: No extra salt, no booze and no coffee certainly don’t make this a super easy detox. But the food is delicious and easy to prep, you only have to go shopping twice, you’ll never be hungry and you’ll feel like a champion once you’re done.
9. Whole Living Action Plan: Smoothies, salads and lots of veggies make this a more traditional detox than some of the others. But with an emphasis on fresh ingredients, natural sugars and lots of whole grains, we’ve got a feeling that you’ll enjoy this plan just as much as any other.
Are you willing to try one of these detox plans in 2015? Tell us which ones are the most appealing to you in the comments below!