Rebalance and nourish your body after 3 days of eating less virtuously with this Monday-through-Thursday guide
Weekends
are meant for relaxing—and, for many, relaxing their diets, especially
on holiday weekends. With happy hour Friday, a party Saturday, brunch
Sunday, and movies, dinners out, errands (hello, drive-through), and
more thrown into the mix, even the healthiest eater finds it hard to
stay on track.
Unfortunately all that excess—in the form of carbs, fat, salt, sugar, and alcohol—can leave you feeling bloated, tired, hungry, and guilty. So come your first day back to work, give your body what it’s craving to help reestablish a healthy equilibrium.
This four-day plan is filled with nourishing foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients to offset whatever happened over the weekend. It’s not a free pass to go whole-hog on days off, but it will help lessen the impact when you’ve overdone it.
Fluids
are key since extra salt, sugar, and alcohol can dehydrate your body.
Start the day with a tall glass of water or warm cup of any type of tea,
then drink throughout the day, aiming for 64 to 100 ounces to flush out
the pollutants from the weekend.
Plan to eat three meals, with lunch four hours after breakfast and dinner between 6 and 7. Focus on nutrient-dense foods that are low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals since weekend fare tends to be the opposite: high-calorie and low-nutrient.
Have an afternoon snack around 4 p.m. of green drink powder mixed in water or a smoothie. Look for one (such as Greens Plus) containing sea vegetables, probiotics, grasses, and enzymes that will help aid in digestion. You can also have a whole-food snack after dinner if you are hungry.
Take a multivitamin, and at every meal pop a 1,000-milligram omega-3 supplement, which will help reduce the inflammation that can be caused by poor eating. (Talk to your doctor first if you are on any medications since omega-3s may interact with some meds.)
Stay
the course with Monday’s plan, but loosen up a little and incorporate
dairy and fruit to optimize the variety of vitamins, minerals, and
protein. High-water, high-fiber fruits such as berries, grapefruit,
pears, cantaloupe, olives, and avocado will help clean out your gut and
get your digestive system back on course, while dairy contains B
vitamins, calcium, and vitamin D, all of which you likely skimped on
over the weekend. The best options are kefir, plain Greek yogurt,
cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and butter, and
organic is the very best. At meals, fill your plate with one-quarter
protein, one-quarter fruit, and half non-starchy vegetables.
Sample Menu
Upon waking: 10 ounces green tea
Breakfast: Cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt with blueberries, almonds, and flax or chia seeds; 8 ounces water with orange slice
Throughout the morning: 24 ounces water with cucumber and sage or any combination of herbs
Lunch: Vegetable soup with tuna salad, sliced cucumber, and olives; 8 ounces iced rooibos tea
Afternoon snack: Green drink powder mixed with 16 ounces water
Dinner: Roasted turkey, bell pepper, mushroom, and tomato shish kebab with bok choy and cauliflower mash; 8 ounces water with lemon
Night snack: Carrots and hummus; 4 to 8 ounces water
Today
you can add healthy starches, such as legumes, brown rice, and sweet
potatoes, at meals, but stick to a half-cup serving size. Your plate
should be one-quarter protein, one-quarter starch, and half non-starchy
vegetables.
Sample Menu
Upon waking: 10 ounces oolong tea
Breakfast: Smoked salmon with sliced tomato, avocado, and onion; 8 ounces water
Throughout the morning: 24 ounces iced unsweetened raspberry-flavored water
Lunch: Grass-fed beef burger (no bun) with baked sweet potato fries with mustard and side salad; 8 ounces warm water with lemon
Afternoon snack: Green drink powder mixed with 16 ounces water
Dinner: Roasted lemon chicken with broccoli and brown rice; 8 ounces white tea
Night snack: Sunflower seeds and nuts; 4 to 8 ounces water
Unfortunately all that excess—in the form of carbs, fat, salt, sugar, and alcohol—can leave you feeling bloated, tired, hungry, and guilty. So come your first day back to work, give your body what it’s craving to help reestablish a healthy equilibrium.
This four-day plan is filled with nourishing foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients to offset whatever happened over the weekend. It’s not a free pass to go whole-hog on days off, but it will help lessen the impact when you’ve overdone it.
Every Day
Fluids
are key since extra salt, sugar, and alcohol can dehydrate your body.
Start the day with a tall glass of water or warm cup of any type of tea,
then drink throughout the day, aiming for 64 to 100 ounces to flush out
the pollutants from the weekend.Plan to eat three meals, with lunch four hours after breakfast and dinner between 6 and 7. Focus on nutrient-dense foods that are low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals since weekend fare tends to be the opposite: high-calorie and low-nutrient.
Have an afternoon snack around 4 p.m. of green drink powder mixed in water or a smoothie. Look for one (such as Greens Plus) containing sea vegetables, probiotics, grasses, and enzymes that will help aid in digestion. You can also have a whole-food snack after dinner if you are hungry.
Take a multivitamin, and at every meal pop a 1,000-milligram omega-3 supplement, which will help reduce the inflammation that can be caused by poor eating. (Talk to your doctor first if you are on any medications since omega-3s may interact with some meds.)
Monday
At
each meal, divide your plate so that it’s half protein and half
non-starchy veggies—carbs are off-limits since most weekend foods are
filled with processed carbs.
Sample Menu
Upon waking: 10 ounces warm water with lemon
Breakfast: Eggs with spinach and tomato; 8 ounces green tea
Throughout the morning: 24 ounces water
Lunch: Salmon avocado salad with lemon juice and olive oil; 8 ounces rooibos tea
Afternoon snack: Green drink powder mixed with 16 ounces water
Dinner: Almond-encrusted trout with watercress, asparagus, and yellow bell pepper; 8 ounces iced tea
Night snack: Celery with almond butter; 4 to 8 ounces water
Sample MenuUpon waking: 10 ounces warm water with lemon
Breakfast: Eggs with spinach and tomato; 8 ounces green tea
Throughout the morning: 24 ounces water
Lunch: Salmon avocado salad with lemon juice and olive oil; 8 ounces rooibos tea
Afternoon snack: Green drink powder mixed with 16 ounces water
Dinner: Almond-encrusted trout with watercress, asparagus, and yellow bell pepper; 8 ounces iced tea
Night snack: Celery with almond butter; 4 to 8 ounces water
Tuesday
Stay
the course with Monday’s plan, but loosen up a little and incorporate
dairy and fruit to optimize the variety of vitamins, minerals, and
protein. High-water, high-fiber fruits such as berries, grapefruit,
pears, cantaloupe, olives, and avocado will help clean out your gut and
get your digestive system back on course, while dairy contains B
vitamins, calcium, and vitamin D, all of which you likely skimped on
over the weekend. The best options are kefir, plain Greek yogurt,
cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and butter, and
organic is the very best. At meals, fill your plate with one-quarter
protein, one-quarter fruit, and half non-starchy vegetables.Sample Menu
Upon waking: 10 ounces green tea
Breakfast: Cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt with blueberries, almonds, and flax or chia seeds; 8 ounces water with orange slice
Throughout the morning: 24 ounces water with cucumber and sage or any combination of herbs
Lunch: Vegetable soup with tuna salad, sliced cucumber, and olives; 8 ounces iced rooibos tea
Afternoon snack: Green drink powder mixed with 16 ounces water
Dinner: Roasted turkey, bell pepper, mushroom, and tomato shish kebab with bok choy and cauliflower mash; 8 ounces water with lemon
Night snack: Carrots and hummus; 4 to 8 ounces water
Wednesday
Today
you can add healthy starches, such as legumes, brown rice, and sweet
potatoes, at meals, but stick to a half-cup serving size. Your plate
should be one-quarter protein, one-quarter starch, and half non-starchy
vegetables.Sample Menu
Upon waking: 10 ounces oolong tea
Breakfast: Smoked salmon with sliced tomato, avocado, and onion; 8 ounces water
Throughout the morning: 24 ounces iced unsweetened raspberry-flavored water
Lunch: Grass-fed beef burger (no bun) with baked sweet potato fries with mustard and side salad; 8 ounces warm water with lemon
Afternoon snack: Green drink powder mixed with 16 ounces water
Dinner: Roasted lemon chicken with broccoli and brown rice; 8 ounces white tea
Night snack: Sunflower seeds and nuts; 4 to 8 ounces water
Thursday
Today
should be a "go light" day in preparation for the weekend. If you know
you’ll be throwing in the towel on healthy eating the next few days,
follow Monday’s plan (protein and non-starchy vegetables). If your
weekend won’t be so bad, stick with Tuesday’s or Wednesday’s guidelines.
This will give you the essentials for a head start on balancing out
your upcoming unbalanced eating.
Sample Menu
Upon waking: 16 ounces unsweetened flavored water
Breakfast: Peanut butter or guacamole celery boats; 8 ounces herbal tea
Throughout the morning: 24 ounces water with lemon
Lunch: Turkey salad with lentil soup; 8 ounces water
Afternoon snack: Green drink powder mixed with 16 ounces water
Dinner: Halibut with sautéed spinach and baked cinnamon apple; 8 ounces iced tea
Night snack: Greek yogurt with walnuts; 4 to 8 ounces strawberry-flavored water
Sample Menu
Upon waking: 16 ounces unsweetened flavored water
Breakfast: Peanut butter or guacamole celery boats; 8 ounces herbal tea
Throughout the morning: 24 ounces water with lemon
Lunch: Turkey salad with lentil soup; 8 ounces water
Afternoon snack: Green drink powder mixed with 16 ounces water
Dinner: Halibut with sautéed spinach and baked cinnamon apple; 8 ounces iced tea
Night snack: Greek yogurt with walnuts; 4 to 8 ounces strawberry-flavored water
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