Cleanse yourself of the juice cleanse trend

Juice cleanses are a trendy way to "lose weight" and "rid your body of toxins." In general, I am not a fan of going on a plan that you are going to go off. Healthy lifestyle is the key to success. And if you want to drop a few pounds or just feel energized, juice cleanses are not the magic bullet--do it with real food.

3 reasons why NOT to go on a juice cleanse:

1. COST--You are paying a high premium for nothing more than a bottle of juice that tells you to stop eating. 
2. ENERGY--at ~1000-1200 calories per day, these cleanses are too low in energy to keep your body running properly and won't allow for enough vitamins and minerals to keep you functioning your best. In fact, you may not have enough energy for your metabolism to go its strongest, which can be detrimental to the weight loss process. 
3. SANITY--Whole fruits and vegetables contain fiber that will make you feel fuller, and give you any health benefits (and more!) than the juices themselves. There is NO benefit of limiting yourself to liquids alone.

The solution:

• Calorie-limited diet of fresh, whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables. 
• Plenty of (but not exclusively!) water. 
• Sweat it out! Get some exercise to help burn calories and sweat out toxins. 

Maximizing Your Vegetarian Proteins

A plant-rich diet is a key component of good nutrition and health. When it comes to proteins though, a single plant rarely offers all the essential amino acids your body needs to build its muscles and maintain maximum functionality. The way this works is that if you consume a protein source with 100% of 19 out of 20 essential amino acids, and contains one at only 50%, you only get 50% benefit of those other 19 too.

The solution? Mix and match vegetarian protein sources (more than just beans!) in order to get maximum benefits. Choose two of any sources below:

• Beans/Legumes--personal favorite is black beans! 
• Whole grains--barley, oats, brown rice, quinoa (richest in protein!)
• Vegetables--low calorie and tons of variety. 

Or check out some of these recipes for complementary protein boost:

• Black bean burgers
• Easy PB lunch sandwich
• Boost a salad! 
• Breakfast: Oatmeal with walnuts and raisins
• Snack/Appetizer: favorite veggies with hummus

Black Bean Burgers

For the sworn uncompromised meat-lover, this simple solution is sure to satisfy! Try it paired with some sweet potato oven “fries” and corn on the cob on the side for a hearty meal.

Serves 4 (8 burgers total)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

¼ cup oats

8.5 oz can black beans (no salt added)

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

½ tsp chili powder

2 Tbs olive oil

Optional serving suggestions:

Salsa

Caramelized onions

Avocado slices

Whole wheat English muffins or hamburger rolls

1. In food processor, pulse oats until finely ground. Remove from food processor and set aside.
2. Pulse beans in food processor with jalapeño and garlic until well mixed. Mix spices in bowl with oats. Add in along with egg and pulse until well mixed.
3. Refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes.  (This is a great time to start making some sweet potato fries and/or corn  to accompany)
4. Remove mixture from refrigerator and form patties using about ½ cup mixture per patty.
5. Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in large skillet and cook patties until 1 side is browned, then flip. Once both sides are browned and mixture is warmed through, transfer patties to a plate. Repeat this step using remaining tablespoon of olive oil and rest of patties.
6. Serve with optional toppings.