Make the most of mealtime

Probably the most common question I get as a cleansing coach is "What can I eat for my one meal on my shake days?"

The standard answer is that you can have a low fat, high fiber meal of between 400 and 600 calories. For some of you that makes it simple. For others, it sounds like a riddle.

Here's some suggestions. Low fat means forget french fries and fried chicken. If you WANT to count calories then you can check the calories on the ranch dressing (or other full fat dressings) and figure it in. Most people hate to count calories, so just avoid those high fat dressings and substitute lemon juice or a low fat dressing.

You should be using some kind of dressing because you should be eating as much green salad as you can handle. This is a good time to get adventurous. Try adding jicama, bak choy, cilantro, several different kinds of greens, different kinds of onions, and different colors of peppers to your salads. Bagged salads are convenient, but have been sprayed and radiated. Try chopping your own and get creative. This is high fiber. Try different kinds of vinegar to change the taste.

Steam some veggies for every meal. They are satisfying. Try fresh lemon juice instead of butter on your fresh asperagus, green beans, even broccoli.

Avoid bread, white rice, pizza and pasta. Substitute brown rice (remember it takes longer to cook--you may want to make it up ahead of time and keep it in the frig) sweet potatoes, even white potatoes occasionally if you eat the skin and all.

Olive oil is a good fat. Eat it on salads and baked potatoes. Plain yogurt makes a great substitute for sour cream.

You need good lean protein. Eggs are nice occasionally. Lean hamburger patties work. Grilled or broiled fish and chicken are great. It is fun to expand your variety of fish. Cottage cheese with fresh tomatoes. Yum. Nuts, especially almonds, are good additions to your salad or main dishes. Use the hemp seed product in the same ways as nuts. You can put lean cuts of meat or chicken or fish in your crock pot and then when they are cooked refrigerate them for quick meals.

Yes, this takes a bit of work, but it doesn't have to be all consuming. Just plan on spending 15 minutes chopping and grilling. The rewards are well worth it!