Nobody ever talks about what to do and how to eat AFTER you go through an extreme detox and have purged your body of all the toxins it doesn't need. Here are our necessary kitchen staples to keep your healthy eating on track post detox. Detoxes are great but they only represent temporary change and they are pretty extreme. The first real step towards a sustainable lifestyle change, is stocking your kitchen with the right supplies. Think of it as a toolkit to build a healthy life.

So, now you have completed your Detox and are feeling lighter, cleaner and peppier. You have cleansed your system of the sugar and toxins accumulated during the holidays. The challenge is to maintain that good feeling without feeling deprived.

Two dozen food staples

We have created a list of food staples that you should keep in either your pantry or your refrigerator/freezer. We actually truly love going grocery shopping when the produce is fresh and in season it's just beautiful. Here are some pictures from our trip to the market to inspire you to get shopping!

Whole nuts. We like either Almonds, walnuts and Pecans. We buy them in bulk at either Costco or Amazon.com We store them in the freezer and roast them in batches. To roast simply put in a dry frying pan and heat until fragrant. Let cool. You can also roast the nuts by tossing in a tiny bit of a flavor free oil (such as canola) until toasted and then toss with salt, cayenne pepper or cinnamon They make a great addition to any salad or as a snack. Nuts are high in calories and fat so we used them more as accents than a main course, or as a quick snack in the afternoon. They are high in Vitamin E, Foliate and Choline (nutrient for brain health and cell membrane).

Eggs. Eggs are an excellent source of protein and no longer have a bad health rap. We hard boil a half dozen at a time and use them in salads, as a snack after a work out or on toast for breakfast. In order to hard boil eggs perfectly (bright yellow yolks without green sulpher ring) put cold water in a pot with the cold eggs, put the heat under the pot at medium heat, bring to a boil, cover and boil for 5 minutes. Allow sitting in the hot water for 12 minutes and then promptly plunging eggs in ice-cold water. This will stop the cooking process. The result will be perfectly cooked hard-boiled egg with a bright yellow yolk and no green sulpher ring.
Kale. We love Kale. Let me count the ways. Kale chips, Kale pesto, Kale in our smoothies, Kale in our salads, sautéed Kale with a roasted chicken, Kale with pasta. Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, K, C, B6 and Manganese and other vitamins. It is very low in fat and calories making it a nutrient dense food that is a great way to increase your healthy eating.

Dry beans. We buy our dry beans in bulk. Beans are an excellent source of protein, fiber, iron and foliate. and an inexpensive form of protein. We avoid any canned beans. Reserve the soaking liquid from the chickpeas – aquafaba – because it can be used as an egg replacement in meringues, baked goods, whipping cream and other things. 3 tablespoons of drained chickpea liquid is the equivalent of one egg.
Avocados. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways! Our tips for avocados? Buy when they are on sale and put them in the refrigerator. Putting them in the refrigerator slows the ripening process. We buy 6- eight at a time and leave one of two out to ripen immediately and then put the rest in the fridge. Avocados are good sources of healthy fat, which will help you, stay fuller after a meal. They are high in Vitamin K, Copper and Vitamin B5. The latest trend is to have AvoToast – whole instagram pages have been dedicated to AvoToast! Make a smoothie with avocados, pasta sauce with avocados, add to salad – there are limitless possibilities.
Sriracha and Gochujang (Go choo jang) Of the two condiments Sricacha is the hotter. The taste of Gochujang is like mixing ketchup with Sriracha. There is more depth of flavor in Gochujang than the one note of heat in the Sriracha
Frozen blueberries. Blueberries are an excellent source of fiber, and Vitamin C and are high in anti-oxidants. They are perfect as an addition to smoothies, low sugar breakfast muffins, as a topping for oatmeal (just take a cup out of the freezer a few minutes before eating) or as a snack at night when you want something sweet.
Cauliflower and Broccoli. Cauliflower can be used as a rice substitute for fried rice, for pizza crust, steak or simply roasted in the oven at 400 degrees dressed in olive oil, salt and pepper until crispy as a snack you can mash cauliflower in a way that you won’t miss the potato. Cauliflower is high in vitamin C, B-6, K, Foliate and potassium. Broccoli can be used in the same ways – we buy either or depending on what is on sale. Broccoli is high in Vitamin C, B-6, K and A and potassium. Both are very low in calories and fat and they are very filling.
Red and Green Cabbage
Lemons. Lemons are a great to add to water, cookie dough, cakes, past, rice and tea. Lemons become alkaline when you ingest them. For a healthy body it is recommended that you try to get your body as alkaline as possible because disease cannot grow in an alkaline environment. We zest all our lemons before squeezing them and put the zest in a tight container in the fridge.
Whole grain pasta. Whole grain pasta is higher in protein than its white counterpart because during the wheat processing for regular pasta it loses more than 60% of the nutritional value whereas whole-grain pasta retains most of its nutritional value. Whole grain pasta is an excellent source of B vitamins and iron as well as alpha-linoleic acid. Sautee a bunch of kale and cauliflower – or bake it at high heat in the oven, toss with olive oil, add some red pepper flakes and top off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese
Sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are very in carbohydrates but they are also very high in nutritional value. They are high in Vitamins A, C, B6, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Potassium and Manganese to name a few. They are very low in fat. You can bake them, roast them or sauté them. You can make a soup out of them, slice them very then and make chips out of them by tossing lightly in oil and roasting at a high temperature, add to smoothies, cut up and put in salads, spiralize (put recipe link here), and waffles.
Chicken and vegetable broth (link our recipes here). Chicken and vegetable stock are the basis for soups, sauces or just as is for some afternoon pick me up.
Jarred roasted red peppers in olive oil. A great source of vitamin A, fiber, vitamin C and iron. A great addition to salads, chopped in pasta, added to a chicken dish.
Frozen vegetables such as lima beans, string beans, and brussel sprouts.
Goat cheese and Parmesan cheese. Goat cheese is great on whole grain bread in the morning with a drizzle of olive oil for breakfast, as the basis for a sauce for pasta (with either chicken or vegetable stock) and as a snack on crackers. Parmesan cheese is a must for any kitchen. It is great for pastas and the rind is a great addition to any soup (the rind acts as a thickener. You can freeze the rinds and perhaps your cheese monger will sell you a few rinds if you are really nice to him or her!
Whole chickens, ground beef, turkey and pork and salmon steaks in the freezer (only organic wild salmon). Mix the ground meats and make hamburger patties and freeze individually wrapped.
Oatmeal, Quinoa, and Faro, Brown rice.
Nut butters such as peanut, cashew, or almond.
Unsweetened Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, which you can add to smoothies or hot milk (of the nut variety) at night.
Nut milk. There are many varieties available today that are unsweetened and very low in calorie and sugar. There is almond, cashew, (can be used instead of heavy cream in an alfredo sauce) nut milk (almond, cashew and pea protein), hazelnut, and pistachio milk
Canned tomatoes (san marzano preferably) and canned pumpkin puree (no added spices). Not only can the tomatoes be used for pasta but you can make a wonderful tomato soup with your homemade chicken or vegetable stock. You can make a hearty and creamy pumpkin soup with canned pumpkin – just remember to season heavily because canned pumpkin is very bland.
Spices. We always have the following on hand: cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, garam masala, chipotle powder, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, cardamom, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, curry powder (both green and red), cumin, turmeric (mix with any of the milks for turmeric milk which is wonderful for inflammation)
Protein powder of your choice. We use our protein powder in our smoothies, smoothie bowls, in our muffins, pancakes and waffles.

I Just Detoxed – Now What?

Two dozen food staples