The most tempting season of the year is upon us, so there’s no better time than now to start being conscious about what you’re putting into your body. We have talked about Conscious Cleanse many times before, and we just can’t say enough good things about this incredible company. We were so excited to sit down with Jo and Jules of Conscious Cleanse to hear some of their suggestions for staying mindful in the upcoming holiday season.
We hear that you’ve partnered with Zeal to offer a special promotional cleanse package. Can you tell us a bit about that?
We do offer mini juice cleanses in either 1- or 3-day packages. Either option is a great way to reset when you begin to feel sluggish around the holidays. What a juice cleanse, or purification (as we like to call it), does during our guided Conscious Cleanses is allow our bodies to rest. Digesting juice is not only easy on the body, but also the ideal way to absorb the many nutrients found in freshly pressed vegetable and fruit juices. Each cleanse day ends with a special treat of a rich and creamy cashew or almond milk. You’ll think it’s a milkshake! Details of the juices can be found on Zeal’s website, and you can order straight from there or simply call in.
Any reader of your blog knows that you’re also crazy about Fresh Thymes Eatery (we love the creamy vegan mac and cheese recipe you shared!). What’s your favorite cleanse-friendly menu item?
The Grilled Kale & Arugula Salad is perplexingly good! Grilled greens? It sounds a little crazy, but it really works. We ask them to hold the feta cheese, which makes this salad completely cleanse-friendly. We’ve got to get in touch with them soon to see how they preserve those lemons, because they add the perfect twist!
Are there any other restaurants that can be incorporated into your cleanses?
Here in Boulder, we love Zeal, Fresh Thymes, and Shine. The truth of it is that many restaurants can be cleanse-friendly! We like to treat the menu like a list of ingredients. If you do that and ask for a few substitutions (with a great big smile on your face), you can usually walk away satisfied by a great big salad, simply cooked piece of chicken or fish, or a large portion of steamed veggies. Just be friendly, ask a lot of questions, and you’ll find that most servers will be happy to see you happy.
The holiday season is, by far, the most tempting time of year, in terms of unhealthy eating. Do you have any insight to offer for those of us who hope to make smarter choices this year?
A smart but flexible plan really goes a long way! The holidays are a time to celebrate and indulge, and we’ve learned that doesn’t have to automatically mean “bad food”. When attending an event or party, it’s great practice to check out the restaurant’s menu ahead of time so you know what to expect. It also helps to check in with yourself to see what might feed your soul. It might be a cupcake, it might be a good glass of wine, but it also might be seeing your loved ones and waking up without a food hangover. The more you practice tuning into your “soul food”, the easier it will be to make good choices.
Tell us about some of the meal or recipe substitutions that you usually make during the holidays.
We start our day with a green smoothie and then tons of water! This will help us navigate a busy day and set us up for smart choices. There are a couple easy tricks – like subbing sweet potatoes for white potatoes – that can add more nutrition to your holiday spread. Along those same lines, whether you’re a meat eater or a vegan, you can always go heavy on the veggies! Pass around a tray of raw cut veggies with cleanse-approved Spinach Artichoke Dip instead a cheese or cream based appetizer. Lightly steamed or sautéed veggies are not only easy, but can be dressed up in many ways will always “go” with your main dish. Lastly, we always make sure there’s a big, beautiful leafy green salad on our holiday table.
We loved the modified Paloma Rosa recipe that you shared on your blog for Independence Day this year. Do you have any similar cocktail suggestions for Boulder’s holiday cocktail party hosts and hostesses?
We have a number of Conscious Cocktail recipes on our blog. The key, when imbibing, is to keep your ingredients pure and lay off the pre-mixed sugar bombs. We are obsessed with our Lemon Ginger Switchel recipe right now. It is delicious without alcohol or suped up with a shot of gin or vodka. The best part of it is there are true health benefits to this drink! The apple cider vinegar aids digestion while the ginger keeps immunity strong.
Last year, you hosted a “Healthy for the Holidays” clean eating challenge. Will you be doing that again? If so, can you tell us a bit about what this year’s book will hold for your eager readers?
We’re so happy you loved last year’s challenge. That cookbook and the hash-tagging fun are active so we’d love to keep it going through this holiday season. The truth is that we are preparing for our biggest endeavor since designing this cleanse and we are busy! Starting in 2017 (only a few months away!), the Conscious Cleanse will be available on-demand, meaning cleansers can start whenever they want. We’re adding all kinds of bells and whistles to support you through your cleanse, like videos, an interactive app, menu planning, and anything else you can think of. We’re very hands-on because we want everything to be perfect and we always want cleansers to know that we’re right there with them. This year, the new holiday challenge may be to share what you love about the Conscious Cleanse. Join us for our November 2016 cleanse and tell us how you want to ring in the new year!