As the days get longer and warmer, spring is the perfect time to hit the reset button on your diet. The heavy meals and comfort foods of winter can leave you feeling sluggish and ready for a nutritional recharge. Follow these tips to spring clean your eating habits for a fresh start!
Out With the Old
The first step to spring cleaning your diet is eliminating processed foods. These are items that have been heavily modified from their original state, often stripped of nutrients and loaded with unhealthy additives.
Toss out anything made with refined grains like white flour, which has had the nutrient-rich germ and bran removed. Watch out for added sugars hiding under names like high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose and maltose. Ditch industrial seed oils as well, such as soybean, corn, canola and vegetable oil, which are high in inflammatory omega-6 fats.
When it comes to packaged items, adopt a “shorter is better” policy for ingredient lists. Steer clear of anything containing hard-to-pronounce artificial preservatives, colors, flavorings or other synthetic additives. If you can’t picture the item being made from real food ingredients, it’s likely highly processed.
Don’t let sneaky marketing buzzwords like “natural,” “multigrain” or “low-fat” fool you either. Always scan the ingredients and avoid items made with refined flours, added sugars and industrial oils, regardless of the front claims.
By purging your pantry of these over-processed pseudo-foods, you’ll be creating a clean slate to restock with quality, nutrient-dense whole food ingredients. It’s amazing how energizing and restorative just this simple dietary reset can feel!
Let me know if you need any other details fleshed out further.
In With the New
Now that you’ve cleared out the unhealthy stuff, it’s time to load up on fresh, whole foods.
Prioritize:
- Vegetables: Focus on nutrient-dense options like leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, and bright colored produce.
- Fruits: Stick to low-glycemic options like berries, citrus, and stone fruits.
- Lean Proteins: Grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs, and plant-based proteins.
- Healthy Fats: Avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil (and MariGold Fat Bombs!).
Powerful Protein Boost
When replacing processed frankenfoods, it’s important to incorporate high-quality, easily digested proteins. MariGold Whey Isolate Protein and Collagen Peptides are terrific options to add to smoothies, baked goods, oatmeal and more for a fast nutrient boost.
Spring Recipe Ideas
Strawberry Collagen Smoothie Bowl
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 scoop MariGold Collagen Peptides
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 tbsp almond butter
Toppings: sliced strawberries, chia seeds, shredded coconut
Instructions:
Blend all ingredients except toppings until smooth. Pour into a bowl and top as desired.
Veggie Frittata Cups with Whey Protein
- 8 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 scoops MariGold Whey Protein Isolate (unflavored)
- 1 cup diced bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Whisk together eggs, milk, and whey protein. Stir in veggies and season with salt and pepper. Pour into greased muffin cups and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 more minutes.
Blueberry Zucchini Protein Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
- 2 scoops MariGold Whey Protein Isolate (Creamy Vanilla)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup grated zucchini, drained
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions:
Mix dry ingredients, then fold in wet ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Scoop into greased muffin cups and bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes.
Whey Protein Power Salad with Asian Flavors
- 4 cups shredded cabbage/kale mix
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- Sliced radishes (as desired)
- 1/2 cup sliced celery
- 2 scoops MariGold Whey Protein Isolate (unflavored)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- Optional Toppings: sliced avocado, cashews
Instructions:
Whisk together whey protein, vinegar, oil, coconut aminos, and ginger for dressing. Toss with salad ingredients and top as desired.
With a few simple swaps, you can effortlessly spring clean your diet this season! Your body will feel refreshed and energized from all the nutrient-dense, whole foods.
Boost Immunity and Fight Allergies with MariGold!
At MariGold, we design all our snacks to treat your body well in many ways. Many of our products have immune-boosting ingredients in them as well! Not only do we use REAL FOOD ingredients, but everything is non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, chemical and preservative-free, low sugar (or no sugar), and is HEALTHY and DELICIOUS!
MariGold Whey Isolate Protein Powder contains all the amino acids for healthy body functions. Did you know that grass-fed whey protein has been found to reduce inflammation? It’s not only a great source of protein, but grass-fed whey protein contains properties that can specifically target inflammation.
Another lesser-known benefit of undenatured whey protein is that it boosts glutathione production. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant naturally produced in every cell of the body. As an antioxidant, it is also known to reduce inflammation.
In addition to the 9 essential amino acids found in whey isolate protein, it also contains BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) that help boost immune cells. Whey also contains immunoglobulins, which are a class of proteins present in the serum and cells of the immune system that function as antibodies.
Our Whey Isolate Protein Powder also contains non-GMO Sunflower Lecithin, which helps to protect the delicate lining of the digestive system. Because our immune system is directly connected to our gut, improving our digestion and gut health helps to boost our immunity as well.
And there’s even more! Our flavored protein powders (Rich Chocolate Malt and Creamy Vanilla) contain L-glutamine, which also promotes digestive health for helping to boost the immune system as well.
Our Protein Bars and Whey Protein Coffee contain the same grass-fed protein powder. Both are excellent morning breakfast options!
Most of our bars contain immune-boosting organic coconut oil, and many of then also contain L-Glutamine, so they are the perfect healthy snack option to have around for the changing seasons.
Be sure to check out our Nutritional Facts Page to see all the ingredients in our products that can help with boosting your immune system.
