Winter Renewal: A Clean Start

We're starting the first in a series of posts dedicated to winter renewal by considering what we take into our bodies. Taking a cue from our newest cookbook, Clean Start, we're looking more deeply at what we eat, with a focus on how it affects our overall well-being and the well-being of the environment. This excerpt from Clean Start author Terry Walters has been particularly inspiring for us in the new year.

"When it comes to eating clean and living well, the most powerful tools we have are intention and the ability to make the choices that serve our best interests. Together, these tools can help us navigate our way through grocery stores, restaurants, and a variety of temptations. But when I'm cooking in my kitchen, my goal is much more basic -- to bring together tastes, textures, colors and nutrients to create meals that all will enjoy. I think of my cast-iron skillet as my palette, clean food as my paint, and my finished dishes as the resulting creation that brings together and nourishes my family and friends."

Walters points out that clean eating is less about rigid rules than it is about making one healthy choice at a time. A few of her simple guidelines follow, and many more can be found in her book.

"Eat The Colors Of The Rainbow.
The more colorful your diet, the more nutrient-rich. Go easy on empty white filler foods and heavy on healing greens.

Eat Dark Leafy Greens Every Day.
For me, green is the most important color and the one most lacking in our diets. Greens are cleansing, healing, uplifting and rich in calcium and minerals. Try using a variety of greens to amp up the nutritional value of your salads, soups, sauces, stir-fries and even smoothies. Just get them in!

Eat All Five Tastes.
Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent are all found naturally and nutritionally in clean food, as opposed to manufactured "natural flavors" and the imbalance of sweet and salty tastes found in processed foods."

Clean Start, by Terry Walters. Sterling Epicure. 

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more in our Winter Renewal Series, including expert wellness tips for skincare, hair care, and freshening your makeup in the colder months.