Vacation Detox Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

After a month of vacationing in Switzerland, I’ve had my fill of Gruyere Fondue, French bread, croissants, salami, and Italian fresh pasta and pizza. OK, not really, but my stomach and thighs are telling me ENOUGH! I hiked up a few mountains, while pushing a 3-year-old in a stroller, and walked enough every day through castles and swam on beaches that I didn’t gain weight. But I feel flabby and a little toxic, and just need a clean sweep. Time to hit the gym again and build some upper body muscle, but also detoxify my internal cells and intestinal tract. That is the quickest way to stimulate weight loss, by starting with a clean slate.

My mother always said color is the quickest way to health. Natural color, that is, not the artificial kind. “Eating like the bunny we had in Switzerland,” as I tell my children, “will help you grow big and have long hair.” Because that gets my little girl to eat her veggies. HAHA! Well, and it’s the truth!

Anytime I need a little roughage in my diet, I try to consume a couple of salads loaded with crunch and lots of fiber. I love these mixes when I’m short on time, but also because they have a variety of green cruciferous veggies. This time I picked up one from Trader Joe’s that has a combination of Kale, shaved Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli Stalk, as well as Green and Red Cabbage. You can make this yourself, which I’ve done when I’ve had leftover broccoli stalk, etc, but sometimes it is easier to pick up a bag than buy all those different ingredients and chop everything when you want a quick lunch. This salad is great if you have a little protein crunch from nuts and pumpkin seeds as well as some sweetness from berries and a sweeter vinaigrette to combat the bitterness of the kale and brussel sprouts. You will certainly feel amazing and have your body back on track in no time.