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I’ve been on a bit a health kick lately and I can blame Candace Cameron for that.

My family and I have been really enjoying watching Fuller House together. It’s so incredibly cheesy, but watching this show together just brings back so many 90s memories! Anyway, I couldn’t help but notice how amazing Candace Cameron (DJ) looks. I still can’t believe she’s 40!

I went on an internet hunt to find out how and why Candace looks so good and after reading this Cosmo article about her diet and exercise, I found out that:

Candace says she eats mostly vegan with the exception of egg whites, the occasional piece of fish, and situations where there are no vegan options. Instead of meats, she relies on nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains like quinoa for protein. She also avoids dairy and swears the change cured her irritable stomach issues, reduced puffiness in her face and body, and cured her chronic congestion and cough.

If she can look that good at 40, I can look that good at 30 too! New year, new start, right? I’m sure I’m not the only one.

So come the new year, I was inspired by Candace and decided to cut out a few things:

diary
red meat
refined sugar

A plant-based diet has been something I’ve been interested in, but I don’t want to restrict myself too much. Realistically, I know I’m going to need cheat days (sometimes a girl needs chocolate!) and I know I’ll go to restaurants who won’t be able to accommodate my diet requests. So for the most part, I’ve been eating plant-based meals, unless it’s my cheat day or if there are no vegan options.

To get myself on track, I flick through my cookbooks and blogs and write out a weekly meal plan. This way, I know what to shop for and see what I’m eating for the week. I feel like if I see on paper how healthy my meals are, I’m on a healthier mindset to be more conscious of the foods I eat.

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Thank goodness there are plenty of healthy food blogs and books to get recipes from and here are a few that I’ve been loving this past month:

Everyday Detox

I love Megan’s philosophy that dieting isn’t necessary for weight loss, just eating all natural, whole foods. She’s all about making healthy decisions every day and because she’s a nutritionist, she has great advice on what to eat to avoid bloating, improve digestion, and weight loss. Her blog is also awesome and she has a great guide on how to combine food for optimal digestion.

Fave recipe: Cauliflower Fried Rice

Thug Kitchen

Prepare for a lot of swearing in this book. People can take the plant-based diet VERY seriously, so I like the tone in this book and it has a lot of helpful tips on how eating vegetables is so good for you. The Thug Kitchen caught my attention after seeing so many good reviews. I actually bought this book because I know a lot of flavors in this book appeal to my bf’s palate. Anything to get him to eat healthier!

Fave recipe: Roasted Beer & Lime Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro Coleslaw

Oh She Glows Cookbook

I’ve admired the Oh She Glows blog for a while now, so naturally, I was curious to try her recipes in her book. For someone who wants to take the plant-based diet to the next level, this one is a great book to read. She teaches you how to make almond milk, sauces, etc. It’s a little bit more involved, but her recipes are not super healthy like most vegan cookbooks. There’s a little bit of indulgence in there to please the whole family.

Fave recipe: Banana Soft Serve

The Lemonade Cookbook

Lemonade is probably one of my favorite restaurants EVER. When it was only based out in LA (so happy it’s in the Bay Area now!), it was such a treat to go to because all the food they serve is fresh and healthy. Lots of fresh salads and you have the option to also choose warm food and different types of protein. All very flavorful and I never felt overly full after. So when the book came out, I was all over it! The recipes can be complicated and some require a lot of prep time, but the final result is SO SO good.

Fave recipe: WATERMELON RADISH + AHI TUNA SALAD

The Skinnytaste Cookbook

This one isn’t plant-based either, but I love the spin Gina puts on comfort food recipes. It’s all about switching out richer ingredients for healthier ones. The pictures are appealing (I just show the pics to my bf and he’s sold), she labels each recipe with diet restrictions and shows the nutrition facts as well. This book has so many crowd-pleasing healthy recipes that your family will love. They won’t be able to tell the difference!

Fave recipe: Skinny Shrimp, Chicken, and Sausage Gumbo

K, I’m off to pack for a weekend in Santa Barbara to go wine tasting! It’s going to be raining, but I’m sure it will be beautiful regardless. 🙂

Any healthy books or blogs I should bookmark?

xoxo,

Alyson

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