Adios long summer days!  Can you believe the sun is now setting on the east coast at 4:59pm—only adding further insult to the 4pm slump!?  Fight fatigue and a mid-day case of the sleeps with these 8 foods.  

1. Water: Drinking plenty of water in the winter months is a must.  Much of the time when we're feeling tired (and hungry for that matter) we are actually just dehydrated.  Dehydration can also ruin concentration and sour your mood, so drink up friends

2. Chia Seeds: Add these puppies to your smoothies or oatmeal for wintertime energy boost.  Loaded with omega-3's and with a perfect fat to protein ratio, it's no wonder they're the superfood of choice for many athletes.  Plus, they can hold up to 10X their weight in water, providing a much-needed assist to all that water drinking.  

3. Quinoa: This ancient grain of the Andeas is a pseudograin and it often called a protein grain because of it's amino acid profile. It's perfect as a side dish, or even as a main course in the cooler months.  Just don't forget to work in the veggies!

4. Green Tea: Green tea provides a nice caffeine boost but without all the jitters of throwing back a few espressos.  The combo of caffeine plus L-theanine gives you an energy and a brain boost.  We'll take it!

5. Oatmeal: Overnight oats, oatmeal and oatmeal protein bites are all fair game and a great way to boost your energy right now.  Thanks to their low glycemic load and the healthy dose of fiber and protein, oats a real wonder food.  

6. Almonds: You've heard me talk about the benefits of good fats and their role in a balanced blood sugar and almonds are full of good fats.  The monounsaturated fats are a great source of fuel and keep you fuller, longer.  

7. Black Beans:  Black beans boast a great balance of carbs, protein and fiber.  The protein fills you up while the fiber keeps you sated and helps to balance your blood sugar.  Opt for a great chili with black beans or even black bean pasta.  

8. Lean Protein: Chicken breasts, wild caught fish and turkey are all great sources of lean protein to fuel you in the cooler months.  A Turkey chili, roasted chicken or baked salmon are all great options!

Whether you're joining us on a 21-day cleanse or embarking on one solo, there are a few ways you can take a templated cleanse and make it your own.  

Remove grains: Though complex carbohydrates and pseudo grains can be wonderful for you, for many people they're hard to digest.  Additionally grains like rice contains phytic acid, which a natural substance found in some plants that can inhibit the absorption of some vitamins and minerals.  Swapping grains for cauliflower rice or kelp noodles is also a great way to reduce your carbohydrate intake while you're at it.  

Eating low GI: Though eating a clean, whole foods diet rich in fruits is a wonderful thing, if weight loss is one of your goals, you'll definitely want to watch out for higher glycemic foods.  Removing dates, grapes, mangoes, pomegranates and other fruits high in fructose is another great way to reduce sugar intake and watch your carbohydrate count.  

Remove sweeteners: though we caution against unnatural sweeteners, a clean eating program usually allows for natural sweeteners such as honey and coconut sugar.  If you're looking to deepen your cleanse, removing these sweeteners is a great idea as well.  Removing excess carbs and sugars allows your body to work towards a ketogenic state where it begins to use stored fat as fuel.  So again, if weight loss is your goal, 86 the excess sugar.  

Meditate & sleep: Cleanses are also about rest.  When our body is in a chronic state of stress (as it is more many of us living in the modern world) it produces the stress hormone cortisol, which is the enemy of relaxation and weight loss.  Being in a chronic state of stress can impact your metabolism, your skin, your sleep and your brain.  Yep, that memory loss might be due to stress, not old age.  So, if you're looking to maximize your results, take some time out for you. Focus on self care, get at least 8 hours of sleep and set a daily meditation goal and maybe even a digital detox.  

Move over peanut butter cups, there's a new guy in town and he's perfect for fall!  If you're fiending for an unhealthy store-bought peanut butter cup then you must try this clean pumpkin flavored version,  They're super easy to make and I predict these quickly becoming a Thanksgiving crowd favorite!

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Filling:

• 1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 tablespoons organic coconut syrup
• 4 tablespoons organic coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon organic ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract

Chocolate Layer

• 1 cup organic raw cacao powder
• 4 tablespoons organic coconut syrup
• 1 cup organic coconut oil

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients for the filling and set aside.  Combine all the ingredients for the chocolate and pour about one tablespoon into each mold or muffin liner.  Freeze for 15 minutes.  Pour one tablespoon of the pumpkin mix on top of the chocolate later and freeze for another 15 minutes.  Remove from the freezer and pour one one tablespoon of the chocolate on top of the pumpkin layer and freeze for another 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Pain au chocolate. Crusty French bread. Petit Fours. They all have one thing in common—they’re mouthfuls of heaven that also happen to be carbohydrates. But just because they’re not paleo friendly or keto diet approved, should they be banished from our cabinets never to make an appearance on our plates again? Well, let’s start by defining what exactly a carb is and why our bodies need them.

Carbohydrates are macronutrients along with protein and fat, and have a role in a balanced and healthy lifestyle. They’re considered a main fuel source and suppor the brain and nervous system by supplying them with the necessary glucose they need to function. More specifically, they’re the sugars, starches and fibers found in fruits, grains, vegetables and milk products. The National Institute of Health (NIH) recommends we eat 135 grams per day. However, other institutions suggest that number is unique to everyone based on age, gender and lifestyle.

A healthy diet is a balanced one that is rich in fruits and vegetables, good fats, healthy proteins and complex carbohydrates. Though a lot of diet plans often implicate carbs as the main source of weight gain, it’s unhealthy processed carbohydrates that are to blame.

Don’t people lose a lot of weight on low-carb diets though?

The short answer is yes. Low-carb diets can be a quick solution to weight loss, but you likely wont get the long-term results you’re hoping for. Weight loss is often a result of water loss, and can even be attributed to muscle loss, which is common on very low carb diets. Weight can return easily and in greater quantity than before. Eating low-carb often means that you’re over-eating protein and fat to compensate—which isn’t healthy either. It’s all about balance.  

But, we’re not giving you license to eat all the carbs you want—all carbs are not created equally. Eating processed and refined carbohydrates such as potato chips, refined sugar and white breads is a surefire way to pack on the pounds and not feel too great either. Processing carbohydrates removes much of the dietary fiber, which is an important part of a healthy diet. Instead, opt for complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains such as quinoa. On your next trip the grocery store you no longer need to make a beeline past the grains aisle. Load up on whole grains like oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice and colorful fruits and veggies.

Okay, guys.  Just when you thought Pad Thai couldn't get any yummier, I decided to take it there, but also make it a smidge healthier, because why not?!

Here's my take on a healthy pad thai.  

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes spiralized

Half a package of non-gmo / organic extra firm tofu

1/4 cup of almond butter

2 tbs of gluten-free tamari

2 tbs of coco aminos teriyaki sauce

2 tbs of Thai chili sauce

1 cup of shredded purple cabbage

1 cup of been sprouts

1 cup of bella mushrooms

2 cups of kale

1/2 a cup of water

2 cloves of garlic

1 scallion

1 tbs of evoo

To make the sauce: Blend the almond butter, water, coco aminos, garlic and tamari in a blender, set aside.  

Place the sweet potato noodles on a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and bake for 30 minutes on 350.  I like to broil mine for the last 5 minutes to crisp up the noodles a bit.

Cut the tofu into bite size cubes, mix with the chili sauce and set aside.  Saute the mushrooms, scallions, purple cabbage, and been sprouts until soft.  Add the tofu, and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Then pour half the sauce over all the veggies and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  

Remove the noodles from the over, top with veggies and pour more sauce on to taste. Enjoy!