I know what you did this weekend. Hmm… Let me guess…
Was it rosé-all-day?
Were Kettle Chips involved? (and if so, my friend, I hope they were BACKYARD BARBECUE!)
Were there burgers? Bacon? Beer?
In short…
Did you get from Fri-yay to Sunday without even tapping on the brakes?
It's okay. No judgment here!
I used to be quite the Weekend Warrior myself. And not in the running-marathons, adventure-racing, Hood-to-Coast kind of way. Believe me, I'm no stranger to martini shakers or fries-with-that.
Fortunately, my weekends have gotten a lot less crazy over time — at least in the food and drink department.
And that doesn't mean I don't indulge on the weekends, because I certainly do. But I don't usually indulge to the point of extreme excess, which used to be my default setting.
Over time, I have come to know the gift of paying more attention to how food, drink and lifestyle choices make me feel — in the moment, as well as the next day. In exchange for my time and mindfulness, I get fewer hangovers, less bloating, and more energy. Yay to that!
But even though I have reigned in my indulgences, I can still overdo it on occasion. Rich foods can leave my tummy feeling unsettled, and too many adult beverages can leave me feeling fatigued and brain-fogged come Monday.
That's why I keep things squeaky clean after the weekend. Over the years, this has become a sacred ritual, and I encourage my clients to adopt a similar practice according to what feels best for them. I even have a special name for it…
Make-Good Monday
Back when I worked in sports marketing, and used to buy advertising, I learned about make-goods. This is when the TV station or newspaper or online outlet makes a mistake concerning the advertising they agreed to run for you. To compensate for their error, they provide additional or premium advertising to “make good” on the agreement.
Now, consider the agreements you have with yourself concerning the weekend: to eat healthy, to not order fries-with-that, to abstain from wine.
But then the wine and pizza happen.
This is what Make-Good Monday is all about.
No need to browbeat yourself about the salted caramel ice cream, or waste time regretting the peanut butter pretzels.
Because the past is past, and you need to move on… to Make-Good Monday!
I coach my clients to figure out a Make-Good Monday practice that makes the most sense to them — and will feel and taste the best. After all, if you don't try to find the fun and pleasure in a healthy lifestyle, you won't want to follow it.
To cultivate your own Make-Good Monday practice, I encourage you to think about your favorite healthy foods. This might mean a favorite salad combo, or a favorite smoothie recipe. Then, schedule a time when you can work out — in a way that sounds the most fun or the most balancing or the most healing. This could mean hitting the weight room, or a boot camp workout, or a dance fitness class.
On the other hand, if you're feeling extraordinarily fatigued, you might need a more mellow workout such as a long walk outside, or restorative yoga.
Just be sure to squeeze in some form of exercise, even if it's a simple 20-minute walk around the neighborhood.
The Make-Good Monday Menu
The key to Make-Good Monday is to eat something that supports your body's natural detoxification processes, and delivers maximum nutrient density.
Nutrient density? What's that?
It's simple. On Make-Good Monday — and any day, in general — you want to make sure you eat the kind of food that delivers the most nutrients possible. This means eating mostly antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits. Especially leafy greens and dark berries, the rock stars of the whole food world.
Now what about protein? Well it certainly plays a role, but a supporting one. Most Americans consume twice as much protein as they need anyway, which can end up as excess fat, or put strain on the kidneys. Remember, the veggies and berries are the stars of the show here.
Next, you'll need some healthy fats to keep your metabolism, hunger level, brain, hormones, and heart happy — these can come from avocado, olives, flax seed, nuts, seeds, or homemade dressing made with cold-pressed olive, flax or walnut oil.
Finally, you want to make sure you drink lots of fresh water throughout the day to flush the system, and keep the detox vibes flowing.
My Make-Good Monday Routine
I know it's easier if someone shows you the ropes the first time around, so here's an example of what my Make-Good Mondays look like:
- After waking, drink 16+ ounces of lemon water.
- Spend about 20 minutes journaling: Morning Pages (a la Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way), plus writing down at least 3 things I'm grateful for. This daily practice sometimes gets set aside during the weekends, but I love getting back to my routine on Mondays so that I can stay grounded and focused throughout the week.
- If having coffee… 16 ounces of lemon water after coffee.
- A green smoothie for breakfast, followed by my Vitamin B and other supplements.
- Boot camp class, strength training class, or some other sweaty workout.
- A huge kale salad for lunch.
- If I'm feeling especially inspired, a trip to my local juice bar for a double shot each of wheatgrass and fresh ginger.
- A light dinner: a bowl of soup, with a side salad of arugula, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Need Some Ideas? Try My Vegan Kale Caesar Salad.
There are plenty of healthy recipes here on my website, but if you're looking for a new lunchtime salad, give my vegan Kale Caesar a try.
It's hearty, satisfying, and savory — and the dressed greens keep well in the fridge. It's definitely a salad you can prep in the morning, pop in the fridge, and enjoy hours later.
Kale is, of course one of the major overachievers of the nutrition world. It's high in fiber and nutrients, including glucosinolates that have been reported to fight five kinds of cancer. Yes, five!
Add your protein of choice (mine is Crispy Chickpea Croutons) and you'll start to feel your body detox, regenerate, and balance itself after an indulgent weekend.
In other words, after 48 hours of wrong, it'll get you right.
For the recipe, simply check out the links below!