Editors of Martha Stewart Living - Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide: Reset Your Health, Detox Your Body, and Feel Your Best

The information in this book is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed and does not constitute medical advice and should not be construed as such. This book is not meant to be used, nor should it be used, to diagnose or treat any medical condition. It is always important to consult with your doctor or other medical professional before making any significant changes to your diet or following any plan. Author and publisher claim no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material in the book.

Copyright 2014 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

Selected photographs and recipes appeared in
previous Martha Stewart Living publications.

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States
by Clarkson Potter/Publishers,
an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, a Penguin
Random House Company, New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com

CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark
and POTTER with colophon
is a registered trademark of Random House LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available upon request.

ISBN 978-0-307-95459-6
eBook ISBN 978-0-307-95460-2

Cover design by Jennifer Wagner
Cover photographs by Johnny Miller

For more information on the images, see

v3.1

Most of us know that the way we eat is central to our well-being. But we may not always know exactly what ingredients to buy or meals to plan for the most satisfying, delicious, and healthful results. This book will show you how easy it can be: Start with fresh produce, whole grains, and lean proteins; prepare them simply; and take the time to share and enjoy them.

This old-fashioned approach to food has a modern nameeating clean. It means making meals from scratch, whether a workday breakfast for one or a weeknight dinner for four. It means making your own snacks instead of relying on anything from a package. And it can also mean enjoying dessert (see )! Just as important, eating clean means focusing on every aspect of our mealsturning away from our screens and devices and avoiding other distractions, so we can savor the process of cooking and eating.

Perhaps youre already eating this way, or maybe these ideas are new to you. Either way, there is plenty to discover here. Youll find excellent recipes as well as the very latest advice from reliable professionals, including nutritionist Kathie Madonna Swift, who contributed her knowledge and expertise to this project. Im still exploring and evolving and looking for new ways to appreciate clean, whole food, and I hope youll be inspired to do the same.

GET A CLEAN START

Whatever inspired you to pick up this booka resolution to eat better, a desire to wipe the slate clean with a whole-body detox, or a wish to boost your energy levelyou have just taken the first step toward achieving that goal. This book is designed for anyone wanting to hit the reset button and gain a more rewarding, and pleasurable, approach to food.

Food plays a central role in our lives. On the most basic level, it feeds our hunger and keeps us alive. But it also functions on social and emotional levels, so to fully address nutrition you need to consider, from all angles, what you eat. Focusing on whole, unprocessed foods helps your body prevent and fight diseases and increases your energy levels. This means eating fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and other legumes, whole grains and whole-grain pasta, nuts and seeds, and modest amounts of lean proteins, including fish, eggs, chicken, and tofu. And yes, even the occasional dessert.

As you evaluate what you eat, you should also consider your relationship to food, in terms of how you plan your meals, how you shop, how you prepare food, and how you actually eat it. In our grab-and-go lifestyle, food can become mere fuel to get us through the day, rather than providing us an opportunity to slow down, switch gears, eliminate distractions, and relish the moment.

ABOUT THE RECIPES

In keeping with widely accepted ideals of eating clean, none of the recipes in this book contains any butter, refined sugar, all-purpose flour, or red meat. Honey and other natural sweeteners appear, as do whole-wheat flour and pasta, and dairy products; full-fat dairy is the most minimally processed, but you can use reduced-fat varieties if you prefer. Look for the icons listed at the end of this section on each recipe page; these are indicated by colored dots in the Action Plan menus and on the juice and smoothie recipes in the Reboot chapter.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

). Or you can just start cooking from the wealth of delicious recipes in the second part of this book. But before you do anything else, read the Golden Rules for Eating Clean on the following pages, and remember that the goal is a healthy, whole, wonderful appreciation of food, not deprivation.

ICONS

VEGAN

DAIRY-FREE

NUT-FREE

GLUTEN-FREE

GOLDEN RULE No. 1

choose whole foods over processed

Whole foodsprimarily fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumesdeliver the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients (plant compounds such as flavonoids and carotenoids), and fiber you need to feel your best.

ABOUT PROCESSED FOODS

Foods that have been processed have been stripped of some or all of their essential nutrients, making them poor substitutes for whole foods. The preservatives that manufacturers add can make matters worse.

Take, for instance, the high amount of sodium found in many processed foods, which has been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. All the added sugars can cause obesity, diabetes, and blood-sugar spikes that can trigger inflammation. Plus, processed foods often contain artificial colorings and flavorings, chemical preservatives, and additives that can negatively impact our health (and our environment).

Volumes of studies have connected the standard American diet, and its high proportion of processed foods, to epidemics such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, gastrointestinal illnesses, and certain types of cancer. According to Kathie Madonna Swift, M.S., R.D.N., L.D.N., an integrative medical nutritionist and former nutrition director at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts (among other leading institutions), Multiple mechanisms are at play here, including shifting to a pro-inflammatory state, insulin resistance, hormone disorders, and digestive problems, which affect all the systems of the body.