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New Year, New Cleanse

Learn how a cleanse can jump start your way to a healthier new year

When you hear the word “cleanse,” most people conjure up visions of drinking only lemon water with cayenne pepper for weeks. But there is a healthier and safer way to cleanse.

West Chester Township resident and health & wellness specialist, Rita McCormack, has been helping people live a healthier life for the last 9 years. She recommends a cleanse as a great way to reset your body’s systems and heal it from the radicals and chemicals we consume. This clinically based program includes all-natural supplements and eating lots of fruits and vegetables.

“You’re trying to heal your body,” says Rita. “You eat as natural to the earth as possible, so it doesn’t put your body in shock. It’s not a ‘scary’ cleanse, it’s a healthy cleanse.”

Benefits vary by person, but most experience significant results. “You’ll have more energy, you’ll sleep through the night without tossing and turning, you don’t have mood swings throughout the day, and clothes start to feel different because you don’t have the swelling and puffiness when you eat better,” says Rita. “Some people don’t lose pounds, but they lose inches – some lose both.”

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you need to nibble on raw carrots and celery all day. This program comes with over 30 delicious recipes including cilantro lime cauliflower “rice,” portobello mushroom burgers and sweet potato hash. Our test kitchen made a few alterations to their tomato bisque soup and zucchini noodles recipes to create this delicious and healthy alternative to spaghetti with meat sauce – zoodles with mushroom marinara.

Rita encourages people to expel any preconceptions they may have of cleansing and give this one a try. “It’s more than a cleanse, it’s a lifestyle change,” she says. “It’s teaching your body to learn what’s good for it in the healthy way.” To learn more, contact Rita at ThinkHealthyToo@gmail.com.

Zoodles with Mushroom Marinara

Ingredients

·         28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained

·         3-4 Tbsp olive oil

·         2 carrots, peeled and chopped

·         1 shallot, quartered

·         ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

·         Pepper

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         1 Tbsp tomato paste

·         14 oz can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

·         ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth

·         8 oz fresh mushrooms, diced

·         2 medium zucchini or yellow squash

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. In a bowl, combine whole tomatoes, carrots, shallots and ½ Tbsp of olive oil and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and season with pepper. Roast in oven 30 minutes.

3. Sauté mushrooms in 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to desired doneness. Set aside.

4. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a medium pot and heat. Add crushed red pepper flakes and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add vegetable broth and cook another 2 minutes.  Add roasted vegetables and crushed tomatoes, season with pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.

5. While marinara simmers, spiralize the zucchini and squash using a spiralizer to create the zoodles.

6. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan on medium. Once warm, toss half the zoodles in the oil and cook, tossing frequently until desired doneness is reached (about 2-4 minutes). Add a little more oil and repeat with the remaining zoodles.

7. Use food processor or immersion blender to mix the marinara until ingredients have reached desired texture. Once done blending, add mushrooms to the sauce.

8. Place zoodles on each plate and top with marinara. Add fresh parsley if desired.

 *Our recommendation is that no cleanse should be started without the help of wellness professional and approval from a doctor.