When I wake up in the morning, one of the things I look forward to most is beautifully prepared and seasoned food, intuitively chosen to serve my body best.

When going into detox periods, my clients’ #1 concern is missing out on the sensation, flavor, and comfort of food. Subsisting on juices, smoothies, or bland gluten and dairy-free foods is intimidating.

I completely understand this fear, as someone who truly believes in the power of satisfying food. When you’re satisfied by your food, you’re not left wanting more, and your brain signals your stomach that you’re satisfied and satiated.If you polish off something that doesn’t taste good or feel good to you, your body codes it as null and void, and you’re left wanting more. Food is critical and very practical, but it’s also a sensory experience that everyone needs to have daily.

Creating beautiful food every day might sound intimidating and time-consuming, but once you know some basic combinations, tools, and formulas, you’ll know how to make anything taste good and look beautiful, appealing to and satisfying all your senses.

Even when you’re cleansing, whether it be from gluten, dairy, or sugar, you still need to ensure that your food is vibrant and deeply satisfying.

The simple key to food that tastes good, looks good, and fully satisfies you is herbs. Those little plants you can grow in a ball jar, or in a full-on garden. A lot of people I work with get intimidated by herbs, or are afraid they won’t use up the fresh ones before they go bad. They also struggle to select herb/food combinations that really work.

Use these simple tricks and combinations to become an herb connoisseur and master of easy, delicious food – even when you’re cleansing:

1. Store fresh herbs in a few inches of water in a jar or container in your fridge. Snip the stems, make sure the leaves are completely dry, and change the water when it starts to discolor. Cover the top loosely with a plastic bag and store in the fridge. Rinse leaves right before using.
2. Add dill, parsley or basil to basic dishes like eggs and toast. Beautiful herbs on your morning plate will instantly put you in a good mood and increase your level of satisfaction, decreasing your desire to eat an entire loaf of bread later on.
   Herbs like parsley even improve circulation and heart health, and prevent tumor growth. I love to top gluten-free/grain-free bread from my favorite spot, Hu Kitchen, with poached eggs and avocado, then finish with olive oil, sea salt and any fresh herbs I have on hand.
   Parsley is also an excellent addition to green smoothies, a delicious detox staple. Try combining a banana with ½ cup frozen blueberries (for texture), a handful of spinach, ¼ cup chopped parsley, a pinch of sea salt, a teaspoon of raw honey, and ½ cup coconut milk. Add 3-5 ice cubes and blend!
3. For a grounding, delicious, and simple detoxifying side dish, sauté mushrooms, onions, and any other vegetables you have on hand with grass-fed butter, ghee, or olive oil, thyme, sea salt, and white pepper. Thyme is the perfect playmate for mushrooms, creating a rich yet herbaceous dish. Mushrooms are deeply soothing and critical for women’s health and hormone balance.
4. If you’re into the raw thing, try a raw fennel-rosemary chimichurri. The combination of mild sweetness and bright yet earthy rosemary is delicious, and can be used on practically everything, from crispy white bean cakes to quinoa salad. My chimichurri recipe is coming in the next couple weeks!
5. For a detoxifying salad, thinly slice zucchini and mix with arugula, avocado, cucumber and radish. Add fresh dill, olive oil, lemon, sea salt, and black pepper for a super simple dressing. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

Fresh herbs will bump up any dish – from raw vegetables to eggs and meat. Whatever your detox approach, or general cooking approach, you can always add herbs.

Now I’d like to hear from you – what are your trepidations about herbs, or cooking in general? What are your detox fears? Share below!

Bon appétit!

Photos: Jake Freeman