Chatting with The Detoxinista

Megan Gilmore (aka The Detoxinista) is the creator and recipe developer behind Detoxinista, dedicated to sharing recipes and tips to make healthy living more accessible. Megan is a certified nutritionist consultant and her recipes have been featured in The Guardian, as well as Shape and Clean Eating magazines.

Megan has just come out with a brand new cookbook,  Everyday Detox, which I love. Although not vegan, Megan focuses on foods for  healthy digestion. Her recipes and photography are a delight.  I sat down and chatted with her:

 SU:What inspired you to write your book?

MG:My goal is to make healthy eating as accessible as possible, so I wanted to share a collection of delicious whole food recipes that are really quick and easy to prepare. No tricky ingredients required!

 SU:How did you take the first steps toward actually sitting down to write it and decide which recipes to include?

MG:When I set out to write this book, I wanted it to be loaded with recipes people would actually want to use on a daily basis. I picked out my very favorite salad dressings, smoothies, entrees, and desserts, and hoped that they’d be a hit with my readers, too!

 SU:At what point did you know that your idea was going to succeed?

MG:I’m not sure I did know it was going to succeed! But, I know that there are a lot of people like me who don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so I hoped these easy and delicious recipes would resonate with others.

 SU:What makes your new book different from other cookbooks out there?

MG:All of my recipes take digestion into consideration, so they are as simple and healthy as possible, calling for ingredients you already have in your pantry.

 SU:What motivates you to jump out of bed every morning?

MG:Ha, my son gets me out of bed whether I like it or not! But, I also love what I do. If my recipes and tips make just one person healthier, I feel like I’ve made an impact on the world.

 SU:What is your morning routine?

MG:I usually wake up naturally around 6am each morning, and sip on water while I check my work and blog emails. My son wakes up around 7am, so it’s nice having a quiet hour to myself to think about my day and get things accomplished before I start dealing with mom duties! I find that I’m most creative and productive in the morning on an empty stomach, so I try to write as much as I can in the morning while I’m feeling freshly energized. I’ll usually have a smoothie around 10am, when my appetite finally shows up.

 SU:If you could take food items to a desert island (that you’re going to be stuck on for a year) what would they be?

MG:I eat a lot of chia seeds, hemp hearts, and dates, so I’d probably try to bring a huge supply with me, along with my Vitamix so I could make smoothies. Hopefully I could pack some seeds to grow fresh fruits and vegetables, too!

 SU:Imagine that money is no object (that you’ve just won billions in the lottery), which charity/cause would you donate to?

MG:I’d love to contribute to unbiased research into human health. We are dealing with more health issues than ever, and I’d love to help turn that around for future generations!

 SU:What do you hope to be doing 5 years from now?

MG:I hope to continue sharing recipes on my blog, and perhaps a second cookbook in the future, and I hope to be enjoying my family and friends as much as possible.

 SU: What is your all-time favorite quote?

MG: Be happy with what you have while working for what you want. – Helen Keller

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I urge all of you to get your copy of Everyday Detox – And be sure to share pictures of your creations inspired by Megan’s recipes!  

And be sure you sign-up for my One-A-Week Challenge – For the next four weeks I’m sharing one habit a week to integrate into your routine to help you feel healthy and gorgeous! First up – Go meat free!