You know how every couple of years everyone goes nuts over some new diet? Eat like a caveman! Eat like you live in South Beach! Don’t eat, just drink juice!
Well, at Bon Appétit, that’s not how we roll. As a staff, we try to eat sensibly, but we also really, really love food. We’ve always felt it’s possible to have it both ways. So when Sara Dickerman worked up the idea for The Food Lover’s Cleanse, we listened up. Here was a “cleanse” that didn’t feel like a cleanse. It was manageable, not monastic. When we read the cleanse guidelines in the pages of the magazine, we couldn’t help but smile:
* “Avoid booze (mostly).” (I mean, c’mon—how awesome is the “mostly” part?)
* “Choose healthy fats.” (Code for “avocados”; praise the Lord.)
* “Limit sugar.” (Not abstain, limit.)
And it turns out that it’s not only we who dig the cleanse; our readers and online users love it too. Sara and nutritionist Marissa Lippert tap into a desire that so many Americans share. After an indulgent holiday season, we want to recalibrate. And more than anything, Sara preaches doability. The cleanse is two weeks, not in perpetuity. She provides the user with detailed online shopping lists for the entire two-week run, and three recipes a day that mix and match ingredients. And all of the recipes can be repurposed thoughout the week.
Oh, and did I mention that the recipes are delicious? You’ll find yourself serving them to friends and family even when you’re not technically on a cleanse. When so many fad diets come and go, there’s a reason The Food Lover’s Cleanse has thrived for six years. Because it works.
And, hey, it’s now a book, with a flavorful cleanse for each season! So go ahead and enjoy it. I can say that, because I know you will.
—Adam Rapoport