To say that my life involves eating lots of cake is an understatement. There are cakes, cookies, chocolate, candy, bread, and the list goes on and on. It's a bit obscene, really.

What's amazing is that, somehow, a few years back, I managed to cut all sugar (unless it came from a fruit or a veggie) and gluten from my diet for forty days straight. I think that's proof that I'm capable of a healthy lifestyle. Maybe it was the pressure of weekly sugar-free check-ins where my menu from the past week was scrutinized and judged. The first meeting began with "Hi. My name is Janice, and I'm addicted to cake and candy!" Whatever the reasons I had, I managed to clean up my diet

Now, years later, cake and sweets are obviously ever-present. That's okay. I've learned how to balance the cake with exercise and mostly-sort-of clean eating (I did say mostly!). Salads like this one provide a sweet yet healthy and satisfying break between the slices of cake. This salad is a definite cure for the winter blahs.

This citrus salad is an instant pick-me-up, and I honestly find it quite refreshing and energizing. The citrus is bright, tangy, bitter, and sweet (especially with a little help from a drizzling of honey). Serve the segmented fruit with a splash of honey, some chopped toasted almonds and a few mint leaves, et voilà! The variations are endless, depending on the citrus that's in season, and if you've got a few pomegranate seeds to add, or maybe some pistachios instead of the almonds. You can even change up the herb, and the honey is completely optional (but I do love honey). Tweak it to your liking, and revel in the fact that you've made an effort to eat something healthy at least once today.

Energizing citrus salad

    Serves 1

• 1 small navel orange, peeled and segmented, juices saved
• 1/2 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented, juices saved
• A few fresh mint leaves
• A handful of toasted almonds, chopped
• A drizzling of honey

1. Arrange the supremed slices of orange and grapefruit in a bowl.
2. Top with mint and toasted almonds.
3. Drizzle with honey and any leftover juices from when you cut up the fruit. Alternatively, you can just drink the extra juice, just don't waste it.

Need help segmenting citrus? Check out this post on the subject at A Thought for Food!