So now that the holidays are over, the Super Bowl is behind us, and our new year’s resolution to live a healthier lifestyle is barely limping along, we thought it would be a good idea to discuss the dreaded d-word.  Diets of every stripe abound and converts to them seem to be around every corner, especially at this time of year.  The new ones include the Paleo diet that has us eating like the cavemen (good idea about no preservatives and fresh stuff, but, uh, didn’t all those folks die before they were 20?), the Michael Moore diet (don’t laugh; the man has lost 60 pounds with his commitment to walking an hour every single day, rain or shine), and the various “medically-based” diets that emphasize low sugar, low alcohol, and low carbs.

We know they all work … for a while.  The hard part, as in tennis serves or marriage vows, is follow-through.

Ideally, we could spend a few days luxuriating at a spa, enjoying massages, facials, yoga, and elegantly prepared low-calorie food.  There are many beautiful destinations all over the world where trained nutritionists teach guests how to integrate healthy spa regimens into their daily lives.  (One of their big secrets is to use frozen fruit in breakfast drinks.  It’s a good way to get a daily dose of vitamins while enjoying organic produce that isn’t necessarily in season.  We found Trader Joe’s to be a great source for frozen mangoes, berries, papaya, and pineapple.)

So if eating like our early ancestors or eschewing whole groups of foods don’t appeal to you, and you can’t make it to a fancy spa, try jump starting your new year’s resolutions with a healthy smoothie that can help you forget the “d-word” and allow you to just concentrate on follow-through.

Go Green Smoothie

(A Vitamix Blender is used to make this smoothie.  If you have a powerful blender, juicing goes quickly and there’s less clean up.)

Green drinks can be addicting as well as healthy.  Once you’ve got the basics down, feel free to substitute ingredients.  Switch out fruits – try kiwi, apples, bananas, blueberries, or switch out the juice of one lime with the juice of one lemon.  Switch out greens – use romaine, celery, cucumber, avocado, etc.  Add a bit of your favorite herbs – mint, basil, or tarragon.  And for a great taste and lots of zing – add ginger.

1 cup kale. de-stemmed
1 cup parsley
1 orange, peeled and halved
1 pear, seeded and halved
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup water
2 cups ice

1.  Place all ingredients into a Vitamix blender in the order listed and secure lid.
2.  Select Variable 1.
3.  Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
4.  Blend for 45 seconds or until desired consistency is reached.

Sunshine Smoothie

 

 (You can make this one in a regular blender.)

3 papaya, cut and seeded (or 1 cup frozen)
1 mango, cut into chunks (or 1 cup frozen)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (optional)

1.  Place all ingredients into a blender in the order listed and secure lid.  If using fresh fruit, add 1 cup ice.
2.  Select “liquify” or “blend.”
3.  Blend for 45 seconds or until desired consistency is reached.

Citrus Berry Smoothie

(You can make this in a regular blender.)

1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup frozen mangoes
1 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon honey (optional)

1.  Place all ingredients into a blender in the order listed and secure lid.
2.  Select “liquify” or “blend.”
3.  Blend for 45 seconds or until desired consistency is reached.