Citrus Smoothie

Fad diets make me cringe. There's a bazillion and one ways out there to lose weight quickly. The problem is that most of these fad diets aren't sustainable in the long run. The weight quickly comes back, sometimes with a vengeance. Anyone who's ever been on a weight loss roller coaster knows exactly what I'm talking about.

For long term, sustainable weight loss, you need to change how you eat for good. Whole foods is the way to go. The closer the food looks to how it would in nature the better it is for you. I still use processed foods in my cooking, but I notice how much better I feel when I stick to the real thing.

Speaking of whole foods, I have a really gross story to share with you about "natural colorings." Surely you've heard of Red 40. This is a "natural" coloring. Pick up a package of pretty much anything and read the label. Good chance you're going to find either Red 40 or natural coloring in it. Even bottled grapefruit juice has it. Red 40 has a really disgusting origin. There are these little bugs from some country down south somewhere that feed on the red cactus flowers. People will collect these bugs, smoosh them up into a paste and call them natural coloring. I have a friend who used to drink those little Crystal Light to go packages. Each time she'd open one, I'd say, "Mmm, getting your squished bugs in, I see?" Before I go off on some tangent, let me just say that there is an intentional veil drawn between us and the food we're eating. I won't preach to you, but do me a favor: go rent a copy of Food, Inc., watch it, and decide for yourself what food you're going to put into your body.

Stepping down from soap box now. 

I started seeing all sorts of recipes for "detox" smoothies and waters. I started doing some research on the whole "detox" concept to see if there was any basis for it. As it turns out, citrus is a really good detox food. Don't expect to shed 14 pounds in 3 days like some of these things claim, but it appears it is reasonable to expect to feel better over time if you're incorporating citrus into your diet on a regular basis.

I tried this one and it was pretty yummy. I don't know yet if it has all the "detoxification" qualities it claims, but it sure tastes good! This smoothie is more tangy than sweet, but the banana gives it just a hint of sweetness. There's little protein in it, so if you're going to use it as a meal, be sure to pair it with some type of lean protein like egg whites. This is a really good pre-workout drink because the carbs will give you energy, but it's not heavy like oatmeal to weigh you down. Drink about 30 minutes before working out.

Ingredients:
1 banana*
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1 lime, peeled
1 orange, peeled
1/2 lemon, juiced
3 ice cubes*

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. If necessary, add a little water to get things moving.

*Instead of a banana and ice cubes, try freezing the banana.