Holiday Detox Smoothie

Ok, who else was beyond naughty in their holiday eating last weekend? My license to gorge on everything salty, fatty & sugary started on Wednesday night and ended on Sunday night. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with splurging on Thanksgiving, but I just kept my license to splurge out of my wallet and waved it around every hour on the hour. Crackers? Sure. Pepperoni & pineapple? Why not. Ranch dip on my pepperoni? Wow, why yes, that sounds fantastic! My only exercise was playing in our family’s annual Thanksgiving ping-pong tournament (which I lost in a grand way) and walking back and forth between the couch and the kitchen island shrouded in doughy appetizers.

The worst thing you can do after a long healthy lifestyle derailment is to go into total deprivation, but you should treat your body with kindness. One way I do this is with having one or two of these shakes as a snack or as a hands free lunch. I actually drink this often. The greens are the base ingredients and then I change up the fruit (opting for lower glycemic varieties).

I realize that you are bombarded with smoothie recipes, but SO many of the pretty Pinterest options are filled with more sugar than a candy bar. This is because fructose (fruit sugar) is still sugar! If you decide to try the pretty smoothies then make them for dessert.

Holiday Detox Smoothie

• 4-5 slices of frozen peaches (I use the bagged options). They are flash frozen at the peak of freshness and they add chill to my smoothie without using ice (which delutes the taste) so I am a huge fan of frozen.
• 1/3 Seedless English Cucumber peeled and sliced
• 2 celery heart stalks chopped
• half a head of organic romaine lettuce or 1 cup of organic baby spinach (I use either)
• 1 cup UNSWEETENED vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt (low sugar kind)
• Liquid stevia to taste (I use Trader Joe’s brand)

Directions: Unless you have a bad ass blender, put your frozen fruit and celery in first closest to the blades. Then throw in the rest of the ingredients. Blend until liquified. Drink right away. Yum. Done.

Other steps to get you back on track after a long holiday weekend:

* Get a workout in. Even if it’s only 20 minutes. Just work on getting back in the routine.

* Stop drinking wine for a while. Ok I’m writing this to myself because if I disregard this after writing it down for the world to see I am the worst type of  hypocrite.

* Remove Gluten. This is my personal feeling, but having been gluten free for a while and then splurging on wheat during Thanksgiving weekend, there is a tremendous positive difference in how my stomach and my brain feels with no gluten.

* Take your Vitamins. I always forget to take my vitamins when I travel. Even little things, like getting back into the swing of taking your multi-vitamin, fish-oil, and probiotic can help. It makes you feel like you are doing something good for yourself.

* Be Kind to You. If you are reading this, you are probably a multi-tasking woman who is the caretaker of everyone. Remember to take time for YOU. Work out, get a massage, get a pedicure, even during this hectic time of year.

And to help you keep your healthy goals top of mind this holiday, I’m giving away a stack of my new Crystal Collection Journal Bracelets. Slide the hand-etched beads to count your daily glasses of water, holiday detox smoothies, veggie servings, vitamins and more. Beads stay in place unless moved by you. Wear yourself or break up the stack for gifts…the choice is yours. Valued at over $350. Wishing you a great holiday season. xx CC

Stack of Three Count Me Healthy Crystal Journal Bracelets Giveaway