It is a sort of madness we all seem to brush off as normal. One day we are passing around shiny silver trays stacked with holiday cookies, festive treats, calorie-laden everything and sparkly glasses filled to the brim with fizzy pink champagne.
Then boom.
Midnight hits. A new year and suddenly we are in detox mode. (A word so sinister, it sounds as if we have all been chugging chemicals all year long.) We trade in our bag of chocolate chips, jar of vanilla extract and extra-large bag of white flour for a bunch of kale, bag of chia seeds, a bowl of lemons and some cayenne and apple cider vinegar. An overnight shift from holiday mode to healthy makeover mode. We find ourselves stumbling through Whole Foods, loading up our baskets with armfuls of greens and veggies, not really knowing the recipe plan ahead.
I have heard this one before.. Hi. I just bought a bunch of kale, red radishes, two yellow bell peppers, some celery, an avocado, two gallons of coconut water, a knobby bit of ginger and nine lemons. What do I do now?
Our indulgent holiday gift list is now replaced with a wish list of healthy new year habits. No sugar. Less caffeine. Goodbye carbs. Hello green juice. Less alcohol. More whole grains. Less gluten. More sleep. More yoga. More water-drinking. And on and on.
But enough of the wish lists and high hopes. Enough of the rage and craziness. Stop fighting your body. It only wants to help you. It wants you to get healthy, but it really begs you to slow down and take things at your own pace. Just look in the mirror.
Happy. New Year. now what?
That imperfect person staring back at you is not only your one teammate, but your team captain. Your leader and your follower. So put on some war paint and muster of some darn team spirit.
Instead of focusing on all your bad habits to trash, start focusing on good habits. Feel great about doing just ONE new healthy thing today and tomorrow. And the next day. Focus on the good stuff.
Quit the obsessing and start giving yourself a few gold stars for making small, elegant, thoughtful strides. Then maybe next year you can turn around and look back on all those small steps and see the very long and proud path you have traveled.
beach. sunrise, sunset on 2012..
Otherwise you may just look back and see a crazy, stressed out, obsessive yo-yo dieter, yo-yo exerciser that never really finds any path. No thank you.
one good thing.
Here is one good habit to try. Green smoothies! I love them. Here are two I whipped up this week. These are whole food recipes made using my Vitamix. If you do not have a Vitamix - make 2013 your year to save up and buy one! They are awesome. Free shipping when you order from this link.
Sweet Citrus Avocado Dreamboat - citrus, avocado, apple and greens
serves 1-2
2 small satsumas or 1 large orange, peeled
1 cup kale or spinach
pinch of parsley
Β½ small avocado
Β½ cup apple, chopped
1 cup coconut water or water, chilled
Β½ cup ice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
dash cayenne (optional)
Green Sunshine Whirl - greens, citrus and frosty sweet fruit
serves 1-2
1+ cup greens (any variety - spinach, chard, kale, arugula..)
1 large orange, peeled
Β½ cup grapefruit juice or coconut water
Β½ cup frozen grapes OR frozen watermelon
Β½ banana (optional, adds creaminess)
Β½ cup ice
+water to thin out to desired consistency
tips! Want more sweetness? Add in Β½ pear or Β½ and apple or Β½ cup grapes. Want more tartness? Add in some lemon juice. Want more green? Simply add in more leafy greens + a splash more liquid.
more. more. more. on green smoothie making HERE.
Robintvale says
Why do I always find such old blogs? Try organic apple sauce.
Robintvale says
I'll give this a shot on my next shopping trip, I think I'll try Kale, spinach is just too strong to drink imop. I like it cooked with lemon juice and a little butter, way tastyer. Going to have to tweek this to fit in my little mini blender, lol. Yum avocado.
Try this for a snack: Hot frying pan, little olive oil and slices of avacado. Eat warm. The flavor explodes. Mumnm. (It's still cold over here I want mostly hot stuff.) How about coming up with a detox soup? (No seeds please too much texture issues.)
I love peach and yougert smoothies, and am drinking more water. Not giving up my coffee though, it mellows me out.
Maria Tadic says
These look so yummy and refreshing!
And I agree - you need to listen to your own body and let it dictated what you do or do not do. And taking it slow is always a good idea. Keep your own pace - not of everyone else in the world!
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you!
Theresa says
You`re blog is just amazing!! Thank`s a lot for the huge inspiration!
Kathy Patalsky says
π thanks!
Nicole says
I LOVE THIS SMOOTHIE!!! Can I just say that!!! Love this site sooo many recipes!! Thanks!!
Linda Church says
If you are allergic to bananas what would you use instead?
lareen says
You are the GREATEST now me and my family are trying to learn and go vegan where can I buy you books PLEASE
Kathy Patalsky says
Well yes, your blender may not be doing a thorough job of blending the fine bits. I am z huge fan of investing in a Vitamix or similar product. For smoothie lovers.. They are a life changer!
Kathy Patalsky says
Awesome! Go got a classic smoothie with some rock hard frozen bananas so you can see how powerful the Vitamix blades are! Try an almond butter shake.. 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk, 2 frozen bananas, 2 Tbsp almond butter, dash cinnamon. Enjoy!!!
ss says
Kathy, after several years of reading your site, I'm proud to announce that my Vitamix is in the mail (thanks Mom for the gift!) and I couldn't be more excited! I'm perusing the site trying to find the first recipes I'm going to make. Any suggestions?
Sarah Garstka says
Hi Kathy! I love your recipes. You are obviously so inspired in the kitchen and its wonderful that you share your inspiration with your readers π I have a question for you! I love green smoothies and I've tried some of your recipes, but I don't think my blender can handle them! I can't help but notice from your pictures that your smoothies are so well blended. I avoid certain ingredients (like apple and watermelon) because the texture is grainy and the color isn't monochromatic like yours are! I have a relatively inexpensive blender and I've been thinking about buying a vitamix for a long time but I couldn't decide if it was worth the money! (I've read your review already and decided it probably is.) So, here's my question: if I upgraded would my smoothies be smooth and well-blended like yours? Is my blender the problem? Thanks so much!
Alejandra Ramos says
Oh wow! I love the combination of avocado and citrus with all those greens! Sounds so absolutely delicious.
Chungah says
Amazing! This would be absolutely perfect as a post work-out snack without binge eating on the heavy stuff.
Stacy Spensley says
The first one is very similar to my favorite smoothie! I add some frozen mango and a little bit of fresh ginger to "warm" it up. Now to save up for that Vitamix...
Sarah Garstka says
I have a pretty cheap blender and I put kale in mine all the time! I don't recommend putting cheap frozen kale in it because sometimes they do a poor job removing the stalks and that could ruin the texture! I typically use frozen spinach (because it is easy to keep on hand) but only fresh kale! I hope that helps π
duzibatz says
I'm drinking a fruit/berries smoothie right now, but I can't wait to try your green ones (never have had one before!). Besides that, I love how you design your posts with the 2 instagram pics and everything.
Kathy Patalsky says
Some blenders, yes. It really depends on how powerful your blender motor is. The only way to find out us to try. Blend from low to high for a few minutes and see if it smoothed out. Good luck! (Thanks for reading) π
kerry.ajohnson says
These smoothies both look so good! I think I'll make the avocado one for lunch today. I used to make green smoothies all the time, but somehow I got out of the habit. I always feel great when I drink them. Thanks for reminding me!
I do have one question. Do you think it would work to use kale in a smoothie made with a regular blender (not a high power vitamix)? I always used spinach before because I heard that it was easier to blend. I would love to try using kale, but I haven' t upgraded to a vitamix yet!
Alana says
Fantastic advice to just make one small change here or there. I have to admit I am one of those people that wants everything perfect and wants to make all changes all at once. Then I just drop the ball cos there is too much to juggle. Thanks for sharing this and the smoothies look amazing! xx
Kathy Patalsky says
Aw thanks so much!! π π
alkitchen.blogspot.com says
I can't even imagine the combination of orange, spinach and parsley. Must be very interesting! π Great photos. Greetings from Poland!
Brenna Lyden says
I just wanted to let you know that you are a complete inspiration to vegans everywhere. I once had a chef tell me not to go vegan because there is "no flavor in it." I quickly pulled up an arsonal of your recipes I have stored in my phone... he retracted that statement real fast. When I first went vegan over 2 years ago, I felt like my diet was constricted to rice, veggies, fruit and tofu. You completely opened my eyes to a whole new way of eating. I have always been thin but I eat what I want, when I want and I'm thinner and healthier than I have ever been. I find myself smiling when making your food because I know it is good for me, the environment, animals... and its fricking delicious! Thank you so much for completely changing my diet and life. I am eternally grateful.
XoXo Brenna
Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Mmmm love the sound of this!