Monday morning rolls around and we all like to pretend we’re back to eating healthy. Sort of. For the record, I don’t look down with hypocrisy in so-called “Monday Resolutions”; whether to start afresh, to start anew, to go on a clean slate after a weekend of foodie debauchery- the intent is always good. I was once a “Monday Resolutions” person myself; all good intentions but never a strong enough resolve to follow through with my plans. And whether I ended the week where I started it (or not, as it most often happened) I really did try every Monday to set the tone for what I would be eating during the week.

We constantly shoot each other down or mock each other at our many attempts to eat better. There’s the self deprecating jokes; I confess to having plenty. I was great at making fun of myself, I still do. I think it’s important to challenge yourself, to laugh at yourself and to infuse a healthy dose of dark humor. I am not talking negativity here, these are things that have helped me through hard times.

But looking back, when you start trying- that means something in you is waking up. You know something needs to change- but you need to want to change in order to get there. No one can do it for you. The trick to eating healthy also lies in making healthy food taste good. That’s not always easy, but it can be achieved! This smoothie is one such healthy drinks, that tastes, oh well, heavenly!! It’s all about:

1. Finding the perfect blend: the right amount of sweetness (mostly stemming from fruits). There’s something about pears, they’re unbelievably sweet without the tanginess that’s sometimes present in apples. I used one very ripe pear in this drink!
2. The right amount of creamy (dependant on the liquid you use & the fruits you choose) Avocado takes care of creaminess in this smoothie, and no- you won’t even know it’s there. I also add 1/3 cup of Yoso Vanilla Coconut Yogurt and this makes for a creamy, thick smoothie with a nice vanilla undertone. Coconut yogurt is dairy-free!
3. The right amount of greens & nutrients (to ensure the smoothie is in fact healthy & detoxifying & thus good for you). I love to use carrageenan free almond or coconut milk, unsweetened. If you want it really creamy, treat yourself to soy milk every once in a while. A lot of people are against soy milk because of hormones and that merits a separate discussion altogether; but tell you what, I feel soy milk is OK once in a blue moon. I would not encourage a daily habit.

I am writing this thinking I’ll be making lots and lots of these green beauties this week. And remember, I don’t drink green smoothies to lose weight; I drink them to detoxify, to get my energy levels up, to put something good & nourishing in my body. And to stay healthy year-round!

Last week was not an easy or good week by any account. Both my kids had bronchitis, one got it first and passed it on to the other & sure enough, once you have more than one child, diseases come in pairs. Any mamas reading this would be nodding right about now.

So I started drinking warm water with lemon & ginger. I started making a smoothie a day, mostly spinach or kale drinks with oranges, bananas, pears & apples. I was miraculously spared from the plague that invaded our house.  A few years ago, I was always the first one to fall sick. I cannot even begin to describe the impact eating well will have on your overall health. The better you eat, the more benefits you see & the more you fall in love with a clean lifestyle. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!