Juice-And-Soda-Free January Update

I will write as if anyone and everyone who reads this actually cares - I am over halfway through my first mini-resolution of the year, and I have to deem it very successful so far.

I have only slipped up once, and it was a total accident.  I went to Chik-Fil-A with a friend for lunch, and it was in the first week of the year, and by habit I ordered a Coke but then I said "No wait!  No, I'll have a lemonade."  Then I realized, derr, lemonade is juice.  By now I'd paid and it was busy so I just drank half of it.  It tasted like pure sugar anyways.

I stated before that I would only use juice in my smoothies, and I have done that.  I use 100% juice only so it's the same as eating one serving of fruit.  But the point was to guide me towards more water.  By now, it's a habit to come home from work and fill up a red Solo cup with water and drink water all night long.

At work, I haven't been drinking much water.  And I have been missing my one can of Coke or Pepsi at lunch or the early afternoon.  That sugar did wonders to help me get through the day, but I have not buckled.  I realized I've been slowly replacing that one can of soda with candy though.  So there's a potential drawback.  I've been craving sweets intensely, even late at night.  While I won't be jumping back into a soda habit come February, I am rethinking my Fast-Food-Free February and making it something like Candy-Free February.  Right now candy is much more of a habit for me than fast food is or ever was.  All I'd have to do to succeed at Fast-Food-Free February is make a different choice for lunch, maybe, 3 times the entire month.  I'm thinking that cutting candy out of my diet might be a better benefit at this time.

So I'd better hurry up and eat my stash at work....

On another note, I have to say, I really am addicted to smoothies.  I haven't gotten sick of them yet.  I've drank them every day for 3-4 weeks now.  They have slowly become a breakfast replacement for me, and by the time lunch rolls around I'm actually not that hungry.  I might eat something small for lunch like a small sandwich, an apple, or a cheese wedge and some crackers.  It's rare that I'm eating a full meal at lunch.  And on the days that I DO eat a full meal at lunch, I have zero interest in dinner because I'm so full.  So my eating habits are changing - and I think for the better. 

I'll share my recipe for smoothies here today.  I sort of came up with it on my own because when I started looking for a "base" recipe for smoothies, I couldn't find anything really consistent or simple.  So I figured out a recipe that will fill my "to-go cup" (a 16ish oz double-walled cup with a straw that I got from Target - it's "sweat-proof" and keeps your drinks cold too) and take me a couple hours to drink.  When I finish it, it's still cold.

Cristin's Base Smoothie Recipe

• 2 cups frozen fruit (same or different - I have been mixing strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, and mango; but choose what you like.  Those are just my favorite fruits.)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups orange juice (I use Simply Orange + Pineapple Juice - the pineapple adds some extra sweet, and cuts the bitter that you can sometimes taste with OJ.)
• 1 big spoonful of vanilla yogurt (I use Stonyfield Farms Organic French Vanilla, and I use a big serving spoon from my hostess set.  I bet it's about 1/4 cup if I measured it out.)
• 1-2 tsp flaxseed oil (this highly popular MUFA is rumored to target belly fat - hey, every little bit helps right?)

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend on the Puree setting until everything is smooth.  I typically start with 1 cup of OJ, but depending on the specific measurement of fruit that day, I may need to add some more OJ to keep it going so it's not too thick.

Note:  I read that coconut water is good in smoothies - I tried it and wasn't a fan.  But you could probably use any juice you'd like, I just prefer the OJ + Pineapple juice.  Whatever you use, try to use something that's 100% juice so that it's less sugar and more like eating another serving of fruit.  You can also add a handful of spinach - legend says you don't even taste it, but I haven't been brave enough to do that yet. 

While I'm on the topic of smoothies, I have to rave about my blender.  My husband bought this gem for me for Christmas, and I couldn't be happier.  This thing kicks ass.  I'm actually going to order another blender jar tonight, because I'm tired of hand-washing it every night or so between making milkshakes and smoothies and salsas and sauces.... it's the best appliance I have in my kitchen right now.  And at $99, it's a TOTAL steal.

I'll check back in soon.  If I pretend I'm a famous blogger that has lots of readers, maybe I can stick to my resolutions.  :)