After enjoying an epicurean holiday filled with tons of food and cookies, I decided to “take the bull by the horns” and begin my weight loss program. I was tired of the typical salad diet, or, as my father calls it, “the honeymoon salad”, i.e., “lettuce alone”. LOL. But seriously, I was thumbing through an older copy of “First for Women” magazine, when I ran across an easy veggie flush smoothie by Dr. Oz. Since I didn’t need a juicer and could use a regular blender, I wanted to investigate and give it a try. I was impressed with the results; it was what it promised, and, additionally, I slept better and had more energy. It’s loaded with enzymes for your digestion to break down food we eat that bloats us and stays in our gut. I found this smoothie helps quell hunger and cravings because the spinach has thylakoids, which is a natural hunger-reducing plant compound. The goal is NOT for this smoothie to replace meals but to add to meals.

While there are only five ingredients, they must be blended in specific order to release all nutrients. Please follow this precisely (yields about 2 cups):

1 cup spinach with 1 cup of water. Blend until pulverized.

Add half a diced, unpeeled cucumber, and 1 diced celery stalk. Blend.

Add half a diced, unpeeled pear, and 2 Tbs lemon juice.

This is easy to double for 2 days’ worth. Keep refrigerated.