After traveling and dining out a lot I felt it was important to give my body a reboot. So, for this week I am eating foods that are detoxifying, and I’m eating no meat, dairy, or sugar.

In addition I am drinking dandelion root tea which is good for the liver, and taking milk thistle which is also good for the liver. The liver is called your liver because you need it in order to live. You can’t live without your liver.

I bought a lot of produce, local mostly and organic when possible. Some things, like the oranges, were neither. However, they were US oranges. I was given a ton of bananas by a friend as his tree was going off.

This morning I prepared a spicy, sweet, and rejuvenating tasting Orange Carrot Banana Ginger Smoothie. What’s fabulous about this is that you don’t need a fancy juicer, and you’re getting all of the pulp of the fruits and veggies. All you need is a knife, a cutting board, and a blender!

Here’s the recipe!

Orange Carrot Banana Ginger Smoothie

2 large oranges, one juiced (reserve pulp) and one peeled
3 medium carrots, chopped large
1 small apple banana
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4-6 large ice cubes

Add the orange juice, pulp, and the whole peeled orange to a blender. Add in the rest of the ingredients, and a couple small splashes of water. Blend until smooth and you’ll be awake and ready to take on the world in no time!

Serves 2-3

Update 8/18/2010 The detox diet is finished, and I had a piece of cake and some chips. It’s so easy to fall back into old habits, but my meal plan for the coming week is quite healthful, and I was only rebooting my system to get back into eating the foods I am used to.