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Homemade Smoothies Are Healthy, Easy, and Delicious

partysugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:15:24 -0800

Since my brother moved to Los Angeles four years ago, he's picked up many stereotypical LA attributes. He thinks driving below 80 MPH is slow, is permanently tan, and starts every morning with a smoothie.

He used to frequent Jamba Juice, but realized a homemade variation was more healthy and cost effective. When he was home for the holidays, he taught me how to make the perfect smoothie.

The first step to making a scrumptious smoothie is to be creative. Start with your favorite frozen fruit and go from there. Although many people put ice in a smoothie, my bro avoids it.

Frozen fruit works fine at keeping the smoothie cold; it ensures a thick, creamy, not watered-down texture. He buys frozen fruit in bulk from Costco and keeps his fridge stocked with a variety of juices like acai berry, pineapple, apple, and mango. Other occasional mix-ins are soy milk, acai berry smoothie packs, protein powder, or flax. To check out two of his ultimate smoothie recipes, read more.

The Basic Classic Smoothie
From Michael Sweeney

Ingredients

6 frozen strawberries*
3/4 cup plain, low-fat yogurt (feel free to substitute a flavored yogurt for plain: strawberry and blueberry work well)
1 banana
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon of honey
protein powder or flax, optional

Directions

Place the frozen strawberries in the blender. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, so they have time to thaw.
Add the remaining ingredients and blend. Check consistency: if too watery, add more yogurt. If too thick, add more orange juice.
Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Makes 1 smoothie.

*When I made this I thought I had frozen strawberries in the freezer. However I mistook them for raspberries. Instead of running to the store for frozen strawberries, I used the raspberries.

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The K-Gizzle
From Kevin Gigax

Ingredients

5 frozen strawberries
1/3 cup frozen blueberries
1/3 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 banana
1 heaping tablespoon vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Place the frozen berries in the blender. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, so they have time to thaw.
Add the remaining ingredients and blend. Check consistency: if too watery, add more yogurt. If too thick, add more orange juice.
Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Makes 1 smoothie.

Print recipe with images | without images

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Take the Diet 7Up Taste Test Challenge

YumSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:59:32 -0700

Are you up for a challenge? The folks at 7UP think you are. They've recently reinvented Diet 7Up to make it "more refreshing" and with "less diet aftertaste" and are wondering what you'll think. In order for you to taste it for yourself, they're sending out Taste Challenge Kits that contain the new Diet 7UP and two "competing diet lemon lime soft drinks." The kits are free, but the promotion ends May 20, or while supplies last.

I put my order in and will let you know what I think when it arrives.

Source: Slashfood

Diet Coke is 99% Water

YumSugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:01:31 -0700

These days we're supposed to drink more water and drink less soda. In fact, the bottle water industry is a bajillion dollar business and growing. Evidently the soda industry is worried about water encroaching on their business, and have decided to market their products a little bit differently. Steven Levitt of Freakonomics recently mentioned a new Diet Coke print ad that shows a picture of a Diet Coke can and the words "99 Percent Water."

The implication is that if Diet Coke and water are almost the same thing, but Diet Coke tastes better, you might as well drink Diet Coke. Which is a pretty sensible point of view, as long as the 1% that is not water isn’t hurting you.

It's interesting to note that this ad follows on the heels of one that shows a Diet Coke can and the words "Sparkling or Sparkling?" Do you think it's healthy to suggest that Diet Coke replace your water intake? Personally I know I'd rather have the water. I mean, 99% water isn't bad, but what exactly is in that other 1%?

Source: Freakonomics
Image Source

Diet Coke Turns The Big 2-5

partysugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 01:11:25 -0700

In early 1980, with Jane Fonda leading the home video exercise craze, 20% of all American adults preferred diet sodas to regular. Dominated by the then popular diet soda called Tab, Coke saw an opportunity to move towards a new market. On today's date, July 9, in 1982, Diet Coke was introduced in a $100 million ad campaign. The head honchos over at Coke knew what they were doing and with an extravagant New York City gala launch, they had guests instantly hooked on the new diet soda. Diet Coke was a huge sensation and by Christmas time it had grown to be the third most popular soda after only Coke and Pepsi. Today Diet Coke is the most popular low calorie beverage in the world, served in over 61 countries. It has developed a crazed, almost cult like following with addicts drinking up to as many as 12 Diet Cokes a day.

Is a 12-a-Day Diet Coke Habit Bad For You?

YumSugar — Wed, 23 May 2007 06:59:19 -0700

Are you hooked on diet soda? If you're like Amanda Sanchez, a 29-year-old mother of two who drinks 12 cans a day, then you might want to cut back. Health experts think that consumption of diet sodas might lead to health consequences down the road. There have been no major studies stating that diet sodas are bad for you, however Dr. David Katz, a nutrition expert at the Yale School of Medicine believes that it could be damaging to your skeleton.

"There is some evidence that the acid load of soda, regular or diet, has an adverse affect on bone health. I would be very worried that if you are drinking 12 cans a day, diet or regular, it's potentially going to do damage to your skeleton, and eventually that can be a very serious problem.

However, the folks at Coca-Cola don't believe that's the case. Diana Garza, the communications director of Coca-Cola North America stated:

"Great taste. No calories. Wholesome ingredients. How could you drink too much?"

Even if there wasn't an ongoing debate on whether or not aspartame is safe, I don't think I could really consider it "wholesome," and I'm pretty confident that 12 cans of anything a day is probably 10 cans too many.

Source: ABC News

Enjoy a Free 2-Liter Bottle of Diet Dr Pepper

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:15:34 -0800

Guns N' Roses isn't releasing another album, but Dr Pepper fans can get themselves a free bottle of soda yet again.

To promote its "Nothing Diet About It" campaign, Dr Pepper is giving away coupons for free 20-ounce bottles and - get this - two-liter bottles of Diet Dr Pepper. Between now and March 31, go to the promotion website to choose your coupon, good for a free bottle through June 30. Hurry, before this deal falls flat!

Source

Could You Eat an All McDonald's Diet?

YumSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:45:56 -0700

In what could be the strangest morsel of food news this week, a Virginia man named Chris Coleson has lost 86 pounds since December by eating nothing but McDonald's. Aspiring to be the Mickey D's equivalent of Subway's Jared, Coleson ate a "diet" consisting of McDonald's "salads, wraps, apple-walnut salads, and the occasional cheeseburger."

McDonald's isn't planning to sign Coleson as a spokeperson (oddly, the company has Heidi Klum endorsing its wraps in Germany). If McDonald's paid you, would you go on Coleson's diet?

Source

Would You Eat This Diet?

partysugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:30:15 -0800

Recently I was sent a box of meals by Freshology. Like the Zone, Freshology is a diet delivery program that helps celebrities lose weight and eat healthy. I was given four days worth of packaged meals in containers that resembled airplane food. Although the food was made "fresh," I was disappointed. Iceberg lettuce? Soy chicken? Not the tastiest or most nutritious of ingredients, especially when they were packaged three days earlier. Still, the meal plan could be great for someone who doesn't like or have time to cook. What do you think? Would you want to try Freshology?

Do You Want Chocolate Covered Cherries in Your Dr. Pepper?

YumSugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:28:31 -0800

I'm a fan of Dr. Pepper, and I'm a fan of chocolate covered cherries, however, I'd never thought of mashing the two flavors together. Fortunately - or unfortunately depending on how you see it - someone at Dr. Pepper did. This year the latest limited edition flavored soda on the shelves is Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper. It's only available for a limited time, but if history repeats itself, it may hit shelves more permanently. In 2004, Dr. Pepper announced a limited edition Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper that is now available year round; it was followed by Berries & Cream Dr. Pepper. The new Cherry Chocolate flavor is only the third flavor extension in Dr. Pepper's history.

Has anyone out there seen it on their store shelves? If so, have you tried it?

Costco No Longer Carrying Coca-Cola Products

YumSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:15:25 -0800

If you weren't able to locate a case of Coke on your last trip to Costco, don't worry - you aren't going crazy. Yesterday, the wholesale club confirmed that it is no longer carrying Coca-Cola products in stores nationwide.

The Washington-based wholesaler is currently in the middle of a dispute with the Coca-Cola Co. Although neither would comment on the matter further, the world's largest soft drink maker said that it was involved in "ongoing negotiations" with the store.

Considering Costco is the fifth largest general retailer in the United States, I'm predicting a resolution soon. But in the meantime, customers will simply have to shop elsewhere to get their Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani, VitaminWater, Fresca, Minute Maid, and Odwalla fills (among others). Will you be forced to stock up on soft drinks elsewhere?