Cranberry Orange Hangover Smoothie

I stayed up late last night. I fell asleep on the couch around 4:30a and Bill got up at 5a and asked if I wanted to work out with him. Huh?!? Believe it or not, I passed (I probably shouldn't have); my eyes were stinging and I was beginning to feel the nausea that was such a common part of my life throughout my graduate school days. When I woke up this morning at 10a, I still felt groggy so I decided to make a smoothie to begin my day.

The kids used all the blueberries and didn't replace them (from the big freezer) and I'm out of bananas so I needed to make something up. Sometimes I'm awesome at creating new recipes and sometimes I bomb (is there anyone who can be flawless all the time?!?). Today was a good day and THIS IS AWESOME!!! I'm calling this my Cranberry Orange Hangover Smoothie. I may not have been drinking but my body needs the same kind of repair it needs when you do drink too much, don't get enough sleep or have traumatized your body in some way.

I'd love to hear what you think...

Cranberry Orange Hangover Smoothie
Serves 2


1 C Milk (2%)
5 Large Frozen Strawberries
1/2 C Cranberries (about a handful) 
1 can Mandarin Oranges, drained
1 T Coconut Cream 


Blend together and enjoy...



Now, I'd like to tell you WHY this is such a powerful mixture...

Milk - protein is helpful for your body as it helps repair tissue and gives you energy. Milk is also a common source of B vitamins - these vitamins work together to replenish the body when you're under stress or not feeling well. Also, the 2% Milk adds a little fat to your body, which can help us when we're feeling icky.

Strawberries - first of all, Strawberries taste good and since they were frozen, I didn't need to add any ice - yes! Vitamin C is one of the most important things to get from Strawberries at this point (they do lots of wonderful things overall [cancer, brain and memory health...scurvy...], but we're talking short term here!) Vitamin C helps to maintain immune function - this means that if you're just trying to repair from ONE night of flawed thinking (and not months or years) the vitamins and minerals will help your body remember what it's supposed to be doing. Oh, and a cup has 3g of fiber so it's an excellent step toward that daily goal!

Cranberries - overall, Cranberries are SO GREAT for you (and they add such a wonderful punch of tart). I try to keep them in my freezer year round by stocking up on them in the Fall but we don't use them as much as I'd like. One of the most wonderful things about them is their anti-bacterial properties so they help to heal your body, in a very specific way, from the inside out - no medicine can top that! We all know that Cranberries can help ward off or heal a UTI (urinary track infection) but what you may not understand is that those antibacterial properties work because it filters through your kidneys! If you had a night of hard drinking or binging, be nice to your kidney's (they do so much for you) and give it something that helps repair the damage. I do have to say that with my traditional blender, I had to chew the cranberry skins and seeds in my smoothie but that's part of the fiber (only 2g in that 1/2 cup) - I suppose if you have one of those Ninja or Vitamix blenders it won't even phase you. At any rate, it added good flavor!

Mandarin Oranges - While canned fruits and veggies are rarely as healthy as the original stuff, I still keep them around for those times when we're low on the fresh stuff. I have always LOVED canned Mandarin Oranges (which I just found out are canned tangerines) and whenever they're on sale, I buy a ton of them (we use them in salads a lot). There are still vitamins and minerals in those cans so I dump the juice and rinse the excess off. As far as today's issues are concerned, the Mandarin Oranges contain good amounts of Vitamin A which is good for cell development  (repair any damage you did last night) and healthy skin (when you feel like crud, it helps to have something allowing you to glow from the inside).

Coconut Cream - Finally, the Coconut Cream! I happened to have some in the refrigerator and I know how good coconut is for you so I did a little research and found some happy things. Coconut is really good for you. Overall, Coconut Cream is a thicker (more calories) version of Coconut Milk and I'm sure if that's what you had, you could use it and be content with the results. Coconut Cream's overall benefit for your wild night (or stupid night) is that it helps to improve your immune system and also helps ward off bacteria. Remember that when we are not at our best (eating healthy, sleeping enough, exercising enough) our body is more prone to welcome in harmful bacteria and viruses that can make you sick or worse.

I will note that while I enjoy all of these flavors, I didn't feel that one flavor stood out in the drink. In fact, I didn't have a strong recognition to any of the flavors but if you're really against one of these flavors, I suppose it may stand out to you.

To a healthful start today and better choices tomorrow...