"I WISH I could like the green smoothies but I just don't! Maybe I need to add more fruit to give it a sweeter taste." You could add more fresh fruit and/or dried fruit. An alternative is to give your tastebuds more time to acclimate to the "green" taste. When I first started making smoothies, they had quite a lot of sweeter fruits in them, and a lot of carrot juice. These days, I've not only increased the proportion of vegetables substantially while decreasing the proportion of fruits and sugary vegetables, but I've also switched to lower-sugar fruits, like berries, including unsweetened cranberries. What's interesting is that now, I don't like sweeter smoothies as much. For example, I made one a few days ago with unsweetened pomegranate juice, and it seemed like a dessert to me. golddust, you said this: "I can't believe the difference in my skin. It feels softer and less puffy." The same here. But there's more. How many of you have face creams, eye creams, special creams for nighttime, body creams and lotions? Special ones for feet, for cuticles. For every single body part or so it seems? I realized the other day that I'm no longer using anything. After showering, I always needed the whole gamut of creams and lotions; the same after washing my face, which always felt unpleasantly tight. These days, my skin always feels soft, and no creams or lotions are needed. Of course, I can't scientifically ascribe the change to green smoothies, nor would I. I also can't say it's because of what I now eat, or because of what I no longer eat. It's probably due to a combo of all those factors. (It might well be due to something else entirely, of course.) But whatever, I don't want to estimate the cost of all those partially jars and bottles! Because I doubt I'll ever finish up any of them.

Am I the only one who would just buy more juice? I think that teenage boys require a whole lot more food than a 10 year old girl does. I've always had lots of food in the house. Fruit and veggies cut and ready to snack on, various chips and snacks and I usually bake cookies or brownies once a week. There is also a big bin of candy in the kitchen. My kids (girl 19, boy 15) have always just sort of balanced their own diets with the choices we have day to day. I always ended up tossing their Halloween candy at Christmas, their Christmas candy at Easter...etc. That said, I think If their habits were different I suppose I would limit some things. My son right now is just about to turn 15, he is 6'2" tall and weighs in at about 150 pounds. I'm trying to find ways to get him to eat MORE! Nothing like making French toast every morning at 5:45. He probably drinks a half gallon of OJ a week, a big Powerade every day, lots of water and about a half gallon of milk a week. (he plays football). For lunch he has a big turkey sub, chips or pretzels, a cookie or brownie, red peppers cut up, a granola bar and DH usually tosses in a snack sized candy bar. This has to last him from lunch until after practice, when he usually has something small, then we have dinner around 7. It's been funny over the years when other kids visit they don't quite know what to do. But the carrots and red peppers go just as fast as Chex Mix and chips when they're playing football or swimming. The cookies are another story. In the summer when all of his friends are around I make about 2 dozen a week. Beth P.

1) When you're hungry and wanting a snack, are you more likely to crave a sweet or salty/spicy snack? if it's the daytime, something salty/spicy... late at night after dinner, then usually something sweet. 2) The 3 junk-type foods that are hardest for you to resist: doritos LOVE tostitos with either a good con queso dip or guacomole-i can eat many calories with those! chewy candy--swedish fish, twizzlers, gummy lifesaves, etc. or peppermint patties. 3) Complete the following sentence: Do NOT bring any ________ into this house, because I can (will?) personally eat all of it . . . or at least waaay too much! i'm really good if it's in the house UNOPENED! lol. i usually can resist opening something, but once it's open, forget it-usually doritos, etc. 4) Although you may not eat at fast food restaurants a lot, what are your 3 favorite yummy-but-not-very-good-for you foods and from where? i really hardly ever eat fast food, but if i do i tend to order the 'wraps'... mcdonalds have them and wendy's have the chicken caeser wraps which i'll eat. i'm not big into burgers and only like the fries if they're HOT and CRISPY, which is often so hit and miss that i don't bother! 5) At nicer restaurants, what 2 or 3 foods do you have to force yourself not to order? i'll often pass on the french onion soup and choose something healthier even though i LOVE a good french onion soup crock with melted cheese and crusty bread!! i love all pastas, but will steer away sometimes to order something lighter. i love a really good carrot cake and if i see someplace has one that looks REALLY good, it's hard to pass! 6) Favorite comfort foods at home that are (sigh!) yummy but fat and/or calories-wise not that great for you or your waistline? i love making/eating pasta carbonara, but only do so occasionally. love creamy soups---buying fat free half and half makes me feels better but they still often have butter...(currently have broccoli and cheese soup leftover in the fridge--YUM!!) LOVE fruit pies/cobblers. 7) Favorite drink that you wish was "no calorie"? sweet drinks like margaritas sweet wines, like white zinfandel-love it! love chocolate coffee creamers---would be great if they were 0 calorie and still tasted great!! 8) What are 3 of your favorite "more healthful foods" to (try and) fall back on when the cravings hit? i guess popcorn is better than chips, but i usually don't really fall back on it... i buy those mini flavored rice cakes and feel better about those! i often will order fish or salad in restaurants- to either avoid fat or increase my veggie consumption! will order sorbet at the end of a meal when i'm really craving a dessert, but don't want the calories. 9) Favorite more healthful drinks? peppermint tea (with honey), icewater.

Have a $$$ Cuisinart juicer--it is ok, but what a pain to clean!! So it rarely got used. Bought a Nutribullet from kohls (as one can easily find 20% off coupons online) and I am very impressed with it!!! None of that pulp mess I had to deal with the Cuisinart! A ball bearing went on the extractor blade--so I called up the 180# and the service was great! I had registered the product, but had never scanned/emailed (or faxed) in a receipt. Lady said I could do that now. So in a few days I will cal back and just have to pay the $2.99 for shipping. It does take awhile to find that right combination! For losing weight, one wants more vegetables. Very happy with it so far.