slim down with green smoothies or a juice fast

Let's just start by saying this: we don't condone juice fasts or diets that involve drinking all your meals. Not providing your body with solid food for an extended period of time is not healthy and overtime can result is all sorts of physiological and psychological side effects. However, a lot of recent research has touted the benefits of doing a short-term (we recommend 1-2 days for beginners) juice fast or green smoothie fast. We recommend reading this Livestrong article, which talks about the benefits of intermittent fasting for weight loss and lifelong health. For juice fasts you will need a juicer; for green smoothie-ing, a blender will be enough. Both juices and green smoothies are simply a convenient alternative to preparing a meal. They're quick and easy to make and can be taken on the go. They are satisfying, healthy, detoxifying, and can include whatever particular supplements your body craves.

The cheapest option is to blend/juice your own fruits and veggies. For beginners, we recommend that you start with simple blended smoothies. These are the fastest/easiest to make, and a blender is a lot cheaper than a good juicer. Also, because you're chopping up the entire fruit/vegetable, you're getting a solid dose of fiber. Your body will have a much easier time adjusting to a (short-term) liquid diet and will also feel fuller if you include this part of the plants.

You can start with Dr. Oz's 48-hour cleanse, which includes multiple juice recipes (some of which can be concocted sans juicer) supplemented with vegetables and healthy recipes (like quinoa with prunes). If you're willing to take on a bigger challenge, try a 3-day cleanse like Jason Vale's Super Juice Detox or this one by Freutcake.

If you want to buy pre-made and money is no option, you can get juice cleanse kits delivered to you! If you happen to live in California or NYC you have the option of simply picking up these cleanses, meaning you won't be shelling out $20-$50 for shipping. Always a plus.

• BluePrint has 2-day cleanses for $150.
• Pressed Juicery has a 12-juice package for $160.
• Juice Shop has a 2-day beginner cleanse that's $126 (you have to be in the San Francisco area).
• CoolerCleanse has a 3-day cleanse for $174.
• Red Carpet Cleanses cost $90 a day.
• LifeJuice is $60 a day.

When it comes to blending and juicing on your own, you have to make sure you have the proper equipment first. Blenders are the cheaper option by far: a decent blender will run you $20 to $60, whereas a truly decent juicer (one that extracts all the nutrients) falls in the $50 to $200 range. Check out Amazon.com for the best selection and prices. Once you've got the equipment, surf the web for recipes and stock up on fruits and veggies! Some easy beginner recipes can be found at Food Network or Eating Well.

We'd love to hear your favorite recipes - feel free to share them in the comments below!

the new health food: icelandic skyr

Icelandic yogurt! What?

It's a thing. And it's quickly becoming more visible as companies like Brooklyn-based Siggi's move from specialty food stores like Whole Foods and Fresh Market to bigger general-grocer chains like Martin's on the East Coast. Skyr is the new Greek yogurt; in fact, it's even better for you than Greek yogurt. Weird thing is, skyr is actually not yogurt, at least not technically. Skyr is a strained, skim-milk (that means naturally fat-free) cheese. It's very thick and much more velvety than Greek yogurt, and is absolutely packed with protein and calcium. It's also full of those friendly probiotic bacteria we want to have cleaning out our digestive tracks.

This Nordic superfood is great with granola in a parfait, can be used to make awesome smoothies, and is also just as fantastic straight out of the container with a spoon (and perhaps a little fresh fruit on top if you feel like spoiling yourself a little further). It's also great for cooking - add it to dips or mashed potatoes for a little extra creaminess.

The coolest part is that this style of yogurt dates back to Viking-era Iceland, and up until recently couldn't be found outside of Scandinavia. Now that it's so easy to find in the U.S., we highly recommend you give it a try! It's the only kind of yogurt Zab and I eat now!